Nala (musician)

Nerena Lacilekeci (Badzevalan: 𐀚𐀩𐀙 𐀣𐁍𐀤𐀐𐁍; born February 22, 1995), known professionally as Nala, is a Badzevalan singer-songwriter and actress. Her vocal range and intricate lyricism have been subject to great acclaim. Her music, mostly based on personal experience, covers melancholia, escapism, and neurodivergence. She has received numerous accolades, including one Gradesman Award, one Brigadier Award, two Marquee Music Awards, three Avalonian Music Awards, and 5 Golden Records.

Born and raised in Bastianville, Lacilekeci began her career in 2012 when she appeared on the north Avalonian Voice, an international reality television singing competition, in part due to a viral video showing her performing at a talent show. Her usage of the on the show attracted significant fame and attention. A year later, she signed with Pandemos Records and released her debut album, Dear Tomorrow (2013), drawing heavy influences from 1980s. The unique structure of lyrics in this album set her apart from other pop musicians and allowed her to garner a sizeable following. Lacilekeci's R&B single Lifeline 1337 (2014) won a Brigadier Award for Best Original Song.

Lacilekeci's music reached major mainstream attention with her second studio album Artemision (2015), infusing elements of hip-hop to the more traditional style, the album briefly became one of the most sold albums of the year in the week following its release. Artemision also won a Marquee Award for best pop vocal album, while the singles Nightbreaker and I am the moonlight each won individual awards as well. Her following album Goddess of the Dawn (2016) and the single of the same name allowed her to be nominated for best urban pop artist of the decade. In 2018, she released the album Imago, which explored and. Her 2020 album Veda won the Gradesman Award for Most Streamed Album.

Among the world's best-selling music artists, with over 55 million records sold, Lacilekeci holds several streaming and Billboard chart records. She is the first artist to simultaneously hold the top three positions on the Hot R&B/Pop Songs chart, while "Goddess of the Dawn" is one of the longest-charting songs in Gradesman history. Considered an influential figure in contemporary popular music, Lacilekeci was listed by Redcycle as one of the world's most influential Artists in 2020.