Cleopatra Zvezdana Nikolic[2] (born 24 March 1990), better known by her stage name Cleo Sol, is an English singer-songwriter. Working closely with her husband, the producer Dean Josiah Cover, she has released five solo studio albums beginning with the EP Winter Songs (2018), followed by full-lengths Rose in the Dark (2020), Mother (2021), Heaven (2023), and Gold (2023) and is a member of the music collective Sault.
Cleo Sol | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Cleopatra Nikolic |
| Born | 24 March 1990 Ladbroke Grove, London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels | Forever Living Originals |
| Member of | Sault |
| Website | cleo-sol |
Early life
editCleo Sol was born in Ladbroke Grove to jazz musicians who lived in Notting Hill. Cleo grew up in Ladbroke Grove. Her mother is Serbian-Spanish and her father is Jamaican.[3]
Music career
editCleo Sol made her debut in 2008 featuring on the single "Tears" by Tinie Tempah.[4] In 2011 Cleo Sol signed to DaVinChe's record label Dirty Canvas and Island Records, releasing singles such as "High" and "Never the Right Time (Who Do You Love)".[5][6] She took a musical hiatus from 2012 to 2017.[1] She returned with the EP Winter Songs, released on 9 March 2018.[7] In 2019, she was featured on the single "Selfish" by British rapper Little Simz, reconnecting in 2021 with the rapper for the song "Woman".[8][9]
Cleo Sol released her debut studio album, Rose in the Dark, on 27 March 2020. It was included by Complex and Clash in their end-of-year lists.[10][11] The next year, she released her second studio album, titled Mother, on 20 August 2021.[12] Surprise albums Heaven and Gold followed in September 2023. She is a member of the UK based musical collective SAULT who have released eleven studio albums.[13][14][15] The group rarely appears live or does interviews and Cleo Sol rarely performs live.[16]
Musical style
editCleo Sol has cited influences including Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott. She grew up listening to reggae, Motown, jazz, and Latin music.[3][17][18]
Personal life
editCleo Sol is married to the English record producer Inflo (Dean Josiah Cover); their child was born in 2021.[19]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Rose in the Dark |
|
| Mother |
|
| Heaven |
|
| Gold |
|
Extended plays
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Winter Songs |
|
Singles
edit| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "High" (featuring Gappy Ranks) |
2011 | Non-album single |
| "Never the Right Time (Who Do You Love)" | 2012 | |
| "Code to Crack" (with Toddla T featuring Scrufizzer) | ||
| "Why Don't You" | 2017 | Winter Songs & Rose in the Dark |
| "Try and You Try" | Winter Songs | |
| "One" | 2019 | Non-album single |
| "Sweet Blue" | ||
| "Butterfly" | 2020 | Rose in the Dark |
| "Shine" | Non-album single | |
| "Fear When You Fly" | 2024 | TBA |
As featured artist
edit| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Tears" (Tinie Tempah featuring Cleo Sol) |
2008 | Non-album single |
| "Selfish" (Little Simz featuring Cleo Sol) |
2019 | Grey Area |
| "Woman" (Little Simz featuring Cleo Sol) |
2021 | Sometimes I Might Be Introvert |
Guest appearances
edit| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Ladder" | 2012 | Angel, Mark Asari | 7 Minutes Before Time |
References
edit- ^ a b "Music for Your Soul: An Interview with Cleo Sol". No Basic Girls Allowed. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Cleo Sol Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Cleo Sol: Get Familiar". Soul in Stereo. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- ^ "GRM Exclusive: 11 Essential Tinie Tempah Tunes". GRM Daily. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ "Cleo Sol - The Vogue". The Vogue. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ "Cleo Sol - PRS for Music Foundation". PRS Foundation. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ "Premiere: Cleo Sol Shares Jazz-Inspired "Still Cold" Ahead Of New EP". Complex. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ "Little Simz connects with Cleo Sol for "Woman"". Revolt. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ "She Got Next: 10 upcoming female artists to watch". Revolt. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ "Complex UK's Best Albums Of 2020". Complex. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ "Clash Albums of the Year 2020". Clash. 14 December 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ Empire, Kitty (22 August 2021). "Cleo Sol: Mother review – intimate, spacious soul-jazz". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ Manno, Lizie (22 June 2020). "Sault's Album-of-the-Year Contender Embodies Black Excellence and Justified Fury". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- ^ Curto, Justin (9 July 2021). "Song Review: SAULT 'Bitter Streets' Off NINE With Cleo Sol". Vulture. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- ^ Homewood, Ben (1 October 2020). "Making Waves: Sault". Music Week. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ Akinfenwa, Jumi (8 June 2023). "Cleo Sol review – rare gig shows neo-soul star is a natural live performer". Music. The Guardian. ISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ "Get to Know: Cleo Sol". MTV.co.uk. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- ^ "British-Jamaican Singer Cleo Sol One of Eight Emerging Artists Changing the Sound of Soul". Jamaicans.com. 15 October 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- ^ Heron, Tamera (16 July 2022). "How Cleo Sol emerged as the UK's most (reluctantly) coveted Neo-Soul / R&B new-age icon". The Blues Project. Retrieved 26 June 2023.