Young R&B singer Cherée sings about an unhealthy love in her new song, "For Me." Her soulful vocals reverberate throughout, tackling the relatable subject of clinging to a relationship despite knowing that it’s bad for you. The 20-year-old hails from North West London and her third single, "For Me," is premiering at the bottom of the page.
Cherée's music is built around an interest in relationships, both romantic and platonic. Coupled with a mature acknowledgment and understanding of her growth from a girl to a woman, the result is significant and self-reflective. “Things I did a few years ago for the sake of love or lust are far removed from how I would act now,” she explains.
Her debut single "Please" spoke of the struggle to define the difference between love and lust, and in sophomore effort "I Will Be There" she seems wise beyond her years. The lyrics are an ode to the importance of time apart, caring from a distance and that relationships need space to breathe too. “A lot of my songs relate to how I’ve dealt with relationships, self-growth is a big topic for me.”
Cherée grew up amongst a vibrant and culturally rich family who always helped her seek out ways in which to express her creativity and aptitude for music; her mother is Danish, her father Ghaniaian, and her step father is Jamaican. When I ask how her family has inspired her music, she is quick to note that her sister sparked her interest in hip-hop and R&B by playing artists like 2Pac and Aaliyah.
Alongside those artists, she also cites Frank Ocean, Amy Winehouse and Pharrell as her biggest musical influences, the latter being her answer—with no hesitation—when I ask who she would most like to collaborate with: “It would be a dream to have him producing on an album of mine, that would be epic.”
The BRIT school is a hotbed of musical talent, boasting alumni like Adele and King Krule and Cherée explains that the progression from a regular school to The BRIT School was challenging and at times overwhelming. “Everyone is so talented. Everything felt so big, but maybe that was just a result of being an insecure teenager rather than the environment.”
The Brit School was still school, it had its boring parts, but they also allowed Cherée to be open, to consider her environment, to be intuitive and free. “I remember having a class discussion in music theory," she explains. "We spoke about what kind of music we would make if we had no musical knowledge; would it increase your freedom creatively or, on the other hand, would you actually just be kind of shit because you don’t know anything about it.”
Cherée is inspired by strong women, and judging by her lyrics, she is growing into a strong woman herself with a real understanding of her own psyche. “Know your worth and do not compromise that in any situation," is her advice to her female fans. "If you pass on something that’s beneath you, I promise better things will come along.”
Working on new music with sights set on a debut live show in the near future, Cherée’s current focus is on developing her songwriting and working on new collaborations. Listen to the premiere for "For Me" below, and look out for more from Cherée in 2017.
