Soul high-flyer Jalen Ngonda to bring new album to Zurich

Over the past three years, Jalen Ngonda has evolved from a cult favorite into a true torchbearer of soul, taking his sound from intimate club stages to arenas and international festivals. Today, he returns with the announcement of his second album, Doctrine Of Love, due for release on June 5 via Daptone Records, and at the same time unveils the rousing title track.

Doctrine Of Love is an instant classic brimming with confidence and self-assurance, that brings together everything that made his debut album, Come Around And Love Me, such a breakthrough (now with over 348 million streams) and takes it one step further. While his debut nodded to the sheen of the early 1970s in the spirit of Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, this new collection is more rooted in 1968 and is rich with mid-’50s New Orleans R&B, girl-group melodrama, and the grit of Chicago and Detroit soul.

Ngonda, born and raised in Maryland outside Washington, D.C., began his journey at the age of 11 when he heard The Temptations on the radio and was “completely blown away.” He taught himself guitar, drums, and keyboards, gained his first experience as a church drummer, and later studied at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. After busking in London and honing his craft, he signed with Daptone Records in 2022 home to Thee Sacred Souls, The Womack Sisters, and Lee Fields—and released his acclaimed debut album the following year.

Since then, Ngonda’s rise has been unstoppable. From 300-capacity clubs to large venues holding more than 5,000 people, from early festival slots to standout headline performances at Glastonbury, he has proven that authentic soul still has the power to move a modern audience. Collaborations with Gorillaz and Jordan Rakei, as well as support slots for Thee Sacred Souls, Freddie Gibbs, and Olivia Dean, have further cemented his reputation as one of the most compelling artists on today’s music scene.

Ngonda will take Doctrine Of Love on the road with an extensive run of headline dates and appearances at major festivals across Australia, the UK, and Europe. The highlight of the tour is a major UK and European headline run, supported by Brooke Combe. Presales begin on Friday, March 13 at 11:00 a.m.