Album: Rose in the Dark by Cleo Sol (2020)
Format: Album

Artist Background: Born: March 24, 1990 (age 31 years), Ladbroke Grove, London, United Kingdom Part of the English music scene. Associated with Pop movement.

Related Artists: SAULT, Snoh Aalegra, Amaria

Music Scene: Part of the English music scene. Associated with Pop movement.

Tags: 2020s, Album


Cleo Sol is a healer. The 11 tracks on Rose in the Dark, her first full-length solo effort, are bound together by messages of sisterly guidance and solace. While the British singer-songwriter didn’t plan to release her debut album during a global pandemic—it arrived late in the summer of 2020—the timing proved to be ideal, even divine. Sol’s themes of self-love, spirituality, hope and perseverance became a refuge for fans, cementing the project, and Sol, as genre staples.

As with Winter Songs—the 2018 EP that served as most listeners’ introduction to Sol—Rose in the Dark finds the singer working with her partner Inflo, the co-founder of mysterious music collective SAULT. Together, they lean heavily into classic soul sensibilities on cuts like “Rose in the Dark” and “When I’m in Your Arms”, both of which showcase Sol’s Motown influences. Throughout Rose in the Dark, her tone is warm and reassuring, uplifting but never gimmicky, with flecks of grit indicating she’s speaking from experience. The introspective vocalist’s sage advice comes as unsurprising, considering she entered the music industry at just 18, before being quickly picked up by a record label. With her refreshing vulnerability, Sol inspires listeners of all ages to let down their walls.

Album: Gold by Cleo Sol (2023)
Format: Album

Artist Background: Born: March 24, 1990 (age 31 years), Ladbroke Grove, London, United Kingdom Part of the English music scene. Associated with Pop movement.

Related Artists: SAULT, Snoh Aalegra, Amaria

Music Scene: Part of the English music scene. Associated with Pop movement.

Tags: 2020s, Album


In the past, the sage singer-songwriter, born Cleopatra Zvezdana Nikolic, perfected her sense of timing by consistently releasing music when it was ready, before disappearing from the public eye and leaving fans ample time to create bonds with her bodies of work. This time, however, Sol released two projects within two weeks of one another that both lean into the irresistible elements of her nostalgic sound while offering diverse narratives and emotions, allowing the sister albums to stand tall on their own. 

Coming two weeks after Heaven in September 2023, Gold elevates listeners towards the single source of all things—a spiritual offering from the British singer, who has become a voice of big-picture optimism and reassurance in the R&B and soul genre space. The album’s production, spearheaded by fellow Sault member Inflo, exudes the very warmth embodied by Sol’s velvety tone and serene storytelling, with glimmerings of gospel, funk and reggae styles heard throughout the 10-track set. 

“Please Don’t End It All” calls for an emotional release, while elsewhere, tracks like “Desire” capture the euphoric feelings associated with finding one’s true match. Gold is an unapologetic display of what matters most to Sol, reaffirming the artist's ability to remain both consistent and innovative with each album.

Album: Winter Songs by Cleo Sol (2018)
Format: Album

Artist Background: Born: March 24, 1990 (age 31 years), Ladbroke Grove, London, United Kingdom Part of the English music scene. Associated with Pop movement.

Related Artists: SAULT, Snoh Aalegra, Amaria

Music Scene: Part of the English music scene. Associated with Pop movement.

Tags: 2010s, Album


Album: Mother by Cleo Sol (2021)
Format: Album

Artist Background: Born: March 24, 1990 (age 31 years), Ladbroke Grove, London, United Kingdom Part of the English music scene. Associated with Pop movement.

Related Artists: SAULT, Snoh Aalegra, Amaria

Music Scene: Part of the English music scene. Associated with Pop movement.

Tags: 2020s, Album


That motherhood is transformative is an understatement. For those who have the experience, it can change who they are and how they perceive the world, with fresh eyes, an open heart and a devotion so deep it feels like being unmade. Thus, it's fitting that Cleo Sol’s Mother begins with a monument to maternal love—its abundant patience and grace for which she has a new understanding. “The train never stopped, never had time to unpack your trauma,” the British singer-songwriter croons gently on the opening track, “Don’t Let Me Fall”. “Keep fighting the world, that’s how you get love, mama.” Likewise, “Heart Full of Love” is an ode to her own child (who adorns the cover) that strives to portray both the power of that singular feeling and the gratitude that’s leveled her in its presence: “Thank you for sending me an angel straight from heaven, when my hope was gone, you made me strong...Thank you for being amazing, teaching me to hold on.” 
The rest of Mother unfurls like a letter addressed to a little one who, once removed from the safety of the womb, may come to know cruelty more often than mercy. On the piano-laden centrepiece “We Need You”, she pours into whoever may hear it a reminder of their worth, while a choir summons the divine. “We need your heart, we need your soul,” they sing, “we need your strength through this cold world, we need your voice, speak your truth.” Similar affirmations pepper the album, as Cleo imbues the lyrics with a tenderness that lands like a hug; her voice itself is so elegant and serene these songs, despite the lushness of the instrumentation, nearly resemble lullabies. It’s easy to be given to pessimism, but what she offers here is a balm, brimming with the kind of compassionate optimism that only new life can bring.

Cleo Sol

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