Celeste Not Your Muse LP

BBC Music's Sound Of 2020 Winner!
BRITs Rising Star Award 2020 Winner!
2021 Mercury Prize Nominee!

It has been a remarkable year for 2020's breakthrough artist, who achieved the double win of BBC Sound of 2020 and the BRITs Rising Star award. Celeste's spell-binding performance of "Strange" at The BRITs in February placed her firmly in the global spotlight, winning her a legion of new fans blown away by its raw intimacy. While the ensuing pandemic put paid to all touring and festival plans, the British-Jamaican soul singer and songwriter released a string of captivating songs - the sentiments of which resonate in these uncertain times - including "Hear My Voice" was co-written with Golden Globe®-nominated composer Daniel Pemberton and is the focus track of the Netflix film The Trial of the Chicago 7, written and directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Aaron Sorkin. Her song "A Little Love", which was written and recorded for the John Lewis and Waitrose Christmas advertising campaign, has been widely praised as a Christmas classic in the making. She is the first artist to be commissioned to write and perform an original song for the ad, marking another milestone in her unparalleled ascent.

The rising British soul singer/songwriter's debut album Not Your Muse includes the songs "Strange", "Stop This Flame", "A Little Love" and "Love Is Back".

Whether up-tempo or morose, Celeste's remarkable voice is the real show-stealer on 'Not Your Muse'. It has supernatural qualities, turning already poetic lyrics into gut-punch moments. Take breakthrough single 'Strange', a reflection on broken relationships ('Isn't it strange? / How people can change / From strangers to friends / Friends into lovers / And strangers again') transformed by Celeste's smoky vocals into an emotional sledgehammer. The same could be said of the laidback 'Some Goodbyes Come with Hellos', whose relaxed acoustic instrumentation allows the full focus to be pulled onto Celeste's narrative, delivered with dazzling aplomb. In the past her powerhouse voice has been compared to those of Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin and Billie Holiday. And while these may be apt references, they don't reflect what a singular talent Celeste is. There may be elements of these greats in her vocals, but as 'Not Your Muse' proves, Celeste is on her way to becoming a star in her own right.

...[T]he album is sure-footed and attests to the artist's high standing among the crowd mining pre-disco R&B, jazz, and pop. Celeste and her fellow songwriters and producers - led by main collaborators Jamie Hartman and Josh Crocker - have all the knowing, tasteful moves down pat and exhibit some tricks of their own.