British singer-songwriter and producer Sampha is infamously media adverse. As such, nobody knew anything about when — or even if — the soft-vocaled Brit would drop a debut album anytime soon. After Drake and Jessie Ware leaned on him for several features, Sampha has went on to work on several huge collaborations with the likes of Beyoncé, Kanye West and most recently Frank Ocean on his visual album Endless. While he did speak cryptically about his debut studio album to The Fader, details are still scant beyond the fact that it exists and will probably be pretty damn good.
Now, it finally appears that album is imminent from the tight-lipped, mysterious singer, as he announced a new LP called Process, and he dropped his first single in “Blood On Me.” The track features his now renown lush vocals and a somber backdrop he self-produced with the help of Rodaidh McDonald. As each verse crescendos into the chorus, he turns up the intensity and volume, creating a bit of anger to clash with the kindness his voice simply can’t escape.
The track’s best moment is oddly, its quietest, the bridge after the second hook where he simply decides to let the track breathe. A few piano keys are registered as he takes a few bated breaths, taking his time. When the subdued beat finally comes back in, it feels like an explosion, though a quiet and pillowy, cozy one. With one final hook, Sampha wraps up an engaging and exciting four minutes that should get fans right back to anticipating whatever is next from him.
