Who is popular today?

Soul, jazz, reggae – the east Londoner signed to Motown is at home with them all
Tiana Major9 has a voice that is potent in its rich, unfaltering nature. Born and raised in Newham, east London, in a Jamaican household, she grew up listening to a medley of sounds, singing gospel in church from age five, and soaking up everything from UK garage to D’Angelo at home before studying music at college.
The major 9th – the chord from which she takes her name – is favoured in jazz, one of Tiana’s main influences. But rather than slotting in with the exuberant sounds of London peers such as Ezra Collective and Kokoroko, her music is reminiscent of Amy Winehouse, Jazmine Sullivan or even Lauryn Hill, combining thoughtful soul and jazz with lush reggae and slinky R&B.Tiana’s work is deft and wide-ranging, with recent single Think About You a sweet slice of lovers rock, while 2017 track Levee (Let It Break) boasts a gorgeous verse of softly delivered rap. Continue reading...