The UK’s Leading Voices in Soul, Jordan Rakei & Jalen Ngonda Join Forces for New Single “What It Gave Me”

A master producer, Rakei’s music is revered for its iconic DIY sound - CLASH

’’’bombastic soul explosion’’ - GQ

’’celebrated polymath’’ - Wonderland

’’a master multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Jordan Rakei is best known to be primed to perfection.’’ - The Line of Best Fit

Revered multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and producer Jordan Rakei has today returned with a collaboration with rising soul artist Jalen Ngonda. Written and recorded in just one morning within the storied walls of Abbey Road Studios where Jordan Rakei spent 18 months as Artist in Residence, ‘What It Gave Me’ marks the meeting of two of the UK soul’s most distinctive and captivating voices; out now on Fontana Records.

Built on warm analogue textures and a quietly cinematic groove, the track finds Rakei and Ngonda trading lines with effortless clarity and a shared sense of space. This melding of musical minds delivers an intimacy in ‘What It Gave Me’ that feels lived-in and comforting, the kind of track that feels instantly familiar, as timeless as it is current. Drawing influence from a vintage soul era of music making, the collaboration equally manages to replicate a distinctive sound and resonate with soul fans of today.

‘What It Gave Me’ is the first in a series of collaborations that Jordan Rakei has been quietly shaping behind the scenes. Speaking on the track, Jordan explains: 

”Jalen Ngonda is such a force of nature — super charismatic, creative, and full of great ideas. Working with him in the studio was so fun; he works exactly how I like to — quick ideas, track it, move on. Confident in his choices and a great collaborator. I’ve been a fan for ages, and it’s so good to see him blowing up. His dedication to the craft and the way he approaches songwriting really inspired me”

 Jalen adds: “It was an absolute pleasure working with Jordan, let alone at Abbey Road ! Working with him was like working at The Brill building where the likes of Carole King, Ellie Greenwich and Burt Bacharach and many more would go in to the office and sit at the piano and have a tune written by lunchtime, Jordan possesses that skill and has a clever way of putting chords and melodies together. Its our pleasure to present to you “What It Gave Me”.

Released last year via Decca (and Verve Forecast in the US), Jordan’s fifth studio album The Loop marked a new chapter in Jordan’s career that coincided with a number of profound changes in his personal life. It’s an extraordinary record, not least for its sheer, breathtaking ambition whilst retaining the experimental, off-kilter vibe he’s synonymous with. Containing singles ‘Flowers’, ‘Freedom’, ‘Learning’, ‘Friend or Foe’ and ‘Trust’, the album showcased his typically bold production style alongside spectacular orchestral arrangements and haunting choirs, hypnotic beats and an Odyssean-style narrative that charts a course through times of darkness and positivity.

The album saw Jordan achieve his first Top 40 album, be nominated for Best Album at the Ivor Novello Awards, named Abbey Road’s first ever Artist In Residence, play a coveted slot on Glastonbury’s West Holts stage, sell out his biggest-ever shows globally, curate his very own BBC Prom, and finish the year of 2024 with 2 stellar sold-out nights at London’s Royal Albert Hall. As well as the previously unheard singles, The Loop (Deluxe) version also featured live versions of key singles from the Royal Albert Hall shows.

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