Idol Chatter & Voice Views

His audition: Jan Dan, 29, Newark, N.J., “Almost Doesn’t Count” by Brandy: Jan’s soulful tone got immediate chair turns from Michael Buble and Gwen Stefani. Instead of making her pitch from her big red chair, Gwen Stefani approached the stage to give Jan Dan a lesson in making eye contact with his audience. Michael was so impressed, he barely made a pitch for Jan Dan. Jan Dan chose to join Team Gwen Stefani.

Here’s more about Jan Dan.

* Jan Dan is the stage named for Najee Daniels. He explains in an Instagram post. It’s the first three letters of his first name, used backwards, then combined with the first three of his last name.

* In his Voice bio segment, Jan explains that he grew up in a “huge musical family.” His mom is an R&B artist who was signed to So So Def Records and is still releasing music.

* And Jan Dan’s uncle, the late LaShawn Daniels, won a Grammy in 2001 for helping write “Say My Name” for Destiny’s Child and was nominated for another in 2014 for co-writing “Love and War” for Tamar Braxton.

* Jan Dan’s released music too, both under his real name and under his new stage name.

* Between 2019 and 2023 he released four singles as Najee Daniels. He’s also a featured vocalist on “Didn’t Know What to Believe,” a 2022 single by V. Rose that has more than 60,000 streams on Spotify.

* Then, in July, he released a debut album as Jan Dan. The self-titled project features 13 tracks, including lead singles “Love Lost” and “Alright.” Check out the music video for “Alright” below.

* Wrote Jan Dan on release day: “I’ve lived in fear of rejection and was crippled by the possibility of failing. That’s why, after all these years of doing music, this is my first body of work. I put every imperfect moment into it because it speaks to who I am. This has been a long journey, but I also feel as if it’s just begun.”

* Though he turned two chairs and landed a spot on the show — and prompted his mother to express pride in a series of social media post — it sounds like Jan Dan expects even more from himself in future rounds on The Voice.

* Of his Voice audition, he writes: “This was hands down the most nervous I’ve ever been! Anyone who knows me knows I’m a total perfectionist. Let’s just say this was me singing under some serious pressure! But no worries—my next performance will be on a whole new level.”

* Oh, and on a personal note, Jan Dan mentioned in his bio segment that he and his wife were expecting their first child. The blinds were filmed in early July. Nori Arabella Daniels was born August 23. Congrats, Jan Dan!

Jan Dan on social media:
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