Soul singer Jalen Ngonda spoke about the impact of Arctic Monkeys during an interview at Mad Cool 2026 in Madrid.
The 32-year-old artist, who was preparing to open the main stage on the festival's final day, said the band's 2013 album AM shaped his songwriting after he moved from Wheaton, Maryland, to Liverpool.
Ngonda noted that he discovered the group through music school and band nights, where Arctic Monkeys tracks like R U Mine? were suggested alongside soul classics. He also highlighted the influence of Alex Turner's work with The Last Shadow Puppets and the soundtrack for Submarine.
His 2017 song I Need You drew from AM, he said, and he singled out the band's 2018 album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino as a favorite. Ngonda is set to tour his latest record, Doctrine of Love, across the UK and Ireland starting next month.