Three Questions with Sabah Kenway: the North London R&B Sensation Bringing Back Soul
Sabah Kenway discusses her inspiration, new music and plans for the future.
In the UK right now, there's a wealth of R&B talent in both the underground and the mainstream. While artists are plentiful, few stand out as Sabah Kenway does. The problem with R&B is it can be hard for an artist to find their own unique groove and image. Join us as we dive into the mind of Sabah Kenway.
21-year-old Sabah Kenway hails from North West London and is of Moroccan and Egyptian descent. Music has always been integral to Sabah’s DNA. She began writing songs around the age of seven.
Sabah released her first official single “Hell Bent” on Soundcloud back in 2018. Since “Hell Bent”, Sabah’s taken the approach of quality over quantity with her music. She dropped her biggest hit to date with “Fool for Loving You” in July 2019. The song has received a music video along with the track holding around 10,000 streams.
The Culture Crypt: Who are your biggest influences?
Sabah Kenway: “Some of my biggest influences are; Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill, SWV, Aretha Franklin, Sade, Erykah Badu, Aaliyah and Nina Simone. There are a lot more but these are probably the main ones.”
The song is as modern as it is a 90s R&B throwback. Sabah’s soulful vocals are well complemented by a melodic beat that makes you want to hit the repeat button. "Fool For Loving You” helped propel Sabah to new heights in the underground R&B scene. The song was performed at many live shows across London.
In March 2020, Sabah followed up with her latest release to date. Over. The song is a stylistic homage to 90s and 2000s R&B. Over was overall well received by her fanbase. Over serves as a tease for her upcoming EP expected later this year.
What are you working on right now?
“I’m mainly just working on the actual content and getting that down before I come up with a name for it. My EP is around 5-6 tracks long. Since it's going to be my first body of work released, I want it to showcase me as an artist and my style. There will be elements of my 80-90s soul and R&B but I still want to make it modern at the same time.”
On July 3, 2020, Sabah surprised fans with a music video for her latest single. The music video for Over was shot at home in quarantine. Throughout the video, Sabah showcases a grainy videotape aesthetic in line with the music.
What’s next for you?
“Depending on how COVID goes, I’ll hopefully drop my EP later this year. I got so many plans for music videos and styles I want to tap into. I’m just going to explore.”
Sabah is also an openly independent musician who prides herself on her own creative control.
Stream Sabah Kenway’s “Fool For Loving You” below.
