Karen Gordon, known professionally as Dajaé, was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, and worked as a soul and R&B singer. After performing with various soul bands and releasing singles under her birth name, she entered the club scene in 1992 with "Brighter Days", featuring producer Cajmere, which reached number two on the Billboard Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart in 1993. Dajaé’s breakthrough continued with "U Got Me Up" (1993), "Is It All Over My Face" (1994), and the chart‑topper "Day by Day" (1994), all produced by Cajmere. In 1997 she joined the B‑Crew for "Partay Feeling", peaking at number twenty‑eight on the Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart and number forty‑five in the United Kingdom. Her solo debut album Higher Power was released in 1994, followed by Time in 2000 and the Cajmere Classics Vol. 1 (Brighter Days) compilation. Dajaé released the single "Tonight" in 2007 and went on to collaborate with artists such as E‑Smoove and Junior Sanchez.