Celeste – Chocolate

On her debut EP ‘The Milk & The Honey,’ Los Angeles-born, Brighton-based Celeste channels her inspirations into a giant melting pot. She listened to a wealth of blues music when she was younger, and after making the huge move to British shores, the 22-year-old started to develop a love of instrumental artists such as Thelonious Monk and Sun-Ra. Despite this, she still kept her love of singers such as Aretha Franklin, Minnie Riperton and Etta James close to her heart. Some of these elements come together on her latest single ‘Chocolate.’ Though the warm, slow-burning R&B beats peppered with twinkling piano melodies and dramatic bursts of strings are beautifully constructed, it’s Celeste’s voice that makes the real impact. Her vocals glide effortlessly across the track, harbouring the warmth but also the emotional impact of classic singers like Billie Holiday. She has huge presence, making you hang on every word she says. Make no mistake: despite nodding to her influences, Celeste is standing out in her own right.