Yanis Sahraoui

Yanis Sahraoui (born 16 September 1988) is a French pop musician and singer-songwriter. They debuted in the late 2000s under the stage name Sliimy (pronounced "Slimmy") through social networking websites where they released their songs. The artist soon received attention online and signed into recording label Warner Music Group, releasing the single Wake Up and their debut album Paint Your Face in 2009, which reached number 2 in the French charts. The singer then performed on stage, in concerts and in opening acts for Britney Spears and Katy Perry. The artist, singing mostly in English with an accent that has been described as "mockney", with androgynous looks and a falsetto voice, was compared to Mika or Prince by the press. They were sometimes also dubbed "the French Mika" in their native France and internationally. In 2015, the singer began performing as Yanis, and released the EP L'heure Bleue in 2016. Yanis Sahraoui was born on 16 September 1988 in Saint-Étienne, Loire. Of Moroccan and Algerian descent, Yanis grew up in the neighborhood of Vivaraize, along with their three sisters and brother. Yanis studied at high school before going to the university of Notre-Dame Valbernoîte. "I participated in choir at school. Otherwise, I would sing by myself! In 2005, I won a contest and then suddenly I recorded my first song. What's funny is that I put the video on my blog, but people wouldn't believe it was me." – Yanis In 2005, Yanis won a singing contest at Pax in Saint-E…