Artist Spotlight: Sarah Sey

Photo by @maevalieme

With angelic melodies and richly calming tones, Paris singer-songwriter Sarah Sey tells a tale of heartbreak in her debut EP ‘Love Circle’. The Parisian artist started singing and playing the piano when she was just seven years old. Initially self-taught, each of Sarah’s teachers quit because she could only play by ear, unable to read any music. And yet, her technical versatility as a vocalist is undeniable, the 21-year-old’s voice is gifted with the kind of neo-soul that sends chills down the spine. Recorded in a studio tucked away in Lisbon’s winding streets, the 4-track project is a journey through the ups and downs of romance—in the end, there is hope.

Kaeshelle: What’s something that not that many people know about your music journey?

Sarah Sey: One day when I was 16, I wrote a song because there was a terrorist attack in Paris, in November 2015. I was super young and I just posted it on Facebook. When I came back, my phone was buzzing. I was like, “what's going on?”, I had so many notifications and I had more than 1 million views on the video. Eventually, French TV called me to speak about it and so I came out of school and went to the show. It was a sad moment but the experience was huge for me. 

How would you describe your music style?

I was not sure about releasing the EP because my music style has changed a bit. When I wrote this EP, I was writing in English but now I'm writing in French because it's more natural for me. The style is now a bit more like a mix of rap and R&B. Before it was more soft, it’s not exactly a big change but it's a little different.

So when did you write ‘Love Circle’?

I started writing it in 2019. I wasn’t aware that I was writing the EP, I was just writing about the same boy, and then the relationship ended. I think that breakups are terrible but they are also super inspiring. When you break up you want to do all the things you never wanted to do before or never dared to do. So, that's what happened to me. I was feeling so bad but music was the answer, I only wanted to do music. So I wrote it over two years and I recorded in Lisbon as I was living there last year.

And why did you decide to write songs in the two different languages?

I think a lot of artists write in English at first when they start because everyone speaks English. I thought that if I want people to understand me, it would have to be in English. Lots of French singers, even Angèle was writing in English and now she's only doing French. I thought that no one would listen to me if I wrote in French.

My inspirations are more English than French, artists like Jorja Smith, Joy Crookes, Mahalia, Tom Misch. So, it's a mix of being scared and my experience. Now, I feel like it's normal because I am French.

Speaking of French, can you tell us about ‘Je Veux T’oublier’, what’s the meaning behind the song?

‘Je Veux T'oublier’ is about when you break up. You still love the person but you really want to move on. It's sad but it's also hopeful. It's different from ‘Get Out of My Skin’, which is the reaction to the breakup.

You released the album on Valentine’s Day, are you a hopeful or hopeless romantic?

I don't know, I think it depends on my mood. I would say hopeful but I think that passion is not something that lasts. If a passionate relationship doesn't move on to something more chill, I think that I'm not very hopeful that it will last. I finished my EP with ‘Je Veux T’oublier’, which means I want to be hopeful. But I'm scared because I think you won't meet so many people that you feel really connected with. I think there's something very toxic in love as there’s always someone who loves more than the other. It's very beautiful, but it's very hard,

Listening to your music feels like drifting away into a dream like state, it was the perfect release for Valentine’s Day.

Well, it's the day of love. I also released it on that day because I'm sick of it and never celebrate that day. Half of the population is single and it seems like everyone is loved up on Valentine's Day, but that's not true. It's something to make people feel guilty about not having someone they love, or not being able to be with the person that they love in that moment. So I also wanted to balance the meaning of that day and say, “If your heart is broken and that's okay”. Love is also about being broken, it’s not always about being happy.

You're from Paris, people say that French is the language of love, is that true?

Oh, I don't know. I think love has no language. When you talk, you don’t just feel love. I don't think that there's a language for love. So, I don't think French is the language of love—the answer is no.

And which French-speaking artists would you recommend?

I would say Angèle, I love what she's doing. I mostly like her lyrics because she says some real stuff. Even though her music style is not necessarily my favourite type, what she's saying is very relevant. Sometimes her lyrics are quite poetic but they also can be quite political. I would also say Stromae, Lous and the Yakuza and Yseult. 

There aren’t any collaborations on the EP, but which artists would you love to work with in the future?

If I’m allowed to dream, Jorja Smith! That would be amazing because she is incredible

And finally, what projects are you working on now?

My next song is going to be in French and it's more political. It's going to talk about racism, which is a big problem in France—a big problem. Especially because people are hypocrites, they pretend everything is fine, that everyone loves each other, but it's not true. It’s also about feminism, and more specifically, sexual harassment. So, I have some songs about deeper subjects, but also some lighter songs, ones you can dance to, quite different to Love Circle.