Midway between continents, Seinabo Sey is a truly international pop prospect. Born in Sweden to a family steeped in West African music, she grew up as a hip-hop kid in Stockholm, worshipping at the mantle of rappers Talib Kweli, Common, and R&B greats Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill.
“I mean, in my world mixing things together really makes the best things,” she explains. “So I really like taking influences from everywhere and not being scared of that. That’s really been, I think, a product of growing up in between two cultures and trying to understand everything. That’s kind of how I write.”
Blessed with a softly soulful voice, Sey is already making an impact. A partnership with producer Magnus Lidehäll resulted in new EP ‘Madeleine’, out now. Named after her mother, it’s an open, honest document, showcasing that she’s unafraid to experiment.
“My mom is definitely just like a lot of moms, in that you oftentimes forget that they’re the actual reason we’re standing on our legs,” she says. “I mean, my dad didn’t care of me physically, he wasn’t really there in that sense a lot of the time, so my mom raised me and took care of me, so that’s why it’s more than right to use her name.”
Full of praise for the impact of Lidehäll on her work, Sey states that the two developed an extremely close relationship from the off: “He loves hip hop, he’s a hip-hop head. He wants to challenge it and incorporate new things and change that genre a little bit around.”
Taking her music on the road, the Stockholm-based artist is delighting in being able to perform in front of people. “I really love singing. I like playing in front of people who speak English because I imagine people listen to the lyrics more and that’s my favourite thing, in creating.”
“It’s been fun,” she continues. “It’s fun to get to try out new songs on audiences who haven’t heard them before. Just to see their initial reaction! It’s very important to get the vibe right onstage, so there’s no weird notes to take into the studio. It’s been a very good classroom, the past couple of months.”
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What: Future-driven R&B with a West African flourish
Where: Stockholm via Gambia
Get Three Songs: ‘Young’, ‘Pistols At Dawn’ (video above), ‘Hard Times’
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Words: Robin Murray
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