Cleo Sol

Last updated

Cleo Sol
Birth nameCleopatra Nikolic
Born (1990-03-24) 24 March 1990 (age 34)
Ladbroke Grove, London, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2008–present
LabelsForever Living Originals
Member of Sault
Website cleo-sol.com

Cleopatra Zvezdana Nikolic [2] (born 24 March 1990), better known by her stage name Cleo Sol, is an English singer-songwriter. Working closely with her husband, the producer Dean Josiah Cover, she has released five solo studio albums beginning with the EP Winter Songs (2018), followed by full-lengths Rose in the Dark (2020), Mother (2021), Heaven (2023), and Gold (2023) and is a member of the R&B collective Sault.

Contents

Early life

Cleo Sol was born in Ladbroke Grove to jazz musicians who lived in Notting Hill. Cleo grew up in Ladbroke Grove. Her mother is Serbian-Spanish and her father is Jamaican. [3]

Music career

Cleo Sol made her debut in 2008 featuring on the single "Tears" by Tinie Tempah. [4] In 2011 Cleo Sol signed to DaVinChe's record label Dirty Canvas and Island Records, releasing singles such as "High" and "Never the Right Time (Who Do You Love)". [5] [6] She took a musical hiatus from 2012 to 2017. [1] She returned with the EP Winter Songs, released on 9 March 2018. [7] In 2019, she was featured on the single "Selfish" by British rapper Little Simz, reconnecting in 2021 with the rapper for the song "Woman". [8] [9]

Cleo Sol released her debut studio album, Rose in the Dark , on 27 March 2020. It was included by Complex and Clash in their end-of-year lists. [10] [11] The next year, she released her second studio album, titled Mother , on 20 August 2021. [12] Surprise albums Heaven and Gold followed in September 2023. She is a member of the UK based musical collective SAULT who have released eleven studio albums. [13] [14] [15] The group rarely appears live or does interviews and Cleo Sol rarely performs live. [16]

Musical style

Cleo Sol has cited influences including Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott. She grew up listening to reggae, Motown, jazz, and Latin music. [3] [17] [18]

Personal life

Cleo Sol is married to the English record producer Inflo (Dean Josiah Cover); their child was born in 2021. [19]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions
TitleDetails
Rose in the Dark
  • Released: 27 March 2020
  • Label: Forever Living Originals
  • Formats: CD, digital download, streaming, vinyl
Mother
  • Released: 20 August 2021
  • Label: Forever Living Originals
  • Formats: CD, digital download, streaming, vinyl
Heaven
  • Released: 15 September 2023
  • Label: Forever Living Originals
  • Formats: CD, digital download, streaming, vinyl
Gold
  • Released: 29 September 2023
  • Label: Forever Living Originals
  • Formats: CD, digital download, streaming, vinyl

Extended plays

List of extended plays, with selected details
TitleDetails
Winter Songs
  • Released: 9 March 2018
  • Label: Forever Living Originals
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

Overview of Cleo Sol singles
TitleYearAlbum
"High"
(featuring Gappy Ranks)		2011Non-album single
"Never the Right Time (Who Do You Love)"2012
"Code to Crack"
(with Toddla T featuring Scrufizzer)
"Why Don't You"2017Winter Songs & Rose in the Dark
"Try and You Try"Winter Songs
"One"2019Non-album single
"Sweet Blue"
"Butterfly"2020Rose in the Dark
"Shine"Non-album single
"Fear When You Fly"2024TBA
Singles featuring Cleo Sol
TitleYearAlbum
"Tears"
(Tinie Tempah featuring Cleo Sol)		2008Non-album single
"Selfish"
(Little Simz featuring Cleo Sol)		2019 Grey Area
"Woman"
(Little Simz featuring Cleo Sol)		2021 Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

Guest appearances

Miscellaneous recordings with Cleo Sol
TitleYearOther artist(s)Album
"Ladder"2012 Angel, Mark Asari7 Minutes Before Time

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References

  1. 1 2 "Music for Your Soul: An Interview with Cleo Sol". No Basic Girls Allowed. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Cleo Sol Biography & History". AllMusic .
  3. 1 2 "Cleo Sol: Get Familiar". Soul in Stereo. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  4. ↑ "GRM Exclusive: 11 Essential Tinie Tempah Tunes". GRM Daily . 29 February 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  5. ↑ "Cleo Sol - The Vogue". The Vogue. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  6. ↑ "Cleo Sol - PRS for Music Foundation". PRS Foundation. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "Premiere: Cleo Sol Shares Jazz-Inspired "Still Cold" Ahead Of New EP". Complex. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  8. ↑ "Little Simz connects with Cleo Sol for "Woman"". Revolt. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  9. ↑ "She Got Next: 10 upcoming female artists to watch". Revolt. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  10. ↑ "Complex UK's Best Albums Of 2020". Complex. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  11. ↑ "Clash Albums of the Year 2020". Clash . 14 December 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  12. ↑ Empire, Kitty (22 August 2021). "Cleo Sol: Mother review – intimate, spacious soul-jazz". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  13. ↑ Manno, Lizie (22 June 2020). "Sault's Album-of-the-Year Contender Embodies Black Excellence and Justified Fury". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  14. ↑ Curto, Justin (9 July 2021). "Song Review: SAULT 'Bitter Streets' Off NINE With Cleo Sol". Vulture. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  15. ↑ Homewood, Ben (1 October 2020). "Making Waves: Sault". Music Week . Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  16. ↑ Akinfenwa, Jumi (8 June 2023). "Cleo Sol review – rare gig shows neo-soul star is a natural live performer". Music. The Guardian . ISSN   1756-3224. OCLC   60623878 . Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  17. ↑ "Get to Know: Cleo Sol". MTV.co.uk. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  18. ↑ "British-Jamaican Singer Cleo Sol One of Eight Emerging Artists Changing the Sound of Soul". Jamaicans.com. 15 October 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  19. ↑ Heron, Tamera (16 July 2022). "How Cleo Sol emerged as the UK's most (reluctantly) coveted Neo-Soul / R&B new-age icon". The Blues Project. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
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