{{Short description|New Zealand singer, songwriter and recording artist}} {{distinguish|Aradhna}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2012}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Aaradhna | birth_name = Aaradhna Jayantilal Patel | image = | image_size = | caption = Aaradhna performing in 2013. | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1983|12|20}} | origin = Porirua, Wellington, New Zealand | instruments = Vocals, keyboard | genre = R&B,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ngangura |first1=Tarisai |title=Aaradhna Is The R&B Singer Putting The New Zealand Scene On Notice |url=https://www.thefader.com/2016/12/08/aaradhna-patel-brown-girl-interview |website=thefader.com |publisher=Fader |access-date=10 August 2022 |date=8 December 2016 |quote=Aaradhna Patel is a singular voice within New Zealand’s growing R&B scene.}}</ref> soul, pop | occupation = Singer, songwriter, record producer | years_active = 2004–present | label = Dawn Raid Entertainment, Republic Records | website = }}
'''Aaradhna Jayantilal Patel''' (born 20 December 1983), better known by the mononym '''Aaradhna''', is a New Zealand singer, songwriter, and musical recording artist. She made her musical debut in 2004 featuring on the single "Getting Stronger" with the group Adeaze which peaked at number one on the official New Zealand Singles Chart.
==Early years== Aaradhna is a New Zealander of Samoan and Indian descent.<ref name="Stuff">{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/86596624/vnzmas-2016-aaradhna-gives-away-her-tui-after-winning-in-a-brown-category|title=VNZMAs 2016: Aaradhna gives away her Tui after winning 'in a brown category'|work=Stuff|date=November 2016}}</ref> Her father Jayanti Patel is an Indian from Navsari, Gujarat, India and her mother Sia'a Patel is Samoan from the villages of PapaSataua, Falealupo-uta & Auala. Aaradhna is the eldest of five. She first showed singing aspirations at the young age of 11, singing along with her mother to traditional Samoan and country songs. She would try to imitate the songs she heard in Bollywood movies that she and her father watched and also went to festivals that her father performed at.<ref name="Next up">{{cite web|url=http://thisisrealmusic.com/articles/20407/aaradhna.php |title=Next Up Aaradhna |publisher=This is Real Music |access-date=27 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219013554/http://www.thisisrealmusic.com/articles/20407/aaradhna.php |archive-date=19 December 2010 }}</ref> Aaradhna began writing her own music at the age of 11; she entered her first talent quest at the age of 13 making it into the finals. She joined the school choir at Porirua College had got kicked out for rebelling, but went on to form a five-piece girl group called "Lovera".<ref name="Next up"/>
== Career == Her debut album ''I Love You'', entered the top 20 RIANZ and has various songs featured on feature films including the top 5 single "They Don't Know" featuring New Zealand hip-hop star Savage on Sione's Wedding and had also had another feature on the movie ''It's a Free World'' with her original song "Faith". Aaradhna released a club-inspired song alongside Australian producer, DJ & artist Paul Mac<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzgirl.co.nz/articles/6284|title=Aaradhna|publisher=NZgirl|access-date=27 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611151414/http://www.nzgirl.co.nz/articles/6284|archive-date=11 June 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> in late 2006 titled ''Love Declaration''. The song features on Mac's album ''Panic Room''. In Australia the single reached No. 31 on the local charts.
=== 2008–present === Her album ''Sweet Soul Music'', a throw-back to the soul classics including The Jackson 5 cover "I Want You Back" was released on iTunes and various music stores in New Zealand on 14 February 2008 coinciding with Valentine's Day.
In 2011 she began working on her third studio album under Dawn Raid Entertainment. She released the single "Wake Up" in August 2012, and the album ''Treble & Reverb'' was later released in November. It was a finalist for the 2013 Taite Music Prize.<ref name="utr-taite">{{cite news |title=Taite Music Prize 2013 Finalists Announced |url=https://www.undertheradar.co.nz/news/6393/Taite-Music-Prize-2013-Finalists-Announced.utr |access-date=6 April 2026 |agency=Under the Radar |date=26 February 2013}}</ref>
Patel's fourth studio album titled ''Brown Girl'' was released in July 2016. The album explored her own experience of casual racism in New Zealand.<ref name="Stuff" /> The album debuted at number one in New Zealand and also cracked the albums chart of Switzerland.<ref>[https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Aaradhna&titel=Brown+Girl&cat=a AARADHNA – BROWN GIRL (ALBUM)- Charts.org.nz]</ref> In November 2016, the performer gave away her hip-hop award at the 2016 New Zealand Music Awards, believing that she had "been placed in this category, because I'm brown". She opined that "you can't give a singer an award for Best Hip Hop artist".<ref name="Stuff" />
==Discography== {{Infobox artist discography |Artist = Aaradhna |Image = |Caption = |Studio = 4 |Live = |Compilation = |Video = |Tribute = |EP = |Singles = 3 |Music videos = 7 |B-sides = |Soundtrack = 6 |Option = 9 |Option name = Featured singles }}
=== Studio albums === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:8em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Details ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Certifications |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| NZ<br /><ref name="NZ">{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Aaradhna+Patel|title=Aaradhna in New Zealand charts|work=Hung Medien|publisher=charts.nz|access-date=26 May 2010}}</ref> ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| AUS<br /><ref name="AUS">{{cite web|url=https://www.auspop.com.au/2016/07/chart-watch-379/|title=CHART WATCH #379|publisher=auspOp|date=30 July 2016|access-date=30 July 2016|archive-date=12 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812182332/https://www.auspop.com.au/2016/07/chart-watch-379/|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| ''I Love You'' | *Released: 8 May 2006 *Label: Dawn Raid Entertainment *Formats: CD, digital download | 13 || — | *RMNZ: Gold<ref name="NZalbumcert">{{cite web|url=http://www.radioscope.net.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=79&Itemid=62 |title=Latest Gold / Platinum Albums |work=RadioScope |access-date=14 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602125456/http://www.radioscope.net.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=79&Itemid=62 |archive-date=2 June 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| ''Sweet Soul Music'' | *Released: 14 February 2008 *Label: Dawn Raid Entertainment *Formats: CD, digital download | 17 || — | style="text-align:center;"| |- ! scope="row"| ''Treble & Reverb'' | *Released: 9 November 2012 *Label: Dawn Raid Entertainment *Formats: CD, digital download | 14 || — | style="text-align:center;"| * RMNZ: Platinum<ref name="RMNZ-albums"/> |- ! scope="row"| ''Brown Girl'' | *Released: 22 July 2016 *Label: Dawn Raid Entertainment *Formats: CD, digital download | 1<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/albums/2016-08-26|title=NZ Top 40 Albums Chart|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=1 August 2016|access-date=29 July 2016}}</ref> || 73 | style="text-align:center;"| * RMNZ: Platinum<ref name="RMNZ-albums">{{cite certification|region=New Zealand|artist=Aaradhna|type=album|source=radioscope|access-date=23 July 2025}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| ''Sweet Surrender'' | *Released: 15 November 2024 *Label: SIAATNT *Formats: Digital download | — || — | |- | colspan="14" style="font-size:85%"| "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released. |}
=== Singles === ==== As lead artist ==== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Title ! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Chart Positions ! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Certifications ! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| NZ<br /><ref name="charts1">{{cite web|author=Steffen Hung |url=https://charts.nz/search.asp?search=aaradhna&cat=s |title=New Zealand charts portal |publisher=charts.nz |access-date=21 November 2016}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"|"Down Time" | rowspan="2"| 2006 | style="text-align:center;"|3 | * RMNZ: 2× Platinum<ref name=Radioscope>{{cite certification|region=New Zealand|artist=Aaradhna|type=single|source=radioscope|access-date=20 August 2025}}</ref> | rowspan="2"| ''I Love You'' |- ! scope="row"|"I Love You Too" | style="text-align:center;"|5 | * RMNZ: Platinum<ref name=Radioscope/> |- ! scope="row"|"Wake Up" | rowspan="2"| 2012 | style="text-align:center;"|12 | * RMNZ: Platinum<ref name=Radioscope/> | rowspan="3"| ''Treble & Reverb'' |- ! scope="row"|"Lorena Bobbitt" | style="text-align:center;"| — | |- ! scope="row"|"Great Man" | 2013 | style="text-align:center;"| — | |- ! scope="row"|"Brown Girl" | 2016 | style="text-align:center;"| —{{efn|group=upper-alpha|"Brown Girl" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 3 on the NZ Heatseekers Singles Chart.