NEW ALBUM ‘WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BLOOM?’ OUT 7 AUGUST
GRAMMY-nominated East African born vocalist-songwriter Somi released “Sometimes Love (feat. The Cavemen.)” from her upcoming album What Does It Take to Bloom?, out 7 August via Salon Africana. Joined by critically-acclaimed Nigerian sibling duo The Cavemen., the single is a groove-heavy love song that transports listeners to the intoxicating heat of Lagos where the song was recorded. When asked about the inspiration behind the single, Somi said “This song is about keeping an open heart and the possibility of finding love – in all its forms – at any moment in our journey.”
Listen to “Sometimes Love (Feat. The Cavemen.)
The album, co-produced by The Cavemen.’s Benjamin James, takes a contemporary approach to heritage centered sound, weaving global sensibilities into an intimate meditation on uncertainty and change — asking whether growth is something we recognize as it’s happening, or once we’ve already been transformed.
Pre-Save What Does It Take to Bloom?
“Sometimes Love” follows the release of the album’s lead single “We’re All Falling,” one of the project’s most affecting songs, that confronts mortality with striking clarity. Written during a season of personal loss, the song reflects on the fragility of life, calling for listeners to give themselves the grace to heal and live in the moment.
(Download Hi-Res HERE / Photo Credit: Knoor the Luo)
For Somi, every album is an act of place-making. Her catalog reads like a map of migration and memory – traversing the cultural bridge between Africa and America with records rooted in Nigeria, in Harlem, in the spirit and political inheritance of Miriam Makeba. On Somi’s forthcoming album, the terrain shifts. Written and recorded between Dakar, Lagos, Paris and New York City, this time the place being mapped is not a city, country, or collective memory. It’s the self.
Having spent years navigating the global jazz scene while also standing adjacent to it, Somi defies categorization – embracing a hybrid of jazz, soul, highlife, spoken word, and her African heritage. What Does It Take to Bloom? marks an evolution of Somi’s sound, and finds her taking greater vocal risks while trusting her instincts more deeply. Abandoning the need to fit inside any artistic box, that refusal in itself is a form of blooming.
Ultimately, the album is grounded in finding belonging – recognizing that the journey towards wholeness is rarely linear and always unfinished. From the many experiences in life beyond our control to the embodied realities of womanhood, Somi explores the many facets of self-discovery that make her bloom. She hopes listeners will find themselves within the music; and if not, she offers the chance to witness her coming home to herself.
(Download Hi-Res Album Artwork)
TRACKLIST
- Throw Something
- Sometimes Love (ft. The Cavemen.)
- What Does It Take to Bloom?
- Mama On Blooming
- So You Want to Be a Woman (ft. Lakecia Benjamin)
- Aiwah
- Sugar
- Mama On Tradition
- Ngayaya
- Lay It Down
- Interlude: Skin To Skin
- We’re All Falling
- Love Could Be Anywhere
Experience the rich, soulful magical sounds of SOMETIMES LOVE — a track for every season of the heart. Available now on all major streaming platforms.
For all the latest updates on the album release, follow Somi on social media. Let’s spread love and healing, one song at a time.
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