Latest news with #Sampha
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Little Simz, Lotus: an existential crisis never sounded so gripping
There is nothing fragrant nor floral about Lotus, the sixth album from Britain's most gifted rapper, Little Simz. Veering wildly between defiance and introspection, the overriding mood is dark, and the tone is tough, with something bruised and battered at its core. It opens with the hypnotically fierce blast of Thief, a propulsive post-punk take on a jazzy sixties spy theme, with Simz delivering a vicious character assassination in a machine-gun blast of snarling rhymes. It's a sensational, shiver-inducing intro, but its anger is fuelled by a sense of personal hurt that lingers throughout the album, and even Lotus's most joyously upbeat tracks (Flood, Young, Free and Lion) can't quite shake it. A profound sense of existential crisis underpins Lotus, expressed most unequivocally amidst the jazzy piano spaces of Lonely, in which Simz confesses 'I don't even know who I'm meant to be anymore.' Distinctive British soul singer Sampha serenades her despondency in sweet, sad tones. His voice is also prominent on sombre end track, Blue, which finds Simz questioning how people cope with life's sense of perennial injustice, noting 'the truth is God still loves your enemies' amidst a cascade of rhymes including cemetery, identity and 'white supremacy.' It is simultaneously impressive and depressing. At 31, Simbiatu Ajikawo should be on top of the world, yet we find her making the time-worn confession 'it's lonely at the top.' Lauded by critics and peers, she has imperious lyrical skills and an adventurous musical imagination. She has won Mercury and Brit Awards and shown herself to be a fine actor in Netflix UK crime drama Top Boy. This month, Simz will be the 30th curator of the Southbank Centre's prestigious Meltdown Festival. It is odd then to note that she has never actually had a hit single, and only one of her albums has been top 5 in the UK (2021's masterful Sometimes I Might Be Introvert). She cancelled a US tour in 2022, sacked her long-serving manager (inspiring that year's darkly intense album No Thank You) and is currently suing her former producer, Dean 'Inflo' Cover, seeking £1.7 million in damages for unpaid loans (Cover's legal team have acknowledged the debt). It is honestly not hard to work out who is the intended subject of the most vitriolic put downs on Lotus, or why Simz might be experiencing a sense of crisis. Jazz producer Miles Clinton James has taken over the role of chief collaborator, dialling up a jazziness that has long underpinned Simz' oeuvre, a development unlikely to correct her status as a no-hit wonder. Still, it sounds fantastic and an array of super talented voices (including Obongjayar, Michael Kiwanuka, Lydia Kitto, Miraa May and Moonchild Sanelly) all add distinctive flavours. Simz herself brings a greater range of tonal and emotional depths to her formerly sometimes robotic flow, which is a welcome development. Lotus is an absorbing and powerfully honest album. But whilst the title flower symbolises rebirth and enlightenment in many cultures, here it seems more suggestive of something beautiful blooming in a very dark place indeed. Best New Songs By Poppie Platt Addison Rae, New York The TikTok influencer-turned-pop's hottest and most hyped new star finally releases her self-titled debut album today. Joining the deliciously addictive, Noughties-influenced likes of singles Diet Pepsi and Fame is a Gun comes this hazy club banger about the Louisiana girl's new life in the Big Apple. ADMT, Come Along Having got his start on YouTube, the Yorkshire singer sets himself firmly on the path to being Gen Z's answer to Ed Sheeran – think personal lyrics, spat out delivery and catchy acoustic hooks – on this track about loved ones who drifted away. Madonna, Skin (The Collaboration Remix Edit) The superstar's long-rumoured, equally long-awaited Ray of Light remix album Veronica Electronica is officially on its way (set your Spotify reminders for July 25 now). Get in the mood with this stomping electro remix of her 1998 classic. Sabrina Carpenter, Manchild Ahead of her headline slot at Primavera Sound in Barcelona tonight, the reigning queen of bubblegum pop returns with an infectious new single taking down a 'Manchild' ex who won't leave her alone or get a grip ('I like my men all incompetent'). Thinly veiled dig at ex Barry Keoghan, surely?
CBC
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Watch Charlotte Day Wilson's sensational orchestral performance at Roy Thomson Hall
In February, Charlotte Day Wilson brought new life to her songs while accompanied by an orchestra at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall. It was the first Canadian edition of Red Bull Music's Symphonic series, which has included Metro Boomin and Rick Ross in the past. Now, the whole concert is available to stream on Crave and YouTube. "I've always had such a deep love of music, and this night feels like a huge arrival for me in so many ways," said Day Wilson at the show. "I've always felt this deep sense of gratitude for the songs that have defined my life, tonight I'd like to pay homage to some of those songs." WATCH | Charlotte Day Wilson takes over Roy Thomson Hall: The 39-piece Symphonic Orchestra, led by conductor Lucas Walden, brought immense gravitas to her already moving soul songs Work, Mountains and more. Over the course of the show, Day Wilson performed songs from across her discography, including her collaborations with alt-jazz trio Badbadnotgood. Her covers of Joni Mitchell's A Case of You, Carole King's So Far Away and Jimmy Ruffin's What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, were a gorgeous nod to the musicians that shaped her. There were also two surprise guests, Toronto's Saya Gray and British singer and producer Sampha, who incited massive cheering from the audience. Watch the full concert above.
Scoop
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
ISAIAH HULL Releases New Single 'A IS FOR AFRICA'
Isaiah Hull, the self-proclaimed "stand up tragedian" from Old Trafford, Manchester, today releases ' A IS FOR AFRICA '. A collaboration with producer Kwes Darko, 'A IS FOR AFRICA' is a powerful lyrical and sonic statement that defines the politics Isaiah stands for and stands on, adding to the rich lineage of alphabetic play in hip hop. The track is released to mark the 60th anniversary of the death of Una Marson, the Jamaican feminist activist and writer who was the first Black woman to work for the BBC. 'A IS FOR AFRICA' is available only as a stunning, monochrome music video, directed by Isaiah with creative direction from Akira-Kai Kitazono and Josh Renaut. The performance - frantic, agitated, visceral – further establishes Isaiah Hull as a singular, visionary talent. It ushers in a formidable sonic partnership with Darko, with the pair exploring what mania sounds like in today's Black Briton. Speaking about 'A IS FOR AFRICA', Isaiah says: "I want you to show A is for Africa to anyone who asks you about me, asks how he's doing or where he's been. This song isn't hiding or shy, it doesn't need a degree to understand, we made it and laughed, it is for the children" 'A IS FOR AFRICA' is Isaiah Hull's debut release on new label home Young (Sampha, FKA twigs, The xx, Kamasi Washington and more). It marks the latest chapter in the career of an artist who's already left an indelible impression on UK culture, whether opening for Skepta with a poem at Radio 1's Big Weekend, presenting a TEDx talk as a 19 year old, supporting the likes of Kae Tempest and Saul Williams as a poet, or a series of acclaimed releases and collaborations with the influential London-based gesamtkunstwerk life is beautiful, most recently with 2024's t he d esir e d efec t.
