As you know by now, Scottish-born singer/songwriter Emeli Sandé is one of my ‘Ones to Watch in 2012,’ and for good reason – she’s BLOODY AMAZING! After playing a small string of dates this past February and March, Sandé returns to the U.S. this Spring where she will be playing two special shows; an April 18th gig at the Bootleg Theatre in Los Angeles, followed by a performance April 24th at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Not quite the large scale U.S. club tour I was hoping for but hey, it’s exposure nonetheless. In addition, Sandé has the incredible honor of opening for Coldplay during their North American tour this summer (tour dates BELOW).
As if a major tour wasn’t enough exposure, Sandé will be promoting her debut album, entitled Our Version of Events, with a couple of high profile TV appearances, starting with her American television debut April 19th on TBS’s Conan show, where she;’ll perform her first U.S. single, the incredibly amazing “Next To Me.” Sandé will then appear on the Rachael Ray show during the week of May 14th. Emeli will also be taking over radio with a performance and interview on NPR‘s World Café. Now that’s a lot of promo! Things are certainly heating up and I’m thrilled to see Capitol Records working their butts off to make Sandé the star here in America that she deserves to be.
Sandé’s masterful debut album will be released here in America on June 5th, preceded by the release of her first official U.S. single, “Next To Me,” (“Heaven” was released on January 27th) which is released April 16th. When the album was released in the UK last February, it debuted in the coveted #1 spot. While I doubt the album will achieve the same chart success here in the States, I’m optimistic that this string of promo does the trick and helps Our Version of Events chart somewhere on the Billboard 200.
Since she burst out onto the scene, Sandé has been the critic’s darling. In 2012 she won the Critics Choice Award at the BRITs and was also nominated for “Breakthrough British Artist.” Sandé’s contemporaries in the music industry are also really feeling her vibe and sound, such artists include Coldplay, who asked the songstress to open for the band on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as Alicia Keys, who co-wrote and produced a track called “Hope” for Sandé’s album and has been working with her on her upcoming album. Multiple Grammy-winner Adele Tweeted her support for Sandé’s, saying “How incredible is she?” after watching a performance on “Later…with Jools Holland.” Basically, if you haven’t fallen in love with Emeli Sandé yet, what are you waiting for! Listen to this girl. She’ll knock your socks off, guaranteed.
Check out Sandé’s performance of “Next To Me” on “Graham Norton” and her performance of “Heaven” on “Later…with Jools Holland” below. Download “Heaven” on U.S. iTunes HERE and look out for her official first single, “Next To Me” when it’s released on April 16th.
Tour Dates w/ Coldplay:
07/23 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
07/24 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
07/26 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
07/27 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
07/29 Boston, MA TD Garden
07/30 Boston, MA TD Garden
08/01 Detroit, MI Palace of Auburn Hills
08/03 E. Rutherford, NJ Izod Center
08/04 E. Rutherford, NJ Izod Center
08/07 Chicago, IL United Center
08/08 Chicago, IL United Center
08/10 St. Paul, MN Xcel Center
08/11 St. Paul, MN Xcel Center
Check out Emeli Sandé on the web: