Shaznay Lewis' recent single 'Miracle' affirmed that the voice behind classic hits like 'Never Ever', 'Pure Shores' and 'Black Coffee' was back. And despite being absent for twenty years, he was as exemplary as always; even better, given the maturity and life experience that he could now take advantage of.
Greeted by coverage from NME, The Line of Best Fit, The Times, Independent, XS Noize and more, Shaznay now accelerates her comeback by announcing that her long-awaited second solo album, 'Pages', will be released on May 17, 2024. the album featuring new single 'Kiss of Life'. Watch the official video BELOW:
Some things are simply worth the wait. 'Pages' is a lush masterpiece of psychedelic soul, cinematic strings and sophisticated R&B that combines his established songwriting with the kind of lyrical wisdom that can only come from experience. Coming from someone blessed with deep vocal expressiveness, someone with a confession “allergy to autotune” It's also a reminder of what real soul sounds like. His lyrics often feel like a daily confessional, as loneliness, heartbreak, and the bittersweet realities of life abound. They come from distant memories of being in similar situations and empathizing with the struggles of others, all magnified by the great stage drama that Shaznay loves in the music. Collectively it is a rebirth.
Shaznay says, “I feel like I'm starting over and making this album with special people has been an exhilarating experience. I felt free for the first time. For this album, the people I worked with and I did it for one reason: just to make music that we felt was good and that people could pick up and enjoy. You need to be in the right place and have free space to create good work and I finally had it.”
The new single 'Kiss Of Life' surpasses the standard set by 'Miracle'. Both classic and contemporary, its punchy dubby bass puts it firmly in the here and now, but the way it wields R&B class and emotion with a glorious pop edge ensures it will also appeal to fans of Shaznay's most famous work. . Shades of the symphonic soul of '70s legends like Minnie Ripperton and Donnie Hathaway round out a song that's clearly a love song, but not the romantic kind. Shaznay collaborated on the song with writer-producer team Emily Phillips and Ant Whiting (Florence + The Machine, Sigrid).
She adds, “I like to talk a lot before I start creating something. That seems more organic to me; When you are about to open up you need to get to know the person a little more. I had some wonderful conversations with Emily. We played around with a lot of melody ideas and once Kiss of Life was finished we knew we had something special. I always know what my ears want to hear. “The song was written about my children.”
'Pages' was created with trusted collaborators old and new, featuring features from Self Esteem, Shola Ama and General Levy alongside writers and producers also including Ben Cullum (Celeste), Michael Angelo (Sam Smith, Not3s), Johan Hugo (Self Esteem, Diplo), Jez Ashurst (Maisie Peters, Little Mix), Moyses Dos Santos (Freya Ridings) and Charlie Stacey (Ezra Collective).
It all adds up to an inspiring return from an artist best known as a member and primary songwriter of All Saints. Looking back, their success is staggering, with highlights including five UK number one hits, two multi-platinum albums, two BRIT Awards, a MOBO and an Ivor Novello. Shaznay's success continued with her debut solo album 'Open' in 2004 before focusing on motherhood, marriage and writing for other artists. He's also come out sporadically since then, with big moments like returning to the charts with All Saints and performing with Coldplay at Wembley Stadium, but his own new music didn't start to emerge until the summer of 2022, and now those songs are ready to go. be shared with the world.
'Pages' tracklist:
'Missiles'
'Pick You Up' with self-esteem
'Kiss of life'
'Good Mourning' featuring Shola Ama and General Levy
'It's supposed to be'
'I have to let it go'
'Tears to the ground'
'Bruises'
'Peaches'
'Wake up (Motu)'
'Miracle'
'Hearts in danger'
thanks to our partners at www.xsnoize.com
