Emeli Sandé Is There For You

by | Aug 23, 2023

Emeli Sandé will release her sublime fifth album, How Were We To Know, on 17th November 2023 via Chrysalis Records. Launched alongside its lead single There For You which has just received its first play from Zoe Ball on Radio 2, the album sees Sandé using her inimitable voice to its full astonishing potential. Fans have fallen for the Scot’s immense talents over the course of a career that now surpasses a decade, with highlights including two #1 singles, which contribute to a total of elevenTop 10 hits, and phenomenal album success, led by the chart-topping, 8 x Platinumdebut album Our Version Of Events which became one of the best-selling albums of the decade, contributing to her career total of 25 million sales to date.

Emeli Sandé (Giulia Savorelli)

Emeli Sandé (Giulia Savorelli)
Emeli Sandé (Giulia Savorelli)

How Were We To Know explores intimate encounters with love in all its forms, along with the risks required to pursue it. Its rich, relatable spectrum of emotions spans heartbreak, grief and joy, with ruminations upon mourning a relationship that broke down through to the blissful, heady rush of a love that’s just beginning to bloom. Love can make you giddy. It breaks your heart. It makes you a little crazy. It sends you into dizzying highs and crashing lows. All of those feelings and more emerge powerfully throughout How Were We To Know.

Sandé says, “Once you’ve been hurt, it’s very hard to pick up the pieces again and allow yourself to be vulnerable. So I think these songs explore the bravery of love, and loving others but also yourself. These songs were pieces of a puzzle I had to put together, and now feels like the right time to share them. These are tales from a hopeless romantic. I’m very romantic, and it gets me in trouble sometimes!”

Navigating love’s curious contradictions is a particularly dominant theme in the album’s lead single There For You. The 36-year-old’s timeless voice balances strident determination and soft vulnerability in a stirring soul-pop song full of subtle Eighties textures: from the thrum of the bass to the thump of the beats, as well as the classic sound of the Yamaha DX7and a euphoric saxophone solo. Co-written with music manager and writer Daniel Caruana and produced by Daniel McKenzie, Emeli says the track “came together so naturally”.

Check out the video for There For You below:

She adds: “There For You is about how I’ll always have love for the people I’ve been with. Even if I’m pissed off with them for a couple of years, I’ll always care for them, I’ll always want to know they’re OK. Because once you’ve committed to that love with someone, it doesn’t just go away.”

How Were We To Know is beautifully consistent, but that doesn’t mean that Emeli stays in the same lane. Far from it. The dramatic theatrical spectacle of the title track is one of her finest vocal performances, her resolution growing from a fragile falsetto to the soaring, unfiltered emotion of its climax. My Boy Likes To Party couldn’t be more different, with her famous husky croon atop an alt-pop banger with trap-tinged beats, while the gospel flavoured Nothing We Can’t Handle is an uplifting hymn of support and True Colours applies similar qualities in a defiant expression of self-love.

The album’s intimacy was further unlocked as the singer called on trusted collaborators, including Mac & Phil and Jonny Coffer (key contributors to her second album Long Live The Angels) and Ollie Green (who worked on last year’s critically adored Let’s Say For Instance including the hit Brighter Days).

Emeli Sandé is confirmed to headline the Royal Festival Hall on 11th November as part of this year’s EFG Jazz Festival London. Her previous touring highlights have included headlining London’s O2 Arena, recording an early Royal Albert Hall show for a subsequent live album, touring as guest to Coldplay and, of course, her unforgettable performances at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Her many awards include four BRITs, three MOBOs and two Ivor Novellos!

King Princess Finds Safety At Koko

People and Atmosphere @ Download Festival 2024 (Simon Reed)

Download XXII: An Era Of Fresh Headliners And Hidden Surprises At Donington

Liquid Death presents Download XXII is almost upon us, so get your battle jackets ready and prepare to raise those...
John Butler (Kane Hibberd)

John Butler Reignites As A Solo Powerhouse With New Album PRISM & UK Tour Dates

Australian roots-rock icon John Butler is set to make a bold international return with his brand-new solo album PRISM, arriving on 5th September via Because Music. The record marks a pivotal moment in Butler’s career—his first full-length release since moving away from the John Butler Trio banner. Alongside the announcement, Butler has dropped the album’s soaring lead single, So Sorry, and confirmed a string of UK tour dates this autumn.

Rise Against (Mynxii White)

Rise Against Announce Fiery New Album ‘Ricochet’ With Lead Single ‘I Want It All’

Four years after their last full-length release, punk veterans Rise Against return with a vengeance. Their upcoming...
Poptones (Rune Gro-Nielsen)

Poptones Announce Second Album ‘Pure’ & Share Expansive New Single ‘Skin Of Sea’

Danish experimental rock trio Poptones have announced the arrival of their sophomore album Pure, due out September 26, 2025, via Happy Metal Records. The news lands alongside the release of the album’s first single, “Skin of Sea”—a sweeping and atmospheric track that marks a bold evolution in the band’s sound.

Lizzie Esau for Rockshot Magazine (Kalpesh Patel)

“Always Dreaming Of Something, And Not On This Planet” — Lizzie Esau Has Sky-High Ambitions

It’s a grey day in Newcastle, but Lizzie Esau is all colour. Not just in her sound — an intoxicating blend of indie...
The Royston Club (Sam Crowston)

The Royston Club Announce New Album ‘Songs For The Spine’ And Biggest Tour Yet Ciematic

After the Top 20 success of their debut album, The Royston Club are pushing into bold new territory with the announcement of their second full-length record, Songs For The Spine, due out 8th August. Alongside the album reveal comes the emotionally charged new single Glued To The Bed, premiered by Huw Stephens on BBC 6 Music, and news of their biggest UK headline tour to date—culminating in a major London show at the O2 Forum Kentish Town.

Lissie (Madison Speer)

Rockshot Favourite Lissie Returns With Tender New EP Promises, Sharing Heartfelt Cover Of ‘I’ll Stand By You’

A long-time favourite here at Rockshot Magazine, American singer-songwriter Lissie makes a welcome return with her...
Skerryvore (Press)

Skerryvore Unveil Uplifting New Single ‘The Sea That Sings’ Ahead of Biggest Show Yet At Floors Castle

Scottish folk-rock trailblazers Skerryvore are celebrating 20 years of music, memories, and massive live moments with...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing