Jin Jin (musician)

Janée Bennett, known professionally as Jin Jin (previously Jin Jin and the Ragdolls), is an English singer and songwriter from Manchester.

Career

As a child Bennett became interested in music whilst hanging out in her Granddad’s reggae music record shop and enrolled at City College Manchester to do a National Diploma in Music Technology and a Higher National Diploma.

Bennett signed to the music publisher Windswept Music UK^[1] and auditioned for the second series of the BBC televised music competition Fame Academy, but didn't make it through to the final group.^[2] Subsequently, Bennett completed an undergraduate degree in Music Industry Management and Marketing at Buckinghamshire University. To see herself through college she modelled for fashion brands including Agent Provocateur and DKNY.^[3]

In September 2008, having moved to London, Bennett co-wrote the Roll Deep single "Do Me Wrong", from their album Return of the Big Money Sound. In October 2009, Bennett released her debut single, "Sex in the City" (with producer Bless Beats), via Moshi Moshi Records; NME magazine described the track as "rude, fresh and kinda brilliant".^[4] A version of the single features rapper Tinchy Stryder.^[5] Bennett was profiled in The Guardian's "New band of the week" feature the same month, with Paul Lester describing her as "a rougher, cruder version of glossy American R&B" and "a new urban female who is edgier than Pixie, who comes from a more authentic place than Alexandra Burke, halfway between Alesha Dixon and Lady Sovereign, like a Moss Side Pink if she'd worked with Tinchy instead of Linda Perry".^[3]

By 2012, Bennett had changed her professional name to Jin Jin and the Ragdolls and was working on an album titled Rhythm Homicide with Bless Beats and co-producer Jagz Kooner. She released the single "Cashpoint Drama" (featuring Mikill Pane) in July 2012,^[6][7][8][9] followed by "Love in Sin City" in September 2012^[10] and "Whistle at Me" (featuring Wiley) in November 2012.^{[11][12][13][14]} In October 2013, Bennett issued the Bless Beats-produced single "Fire Me Up" under her shortened stage name Jin Jin.^[15][16][17] She collaborated with the band Polar Bear on the song "Cuckoo", released as a single in October 2014.^[18]

As well as the artist career Bennett is a successful songwriter for others, now signed through the UK office to Universal Music Publishing Group worldwide.^[19] Bennett discovered the five times #1 singer Jess Glynne whilst teaching a master class at Jess's music college, and with producer Bless Beats went on to collaborate with Glynne on tracks for her debut album. This included Jess Glynne's first official single "Right Here", which was a UK top ten hit in 2014.^[19] Bennett co-wrote Glynne's second collaboration with Clean Bandit, "Real Love", as well as "Not Letting Go" featuring Tinie Tempah which topped the UK charts. She also co-wrote Jess Glynne's "Hold My Hand" which was a UK #1 as well as being Jess's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also used in an advertisement for Coca-Cola in 2015 and was featured on the original movie soundtrack for the 2016 film, Bridget Jones's Baby.

Bennett is now a platinum selling writer and has been nominated for an Ivor Novello Award (2016) and won a BMI Award (2016) - both for her work on "Hold My Hand" by Jess Glynne. Other major credits including the hit single "Drunk and Incapable" for Krishane featuring Melissa Steele in 2014, and tracks for artists including Tamera Foster, Little Mix, and Olly Murs.^[19]

Recently Bennett set up her own publishing company Raggamuffin Music, in conjunction with Bless Beats and Bucks Music Group, focusing on developing the stars of the future. First act to launch, Dom Mcallister, is already getting national radio play with his first release.

Artist Discography

• "Do Me Wrong" (2008) Roll Deep feat. Janée
• "Touch My" (2009) Mos Wanted Mega feat. Janée
• "Sex in the City" (2009) (with Bless Beats)
• "Cashpoint Drama" (2012) (feat. Mikill Pane)
• "Love in Sin City" (2012)
• "Whistle at Me" (2012) (feat. Wiley)
• "Fire Me Up" (2013)
• "Cuckoo" (2014) Polar Bear with Jin Jin
• "Break Loose" (2015) Televisor feat. Jin Jin & Splitbreed

Writer Discography

SINGLES

• " Home"(2014) Jess Glynne
• "Real Love" (2014) Clean Bandit & Jess Glynne
• "Right Here" (2014) Jess Glynne
• "Drunk and Incapable" (2014) Krishane featuring Melissa Steele
• "Hold My Hand" (2015) Jess Glynne
• "Not Letting Go" (2015) Tinie Tempah featuring Jess Glynne
• "Mamacita" (2016) Tinie Tempah
• "Need Somebody" (2016) Alex Newell
• "Keep It Moving" (2016) Alex Newell

ALBUM TRACKS

• "Gave Me Something" (2015) Jess Glynne from album I Cry When I Laugh
• "Ain't Got Far To Go" (2015) Jess Glynne from album I Cry When I Laugh
• "No Rights No Wrongs" (2015) Jess Glynne from album I Cry When I Laugh
• "Bad Blood" (2015) Jess Glynne from deluxe version of album I Cry When I Laugh
• "Grown" (2015) Little Mix from album Get Weird
• "Like That" (2015) Fleur East from deluxe version of album Love, Sax and Flashbacks
• "Scar" (2016) Foxes from album All I Need
• "24 HRS" (2016) Olly Murs from album 24 HRS
• "How Much For Your Love" (2016) Olly Murs from deluxe version of album 24 HRS

References

External links

• Official website
• Jin Jin on Twitter