With her extraordinary debut album ‘Pretend’ released at the end of October, Seinabo’s already made a big name for herself with that even BIGGER voice. But who are Seinabo Sey’s favourite vocalists? She shares her picks with us below.
On finding out that Seinabo Sey is Swedish, many might find themselves pigeon-holing her into that specific Swedish pop sound, which, as superb as it is, would be wonderfully inaccurate. Seinabo’s magic comes very much from how she’s constantly refined her sound to something that is wholly unique in today’s music landscape. Mixing in incredible production courtesy of Madonna collaborator Magnus Lidehäll with sometimes painfully honest, vulnerable lyricism and a voice with range and power as equally huge as her tone is individual, Sey has tapped into music’s biggest gift; the ability to connect and make you stop in your tracks.
Since bursting onto the scene with the expertly crafted ‘Younger’, Seinabo Sey has been getting huge attention from across the globe and has to date racked up over five Hype Machine number ones. Now with the release of her highly-anticipated debut album ‘Pretend’, Sey has crash landed into ‘Album Of The Year’ list territory. It’s an album full of soaring melodies delivered with endless soul, and production that manages to be both deeply dark and euphoric. Equally important is just how open and relatable each track manages to be; “this album is really all about my life,” she explains. “It’s about everything that’s happened to me.”
With Sey’s stunning voice in mind, we got her to put together a playlist of her favourite vocalists for Wonderland, so take a seat and hold on for a ride of pure, raw, talented vocals – from Brandy’s gloriously syrupy delivery to Kwab’s deep, earnest tones and a hidden Lauryn Hill treasure, because, well, obviously.
Jazmine Sullivan – ‘Stuttering’
“One of my absolute favourite Jason’s Sullivan songs about a situation that I can relate to far to well.”
Cherrie – Tabanja
“My favourite up and coming Swedish singer! Take a look at the stunning visuals for this song as well. “
Kwabs – ‘Pray For Love’
“Kwabs is my absolute favourite voice of my generation. I remember seeing a show of his last year and it absolutely blew my mind.”
Lauryn Hill – ‘Lose Myself’
“One of Lauryn’s hidden treasures. I love the message of this song.”
Kim Burrell – ‘I Surrender All’
“Kim Burrell is my favourite technical vocalist. Her runs are like heaven.”
James Blake – ‘Limit To Your Love’
“A great cover from a magical artist! His voice is so underrated.”
Beyoncé – ‘ROCKET’
“Beyoncé goes neo soul sexy! My favourite off her latest album.”
Brandy – ‘A Capella (Something’s Missing)’
“Brandy’s vocal technic is so unique and hard to copy! I love how this song is all dowoop vocoder dreamy.”
Lalah Hathaway – ‘Learning To Swim’
“The daughter of late great Donny! One of the most soothing voices I’ve ever heard.”
India.Arie – ‘Brown Skin’
“I remember how India inspired me so much with her first album. I loved all these songs when I was a teen. This tune and “Video” gave me so much confidence.”
Tarrus Riley – ‘Stay With You’
“I love reggae so much! I’d drop everything and go live with Tarrus on an island any day, haha.”
Mark Ronson & The Business Intl – ‘Glass Mountain Trust’
“The song that sparked me and Magnus’ collaboration. I love love love everything with this song.”
Amy Winehouse – ‘Love Is A Losing Game’
“I miss Amy’s voice and artistry so. She had this remarkable way of finding the right words and her voice is timeless.”
Words: Milly Stockton @millystockton