Ahead of his time

He may have been dubbed the "saviour of pop", but teenage star and BRIT nominee Sekou is taking a levelheaded approach to his newfound fame

- SOPE SOETAN

In the mere eight months since 19-yearold Sekou (pronounced see-coo) stepped onto the scene, he’s been greeted with perhaps the warmest industry welcome in recent memory. With a Rising Star nomination at this year’s BRITs, a sold-out headline show at London’s Outernet and a celebrity fanbase that includes Quincy Jones, Timbaland, Bruno Mars, Anderson Paak, Brooklyn Beckham and Dua Lipa, you could be forgiven for assuming the red carpet has been rolled out prematurely.

Prior to its official release, his first single ‘Better Man’ had the grandest of unveilings when he graced none other than the Glastonbury stage with his towering vocal capabilities.

What might first appear to be a miraculous rise to prominence is in reality a story of transcending record-label purgatory with mindblowing results. Beneath the Leicester-born teen’s boyish countenance and meek demeanour is a self-assured individual who radiates poise and unassuming determination.

Sekou’s inaugural project Out of Mind was released last June. It’s a pop-leaning EP with well-placed and understated allusions to adult contemporary-style balladry, gospel, 80s funk and contemporary soul.

Following his recently released single ‘Time Will Tell’ and ahead of an upcoming tour across Europe with Reneé Rapp, we caught up with Sekou to discuss his journey so far.

You were signed at 16 but didn’t publicly debut until you were 18. What happened during the two-year interim?