Imany

Critics and interviewers note her emphasis on narrative clarity and emotional sincerity; she often describes her songwriting as a process rooted in storytelling and melodic exploration. Her performances are marked by a combination of vocal intensity and restrained acoustic accompaniment, a stylistic choice that underscores her preference for directness over ornamentation.

• Name — Imany • Birth Name — Nadia Mladjao • Born — 5 April 1979 • Birthplace — Martigues, Bouches-du-Rhône, France • Genre — * Folk • soul • blues • pop • Occupation — Singer-songwriter • Years Active — 2008–present • Label — * Think Zik! • Sony

She was born in Martigues near Marseille, in a family from the Comoros in 1979. Her stage name, Imany (Imani) means faith in Swahili (from Arabic إيمان - imaan). As a youth, she was an athlete, doing high jump.

• Illustration — Imany in Brussels in 2011 She became a model for Ford Models Europe. She went to the United States for seven years, before coming back to France, when she started her singing career. In 2008, she began singing. She performed at the Beau Lounge, at the Réservoir, at the Bellevilloise, and at the China Club. Imany’s first album, The Shape of a Broken Heart, which was named after a drawing she made with closed eyes, contains twelve songs written in English. Imany produced the soundtrack for the 2014 film French Women by Audrey Dana. In 2016 the Filatov & Karas remix of her song "Don't Be So Shy" became a Europe-wide hit, topping the charts in Austria, France, Germany, Poland and Russia.

• Illustration — Imany at a festival in 2017 Her public presence often merges artistic and social concerns. Performances and public commentary consistently situate her as a cultural figure attentive to questions of gender justice, lived experience, and emotional wellbeing—an alignment evident in later works such as her project Women Deserve Rage (2025), which explores themes of empowerment, anger, and self‑assertion through a feminist lens. Beyond her musical output, Imany is involved in health advocacy, particularly through her work with ENDOmind, an organization focused on raising awareness about endometriosis, a condition affecting millions of women worldwide. Her participation in this initiative reflects a broader engagement with issues of bodily autonomy, women’s health, and social visibility.

List of albums, with selected chart positions and certifications • Title — Album details — Peak chart positions — Certifications • FRA — AUT — BEL (Fl) — BEL (Wa) — GER — ITA — POL — SWI • The Shape of a Broken Heart — * Released: 9 May 2011 * Label: Think Zik! * Formats: CD, digital download — 19 — — — 55 — 47 — 47 — 10 — 4 — 36 — * FRA: Platinum * ZPAV: 3× Platinum • The Wrong Kind of War — * Released: 26 August 2016 * Label: Think Zik! * Formats: CD, digital download — 7 — 23 — 49 — 19 — 19 — 40 — 10 — 9 — * FRA: Platinum * ZPAV: Gold • Voodoo Cello — * Released: 3 September 2021 * Label: Think Zik! * Formats: CD, digital download — 24 — — — — — 92 — 34 — — — 34 — 47 • "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

List of EPs • Title — EP details • Acoustic Sessions — * Released: 15 October 2010 * Label: Think Zik! * Formats: digital download • There Were Tears — * Released: 26 April 2016 * Label: Think Zik! * Formats: CD, digital download • No Reason No Rhyme — * Released: 14 April 2017 * Label: Think Zik! * Formats: digital download • Time Only Moves — * Released: 25 October 2019 * Label: Think Zik! * Formats: CD, digital download

List of albums, with selected chart positions and certifications • Title — Album details — Peak chart positions — Certifications • FRA — BEL (Wa) — POL • Sous les jupes des filles (soundtrack - Imany and various artists) — * Released: 26 May 2014 * Label: Think Zik! * Formats: CD, digital download — 84 — 120 — 16 — * ZPAV: Gold

List of singles, with chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name • Single — Year — Peak chart positions — Certifications — Album • FRA — AUS — AUT — BEL (Wa) — GER — ITA — JPN — POL — RUS — SWI • "You Will Never Know" — 2011 — 26 — — — — — — — — — 2 — — — 5 — 1 — — — * FIMI: 2× Platinum — The Shape of a Broken Heart • "Please and Change" — — — — — — — — — — — — — 56 — — — — — — • "The Good the Bad & the Crazy" — 2014 — 79 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 1 — — — Sous les jupes des filles soundtrack • "Don't Be So Shy" (Filatov & Karas remix) — 2015 — 1 — 9 — 1 — 3 — 1 — 22 — — — 1 — 1 — 3 — * ARIA: Platinum * BEA: Gold * BVMI: Diamond * FIMI: 3× Platinum * IFPI AUT: Gold * IFPI SWI: 2× Platinum * ZPAV: Diamond — The Wrong Kind of War • "There Were Tears" — 2016 — 50 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 38 — — — — • "Silver Lining (Clap Your Hands)" — 38 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Nothing to Save" — 179 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "No Reason No Rhyme" — 2017 — 171 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Hey Little Sister" — 2019 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Time Only Moves • "Wonderful Life (Stream Jockey Rework)" — 2021 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 19 — — — — — Voodoo Cello • "The A Team" — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "Like a Prayer" — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

• Single — Year — Peak chart positions — Album • FRA — BEL (Wa) • "Le mystère féminin" (Kery James featuring Imany) — 2013 — 120 — — — Dernier MC