Elmiene

“This phase is really the beginning of Elmiene,” says the 24-year-old artist, born Abdala Elamin. “[It] feels like the first time I can really say with full confidence, every single thing I did on this project was intentional. Instead of like ‘I don’t know how I pulled that off, that was crazy!’” he laughs. It’s hard to believe that his voice wasn’t always destined for this path but, a poet-turned-accidental-artist initially, it was Elmiene’s very first song attempt that sparked the whirlwind start of his career. And his ascent to international soul prodigy status has been swift and captivating ever since. Before he knew it, he was soundtracking a Louis Vuitton show, gaining early fans in the likes of Benji B, Sampha, Stormzy and more and going viral online with covers of his favourite artists. But since that fateful debut in 2022, he’s shown no signs of slowing, or of winging it. The fluke-like journey he’s referencing has seen him documenting his entire process of curiosity, exploration and often striking gold, in the form of five critically-acclaimed projects in just three years (11 if you count the live and remix versions). It’s seen him featured on the BBC Sound of Poll, nominated for Rising Star awards at both the BRITS and The Ivors, supporting Stevie Wonder and SZA, gracing NPR’s Tiny Desk, and touring around the world to sold-out swooning crowds. With all that under his belt, this year brings the British-Sudanese artist’s debut full-length album, titled sounds for someone. Not unlike the songbook style label of his idol Stevie’s Songs in the Key of Life, it’s a name that promises to deliver on both the personal and the universal, a project that’s intimate and ambitious. “To me personally, it’s about my dad and my relationship with him when he was alive, and the loss, me and my mum’s relationship with him, their relationship, it’s basically a collection of songs based on all the emotions centred around him,” he says. “But I’m a firm believer in ‘the…