Seinabo Sey bounces back with her first release since 2019 with two back-to-back bops. The Bounce-Worthy songstress delivers the new single "Blessed" packaged with the B-side "Black Star."
Sey opens up by giving thanks for the little things in life on “Blessed.” Written by her best friend Isak Alverus, she shares her gratitude for everything from the food we eat to the folks we love. "Bless the flower, bless the fruit / Bless the water, bless the food / Bless the people who are there working / Bless the people who are up to nothing," she sings over the lively Carli Löf and Simon On The Moon-produced track.
“I like the lyrical message – that it is enough to wake up in the morning, get up and be good enough, be loved,” she says. “You should not have to perform all the time. I have always been pushed to write my own lyrics, which has been great, but at the same time I always wanted to take inspiration from outside.”
For the accompanying video, co-directed by Seinabo and Klara Kristoffersson, she imagined what life might be like had she made her home in Gambia, the land of her roots and the homeland of her father, legendary West African Sufi musician Maudo Sey.
She explains, “I fantasized about what my life would have been like if I was living in the Gambia. I might be working as a waitress by day and singing at night. I might be working as a taxi driver. I wanted to present something that feels more like scenes from a life.” Sey does so by adding a bit of relatable comedy where a patron allows his eyes to linger a bit too long for his companion’s liking. The brief exchange makes the cozy capture feel more like a short film.
As for the B-side of her latest offering, “Black Star” draws inspiration from one of the most prolific lyricists of our time, Yasiin Bey. Clocking in just under two minutes, Sey channels his signature cadence and returns to her original mode of creating music: rhyming.
“When I heard the beat, I thought of him and started to freestyle,” Seinabo says. “I wanted to sound like him – or at least get as close as I could. I learned music by mimicking a lot of other sounds and hip-hop is what I listened to the most in my life.”
It seems both "Blessed" and "Black Star" have allowed Seinabo Sey to reconnect to her roots in more ways than one and the energy is palpable. While both exude the depth and honesty we’ve come to love her for, there’s a new sense of freedom that simmers behind each groove.
- Advertisement -Listen to both new tracks and watch the “Blessed” video below. Make sure to add the songs to your collection from your preferred digital platform and keep your fingers crossed for more from this multifaceted talent.
