Kenyan-American musician Xenia Manasseh has earned her first-ever Grammy nomination. Announced on November 7 as part of the 2026 Grammy contenders, the 29-year-old Nairobi native’s nod in the Best R&B Album category marks her as the latest Kenyan artist to crack the Recording Academy’s elite circle, following trailblazers like Sauti Sol and Nyashinski.
Manasseh’s breakthrough comes via her behind-the-scenes contributions to Teyana Taylor’s critically lauded visual album Escape Room, a project that transforms personal heartbreak into a cinematic odyssey of healing and self-reclamation. As co-writer and background vocalist on the album’s haunting closer “Final Destination,” Manasseh helped craft a track that critics are calling a “breathtaking finale” – a soul-stirring meditation on closure and resilience that ties the record’s emotional threads into a profound bow.
From Nairobi Nights to Berklee Stages: The Making of Xenia Manasseh
Born and raised in Kenya’s vibrant capital, Xenia Manasseh grew up immersed in the rhythms of East African soul, where family gatherings doubled as impromptu jam sessions. Her sound, a seamless fusion of neo-soul introspection, bouncy R&B grooves, and subtle Afro-diasporic flourishes echoes the vulnerability of icons like Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill, while carving out space for her own voice on themes of love, identity, and unapologetic empowerment. “I carry Nairobi with me,” Manasseh has said, infusing her lyrics with the warmth of home even as she navigates the chill of international stages.
Her journey took a pivotal turn in 2013 when, on a scholarship whim, she applied to just two U.S. music schools and landed at the top: Berklee College of Music in Boston. Graduating in 2018 with a bachelor’s in Music Business and Management. Manasseh credits the institution’s world-renowned program in contemporary music for sharpening her artistry and business savvy.
Post-Berklee, Manasseh traded Boston’s winters for Atlanta’s sun-soaked studios, where she’s since become a go-to ghostwriter and vocalist for R&B’s upper echelon. Her resume boasts background vocals on Teyana Taylor’s 2020 hit “Shoot It Up” (featuring Big Sean), writing credits on Brandy’s 2023 holiday release, and features alongside boundary-pushers like Kelela.
Solo, she’s dropped gems like the playful 2022 single Wild Ride and the 2025 EP Options (co-released with Kenyan duo Ukweli Truth), a relational deep-dive blending indie vibes with Afro-soul introspection. Her 2024 COLORSxStudios performance of Temporary Love went viral, cementing her as a must-watch on global playlists and earning her spots on Artists to Watch radars from Spotify to BBC.
The Grammy Glow: Escape Room and Final Destination
Manasseh’s Grammy entry, Escape Room, dropped on August 22, 2025, as Teyana Taylor’s bold return after a five-year hiatus. Billed as a visual album and short film, it plunges listeners into an “escape room” metaphor for post-divorce catharsis – think locked-door puzzles scored to lush, narrative-driven R&B. Manasseh’s touch on Final Destination, co-penned with Taylor and producer KVN HRTLSS, arrives as the album’s emotional anchor: a fingerpicked guitar ballad laced with steamy undertones and reflective harmonies, produced by Carrington Brown, Flippa, and Dre Moon. It’s the kind of track that lingers, turning grief into a gateway for rebirth.
Critics have showered Escape Room with superlatives, hailing it as Taylor’s “strongest project yet” for its “tender, nuanced storytelling” and innovative format that feels like a “musical escape from relational ruins.” Rolling Stone praised its ability to navigate “passionate pools of instant escapism,” blending dance rhythms with raw vulnerability, while Album of the Year users buzzed about its seamless segues and “bittersweet journey” vibes. For Manasseh, the song’s acclaim – as a poignant closer elevating the album’s healing arc ,feels like poetic justice, building on her prior Taylor collab and spotlighting her knack for layering soul into elite productions.
A New Chapter for Kenyan Soul on the World Stage
For Manasseh, this nod isn’t just personal but a beacon for Kenya’s next generation. “Representing home while chasing dreams abroad? That’s the real win,” she posted on X post-announcement, her feed lighting up with congrats from Berklee alums and Nairobi fans alike. As African artists continue to redefine R&B’s borders (from Tems’ wins to Burna Boy’s ubiquity ), Manasseh’s story reminds us: the Grammy gold rush now runs through the Global South.
Written by Otieno Arudo
As a child, I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. Long before it was cool to be your own boss, I was inspired by seeing my parents build their business together. Having been a business owner since 2013, the biggest lesson that I have learned in business is to be careful and vet who you choose to go into business with. Even as I say this, I have […]
