Seraphina Simone’s latest track, ‘Cherry’, has dropped at a time that elevates its meaning even further. In short, it challenges the idea of needing more stuff, whether through the desire to “buy more, be richer, be thinner, be prettier [or] be better than everyone else”. The past few days has opened that up to an even wider interpretation: if we’re still having to fight for equality against a grab-bag of racist governments, then does it really matter if we haven’t bought a house yet? Beyond her powerful lyrics, Seraphina Simone delivers an acrobatic vocal performance full of catchy melodies over a delicate, luscious accompaniment. Her music is rife with influences that can be traced back to connections to her father, Terence Trent D’Arby, but Simone has managed to craft a sound that is truly her own. - Dan Peeke