The Soulful Sound Of Sekou

With a dire economy and a news agenda where hatred tended to be the only thing trending, last year was draining for so many Brits. Thankfully, the UK music scene remains capable of providing escapism, so we’ve compiled a list of our favourite rising musicians for 2025 who all have the future in the palms of their hands and might just end up soundtracking the year ahead. From raw raps that elevate single mums to stadium-sized soul ballads about healing broken hearts, each of these promising artists is someone well worth getting familiar with.

Listening to Sekou, 20, for the first time is an experience akin to hearing early Adele, with this soul singer similarly sounding both biblically powerful and close to drowning in a river of tears. Healing himself over wounded piano, the East Midlands artist is a rising star bringing back lighters-in-the-air gospel ballads, like Better Man, that directly channel the 1990s, while his vocal tone expertly balances weathered and delicate through an effortless ability to hit both high and low notes.

Sekou wears jacket by H&M

Pivotal UK rappers like Potter Payper, Skrapz and Central Cee have all called on Sekou, real name Sekou Sylla, for catchy guest hooks, which is a reflection of his ability to anchor genre-fluid songs in so much mysterious emotion. “I always knew from a young age that I loved to sing,” he says of his upbringing. “I grew up on soul and iconic artists such as Prince, Michael Jackson, Sam Cooke, Beyoncé and Whitney Houston. My mum, who was a single parent, had incredible taste and a lot of vinyl. It was also a pure Motown household.” Sekou subsequently became a warts-and-all songwriter, complaining about how “broken hearts make maniacs” on Crying and even reflecting on being abandoned by a former lover on the refreshingly honest Let Go of Me Slowly.

Now he says he’s ready to bring these underground hits to the masses. “In 2025, my plan is for world domination,” he half-jokes. “You know, I haven’t released new music in 10 months and I’m proud I stopped and went back to the studio. I think there’s pressure on artists, but I’d rather stop and figure myself out rather than release music that isn’t really me.”

Taken from 10 Men Issue 61 – MUSIC, TALENT, CREATIVE – on newsstands now. Order your copy here

@sekoumusic

THE NEW NOISE

Creative Editor PAUL TONER
Text THOMAS HOBBS
Portrait ELLIOTT MORGAN
Fashion assistant GEORGIA EDWARDS
Production ZAC APOSTOLOU and SONYA MAZURYK

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