Celeste’s ‘Stop This Flame’ is a stylish, smooth and soulful return of the blues, and it firmly establishes the twenty-five-year-old singer-songwriter from Saltdean as a force of nature.

Her raspy, massive yet endlessly suave voice brings the tingles while the background beat, infused with jazz-infused rhythms and moods, set the tone for an auditory experience. There is a true old-school flavour into how Celeste raises and dips her notes, her vocal mannerisms exuding a whole lot of personality into each and every word. The production of the tune is similarly jiving, being an ideal platform to mesh into Celeste’s rhythms. 

It is clear, especially by the time she gets to the bridge, that Celeste has an exceptional ability to transform the genre of jazz, soul, and R&B within the limits of her own artistry. Many have compared her to Amy Whinehouse, and rightfully so: their voices, styles and musical arrangments are quite obviously similarly. Yet Celeste has carved out her own path in the last few years; she stands tall and proud with her immense voice, delightful personality and a willingness to explore a range of genres within her musical pieces. Her work has been well-reviewed by a number of bodies, including critics, audiences, radios, magazines, and industry professionals. Just recently, Celeste was announced as the winner of BBC’s Sound of 2020, and this single ‘Stop This Flame’ is being predicted as the launching point of an incredible career to come. 

With her debut album to be released this year alongside a handful of anticipated tours across Europe, including the Sheperd’s Bush Empire in London and Paradiso in Amsterdam, Celeste is heading for a major year. She talks about her humble roots and how those initiated her journey into music;

We would go [to church] every morning and I wasn’t really interested in what they were saying, I’d look at the walls and sing. I probably enjoyed it because all of me and my friends were singing together, but that’s something I found out later, I became interested in listening to the blends of voices. Whether it was The Supremes or Destiny’s Child; even on the Solange album there’s elements of Motown but it’s just in a way that is so minimalistic.”

  Singer-songwriter    R&B