Cover Emotional Oranges (Photo: courtesy of the artists)
Emotional Oranges (Photo: courtesy of the artists)
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Made up of Adele’s vocal coach and Drake’s sound engineer, R&B duo Emotional Oranges have forged their own path—crafting music that embraces vulnerability and where “everyone’s background isn’t just heard but celebrated”
When Emotional Oranges debuted in 2017, their true identities remained a mystery. The Los Angeles-based duo—like Daft Punk and The Weeknd—kept their faces hidden from social media, their own website and album covers. Instead, their reputation was built through a distinctive sonic palette—a fusion of R&B, funk and pop—that captivated listeners and earned them more than 675 million streams across platforms. While Gen Z makes up the bulk of their fanbase, the duo has attracted listeners ranging from Kanye West to Michelle Obama.
Their talent has also drawn attention from the K-pop world, including Jaehyun from NCT, who collaborated with the duo twice—first on his solo project Flamin’ Hot Lemon (2024), and later on Emotional Oranges’ track Call It Off (2025).
Above A cover art of ‘West Coast Love’ (2019) (Image: Instagram/@emotionaloranges)
A cover art of ‘West Coast Love’ (2019) (Image: Instagram/@emotionaloranges)
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Today, Emotional Oranges—now revealed as Azad Naficy, a sound engineer for Drake, and Vali Porter, a vocal coach for Adele—are making waves internationally. Following the release of their first album Orenjii last month, they performed at Tokyo’s Green Room Festival in late May and at the Seoul Jazz Festival in early June. (The duo have a soft spot for both cities—the album title means “orange” in both Japanese and Korean.)
Now back in the US for a tour, the pair hinted to Tatler that they have more plans for Asia. In this exclusive interview, they discuss their creative process, inspirations, and future aspirations.
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Above Azad Naficy (Photo: courtesy of the artist)
Above Vali Porter (Photo: Instagram/@emotionaloranges)
Azad Naficy (Photo: courtesy of the artist)
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What central themes or sonic palettes did you explore during the creation of Orenjii, and how does it differ from your previous work?
Naficy: Orenjii is ultimately about a relationship that didn’t work out, but being able to look back and reflect from a place of joy. The album starts from and ends with an optimistic perspective. Although I’m not sure if I’m at that point of healing, I wrote and produced this as a way to try to get there. Sonically, I tried to season it with all of my childhood influences: from downtempo R&B to full-on dramatic, ’90s boy band [music], there was no stone unturned.
Porter: Orenjii is like a love letter to ourselves. It’s bold, messy, beautiful, chaotic and honest. Sonically, we wanted it to feel like a sunset drive: warm, nostalgic, but at the same time it gives you undeniable grooves. Every song has a clear story, which is almost cinematic. We stayed very true to our storytelling, drawing from our own lives, heartbreaks and experiences.
Above Emotional Oranges (Photo: Instagram/@emotionaloranges)
Emotional Oranges (Photo: Instagram/@emotionaloranges)
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Your collaborations often bring unique textures to your music. What drew you to collaborate with Jaehyun from NCT on this project?
Naficy: I’ve always been a fan of Jaehyun’s vocal tone as it feels complimentary to my production and writing style. But more than anything, I f*** with him as a human. We got to spend some time to get to know each other, so asking him to be on our album didn’t feel out of pocket. It also came after spending a lot of time in Seoul—I’ve been going pretty consistently since 2022.
Can you describe the creative process of working with artists from different musical backgrounds and cultures?
Porter: It’s one of the most exciting parts of what we do. There’s something so powerful about blending different musical languages and styles. Whether it’s rhythms from Seoul, melodies from Lagos or soul chords from LA. It forces us to grow as artists and creators. The goal is always to make a space where everyone’s background isn’t just heard but celebrated.
Above Emotional Oranges performing at Coachella in 2022 (Photo: Instagram/@emotionaloranges)
Emotional Oranges performing at Coachella in 2022 (Photo: Instagram/@emotionaloranges)
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Emotional Oranges effortlessly blends R&B with elements of funk, soul and pop. How do you navigate the intersection of these genres to create your signature sound?
Porter: We don’t think “genres” when we’re creating. We love to write with the intention of performing our songs live. It helps us stay honest and energetic in our grooves. Our sound is like a collage of our influences: ’90s R&B, west coast funk, early 2000s pop, even alt at times. We just find ways to incorporate those textures together until it feels emotionally true.
What initially sparked the formation of Emotional Oranges, and what were your shared goals when you began creating music together?
Porter: It started from a pure place: wanting to make music that felt good and real. Emotional Oranges became this safe zone where we could create without expectations or ego. From the beginning, the goal was to build a universe [where people can] share with their closest friends something fun, cinematic, colourful and emotional.
Above Emotional Oranges getting ready for their performances in Asia (Photo: Instagram/@emotionaloranges)
Emotional Oranges getting ready for their performances in Asia (Photo: Instagram/@emotionaloranges)
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What message do you hope listeners take away from your music?
Porter: That it’s okay to feel everything. To be messy, sexy, sad, euphoric and petty, all at once. Our music is a reminder that emotions aren’t weaknesses. They’re the most human thing about us. We want listeners to leave feeling seen, lighter, and maybe even a little more connected to themselves.
What are your touring plans for Orenjii?
Naficy: We’re planning three tour legs: the US, EU/UK and Asia/Australia. It will be our first time performing with a full live band—keys, drums, bass and guitar.
Beyond this album, what are your long-term aspirations for Emotional Oranges?
Porter: We see Emotional Oranges as much more than just a music project; it’s a community, a culture, a world we’re still building. We want to keep expanding visually, sonically and globally[, be that through] reaching more fans, performing on more stages, [creating] more albums, [having] more collaborations across genres and countries [or] maybe even venturing into fashion and film. Whatever we do, the core of emotional oranges will always be the same: making great art.
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Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
