Emeli Sandé releases new album 'Let's Say For Instance'

After ten years in the business, how does an internationally renowned pop star retain their spark? They find ways to take back creative control. With three successful albums and an MBE to her name, Emeli Sande marks a new era of her expansive artistry with her first release on an independent label, Chrysalis Records.

“Since I was 17 all I wanted to do was to be signed,” she says.“No matter how bad some of these contracts they put you in can be, that's still just the dream when you're a kid; you want record deals and awards and all of that stuff. To have all of that illusion dissolve, it was a difficult thing to go through. But it's also very freeing, because you're reminded that the real thing, the heart of the business, is the music. If we lose sight of that, there's nothing left. So it was kind of nice to kind of lose everything I thought I wanted to realise that what I really wanted was this freedom. It was just kind of a big awakening.”

Making the most of her home studio during lockdown, Let’s Say For Instance sees Sande opening herself up to a wealth of sonic possibilities, shaking off the expectations of others to flex her ever-growing skills as a songwriter, producer and vocalist in new, versatile ways. Tracing a journey through shades of classical, pop, disco, nostalgic RnB and more, it’s a record that asks an important question; what if falling in love with music again is a simple matter of actually letting yourself be who you really are? What if you follow the path that feels right for you rather than the one that is most often tread? Whether it’s life, love, or learning how to find hope in an often-weary world, Emeli Sande is an artist who knows how to wear her emotions on her musical sleeve, making it easier for her listeners to do the same.