Jamelia Niela Davis (born January 11, 1981) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and television personality from Birmingham, England. Emerging during the late 1990s, she became one of the most recognizable British R&B performers of the early 2000s. Her music combined contemporary R&B vocals with pop songwriting, hip-hop influences and polished mainstream production. Across three studio albums, she established a career marked by strong singles, crossover appeal and an ability to move between urban music and broader pop audiences.
Jamelia began recording professionally as a teenager and initially signed with Capitol Records. Her first single, "So High," was released in 1999 but did not make a significant chart impact. She subsequently moved to Parlophone, where "I Do" became her first notable success. Her debut album, Drama, followed in 2000. The record presented her as a confident young R&B artist and produced the single "Money," a collaboration with Jamaican dancehall artist Beenie Man. "Money" became her first UK Top 10 hit and helped give the album a wider audience.
Her breakthrough arrived with Thank You, released in 2003. The album reached number four on the UK Albums Chart and produced several of her best-known recordings. "Superstar" became a major international hit, reaching number three in the United Kingdom and the top position in Australia. Its sleek pop-R&B arrangement and direct vocal performance helped make it Jamelia's signature song. "Thank You" and "See It in a Boy's Eyes" also performed strongly in the UK, with the latter written in collaboration with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. The album earned critical recognition and brought Jamelia a series of MOBO Awards and BRIT Award nominations.
Jamelia's third studio album, Walk with Me, appeared in 2006. It continued her movement toward a more expansive pop sound while retaining elements of R&B. The album included "Beware of the Dog," which used a prominent sample associated with Depeche Mode, and "Something About You." Although it did not match the commercial performance of Thank You, it confirmed her status as an established recording artist. A greatest-hits collection, Superstar - The Hits, followed in 2007.
Alongside music, Jamelia developed a substantial television career. She served as a coach on The Voice of Ireland and became a regular panelist on the ITV program Loose Women. She also appeared on entertainment and comedy programs including Never Mind the Buzzcocks, 8 Out of 10 Cats and Would I Lie to You?. Her presenting work included documentaries such as Jamelia: Whose Hair Is It Anyway? and Jamelia: Shame About Single Mums, extending her public profile beyond performance.
Her acting credits include appearances in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, Death in Paradise and Doctors. In the 2020s, she returned to scripted television, joining the cast of the long-running soap opera Hollyoaks as Sharon Bailey. She also appeared in the children's series Little Darlings and the BBC comedy-drama Just Act Normal. Jamelia's career is notable for its sustained movement between recording, acting, presenting and judging, while her music remains centered on the vocal-led R&B and pop style that first brought her to prominence.