NME’s latest star of The Cover, Elmiene, has created an exclusive playlist to accompany the story’s launch – check it out below.
The rising British soul singer is on this week’s (January 19) edition of The Cover, a manifestation of NME’s commitment to supporting emerging talent across the globe on a weekly basis. Every week, a rising artist will feature on The Cover – you can read Elmiene’s profile here, written by Kyann-Sian Williams and featuring photography by Tamiym Cader.
Alongside his Cover story, Elmiene has curated an exclusive playlist, titled ‘Perfectly Written Stories’. The selection includes cuts from R&B and soul legends, including Alicia Keys, D’Angelo, Usher and Whitney Houston, among others. Listen to the full playlist on Spotify below and on Apple Music.
Last Friday, Elmiene announced his debut album, ‘Sounds For Someone’, with the single ‘Reclusive’. It follows the previous single ‘Crying Against The Wind’, a heart-tugging two-part ballad that was shaped by his father’s death – but has also become the backbone for the record. Here, Elmiene is on a “search for completeness”, as if he’s reordering his life in front of the world with this newly honed version of himself.
In conversation with NME, Elmiene reflects on how the introspection and stillness in his music can often be misread as melancholy – even by his mum, who has told him he “sounds really sad” on the album. “I guess the lyrics are saying sad things,” he says, “but I didn’t feel sad writing them. Sometimes when I listen back, I just have to shut up and go: ‘I like the groove, I like the bassline, I like the drums.’ Don’t notice the sadness too much.”
Read Elmiene’s full Cover story here and find out who else has been on The Cover here.
Every year, NME produces 50 Cover stories, showcasing the future of music via in-depth profiles and exclusive photoshoots. Check out our coffee table book NME The Cover 2024-2025, which features the likes of Kneecap, Lola Young, Amaarae, LE SSERAFIM, Oklou and many more.
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