Emmy Meli joins forces with two musical heavyweights for her new single, Green Grass, bringing together the unmistakable guitar sound of CHIC legend Nile Rodgers and the boundary-pushing production of Swindle. The collaboration marks an exciting new chapter for the Long Beach-born singer-songwriter, following the release of her All About Love EP earlier this year.
Emmy Meli
A meeting of contemporary R&B, soul, jazz and disco, Green Grass draws on the distinctive strengths of all three artists. Meli’s rich, commanding vocals take centre stage, delivering an uplifting message about overcoming adversity, finding freedom and emerging stronger from life’s challenges. Rodgers’ instantly recognisable rhythmic guitar adds a timeless disco sparkle, while Swindle’s production brings the different influences together with a vibrant, modern energy.
For Meli, the collaboration represents the realisation of a long-held ambition. As an artist whose music blends contemporary sensibilities with a nostalgic edge, working with Rodgers was firmly on her wish list. The connection came through Swindle, who produced her All About Love EP and has also developed an ongoing creative relationship with Rodgers.
Describing the track, Meli says: “Green Grass is alchemy. It’s the feeling you get when all your worst fears come true and you can finally be free, the feminine feeling of planting seeds and growing flowers from mud because you are a phoenix that can always overcome – mixed with some violin and vocals that will transport you through space and time!”
She adds: “It’s an honour to have such a legend on the track.”
Nile Rodgers & CHIC @ BST Hyde Park 2026
Rodgers’ contribution brings a familiar sense of rhythmic sophistication, recalling the dancefloor foundations of CHIC classics such as Good Times and Le Freak, as well as his later collaboration with Daft Punk on Get Lucky. Meanwhile, Swindle – whose production credits include Kojey Radical, Knucks and Ghetts – provides the connective force, balancing Meli’s soulful vocal approach with Rodgers’ disco heritage.
The single follows All About Love, released in February, which marked a significant moment of creative renewal for Meli. Having taken time away from the spotlight for a period of self-discovery, she returned with a collection shaped by greater vulnerability, confidence and a renewed understanding of herself as both an artist and an individual.
Her recent live performances have also helped bring her music to a wider audience. A striking rendition of OOH LA LA, performed with Magnus Ferrell at the Blue Note in Los Angeles, has attracted considerable attention online, while a performance in Camden, London, with DJ AG has further introduced her to new listeners. Among those responding to her work are SZA, Tash Sultana and Michelle Visage.
Originally from Long Beach, California, Meli draws inspiration from artists whose voices and songwriting carry both emotional depth and conviction. Her influences include Sade, Victoria Monét, Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill, Barbara Lewis and Minnie Riperton – a lineage reflected in her ability to combine powerful vocals with direct, personal storytelling.
That approach first connected with a global audience through I Am Woman, released when she was 21. The breakthrough single has since surpassed 400 million streams and featured in Meghan Markle’s Archetypes podcast. It established Meli as a distinctive new voice, with a message of self-belief and empowerment that resonated far beyond its initial release.
Her debut EP, Hello Stranger, followed in 2024, before All About Love signalled a new phase in her artistic development. With Green Grass, she now brings that journey together with the influence of two established musical innovators, creating a collaboration that looks back to the enduring appeal of soul and disco while pushing confidently towards a contemporary sound.
Arabella Lucia Strips Back The Rock And Roll At Yungblud’s B.R.A.T Cave
Share Thing