Musicians know how to get creative as they bend genres, reinvent themselves and occasionally give us stage names that turn award show presenters into nervous wrecks. To be fair, some names are spelled nothing like they sound. Others are surprisingly straightforward, but listeners still add extra letters, move vowels around or confidently create an entirely new person.

Either way, learning someone’s name is the bare minimum, especially when their music has been sitting comfortably in your “Heavy Rotation” playlist for months. Before you request another song, buy those concert tickets or attempt to introduce your favorite artist during a heated musical debate, let’s make sure you’re saying their name correctly.

Check out 20 music stars whose names are frequently mispronounced below.

1. kwn

It’s pronounced: Kay-wuhn

No, it’s not “K-W-N,” and you don’t have to stare at the letters until another vowel magically appears. The British singer behind “Worst Behaviour” pronounces kwn like “Kay-wuhn.” It’s short, smooth and much easier to say than the spelling might suggest.

2. 6LACK

It’s pronounced: Black

Some people saw the number six and immediately started calling this man “Six-Lack.” Creative as it may be, it’s definitely not correct. The Atlanta singer’s name is simply pronounced “Black,” with the number representing his connection to Zone 6 in Atlanta. After multiple albums and several Grammy nominations, we should have this one down by now.

3. Ayra Starr

It’s pronounced: Eye-rah Starr

Ayra Starr has repeatedly clarified that her first name is “Eye-rah,” not “Aria,” “Air-uh” or whatever spontaneous arrangement of vowels comes to mind. The Nigerian superstar even pointed out that the “R” comes after the “Y.” In other words, read what's there.

4. Kelela

It’s pronounced: Kuh-luh-lah

Kelela’s name flows almost as smoothly as her music once you know how to say it. Still, people have tried “Kay-lay-la,” “Kuh-lee-la” and several other unnecessary remixes. The correct pronunciation is “Kuh-luh-lah.” Three clean syllables — no vocal acrobatics required.

5. Odeal

It’s pronounced: Oh-deal

Odeal’s name is pronounced exactly like “Oh, deal.” However, the British-Nigerian singer has undoubtedly heard “O’Dell”  or “Oh-dee-al.” It’s simply “Oh-deal.”

6. Kenyon Dixon

It’s pronounced: Ken-yun Dixon

Kenyon Dixon has spent years championing grown R&B, so the least listeners can do is stop transforming his first name into “Kenya.” It’s “Ken-yun,” just as it looks. Put some respect on the singer-songwriter’s name before debating the state of rhythm and blues underneath one of his posts.

7. Amaarae

It’s pronounced: Ah-muh-ray

First, it’s spelled Amaarae and not Amaraae, Amara or Amerie. The rising star has heard enough variations to fill an entire festival lineup. She personally clarified that her name is pronounced “Ah-muh-ray”: simple, sweet and short. Amaarae previously broke it down herself after admitting people “butcher” her name.

8. Elmiene

It’s pronounced: El-mean

If you tried “El-mee-en,” you were not alone, but you were still wrong. The soul singer pronounces Elmiene as “El-mean.” His 2023 EP title, EL-MEAN, was practically a free pronunciation lesson. He left the answers on the page, and some of us still failed the quiz.

9. Halle

It’s pronounced: Hal-ee

Halle Bailey, who uses just her first name for her solo music career, pronounces it “Hal-ee,” like fellow actor Halle Berry. It is not “Hayley,” no matter how determined people are to sneak another vowel sound in there. Bailey has been singing and acting in front of us for years. Let’s get it correct, folks.

10. Serayah

It’s pronounced: Suh-rye-uh

Serayah has heard “Sarah,” “Suh-ray-uh” and likely a dozen other attempts. The singer and actor’s name is pronounced “Suh-rye-uh.” Once you hear it correctly, it sticks, which means there are no excuses when discussing the former "Empire" star.

11. Kehlani

It’s pronounced: Kay-LAH-nee

Kehlani’s name is not “Keh-lani,” “Key-lani,” or “Kay-lane-ee.” It’s “Kay-LAH-nee.” The Oakland star has been famous for more than a decade, so anyone still fumbling this one may need to revisit the entire discography as homework. She has even poked fun at it, hopping on the official remix of Jordan Adetunji’s record bearing her name.

12. Rihanna

It’s pronounced: Ree-ANN-uh

Yes, even one of the most famous women on Earth regularly has her name mispronounced. Rihanna says “Ree-ANN-uh,” while many American fans default to “Ree-AH-nuh.” She may have graciously answered to both over the years, but only one of them is how the billionaire says her own name.

13. Zendaya

It’s pronounced: Zen-day-uh

Zendaya has explained this one more than once: It’s “Zen-day-uh,” not “Zen-die-uh.” The “day” is right there in the middle, waiting patiently to be acknowledged. She has Emmys, blockbuster movies and a few fan-favorite records to her name — including cuts from the "Euphoria" soundtrack. Pronouncing her name correctly is simply the respectful thing to do.

14. Fousheé

It’s pronounced: Foo-shay

The accent mark is trying to help you. Fousheé is pronounced “Foo-shay,” not “Foo-shee,” “Fow-shay” or “Fuchsia.” The New Jersey artist’s genre-defying catalog may be difficult to categorize, but her name does not have to be. We previously gave readers the pronunciation, so consider this a refresher course.

15. NAO

It’s pronounced: Nay-oh

NAO may only use three letters, but that has not stopped listeners from turning her name into “Now.” The British singer pronounces it “Nay-oh.” Now, go and stream some NAO since we’ve learned how to correctly say her name.

16. dvsn

It’s pronounced: Division

The R&B duo removed a few vowels, and suddenly everyone forgot how words work. Their name is pronounced “division,” not “D-V-S-N” and definitely not “div-sin.” Consider the missing letters an aesthetic choice, not an invitation to invent your own pronunciation.

17. Maeta

It’s pronounced: May-tuh

Maeta looks simple until someone says it out loud and lands on “Meet-uh,” “My-tuh” or “May-eta.” The singer’s name is pronounced “May-tuh.” Think “May” followed by “tuh.” Listen, we got you, so when you scream her name in the crowd at a show, the pronunciation will be correct.

18. Libianca

It’s pronounced: Lib-ee-ahn-kuh

Libianca’s breakout single “People” traveled around the world, but apparently the correct pronunciation of her name did not reach every destination. It’s “Lib-ee-ahn-kuh.” Take your time with the four syllables and resist the urge to rush through the middle.

19. Yebba

It’s pronounced: Yeb-uh

Yebba’s stage name is her preferred nickname, Abbey, spelled backward. Her birth name is Abigail Elizabeth Smith. That helpful bit of information should lead you directly to “Yeb-uh,” but some listeners still try “Yee-bah” or “Yay-bah.”

20. Majid Jordan

It’s pronounced: Muh-jeed Jordan

Majid Jordan is a duo, not one extremely talented man with a first and last name. The group consists of Majid Al Maskati and Jordan Ullman, with Majid pronounced “Muh-jeed.” So, no, it is not pronounced similarly to  “Magic Jordan,” although that would be a unique name for an artist.