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5 Things to Know About 'NAJI,' the Debut Album From Atlanta, Georgia-Raised Diplo Collaborator Kareen Lomax
The Atlanta-raised, LA-based alt-R&B singer's 13-track debut is named for the first name she rarely used, and it was shaped by grief.
Kareen Lomax, the alternative R&B singer raised in Atlanta, Georgia, released her debut album, NAJI, on Sept. 18, 2026. You may already know her voice from Diplo Records, but this 13-track album is the first full-length album under her own name, and its title is a name most fans never knew.
Here are five things to know.
1. "NAJI" is her real first name
"Naji is my first name, which a lot of people don't know," Lomax said in the album announcement shared by Shore Fire Media. She went by her middle name, Kareen, for much of her life, and the album sets the two sides against each other: Kareen, who feels deeply and grieves, and Naji, who is more direct.
2. It's an album shaped by grief
NAJI follows the deaths of her adopted sister in 2020 and her father in 2021. Shore Fire lists grief, love, healing, nostalgia, self-preservation and identity among its themes, and notes she grew up in a strict Southern Baptist household. BroadwayWorld points to her move from Georgia to Los Angeles, where she is now based.
3. She recorded it herself
Lomax recorded the whole project herself, mostly in home studios, over several years in Los Angeles and New York. Daoud produced the album, which was released via Music is Fun, a division of Seeker Music. Her Bandcamp page sums it up plainly, calling the album "a document of Lomax's grief."
Apple Music's top songs for her include the album tracks "self care/flowers" and "PLAY THIS."
4. "OFFLINE" set the tone
The first single, "OFFLINE," came with the album announcement, which Shore Fire dated July 10, 2026. Shore Fire described it as a boundary-setting song, a fitting opener for a record about protecting yourself while you heal.
5. Her resume is deep
Before NAJI, Lomax sang on five Diplo singles, including "Looking For Me" with Paul Woolford, a UK Top 5 hit. She has also written for Zayn Malik, Leon Bridges, Maroon 5 and Syd, and has released music with Rudimental, Kavinsky and AlunaGeorge. Ebro Darden, Timbaland and KEXP have all backed her work, per Shore Fire.
That background makes NAJI a statement. After years of lending her voice to other people's hits, she has made an album in her own name, both of them.
Where to listen and follow
NAJI is streaming now. Find it on Lomax's Apple Music artist page and on Bandcamp, and follow her on Instagram at @kareenlomax, which had about 41K followers as of late October 2026.
Sources
Shore Fire Media — "Kareen Lomax Announces Debut Album NAJI, Out 9/18"
BroadwayWorld — "Kareen Lomax Releases Debut Album NAJI"
Apple Music — "Kareen Lomax"
Bandcamp — "Kareen Lomax"