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/singles/2016-08-26|title=NZ Heatseekers Singles Chart|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=1 August 2016|access-date=29 July 2016}}</ref>}} | * RMNZ: Gold<ref name=Radioscope/> | ''Brown Girl'' |- ! scope="row"|"She" |2023 | style="text-align: center;" |— | | rowspan="2" |''Sweet Surrender'' |- ! scope="row"|"Mango Tree" | 2024 | style="text-align:center;" | —{{efn|group=upper-alpha|"Mango Tree" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 13 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/hot-singles/2024-09-20|title=NZ Hot Singles Chart|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=26 August 2024|access-date=23 August 2024}}</ref>}} | |- | colspan="14" style="font-size:85%"| "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released. |}
====As featured artist==== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Title ! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Chart Positions ! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Certifications ! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| NZ<br /><ref name="charts1"/> |- ! scope="row"|"Getting Stronger"<br><small>(Adeaze featuring Aaradhna)</small> |2004 | style="text-align:center;"|1 | * RMNZ: 3× Platinum<ref name=Radioscope/> |''Always and for Real'' |- ! scope="row"|"They Don't Know"<br><small>(Savage featuring Aaradhna)</small> |rowspan=2|2005 | style="text-align:center;"|3 | * RMNZ: 5× Platinum<ref name=Radioscope/> |''Moonshine'' |- ! scope="row"|"Love Declaration"<br><small>(Paul Mac featuring Aaradhna)</small> | style="text-align:center;"|— | |''Panic Room'' |- ! scope="row"|"Spin1"<br><small>(Che Fu featuring Aaradhna)</small> |2006 | style="text-align:center;"|20 | * RMNZ: Gold<ref name=Radioscope/> |''Hi-Score - The Best Of Che Fu'' |- ! scope="row"|"Turn It Around"<br><small>(David Dallas featuring Aaradhna)</small> |rowspan=3|2009 | style="text-align:center;"|— | |''Something Awesome'' |- ! scope="row"|"With You in My Bed"<br><small>(Isaac Aesili featuring Aaradhna and Buff1)</small> | style="text-align:center;"|— | |''Eye See'' |- ! scope="row"|"Music (Makes the World Go Around)"<br><small>(Frisko featuring Aaradhna)</small> | style="text-align:center;"| 15 | | {{Non-album single}} |- ! scope="row"|"Say Yeah"<br><small>(P-Money featuring David Dallas and Aaradhna)</small> |2010 | style="text-align:center;"|— | |''Everything'' |- ! scope="row"|"Like You"<br><small>(Monsta featuring Aaradhna)</small> |2011 | style="text-align:center;"|— | |''Pacific Coast Highway'' |- ! scope="row"|"Is That Enough"<br><small>(Sons of Zion featuring Aaradhna)</small> |2017 | — | * RMNZ: 2× Platinum<ref name=Radioscope/> |''Vantage Point'' |- | colspan="14" style="font-size:85%"| "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released. |}
===Other certified songs=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Title ! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Year ! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Certifications ! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Album |- ! scope="row"| "Bring It On Home to Me" | 2008 | * RMNZ: Gold<ref name=Radioscope/> | ''Sweet Soul Music'' |- ! scope="row"| "I'm Not The Same" | 2012 | * RMNZ: Gold<ref name=Radioscope/> | ''Treble & Reverb'' |- ! scope="row"| "Forever Love" | 2016 | * RMNZ: 3× Platinum<ref name=Radioscope/> | ''Brown Girl'' |}
==Notes== {{notelist-ua}}
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.audioculture.co.nz/people/aaradhna AudioCulture profile] * {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p821214|label=Aaradhna}} * {{discogs artist|artist=Aaradhna|name=Aaradhna}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20190507093122/http://samoanbios.com/aaradhna/ Samoan Bios: Aaradhna] * [http://aaradhna.bandcamp.com/ Aaradhna] on Bandcamp
{{Aaradhna}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aaradhna}} Category:1983 births Category:APRA Award winners Category:New Zealand people of Indian descent Category:New Zealand people of Samoan descent Category:New Zealand contemporary R&B singers Category:Dawn Raid Entertainment Category:Living people Category:Pacific Music Award–winning artists Aaradhna Category:21st-century New Zealand women singers Category:People educated at Porirua College