Sekou

Already tipped by the BBC as an artist to watch with a Glastonbury set under his belt, all without an official song released, there’s no doubt that Sekou has monumental heights in sight. Discovered in 2021 by the founders of Good Soldier Records via a video he filmed singing in a car park and now releasing music via Island Records, 18-year-old Sekou Sylla is already one of the most anticipated debuts of the year.

When he was first discovered with stellar single ‘Better Man’, there was unsurprisingly a pressure to jumpstart his career straight away. His rich, bass-filled vocal is one of the most unique to emerge in recent years, and it stuns with raw power and emotion over the striking yet stripped back piano arrangements. But instead of jumping in at the deep end, Sekou and his team dedicated more time to the creative process to ensure a quality body of work could follow and set him up for an explosive future. “That process has been so important,” says Sekou. “Everything that’s happened in that space of one year has been wild and it doesn’t happen for a lot of people, so I feel so grateful.” And after immersing himself in the sparkly world of music to find his sound and hone his pen with some of the best minds in music right now, he’s never been more ready to step out and introduce himself to the world.