Jahid Afrayil oglu Huseynli (; ; born 29 February 1996), known professionally as Jony, is a Russian singer and songwriter of Azerbaijani descent. He is the winner of the second season of the Russian reality singing show The Masked Singer (2021) on NTV.
Winner of the Golden Gramophone Award, Zhara Music Awards, Muz-TV and New Radio Awards. Winner of the 2023 30 Under 30 rating in the Music category.
In 2024, he became a coach on the eleventh season of the Russian edition of The Voice Kids.
Early life and education Jahid was born on February 29, 1996, in Baku to Azerbaijani parents. At the age of 4, he moved with his family to Moscow. At the age of 6, he went to the 1925th gymnasium in Novokosino. In the first grade, he began to sing in the school choir and impressed his teachers with his vocals. In ninth grade, he realized that he wanted to seriously pursue music.
However, Jony's father did not support his decision, as he wanted him to follow in his footsteps and become a businessman. After graduating from school, Jony entered State University of Management at the Faculty of International Business without much enthusiasm.
After completing his Master's degree, Jony realized that he wanted to play music professionally and asked his father to give him a chance to try his hand at it."I was 22 years old when I asked my father to give me a chance to try my hand at something I love. Working for my father, who is the director of the company, is the easiest way, but he did not suit me and did not satisfy my ambitions.
I only added at the same time that if something doesn’t work out for me, I will return and admit that I am a fool. But in the depths of my soul I knew that I could not come to my father with my head bowed and admit my defeat - what kind of man am I after that?".
Career While studying at university, Jony began recording various cover versions of popular songs and publishing them on his Instagram profile. Soon he met Ioann Zhani Kuznetsov (Andro), and then Elman Zeynalov (El'man). In 2018, together they created the music label RAAVA Music.
Later Jony began working on his own songs and released five singles: "Empty Glass", "Friend Zone", "Star", "Alley" and "I'm Not Me Without You" (together with HammAli & Navai). The video filmed for the song "Alley" received more than 100 million views on YouTube.
In September 2019, Jony released the song "Comet", which soon topped the Apple Music chart and became the singer's signature song.
In 2020, the album "Heavenly Roses" was released.
In 2021, he left RAAVA Music and decided to pursue a solo career.
In 2022, Jony released several hit singles, including "World of Green" (featuring Leonid Agutin) and "Moon Night" (featuring Emin). His song "" (together with Anna Asti) became one of the top-charting tracks of the year.
Artist nickname As a child, Jahid liked the cartoon Johnny Bravo, so his mother jokingly began to call him Jony. Later, the singer began to introduce himself this way at school, when classmates could not remember his name."I got used to the name "JONY", even my mother calls me that since I was three years old. Only my grandparents in Azerbaijan call me by my first name. But parents and friends - almost never. Most often "JONY", "Jo"."
The Masked Singer In 2021, Jony took part in the second season of the Russian reality singing show The Masked Singer, which aired on the NTV channel from February 14 to May 2. He was hiding under the image of "Crocodile" and won.
Throughout the show's season, he sang 13 songs: Lou Bega «Mambo No. 5» Luciano Pavarotti «Caruso» Monatik «Kruzhit» Vladimir Presnyakov «Strannik» Jamiroquai «Virtual Insanity» Nerves «Kofe moi drug» Leonid Agutin «Hop Hey Lala-Lei» James Brown «It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World» Adam Lambert «Whataya Want from Me» Muslim Magomaev «Blue Eternity» Hozier «Take Me to Church» Maxim Fadeev and Nargiz «Vdvoem» Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars «Uptown Funk»
The jury members (Valeria, Philip Kirkorov, Regina Todorenko, Timur Rodriguez, Alexander Revva) highly praised his performance and could not determine which performer was hiding under the mask until the very end. Philipp Kirkorov noted that he had not experienced such creative ecstasy for 30 years and said that he could now retire peacefully. Jony, in turn, said that he had dreamed of becoming a participant in the show since the first season in order to demonstrate the facets of talent that he could not express in his traditional work.
Show "Voice. Children" In 2024, he became a mentor of the 11th season of The Voice Kids TV project.
