Felix Jaehn became a household name in 2015 with a remix that seemed to be everywhere at once. The Hamburg-born DJ and producer took Omi’s reggae track “Cheerleader” and reworked it into a breezy house anthem that topped charts in more than 50 countries, according to Jaehn’s website. It was a breakthrough that few saw coming, least of all Jaehn, who had spent the preceding years learning the ropes in London and playing small clubs across northern Germany.
More than a decade later, Jaehn has released two albums, collaborated with artists ranging from Herbert Grönemeyer to Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and sold millions of records. But the story has also taken a deeply personal turn. In 2024, Jaehn stepped away from public life to focus on mental health and identity, later sharing that they are non-binary and prefer the name Fee in private contexts. The artist name Felix Jaehn remains for simplicity, but the person behind it has changed. This profile looks at the career, the music, and the journey that led to the new album NAGTTB+.
From violin lessons to club decks
Jaehn was born in Hamburg on 28 August 1994 and grew up in Schönberg, a small town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern near the Baltic Sea. Music came early: Jaehn took violin lessons from the age of six and played in a youth orchestra for seven years. That classical training, Jaehn later told Traumberuf Magazin, instilled an ear for harmony and rhythm that still informs electronic production.
The DJ spark arrived during a school exchange to New Zealand at 15. While classmates partied, Jaehn gravitated to the laptop to pick the next song. Back in Germany, Jaehn and friends, including a brother, started throwing parties and soon landed a first club gig at an Abitur celebration in Lübeck. The project Felicious Beats gave Jaehn early stage experience before the age of 18.
After finishing school with a 1.9 Abitur average at the Ernst-Barlach-Gymnasium, Jaehn moved to London for a year to study music production and music business at Point Blank Music School. The stint was formative: Jaehn discovered deep house, played a support set at Ministry of Sound, and began making bootlegs of tracks like Coldplay’s “Fix You” and Tom Odell’s “Another Love.” A brief attempt at a business degree in Berlin followed, but music won out.
The Cheerleader moment
Jaehn’s remix of “Cheerleader” first gained traction in late 2014 and exploded in 2015. It reached number one in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the US, among others. According to Traumberuf Magazin, Jaehn was the first German since 1989 to top the US charts. The remix became a global phenomenon, and Jaehn quickly followed it with “Ain’t Nobody (Loves Me Better),” a cover of the Rufus and Chaka Khan classic featuring Jasmine Thompson, released in April 2015. It was named Germany’s summer hit that year and topped charts in 36 countries.
More hits came in rapid succession: “Book of Love” with Polina (top 10 in Germany), “Stimme” with Mark Forster as the project Eff (number one in Germany), and “Bonfire” with Alma (number three in Germany, later certified platinum for 400,000 units). In 2016, Jaehn won the Bambi award in the Entertainment category. The debut album I arrived on 16 February 2018 and included collaborations with Marc E. Bassy and Gucci Mane (“Cool”) and the single “Hot2Touch” with Alex Aiono and Hight.
Building a discography
The years after I saw a steady stream of singles and remixes. “So Close” with NOTD, Captain Cuts, and Georgia Ku arrived in late 2018. In 2019, Jaehn teamed with Calum Scott for “Love on Myself,” a song about self-acceptance that became Jaehn’s 14th chart entry in Germany. A collaboration with Vize and Miss Li, “Close Your Eyes,” addressed mental health and reached number 21 in Germany. The following year brought “Thank You [Not So Bad]” with Vize and “Sicko” with Gashi and Faangs.
The second album, BREATHE, landed in 2021. By then, Jaehn had already spoken publicly about panic attacks and anxiety, and the album reflected a period of self-discovery. In interviews around its release, Jaehn described therapy, meditation, and a monastery stay as part of the healing process. The music remained radio-friendly and club-ready, but the lyrics carried a new weight.
A turning point
In 2024, Jaehn announced a withdrawal from live performances, citing health reasons. As reported by queer.de and touchyou.de, all shows for the year were canceled, including planned Ibiza closings. Jaehn later explained that the break was necessary to address deep mental health challenges and to explore identity. In April 2024, Jaehn shared that they are non-binary and pansexual, and prefer the name Fee and gender-neutral pronouns in private life. The artist name Felix Jaehn would remain for professional purposes.
“I’ve discovered a new side of myself,” Jaehn told Faces magazine in September 2023, reflecting on a style shift that had been years in the making. The public coming-out as bisexual had already happened in 2018 in ZEITmagazin, but the journey toward a fuller sense of self continued. Jaehn has since become an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and safer spaces in club culture.
NAGTTB+ and the return
The new album NAGTTB+, released in 2025, marks Jaehn’s first full-length project since BREATHE. In an interview with Apple Music, Jaehn described the record as a fresh start after two stays in a clinic and a long period of isolation. “I had completely withdrawn from everything,” Jaehn said. “I wasn’t able to live in the outside world or connect with others.” The return was gradual: first private life, then work, then the stage.
The album is sequenced like a DJ set, starting at around 128 beats per minute and rising to 150 or 160 before closing with the quieter, emotive “PRIDE.” It includes the single “Ready For Your Love” featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor, a collaboration that came about through their shared US label, Republic Records. Jaehn described Ellis-Bextor as an icon and a longtime LGBTQ+ ally, making the pairing a natural fit. Other tracks like “Wishlist” reference the emptiness of 2020, while the title track and “PRIDE” reflect a more hopeful, self-accepting present.
Jaehn has been open about the ongoing work of staying well. Therapy, meditation, exercise, healthy eating, and rest are part of the daily routine. “It’s possible to feel good inside even when the world around you seems to be falling apart,” Jaehn told Apple Music. The key, Jaehn said, is facing problems without giving in to fear or panic.
Legacy and influence
With more than 21 million records sold worldwide, including over 6.4 million in Germany alone, Jaehn is one of the country’s most successful dance music exports. The list of collaborators reads like a cross-section of pop and electronic music: Mark Forster, Herbert Grönemeyer, Robin Schulz, Ray Dalton, Leony, Katja Krasavice, Vize, and Calum Scott, among others. Festival appearances at Tomorrowland and Parookaville have cemented Jaehn’s place on the global circuit.
But the legacy may ultimately be as much about representation and vulnerability as about chart positions. By speaking openly about mental health and identity, Jaehn has given fans a template for navigating their own struggles. The decision to keep the artist name while embracing a new personal name shows how public and private selves can coexist, even when they don’t perfectly align.
What’s next
Since the release of NAGTTB+, Jaehn has returned to the studio and, cautiously, to live performance. In the Apple Music interview, Jaehn mentioned searching for sounds for a next project and a preference for writing directly with artists. Whether that leads to another album or a series of singles remains to be seen. For now, the focus seems to be on maintaining balance and staying present.
“I feel like I’m back in my life,” Jaehn said. After years of intense highs and profound lows, that may be the most important achievement of all.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Felix Jaehn?
Felix Jaehn is a German DJ and music producer known for the 2015 remix of Omi’s “Cheerleader” and hits like “Ain’t Nobody (Loves Me Better)” and “Bonfire.” Born in Hamburg in 1994, Jaehn has released two albums, I and BREATHE, and a third, NAGTTB+, in 2025.
Is Felix Jaehn non-binary?
Yes. In April 2024, Jaehn shared that they are non-binary and pansexual, and prefer the name Fee and gender-neutral pronouns in private life. The artist name Felix Jaehn remains for professional use.
What is Felix Jaehn’s biggest hit?
The remix of “Cheerleader” is widely considered Jaehn’s biggest hit, reaching number one in more than 50 countries according to Jaehn’s website. “Ain’t Nobody (Loves Me Better)” and “Bonfire” are also among the most successful singles.
Why did Felix Jaehn take a break from music?
In 2024, Jaehn canceled all live appearances to focus on mental health. Jaehn later explained that the break was necessary to address depression and anxiety and to explore identity. The return to music was gradual, leading to the album NAGTTB+.
What is Felix Jaehn’s net worth?
No reliable public estimates of Jaehn’s net worth have been published by verified sources. Figures circulating online are unverified and should be treated with caution.
What does NAGTTB+ stand for?
The album title NAGTTB+ is an abbreviation of “Now’s A Good Time To Be…” followed by a plus sign. It reflects the album’s theme of embracing the present and a positive outlook.
Featured image: Unknown authorUnknown author / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).
