Imany

Biography

Nadia Mladjao (born 5 April 1979), better known by her stage name Imany ( IM-ə-nee), is a French pop-soul recording artist of Comorian descent. Her debut album, The Shape of a Broken Heart×The Shape of a Broken Heart9 May 2011 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Slow Down4:112You Will Never Know3:493Kisses in the Dark3:474Where Have You Been4:165Grey Monday3:146Please and Change3:107Seat With Me4:288Shape of a Broken Heart4:409Pray for Help3:1210I’ve Gotta Go3:5511I Lost My Keys4:2912Take Care3:04, which was released in 2011, reached platinum status in France, Greece and triple platinum in Poland.
Imany’s work frequently engages themes of resilience, emotional struggle, personal autonomy, and the search for meaning. 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.

Early life

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.

Career

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×The Shape of a Broken Heart9 May 2011 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Slow Down4:112You Will Never Know3:493Kisses in the Dark3:474Where Have You Been4:165Grey Monday3:146Please and Change3:107Seat With Me4:288Shape of a Broken Heart4:409Pray for Help3:1210I’ve Gotta Go3:5511I Lost My Keys4:2912Take Care3:04, 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.

Activism

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.