Shaznay Lewis breathes a “Kiss Of Life”
R&B-Pop
Only a month has passed since Shaznay Lewis made her return to music with “Miracle“. And despite being away for twenty years the track was as exemplary as ever.
Shaznay now accelerates that return by announcing that her long-awaited second solo album “Pages” will be released on 17th May 2024 with the follow up, “Kiss Of Life”.
Some things are just worth the wait. “Pages” is a lush masterpiece of psychedelic soul, cinematic strings and sophisticated R&B that combines her established songwriting with the kind of lyrical wisdom which can only come from experience. Coming from someone blessed with deep vocal expressiveness, someone with an avowed “allergy to auto-tune”, it is also a reminder of what real soul sounds like. Its lyrics often feel like a diaristic confessional, as loneliness, heartbreak and the bittersweet realities of life abound. They come from distant memories of being in such situations and of empathising with others’ struggles, all magnified by the big stage drama that Shaznay loves in music. Collectively it’s a rebirth.
The new single, “Kiss Of Life”, exceeds the standard set by “Miracle”. Both classic and contemporary, its punchy, dubby bass places it firmly in the here-and-now, but the way it wields R&B class and emotion with a glorious pop edge ensures that it will appeal to fans of Shaznay’s most famous work too. Shades of the symphonic soul of ‘70s legends like Minnie Ripperton and Donnie Hathaway complete a track which is clearly a love song, but not of the romantic kind. Shaznay collaborated on the song with writer/producer team Emily Phillips and Ant Whiting (Florence + The Machine, Sigrid).
It all adds up to an inspiring return from an artist best known as a member of and lead songwriter for All Saints. Looking back their success is staggering, with headline moments such as five UK No.1 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 she shifted her focus to motherhood, marriage and writing for other artists. She has also sporadically stepped out since, with big moments like returning to the charts with All Saints and performing with Coldplay at Wembley Stadium, but new music of her own only began to emerge in the Summer of 2022 – and now those songs are ready to be shared with the world.
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