You know there’s something special happening when Alicia Keys gives you a phone call and request that you fly out and write some songs together. And that’s exactly what happened to rising star Emeli Sande. The part-Zambian/part-English/Scottish-born songstress has been making waves on British charts with her debut album titled “Our Version of Events” and like other British songbirds of late, those waves have begun their thunderous descent on American soil.
But Emeli wasn’t an overnight success. After getting her first break as a teenager, Sande put her music career on hold to embark on a six-year medical degree. With only one year left to finish, Sande let her fall back plan do just that – fall back as she began to focus on her singing career. She wrote songs for a whole host of British talent including Leona Lewis and Susan Boyle before stepping out on her own and making a name for herself – literally. Sande shares a first name with her wildly successful countrywoman—Adele—and subsequently replaced it with her middle name, Emeli.
Still, the comparisons are inescapable. In recent years, British R&B has built an undeniable defense for the art of pure storytelling and the impact it can have when mixed with a pure and powerful voice. Emeli Sande continues in that same vein proving that soon, most of the memorable voices of this musical generation will be imported from across the Atlantic. In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Sande was asked what she wants people to know about her music and she said succinctly “I want people to find and hear their own stories within mine.” It seems that she’s off to a good start.
Our Version Of Events is in stores now. Check out Emeli Sande’s performance at AOL Music Sessions here.
