Cleo Sol’s story, music, how she rose to the top of the UK music scene and is poised to blow on the world stage as an independent, supremely-private singer/songwriter
A moment in time many wish could go on forever, on June 11th 2022 at the iconic KOKO London, Cleo Sol performed her first headline show. Sold out in what fans swear was under a minute. Fans eager to capture what felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity. Over a decade prior, Sol had told The Voice, “A few years ago I could not even talk to a crowd. I was so nervous. I used to shake before performances, but now I am raring to go and I love speaking to the audience and showing them who I am and finding out who they are.“
…fans basked in Cleo Sol’s warm, affable and charismatic energy
That confidence continued to develop over the years. That night at KOKO, fans basked in Cleo Sol’s warm, affable and charismatic energy. One audience member said, “She broke out in dance multiple times, giving us moves! It felt like we were part of the show. She invited us in consistently to sing our hearts out and all. Plus her live vocals are absolutely stunning and her tone is so gorgeously smooth.” There was a familial atmosphere, the excitement and warmth from the crowd, mirroring that of her own.
The crowd roared with glee when Cleo Sol brought out collaborator Little Simz to perform ‘Woman’, Simz’ self-proclaimed “soulful love letter to women around the world“. The song is a fan favourite from Little Simz’ 2021 BRIT-winning album, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. Cleo Sol and her team curated an intentional and loving experience for fans. It was the crowning glory of a decades long career of doing the same.
The rise of Cleo Sol
Cleo Sol’s star has been rising since her 2018 COLORSxStudios ‘Why Don’t You?’ performance. But for many, she’s come to be known for being the obvious leading voice for the anonymous group SAULT. SAULT is an indie-Soul collective led by Cleo Sol’s long-time collaborator and partner, producer Inflo.
In May 2023, Cleo Sol returned for 2 shows at London’s super prestigious, Royal Albert Hall. She sold over 6x the capacity of KOKO, selling over 10K tickets. It was another spell-binding show. And now she is poised to take on the US as the UK’s next big musical export.
September 2023, Cleo Sol released two albums in the same month. Heaven and Gold have received love and acclaim from her fans and critics alike. These albums take Cleo Sol’s sound to new, more ambient places, a singer in a lane of her own still. And lyrically, Cleo Sol sounds more confident than ever, expressing her faith and musings on life. This is especially true on Gold, in many ways a Gospel-Soul offering.
She’s now received a nomination for Best R&B Act at the 2024 BRIT awards and won Best R&B Act at the MOBOs. But the journey to this moment for Cleo has been long and winding, almost two decades in the making.
The backstory of Cleo Sol
Cleo Sol, born Cleopatra Nikolic on 24 March 1990, was raised in Ladbroke Grove, West London to a Jamaican father and Serbian-Spanish mother. The Sol portion of her stage name was taken from her Spanish roots meaning ‘sun’. This explains the warmth which effortlessly, and perhaps unintentionally glows through the melodies she sings and words she writes. As the daughter to musicians who met in a Jazz band and living in the heart of Notting Hill, Cleo Sol’s musical influences are no surprise. Jazz, Reggae, Motown and Latin. Jazz is most obvious in her recent music. Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott are a few of the names Cleo Sol has listed over the years as musicians whose art she has absorbed into her own. All of whom appear unapologetic and dedicated to the exploration of their craft, a similar sentiment that echoes in Sol’s own work.
The Sol portion of her stage name was taken from her Spanish roots meaning ‘sun’. This explains the warmth which effortlessly, and perhaps unintentionally glows through the melodies she sings and words she writes.
Songwriting and performing from 16, Sol like most expressive teenagers in the early 2000s took to MySpace to share her creations. It was during this period she met producer DaVinChe. Through DaVinChe, she collaborated with artists like Tinie Tempah, Skepta and Wretch 32. She became one of the more regonisable names in the UK’s underground music scene. Notably, her fame grew with the reggae influenced ‘High’ in 2011 and Motown adjacent ‘Never the Right Time (Who Do You Love)’ the following year.
Cleo Sol’s comeback
After such a stunning re-introduction, the many new fans were left hungry for more.
