Janiva Magness

Blues and soul singer Janiva Magness was no stranger to trouble and hard times growing up, and she pours those emotions into her passionate vocal delivery. Her music is steeped in Chicago blues, vintage soul, and a dash of classic rock (the latter especially on 2019's Janiva Magness Sings John Fogerty: Change in the Weather), and she sings with an emotional force that's strong and rings true while making room for vulnerability on songs rooted in heartache like "You Were Never Mine," from 2006's Do I Move You? More than a decade after her solo debut, Magness enjoyed a breakthrough with her first album for powerhouse blues label Alligator, 2008's What Love Will Do, and 2022's Hard to Kill was a personal effort full of songs of tribulation and resilience. 2025's Back for Me saw her paying tribute to the lesser-known works of some of her favorite songwriters.