Discography Solo tracks YearTitleAlbum2018Empty Glass“List of Your Thoughts”Friendzone2019StarAlleyWithout You I'm Not Myself (feat. HammAli & Navai)You Enchanted MeLove Your VoiceLaliGive Me Your HandCometrowspan="2" 2020Madam (feat. Andro)You Are Merciless“Heavenly Roses”You SoarAnd Outside, It's RainingThe World Has Gone CrazyHeavenly RosesEmptinessrowspan="5" 2021Falling—Catch MeLandslideBlue EyesBoss (feat. The Limba)Maybe You Don't Remember Me (feat. HammAli)“Don't Search Genres in Me”2022CreditsLet’s Go With ‘You’Not at All“Don't Search Genres in Me”"" (with Anna Asti)My HeavenWhen You Understand Everything (feat. Navai)NeedlesNo SenseWarm Me UpSilhouette (feat. Erika Lundmoen)RegressionDiamondWindPolygonEast (feat. TLK)2023Bewitchedomg“Summer and Period”Airy SundressCan't Forgetrowspan="3" PhotofilmFreed2024It Doesn't Hurt“Epic”Rivers LeadFire“Epic”I Need MoreWithout Excess Words (feat. Daniel’)Rivers Lead (feat. Nikruz)The Rain RoaredNon- Album SingleDeja VuI'm flying2025Couple of Abnormal “Near”PoemI rememberPour out your soulNearTake everythingLonelyAbout YouOxygen2026BeautifulNon- Album SingleEuphoria OfficialPageofJony/YouTube
Featured Tracks YearDateTitleMinPerformerAlbum201911 Mar.Sneakers2:22El’man202027 Mar.Fireplace3:05Emin“44”10 Apr.Are You Really Mine?3:23Bahh Tee“10 Years Later”10 Jun.Lollipop2:29Gafur“Kaleidoscope”202115 Jan.Balcony3:18El’man“Muse”12 Mar.Lilies3:18Mot11 Nov.Believe3:18Dima Bilan“13 Friends of Bilan”26 Nov.2:18Andro“Jani Gipsy”10 Dec.You Will Leave2:46Rakhim202215 Jul.Moonlit Night3:23Emin“44”11 Nov.World of Green Color3:52Leonid Agutin23 Dec.New Year's Song3:46Vlad A4, Egor Kreed20238 Sep.I'll Be Here3:43MIIDAS“Neo-Romance”202419 Jan.Disappear Beautifully2:24Roman Bestseller“Science Fiction”1 Mar.Fire (T'es ma cherie)3:153 May.Smoke2:53Egor Kreedrowspan="2" 5 Jul.On the Streets of Baku3:17Natia Rigvava
Other Tracks YearDateTitleMin201918 Oct.Comet (Remix)3:40202123 Dec.On the Purple Moon (Cover)2:08202212 Jul.Subtitles (Remix)3:24
Music Videos
YearDateTitleDirectorProducerYouTubeVK Video2019Mar 20AlleyNot specifiedElman Zeynalov160 million1 millionJun 21You captivated meMaria Kovalenko65 million0.3 million202025 Feb.CometZhandos TungyshbaevMaria RoshchinaErkebulan Kurishbaev30 million—13 Apr.KaminAlexander RomanovSvetlana Vezucha54 million1 million202112 FebEmptinessSasha BunchSasha Bunch15 million0.3 million13 May LiliesAlexey ZhukovTuran Kurbanov53 million0.1 millionNov 18BossRustam RomanovEkaterina Galanina28 million0.2 millionDec 14Probably you don't remember me (feat. HammAli)EugeneAngela Zhgutova33 million0.2 million2022Aug 31Moonlit NightSamir BagirovOrhan Guseinov55 million0.5 millionSep 9No wayGenrikh MederSvetlana Vezucha30 million1 millionNov 25How to understand your love? Alexey KhoroshyDarra Dmitrieva60 million1 millionDec 24New Year's songEnendroenErkebulan Baiguzhin35 million—2023Jul 29omgDimash Maimakov Sergey Karimov1 million1 millionAug 4Aerial SundressAnton MenshikovSvetlana Vezuchaya11 million2 million10 Nov.VolenHeinrich Meder3 million2.4 million2024Apr 17It doesn't hurt meElvin FominMay 3.Smoke
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2021 My Little Pony: A New Generation Sprout Cloverleaf Russian Vocal
Audiobooks 2023 — “Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf” — audiobook performer
Reviews, Certifications and Awards
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Result 2020 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards Favorite music artist of Russian viewersZhara Music AwardsBreakthrough of the YearShow of the YearOK! AwardsNew Faces. Music2021New Radio AwardsBest ArtistZhara Music AwardsSinger of the YearMuz-TV AwardsSong of the yearPesnya godaFor the song "You are merciless"2022OK! AwardsThe main character. MusicNew Radio AwardsBest Collaboration (shared with Mot for "Lilies")Zhara Music AwardsSinger of the YearVideo of the YearCollaboration of the YearNew Song of the YearFor the song "Nikak"Pesnya godaFor the song "Titry"Golden GramophoneFor the song "Titles"2023New Radio AwardsBest ArtistBest SingleZhara Music AwardsSinger of the YearVK Music's ChoiceCollaboration of the yearSong of the yearAlbum of the yearVideo of the yearTrendsetter of the yearLyric artistRU.TV Award 2023Best singerVK Clip AwardsMusician of the Year
Chart positions Albums YearWorkChartApple Music Top 10 AlbumsVkontakte Top 10 Albums2019List of your thoughts122020Heavenly Roses12022Don't look for genres in me2024EPIC
Local charts YearWorkChartiTunes Top 100 RussiaApple Music Weekly TOP-10Top Radio & YouTube Hits Russia Top-50Top Radio Hits Russia Top-50Top YouTube Hits Russia Top-502019Alley117328Без тебя я не я38———Love Your Voice13———35Lali43——12Comet111819182020Madam12——34Fireplace1—37—16You are merciless11233220 TrackTop chart positions VK Music Apple Music Yandex Music Apple Music Apple Music VK Music Spotify Top Radio & YouTube Hits Top Radio & YouTube HitsEmpty glass4374——————Friendzone2678—————333Star22———14———Sneakers58———————Alley2433————43Without you I'm not me1817————258You captivated me1129—————91Love Your Voice121792————397Lali1217——43—128Give me your hand78———————Comet11297—7—3918Madam117————96Fireplace146——93—66Are you really mine?368826—————You are merciless114——70—4823Lollipop228———59—You are a bet3355——92—22And it's raining outside1815—————251The world has gone mad854671—113Heavenly Roses162219——7—233Emptiness326——3250117Balcony436330—35—94Catch me when I fall54————47150Lilies4236—12——25Rockfall922———39353BLUE EYES321113——18——Boss2111116148You probably don't remember me2312413565Believe——2——96——Bird cherry71———32———You will leave1495061715—306On the lilac moon3416753—358Subtitles1112181—94Let's be informal23185 — — — —8480No way232 — — — —4425How can I understand your love?111 — — — — —97Как любовь твою понять? 20-26.01.2023Spellbound8 — — — — — — —453Заворожённый. 7-13.04.2023Airy Sarafan42718 — — — — —32I can't forget
References