After a five-year hiatus from releasing music publicly, in 2018 Cleo Sol shared her EP ‘Winter Songs’, marking the start of a new era in her sound. ‘Winter Songs’ is a collection of records infused with soft instrumentals, allowing her voice to tenderly assert itself as the main feature. Moreover, a dulcet compilation compared to the energetic tunes of Sol five years prior. The EP’s lead single ‘Why Don’t You’ was previewed on a now-iconic 2018 episode of A COLORS SHOW. The words ‘Eat, Love, Pray’ repeat throughout the track like a mantra enchanting the audience and accumulating over 16 million views to date. After such a stunning re-introduction, the many new fans were left hungry for more.
Cleo Sol’s Rose in the Dark
A soothing 11-track album that was the perfect answer to the globally tumultuous year that was 2020
Two years later, Cleo Sol released her mellifluous debut album ‘Rose in the Dark’ produced by her partner, the equally mysterious super-producer, Inflo. A soothing 11-track album that was the perfect answer to the globally tumultuous year that was 2020. Songs featured on ‘Rose in the Dark’ were so personal and relatable that for many it became the accompaniment to key moments in listeners everyday lives. One fan told us, ‘The first song I heard of hers was Why Don’t You, I was coming out of a relationship and the lyrics made me deep that we deserve more than the bare minimum in all things.’ The namesake track was also featured in the cultural milestone that was HBO’s Insecure for season 5 – in this emotional final episode, viewers flicked through the many moments of the characters lives, babies, relationships, birthdays and more. Here, Sol’s music played as a supporting soundtrack to protagonist Issa Dee, much in the same way ‘Rose in the Dark’ did for its listeners.
Cleo Sol’s Mother
‘Mother’, her second album was released the following year, a project that she said was created by ‘the most transformative, uplifting, heart melting, strength giving experience thus far.’ ‘Mother’ was inspired by her own journey into motherhood. The album cover featuring an image of Cleo lounging on a sofa, her baby resting gently upon her body, and a photograph of her own mother hanging on the wall – three generations in one, endless lessons, love and wisdom wrapped up into 66 minutes for our our own enjoyment and reflection. ‘Mother’ felt like her most sacred creation to date, an album that was unexpected but purposeful, in her own words ‘we had plans to take a break but God’s got jokes.’
Like ‘Rose in the Dark’, ‘Mother’ is produced by Inflo, Cleo Sol’s partner and father of her child. This makes for a cohesiveness, thoroughness and tender care expressed in the detail throughout the album. The elegance with which Cleo Sol explores her journey into motherhood, whilst reflecting on her experiences with her own mother empathetically, yet truthfully makes this a contender for album of the decade.
Peace and Serenity
…Sol seemingly not enthralled by the allure of mainstream hyper-visibility
Prior to the headline concert at KOKO and for the majority of her listeners, we have only really seen the eloquent singer express herself through music. Cleo Sol appears as a notoriously private individual, with interviews of her scarce and gigs even more so, Sol seemingly not enthralled by the allure of mainstream hyper-visibility. When you’re moving with the intentionality that Cleo Sol does, protecting your mind and mediating your influences to create in a pure and purposeful way is key. Taking time to absorb, un-learn, educate, feel and embrace all things that influence your music is a means of practising truth. It has also meant that her music connects with music lovers who crave music that is art without the commodity and popularity-focused promo. Sol provides us with some insight into these thoughts in her lyrics. ‘Don’t give in to the masses, better to smile than let it get you down’. ‘Peace and serenity is all that I need’. ‘Don’t let it go to your head, Don’t let them affect you inside, Take control of your mind, Take control of your life.’
Many celebrities have talked openly about the negative effects of fame, such as anxiety or feeling as if they are restricted in the type of music they create. The singer Raye recently left her label for this exact reason. Protecting wellbeing and ones view of self is even more critical for women and people of colour who experience the racism and sexism that pervades the industry still.
Cleo Sol: The Reluctant Icon
In fact, Cleo Sol didn’t expect to be creating more music, deciding to prioritise family time instead. She is as an artist who focuses on her experiences, using music as a way to explore and share reflections gained along the way. Commendably, she never seems to be chasing anything. Just sharing at her convenience. This is what makes her so precious and highly coveted with listeners. There’s a parallel to draw to Frank Ocean here. In a time when music is so shaped by the demands of a ‘microwave’ society, Cleo Sol is the musical icon who stays above the fray. Independent and committed to her art, we love her for consistently providing us with soft-hearted, nostalgia activating, tear inducing, chest-to-chest swaying soundtracks for life.
