Jean Deaux is known most for atmospheric and affecting slow jams yet is impossible to typecast. The singer/rapper and songwriter made a name for herself during the mid-2010s, releasing material ranging from R&B-oriented pop to low-key house, while participating in a wide variety of cross-genre collaborations as a featured artist, most notably fellow Chicago native Saba's "Photosynthesis" (2016). Deaux's own EPs and albums, ranging from the debut Krash (2018) to Most Wanted (2021, followed by a deluxe edition in 2022), have boasted impressive support from the likes of Kari Faux, Kehlani, and Masego. The projects have simultaneously expanded Deaux's stylistic range while appealing to listeners who appreciate R&B that is both progressive and deeply rooted in soul.

Involved with acting and poetry before she stepped forward as a musical artist, the Chicago-born Deaux made major inroads starting in the early 2010s. Streaming uploads and featured appearances on tracks by the likes of Isaiah Rashad, Mick Jenkins, Saba, Mykki Blanco, and Smino led to brief support from major label Interscope via Downtown Records. Deaux issued the spaced-out house track "Father Time" through the arrangement in 2017, though she reverted to independent releases later that year with "Wikipedia," a dreamy number somewhere between Little Dragon and Erykah Badu. The following year, Deaux's output continued apace with another few singles highlighted by "Energy," along with her first album, Krash, featuring appearances from Ravyn Lenae and Kari Faux.

Deaux issued similarly concise projects on an annual basis over the next few years. The 2019 EP Empathy contained the casually commanding track "Anytime," assisted by Kehlani and ROMderful, and on "Life Lines," she worked with Terrace Martin and Duckwrth. Watch This followed in 2020 and was highlighted by "Moody!," a bouncing cut augmented by Saba. Most Wanted, added to Deaux's discography in 2021, was bolstered by "ChopNScrew" with Ambré and "Nothin 2 Do (Wit Me)," featuring Destin Conrad and Uno Hype. Most Wanted was expanded the next year with a deluxe edition that added the Masego collaboration "Ease Up." ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi