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Key Information

Adele Emily Sandé (/ˈsændeɪ/ SAN-day; previously Gouraguine; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé,[2][3] is a Scottish singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland,[4][5][6] Sandé rose to prominence after her guest appearance on Chipmunk's 2009 single "Diamond Rings", which peaked within the top ten of the UK Singles Chart. The following year, she guest appeared on Wiley's single "Never Be Your Woman", which also peaked within the chart's top ten. In 2012, she received the Brit Awards' Critics' Choice Award.

Sandé's first solo single, "Heaven", was released in August 2011. She peaked atop both the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Chart twice with her guest appearance on Professor Green's single "Read All About It" that same year, and her 2012 single "Beneath Your Beautiful" (with Labrinth). Her debut studio album, Our Version of Events (2012), spent ten non-consecutive weeks atop the UK Albums Chart, and, with 1 million domestic sales, became the best-selling UK album of 2012.[7][8] That same year, she performed in both the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the London Olympics.[9][10] She won Best British Female Solo Artist and British Album of the Year at the 2013 Brit Awards.[11]

Her second studio album, Long Live the Angels (2016), debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart. In 2017, she won the Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist, becoming her fourth win in total. In 2018, she performed the singing voice of Thethuthinnang in the miniseries Watership Down.

Early life

[edit]

Adele Emily Sandé was born in Sunderland,[12][13][14][15] to a Zambian father, Joel Sandé, and an English mother, Diane Sandé-Wood, on 10 March 1987.[1][16] Her father, having moved from Zambia, met her mother while they were both at the polytechnic in Sunderland. The family moved to Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, when she was four.[17]

Sandé wrote her first song at the age of 11, for her primary-school talent show.[18] She remembers that, "was the first time I thought I might be a songwriter. I always knew I wanted to be a musician and I knew I wanted to write because the people I was listening to all wrote. I never thought it was an option to sing anyone else's songs."[18] The first song she wrote was called "Tomorrow Starts Again" – the song had proper structure and even a middle eight.[18]

Sandé attended school at Alford Academy, where her father was a teacher. She said, "I hated to be ill and to miss a day because I was so hungry to learn. I was very shy, nerdy and extremely well-behaved. Inevitably, throughout secondary school, it was part and parcel of my identity that I was Mr. Sandé's daughter. No way could I muck about or get into trouble, because it would've got back to him within minutes. And Dad was strict, let me tell you."[19][page needed] Choice FM invited the 15-year-old Sandé to London to take part in their "Rapology" competition. Richard Blackwood also had her down to MTV's Camden studios to sing gospel.[18] It was the first London appearance of her career.[19]: 23  By the time she reached the age of 16, she had a record deal with Telstar Records within reach. However, understanding the opportunity that the university could also offer her, she turned down the deal.[19]: 24 

Sandé studied medicine, in the five-year MBChB course at the University of Glasgow, but left after obtaining a degree in clinical medicine, specialising in neuroscience.[20] She has stated that education was important to her, because, if her music career failed, she would have something to fall back on. Her manager Adrian Sykes, she said, had waited patiently from when she was 16: "Adrian really respects that I want to get an education behind me. He also knows my parents are keen that I finish university".[21]

There have been many who have inspired Sandé throughout her life. One important influence was Frida Kahlo, so important that she has a tattoo of the artist's portrait on her forearm.[18] Just after leaving medical school, she made the decision to get the tattoo, which, for her, represented strength and bravery. Kahlo was inspirational for Sandé due to the unique story of her battle with polio at a very young age which went on to inspire her artwork. She knew that her decision to pursue music and quit school would require a sense of fearlessness that she gained through Kahlo's expression of art.[22]

Career

[edit]

2008–2010: Career beginnings

[edit]
Sandé performing in 2007

Sandé's sister made a video of her playing the piano and singing to one of her favourite songs, "Nasty Little Lady".[18] They sent the clip to Trevor Nelson's BBC Urban music competition. Sandé won the show and was offered a record deal, but the management that she'd met via the competition decided against the deal.[18] Emeli had become involved in the Urban Scot collective who helped and encouraged her career by promoting her in Scotland, and – according to Emeli Sandé: The Biography by David Nolan (2013)[23] – also released an album of songs called Have You Heard? on Glasgow's Souljawn Records, which was sold at gigs. Several tracks were also made available to download.

Her parents also sent BBC Radio 1Xtra a CD of her songs. Ras Kwame played her on his "Homegrown Sessions", and four artists that year were asked to do a show in Soho. She met with Watford-born music producer/writer Shahid Khan a.k.a. Naughty Boy,[24] who had previously worked with Ms Dynamite and Bashy,[18] and they began writing tracks for artists such as Alesha Dixon, Chipmunk, Professor Green, Devlin, Preeya Kalidas, Cheryl Cole, and Tinie Tempah. Sandé soon signed a record deal with Virgin Records and EMI Records.[25]

In an interview, she said, "I was doing a show in London for 1Xtra and I met this guy called Naughty Boy. We got in the studio and we clicked work-wise. We just started writing, not necessarily for me, we just thought 'let's write a pop tune' and experiment. And we wrote the Chipmunk track and I thought nothing of it. Naughty Boy sent it off to Chipmunk who really liked it and wrote his stuff around it."[25] She signed a record deal with Virgin Records in 2010. She later signed another deal with EMI Records in early 2011.[26] Sandé made her singing career debut in 2009 after appearing on the track she wrote for Chipmunk's debut single, "Diamond Rings". The single charted at No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart, making it Chipmunk and Sandé's first ever Top 10 hit.[27]

She later sang guest vocals on another single, after collaborating with Wiley on his comeback single "Never Be Your Woman". The single reached number eight on the UK Singles Charts, becoming Sandé's second consecutive Top 10 Single.[24] Sandé decided against using the name Adele Sandé, due to Adele's growing success, so used her middle name instead. She revealed: "I changed it as soon as Adele came out. I just thought, 'You've kind of taken the [name] now', so I went with my middle name. She was just getting bigger and bigger, so I thought I just really need it."[28]

2011–2013: Our Version of Events and breakthrough

[edit]
Sandé at 2012 V Festival

Sandé revealed her first solo single would be released in early 2011.[29] There was some speculation surrounding which track she would release after many newspapers stated that it would be "Daddy". The first official single from her upcoming debut album was "Heaven", released on 14 August 2011.[30] The song received positive reviews from blogs such as This Must Be Pop[31] and Robot Pigeon.[32] She confirmed that "Daddy" would be the second official single released from Our Version of Events. Sandé achieved her first number-one single on the UK Singles Chart after "Read All About It" entered at number one.

On 26 November, Sandé performed at the LG ARENA in Birmingham for BRMB 2011. On 15 December 2011, she was named as the Brit Awards Critics' Choice for 2012.[4][33][34] Her album Our Version of Events reached number one in the UK after its release in February 2012.[8] Sandé's debut album includes songs written by her and has been reviewed as having "richly melodic, classically powerful, retro-futurist soul-pop songs".[18][35]

It was announced that she was up for another BRIT Award in 2012, for British Breakthrough Act.[36] Sandé went on to write material for the original line-up of Sugababes. On 24 January 2012, Sandé performed a one-off gig for Q Magazine at XOYO, London. She was supported by British soul singer Michael Kiwanuka. She recorded a version of David Guetta's "Titanium" and the pair performed the song at NRJ Music Awards in France.[37][38] Sandé has penned a track for Naughty Boy's upcoming LP entitled "Hollywood" which features soul singer Gabrielle. It is about fame coming and going and will be released in November.[39]

On 27 July 2012, Sandé sang "Abide with Me" at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics, and her song "Heaven" was used to accompany the section with Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Both appear on the Isles of Wonder CD of the opening ceremony's music. NBC also used her song "Wonder" during the credits roll at the end of the tape-delayed ceremony broadcast in the United States. On 12 August 2012, Sandé sang "Read All About It (Part III)" at the closing ceremony, while a video montage of emotional scenes from the games was shown. She also covered a version of John Lennon's "Imagine" exclusively for the BBC, who used it for their end credits montage at the conclusion of their Olympics coverage. Sandé is a winner of the 2013 European Border Breakers Awards. The European Border Breakers Awards honour the best new music acts in Europe. The award ceremony takes place at the Eurosonic Noorderslag music festival in Groningen (NL). She won two BRIT 2013 awards for Best British Female and Best British Album. In January 2013 it was revealed that Ella Henderson has anticipated work with Sandé on her debut album.[40] The song "Next to Me" won two Ivor Novello Awards for "Best Song Musically and Lyrically" and "PRS for Music Most Performed Work" in 2013.[41]

2013–2017: Long Live the Angels and community presence

[edit]
Sandé at the 2013 Gibraltar Music Festival

In May 2013, she performed at the White House in Washington, D.C., as one of the featured artists at the award ceremony when President Obama presented Carole King with the Library of Congress Gershwin Medal.[42] In June 2013, Sandé started writing her second upcoming studio album, which was released in 2016. She had already written several songs, including "Pluto" with Naughty Boy, "Enough", "Call Me What You Like", "You and Me" and "This Much Is True", which was written for her former husband, Adam. During U.S. Summer Tour in July 2013, Sandé performed "Free" from Rudimental's album Home, "Lifted" from Naughty Boy's album Hotel Cabana.

With her speedy success worldwide and especially between the UK and the US, Sandé has been a presence in many important campaigns, aside from her powerful stance on social justice through her songwriting. Whether through performances at fundraising concerts or campaigns of her own, she backs up her lyrics of social change and equality with action. With the honour of performing at Elton John's AIDS Foundation Event in 2013, she has shown her support in raising money and awareness for the HIV/AIDS problem in the world. More specifically, she understands the seriousness of HIV/AIDS in her father's home origin of Zambia which provides a deeper passion to support the cause.[19][page needed] She is also one face of Fashion Targets Breast Cancer in the effort to also create awareness and funding for the fight against breast cancer.[43] More recently, Sandé has helped launch a programme of her own called "Community Clavinova", a nationwide opportunity for organizations of many kinds to receive free Clavinovas through the partnership of Sandé and Yamaha UK. As a passionate musician, she understands the importance of having resources and is excited to help provide groups with the opportunity to receive such a great contribution to their organizations.[44]

Sandé performin at Jaguar XE - Arrival in London in 2014

In 2013, Sandé revealed that she has been working on her second studio album, stated to be released in 2016. On 15 November 2014, Sandé joined the charity group Band Aid 30 along with other British and Irish pop acts, recording the latest version of the track "Do They Know It's Christmas?" at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London, to raise money for the 2014 Ebola crisis in Western Africa.[45]

On 25 August 2016, Sandé shared a preview of a song from her upcoming album entitled 'Intermission' on her social media accounts, with the caption "Inhale, exhale, release and let yourself receive forgiveness." Following a number of teasers, it was announced that "Hurts" would be released on 16 September as the lead single. Describing the song, she said: "I wanted to release 'Hurts' first because it felt like everything I've avoided saying for so long. It's a real explosion. It's everything I wish I'd said years and years ago. I didn't want to hold anything back anymore."[46] On 15 September, Sandé announced on her social media accounts that her new album would be called 'Long Live The Angels' and that it would be released on 11 November 2016. Her song "Hurts" from the album Long Live the Angels was published on 5 October. The album was released on the proposed date. The album debuted at number 2 on the UK album chart. The following year, Sandé gave her Long Live the Angels Tour, which was her first to include Arena dates.

In 2017, she received the Brit Awards' Best British Female Solo Artist award, becoming her fourth win in total. On 2 October 2017, Sandé was also awarded a BASCA Gold Badge award[47] in recognition of her unique contribution to music.

2019–present: Real Life, Let's Say for Instance, and How Were We to Know

[edit]
Sandé performing at Labour's Charter for the Arts in 2019

On 12 April 2019, Emeli Sandé announced her third album, Real Life,[48] out 7 June on Virgin/EMI/Universal Music, recorded following an intense personal journey of self-doubt and self-discovery.[49]

On 23 May 2019, the track "Extraordinary Being" from the upcoming album was released as the soundtrack for the film X-Men - Dark Phoenix.[50] On 13 September 2019, Sandé released Real Life, her third studio album, anticipated by two promotional singles "Shine" and "You Are Not Alone".[51] In the UK, the album debuted at number six on the Official Charts, with sales of 7,650 combined units, the lowest debut for the singer on the charts to date.[52]

In February 2021, Emeli Sande split from record label EMI and signed a contract with independent record label Chrysalis Records.[53] On 16 September 2021, she released the video of the single "Family".[54] On 26 October 2021, she published the duet with Jaykae "Look What You've Done".[55] In January 2022 Sandé published the promotional single "Brighter Days" and announced that her fourth studio album Let's Say for Instance would be released on 6 May 2022.[56]

In 2023, Sandé released her fifth album, titled How Were We to Know to mostly positive reviews.[57]

In November 2024, Sandé released "Roots" via her own label, Venus Records[58]

Artistry

[edit]

Musical style

[edit]
Sandé performing in Germany, 2013

Sandé possesses a soprano vocal range.[59][60][61] Sandé has said she wants her music to be remembered like that of Nina Simone, one of her favourite artists. Sandé was first exposed to Simone at the age of eight, hearing her perform the song "Why?" after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. After hearing such sorrowful yet uplifting lyrics and expression through Simone's performance, Sandé was inspired to have a similar future with her music career.[19]: 10  She said, as much as she would like, she would never play the piano as well as Simone, but she would give it her best shot. She loves the songs Simone produced, including "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" and Simone's version of "I Think It's Going to Rain Today". She said that Simone's original songs are very poetic: "So when I listen to commercial stuff at the moment, I'm just thinking 'haven't you heard Nina Simone, haven't you heard how a song should be written?'"[62]

Sandé began working in the studio with Naughty Boy in 2009, where the pair first worked together on Chipmunk's debut album, I Am Chipmunk.[citation needed] She said that she wanted the songs on her debut album to be fresh and she wanted to try and take it back how she wrote songs at the beginning of her career. Sandé had classical music training as a songwriter in her teens and learnt to play the piano at an early age, and getting across that she played, made and wrote her own music was very important to her. She said on the album, she wanted people to see every side of her as an artist, so it was important to have songs there where there could be a real connection with the lyric, rather than there just being throwaway pop music.[63] Joni Mitchell and Lauryn Hill were also major influences for the album.[18]

Songwriting

[edit]

I have just finished a song with Cher Lloyd, called Lifetime, for her new album. I have another on Leona Lewis's next album and one that has been recorded by Susan Boyle. That's probably my proudest moment. Susan recorded my song, called This Will Be The Year, last week, for her next album. There is another called River, which I am hoping she's going to record.

—Emeli Sandé[64]

While making her debut album, Sandé began to work with Tinie Tempah. She co-wrote "Let Go", on which she provided guest vocals. She also started working with Devlin after recording a song titled "Dreamer". Sandé later revealed she would be working on Alesha Dixon's album The Entertainer. She co-wrote the hit single "Radio" with Shahid Khan[65] and co-wrote tracks on Cheryl Cole's albums as well as Professor Green's album, which Sandé gave guest vocals on.[66] In 2011 she said that she was Simon Cowell's favourite songwriter at that moment due to her writing songs for Leona Lewis and Susan Boyle.[64] In an interview, Sandé said, after writing songs for Boyle, "I haven't met her yet. I just sent her the song. I'd love to meet her because I think she is a bit of a rock star." Sandé co-wrote "This Will Be The Year" for Boyle and songs for Leona called "Trouble" and "Mountains".[64] It was revealed after Professor Green announced the track list for his album At Your Inconvenience that Sandé would feature on the first single from the album, "Read All About It". The single was released in October 2011 before the album was released.[67] The pair also performed the song live on The X Factor results show.[68] She draws on influences for her music from Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, Lauryn Hill and Amy Winehouse.[18] Sandé said that all her songs were about world peace and political issues.[18] Sandé said that the key to a good song is using "honesty" and "raw emotion" as the best way to write. She said that if she attempts to write something which is "too smart", the creative process will not work for her. "Kill the Boy" was one of the first ideas that came to Sandé's head. She said if she has to work on a song longer than a day, she will not go back to it, as she said it won't work. She went on to say if it was to work, that the idea for the song would be almost instant.[18]

Personal life

[edit]

In January 2012, Sandé confirmed that she was engaged[69] to her then unidentified boyfriend of seven years.[70] Her boyfriend had requested not to be identified and Sandé said that he was not in the music industry but was a scientist.[71] Sandé's fiancé was revealed as marine biologist Adam Gouraguine when the pair married in his home nation of Montenegro on 15 September 2012. Sandé said she would legally take his name, but would still be known professionally as Emeli Sandé.[72] In November 2014, Sandé revealed that the couple had divorced after two years.[73][74]

Sandé was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to music.[75]

On 23 May 2019, it was announced that Sandé has been appointed as the new chancellor of the University of Sunderland.[76]

On 31 March 2022, Sandé confirmed in an interview with Metro that she was in a relationship with an unidentified female classical pianist. When asked if this means she is bisexual, she responded, "I'm not sure what I identify as but I guess so. I just feel like I should fall in love with whoever I fall in love with."[77] In September 2022, Sandé announced her engagement to her partner, classical pianist Yoana Karemova.[78][79] In November 2023, Sandé announced that the two had postponed their wedding due to Sandé being busy with her upcoming album and the related tour dates.[80]

Discography

[edit]
Main article: Emeli Sandé discography

Tours

[edit]

Headlining

Supporting

Awards and nominations

[edit]
See also: List of awards and nominations received by Emeli Sandé

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Emeli Sandé

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia

(born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a British of and R&B genres, born in , , to a Zambian father and an English mother.
Her debut studio album, (2012), topped the for ten consecutive weeks, becoming one of the best-selling albums of the decade in the with over six million copies sold worldwide across her discography.
Sandé has received four , including British Album of the Year and British Female Solo Artist, along with an MBE in 2018 for services to music, recognizing her contributions including nineteen million singles sold and three UK number-one singles.
Subsequent releases like (2016) further solidified her commercial standing, debuting at number two on the UK charts, while her work emphasizes themes of faith and resilience drawn from personal experiences.

Early life and education

Family background and childhood

Adele Emily Sandé was born on 10 March 1987 in , , , to Joel Sandé, who had immigrated from , and Diane Sandé (née Wood), an English woman; the couple met while studying in . Her biracial heritage placed her within a culturally mixed family dynamic, with her father's Zambian background introducing elements of African traditions alongside her mother's English roots. The family relocated to , , when Sandé was four years old, settling in a where they were the only non-white household, contributing to her sense of otherness amid predominantly white surroundings. Sandé's upbringing occurred in a faith-centered environment shaped by her father's strong Christian beliefs, which emphasized moral discipline and community involvement, though specific church participation details from her childhood remain limited in public records. Music permeated the household, with exposure to and genres influenced by familial religious practices, alongside rhythms tied to her paternal African heritage that later informed her artistic style. She began composing songs around the age of six or seven, developing an early self-taught interest in songwriting that reflected personal introspection amid her isolated rural setting. The family's focus on , evident from her parents' own pursuits and Sandé's subsequent educational path, underscored a disciplined approach to , countering potential cultural dislocations from her father's immigrant status without documented overt conflicts. This environment fostered resilience, as Sandé later described feeling like an "alien" in Alford due to racial differences, prompting music as a mechanism for identity tensions in a homogenous .

Medical training and early interests

Sandé enrolled in the University of Glasgow's five-year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) program in 2005, initially drawn to the field for its scientific rigor and potential stability. She intercalated a (BSc) in , completing it in 2009 while receiving an offer to continue the medical degree's final clinical years. Throughout her studies, Sandé maintained early creative pursuits, recording demos and performing live, such as on 1Xtra's Homegrown RnB Discovery Show in , which marked one of her initial professional exposures. She supported her education financially through songwriting commissions, highlighting the practical tensions of accruing against emerging musical opportunities. By 2009, after four to five years of training, Sandé withdrew from the program, attributing the decision to burnout from the demanding curriculum and a rediscovered fulfillment in music that overshadowed medicine's appeal as a mere precautionary path. This shift stemmed from causal : medicine's empirical structure suited her intellect but lacked the personal agency and expressive depth she found in artistic creation, compounded by the opportunity costs of prolonged deferral.

Career

Songwriting beginnings and early deals (2005–2010)

In 2009, while pursuing medical studies at the University of Glasgow, Sandé secured a publishing deal with EMI Music Publishing after co-writing "Diamond Rings" for British rapper Chipmunk, a track nominated for a MOBO Award that year. This marked her entry into professional songwriting, where she contributed tracks to established artists including Susan Boyle and Cheryl Cole, often receiving songwriting credits amid the competitive economics of nascent industry contracts that prioritized backend royalties over substantial advances. That same year, Sandé debuted as a vocalist on Chipmunk's "Diamond Rings," which facilitated her networking in and led to a collaboration with producer (). Their partnership yielded early recordings, including contributions to Wiley's "Never Be Your Woman" (produced by Naughty Boy and featuring Sandé), released in February 2010 and peaking at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. She performed select live sets in during this period, including at the 2009 , building industry connections while balancing her academic commitments. By March 2010, following the success of her publishing agreement and vocal features, Sandé signed a record deal with , prompting her gradual shift away from medicine toward full-time music pursuits. Her emerging profile earned her a nomination and eventual win for the BRIT Critics' Choice Award in December 2011 (announced for the 2012 ceremony), recognizing promising British talent based on early releases and songwriting contributions. This period underscored the pragmatic pathways of ghostwriting and featured appearances as gateways to solo deals, with Sandé's output yielding verifiable credits but limited immediate financial security typical of entry-level deals.

Breakthrough with Our Version of Events (2011–2013)

Emeli Sandé released her debut studio album, , on 10 February 2012 through . The record debuted at number one on the , where it accumulated ten weeks at the summit across non-consecutive runs and marked the best-selling album of both 2012 and 2013 in the United Kingdom, with domestic sales exceeding 2 million units by October 2013. Key singles from the album included "Next to Me," which peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart after its release on 9 March 2012, and "Read All About It, Pt. III," which reached number three following its digital release on 10 December 2011 as part of the album's lead promotion. The album's commercial dominance reflected robust songcraft—characterized by introspective lyrics over piano-driven soul arrangements—and targeted marketing efforts, including radio airplay and live previews, which built anticipation prior to launch. By late 2012, it had been certified seven times platinum by the for shipments over 2.1 million copies in the UK alone. Sandé's performance of the hymn "" at the London 2012 on 27 July provided a pivotal visibility boost, aligning her emotive style with a national moment of reflection and driving a post-event chart resurgence for the album. This exposure, combined with the album's organic radio traction and critical reception for tracks like "My Kind of Love," sustained its top-ten presence for a record 63 consecutive weeks by April 2013, underscoring the interplay of artistic merit and timely high-profile placement over random fortune. At the 2013 held on 20 February, Sandé secured victories for British Female Solo Artist and British Album of the Year, affirming peer recognition amid peak sales momentum. Internationally, achieved over 5 million global sales by mid-decade, with certifications including multi-platinum status in markets like and , though its U.S. penetration remained modest, peaking at number 20 on the Billboard 200. Efforts to expand stateside included promotional appearances on outlets like NBC's Today show in January 2013, where she performed album cuts to targeted audiences. By mid-2013, however, critiques emerged regarding media saturation; observers noted her ubiquity across UK television and events risked audience fatigue, with Sandé responding that such visibility arose from genuine demand rather than overreach. This period highlighted the tension between aggressive promotion fueling commercial peaks and the onset of public weariness toward her poised, faith-infused persona.

Long Live the Angels and transitional projects (2014–2018)

Following the commercial peak of her debut album Our Version of Events, Emeli Sandé entered a hiatus in 2014, attributed to personal burnout from intense fame and professional demands rather than external industry factors. This period of reduced output, spanning roughly three years, aligned with her divorce finalized that November, prompting a self-imposed career break to prioritize recovery and reevaluation. Empirical evidence from release timelines shows no full-length albums until 2016, contrasting with the prior year's relentless touring and awards circuit, underscoring causal links to individual exhaustion over speculative conspiracies. During the interim, Sandé engaged in selective projects, including participation in Band Aid 30's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" single released November 2014 to aid relief efforts. She later expressed reservations about the lyrics' updates, arguing a "whole new song" was needed to avoid outdated paternalistic portrayals of , and apologized for any offense caused by unchanged elements despite her suggested revisions. Critics echoed this, highlighting the track's persistent , though funds raised exceeded £1 million for humanitarian causes. Concurrently, she contributed to Scottish community initiatives, such as performing at the opening of the £37 million Alford Community Campus in on November 25, 2015, and supporting youth events like the 2018 Young People's Involvement awards. Songwriting for peers, including planned collaborations with announced in early 2014, provided low-pressure creative outlets amid recovery. Sandé's second studio album, , emerged on November 11, 2016, via , debuting at number 2 on the with first-week sales of 47,512 copies. Certified in the UK for over 300,000 units shipped, it featured introspective tracks influenced by her Christian , including the lead single "Breathing Underwater" released October 2016, which explores spiritual resilience amid adversity through lyrics affirming miracles and divine presence. Holiday-adjacent themes of hope and redemption permeated selections like "," reflecting autobiographical healing without overt seasonal branding. Global sales approached 1 million by late 2017, signaling sustained appeal despite the extended gap, with the album's production emphasizing orchestral elements and personal testimony over commercial pop formulas.

Real Life, classical collaborations, and independent releases (2019–2022)

Emeli Sandé released her third studio , Real Life, on 13 September 2019 through . The , which she co-wrote entirely, features a stripped-back production emphasizing and vocals, drawing from personal experiences of self-discovery during time spent living with family. It debuted at number 6 on the and spent four weeks in the top 100, marking a more modest commercial performance compared to her debut's multi-year chart dominance amid the rise of streaming platforms. In February 2021, Sandé parted ways with Virgin and signed a global recording deal with the independent label , citing a desire for greater artistic after years under major-label constraints. This shift aligned with her pivot toward more introspective and genre-blending work, though it carried risks of further distancing her core pop audience, as evidenced by subsequent releases' limited mainstream traction in a market favoring viral, algorithm-driven hits over traditional album sales. Sandé's fourth studio album, Let's Say for Instance, followed on 6 May via Chrysalis, comprising 16 tracks that explore relational dynamics, vulnerability, and personal milestones. The album peaked at number 27 on the , reflecting ongoing challenges in recapturing her early commercial peaks despite critical notes on its emotional depth. In April , amid promotion for the project, Sandé publicly acknowledged her queer identity in an , describing her relationship with classical Yoana Evangeliou as finding "the one for life" without rigid labels, a disclosure that underscored themes of authentic self-expression in her evolving artistry. This period highlighted her bid for creative independence, though verifiable metrics like chart positions below the top 10 suggested the artistic control gained came at the cost of broader pop viability in the streaming-dominated era.

How Were We to Know, Roots single, and ongoing activity (2023–present)

Sandé's fifth studio album, How Were We to Know, was released on 17 November 2023 by . Comprising 11 tracks such as "All This Love" and the title song, it delves into the complexities of love across relationships, emphasizing raw emotional introspection and stages of intimacy. Critics noted its intimate, personal tone and Sandé's vocal strength, though reception highlighted a return to earlier pop-soul styles without recapturing debut-era commercial dominance. In November 2023, Sandé disclosed postponing her to Yoana Karemova—engaged the prior year—due to an intensive work schedule encompassing album promotion and performances, a decision that reshaped near-term touring priorities. On 29 November 2024, Sandé released the single "" through Venus Records, her first output under the label and positioned as a pivotal marker of personal evolution. The track, clocking in at 2:52, underscores themes of female independence and empowerment, drawing from lived experiences of self-reliance amid relational shifts. Available on platforms including and , it sustains her blend of with reflective lyricism, though initial streaming uptake reflects ongoing challenges in broad chart resurgence. Into 2025, Sandé maintained activity through select high-profile appearances, performing at the Amnesty Media Awards in May and closing the Make Equality Reality Gala on 14 October with a dedicated set. A planned concert at O2 Universum in on 29 October was rescheduled to 27 June 2026, integrating into expanded orchestral formats. Her ties to the Absolute Orchestra endured, with announcements for a 2026 show reimagining hits like "Next to Me" in symphonic arrangements under conductor Dave Danford. European touring continued amid genre fusion of , pop, and classical elements, yet empirical data shows tempered sustainability: aggregate streams reached 1.8 billion for lead tracks by late 2025, with 2.8 million monthly listeners, trailing the multibillion-stream benchmarks and arena-scale attendance of her breakthrough era. This period underscores persistent output without equivalent peak metrics, prioritizing orchestral depth over mass-market revival.

Artistry

Musical influences and evolution

Emeli Sandé's musical foundations were shaped by her Zambian father's role as a choirmaster, who introduced her to traditions and from a young age, alongside rhythms reflective of her maternal Zambian heritage. This early exposure fostered a blend of spiritual choral elements and African polyrhythms that permeated her work, as evidenced in later incorporations of choirs and acoustic textures drawing from familial traditions. Among external artists, Sandé has cited , , and as key influences for lyrical depth and vocal expressiveness, with Simone's fusion of gospel, jazz, and classical informing her own genre-blending approach. Additional inspirations include Stevie Wonder's storytelling, Whitney Houston's melismatic runs, and figures like and for hip-hop-infused soul dynamics, which guided her initial songcraft toward resonant, narrative-driven vocals over R&B and pop structures. These elements converged in her 2012 debut album , characterized by orchestral strings layered atop UK club-derived rhythms and swinging soul vocals, establishing a pop-soul template rooted in empirical adaptations of 1990s R&B revivalism. Subsequent releases marked verifiable shifts away from predominant pop-soul toward introspective, faith-oriented introspection, as seen in Long Live the Angels (2016), which integrated acoustic guitars, choirs, and Zambian heritage motifs following personal upheavals like divorce, prioritizing raw emotional causality over commercial polish. This evolution reflected adaptations to life experiences rather than static genre adherence, countering perceptions of her as solely a "soul singer" by emphasizing gospel-derived spirituality and heritage rhythms. Post-2019, Sandé's style incorporated jazz and broader eclectic infusions, evident in performances at jazz festivals and albums like Real Life (2019), which adopted a defiant, self-assured R&B with renewed personal agency after industry hiatuses. By 2022's Let's Say for Instance, global influences yielded upbeat mixtures transcending early labels, with jazz club collaborations underscoring vocal maturity and production versatility derived from sustained exposure to live improvisational settings. These changes trace causally from breaks allowing unfiltered artistic recalibration, prioritizing depth over formulaic expectations.

Songwriting approach and lyrical themes

Emeli Sandé's songwriting process centers on piano-driven composition in a home studio, where she engages in daily stream-of-consciousness writing to capture raw emotions and ideas. She begins by channeling personal feelings into melodies hammered out on the piano, then refines through iterative toying, emphasizing bravery and honesty to discern when a song holds genuine potential. This method, rooted in her church upbringing and influences, treats music as a connecting her to a , often tethering compositions to themes of amid personal introspection. Her lyrics recurrently explore love's complexities and commitment, as in "Next to Me" (2012), which portrays unwavering loyalty to a flawed partner through apocalyptic imagery of endurance. Themes of loss, self-doubt, and also prevail, evident in "Hope" (2012), co-written with , which laments global strife while aspiring to equality and renewal. Sandé balances universal relatability with Christian motifs—drawing from losses like her father's death—prioritizing vulnerability for authentic expression over superficial appeal, though this integration has prompted critiques of occasional heavy-handedness in delivery. Demonstrating pragmatic versatility, Sandé has accumulated over 60 songwriting credits across her catalog, including early co-writes for artists like , Cheryl Cole, and before her 2012 debut, adapting her style to diverse genres while maintaining core emotional depth. This extensive output underscores a disciplined approach honed since childhood, yielding 20-30 songs per album through consistent, introspective practice.

Vocal style and production techniques

Emeli Sandé's vocal style is characterized by a timbre with a range spanning approximately two octaves and third, from D3 to F5, enabling transitions between chest-supported lower registers and head-voiced highs. Her delivery often incorporates a controlled derived from training, adding emotional depth, though upper-range belting can introduce a gritty, pushed quality that borders on raspiness when volume is emphasized. In studio recordings, particularly on her 2012 debut album , production techniques favored layering and orchestral augmentation to enhance vocal projection; tracks like "," produced by , integrated house-influenced beats, , horns, and recordings to create a polished, symphonic backdrop that mitigated potential live belting strains through multi-tracked harmonies and reverb. This approach prioritized sonic density over raw exposure, with Spencer handling programming, mixing, and string/ capture to achieve a cohesive, event-like scale. By her 2019 album , production evolved toward sparer arrangements, emphasizing accompaniment and unprocessed vocal takes to convey immediacy, reflecting a shift from external polish to introspective amid personal reinvention. Critiques of her early work highlighted occasional over-emphasis on power belting, which could strain limits and obscure dynamic nuance, a tendency less pronounced in later, restraint-focused outputs. Post-2019, Sandé assumed greater self-production control, as evidenced by her 2021 single "Look What You've Done," her first fully self-produced track, which employed garage-inspired rhythms and direct vocal to prioritize unfiltered intimacy over label-driven refinement. This hands-on method reduced intermediary processing, allowing causal links between her physiological delivery—vibrato fluctuations and breath control—and final mixes, fostering authenticity at the expense of commercial sheen.

Personal life

Relationships and marriages

Sandé married Adam Gouraguine, her partner of ten years whom she met at university, in September 2012. The couple separated in 2013 amid strains from her rising fame and extensive touring commitments, finalizing their divorce in 2014. In a 2017 interview, Sandé described the split as painful despite acknowledging "still love there," attributing incompatibility to the mismatch between her career demands and their relationship dynamics. In April 2022, Sandé publicly identified as , stating she was in a with a whom she described as "the one for life" and expressing greater personal happiness. She announced her to classical Yoana Karemova in September 2022, sharing images of a and ring. The couple postponed their wedding plans in November 2023, with Sandé citing conflicts with her intensifying work schedule, including album production and touring obligations. Following her , Sandé has emphasized privacy regarding personal relationships, limiting public disclosures to key milestones.

Religious faith and worldview

Emeli Sandé has affirmed a rooted in personal conviction rather than strict literalism, stating in 2012 after performing the hymn "" at the London Olympics opening ceremony: "This is what religion is about for me. I am Christian, but a lot of friends say I am not because I don't follow every letter of the . But this song is about that – about holding on to when everything else is stripped away." Her family's Christian heritage, including her paternal grandparents' strong , contributed to this foundation, though she has described her beliefs evolving toward broader spiritual reflection beyond early readings. This worldview manifests causally in her songwriting and performances, where elements underscore themes of divine reliance and redemption. For instance, her 2016 album drew explicitly from traditions amid personal trials, featuring choir-backed tracks like "Breathing Underwater" that testify to spiritual resilience. in songs such as "" evoke direct appeals to a , rejecting material distractions for transcendent hope, as symbolized by imagery of crosses and statues in the video. Sandé has linked intrinsically to her creative process, calling music-making a meditative encounter with the divine that has persisted lifelong. Following her public as , Sandé reiterated commitments to and , grappling publicly with compatibility: "Can I still feel Christian and be with a ?"—a tension echoed in friends' challenges to her , highlighting critiques of inconsistency from more conservative perspectives. Secular or progressive framings of her work as generic "spirituality" overlook these explicit affirmations, which prioritize biblical motifs of abiding presence over cultural accommodations. Her skepticism toward Band Aid 30's lyrics in , advocating a full rewrite for relief to avoid outdated stereotypes, reflects pragmatic realism aligned with effective aid rather than performative , consistent with a faith emphasizing tangible . In , where she was raised, Sandé's involvement includes performances in church settings, such as at All Saints Church, reinforcing empirical ties to Christian spaces amid her upbringing. This grounds her themes in orthodox echoes—endurance through Christ—rather than diluted esotericism, as evidenced by repeated returns to sonics across albums like (2019).

Health challenges and lifestyle

Sandé pursued a at the alongside her early music career, completing three years of followed by a year specializing in , but ultimately abandoned the path in 2009 due to the unsustainable strain of balancing rigorous academic demands with her growing songwriting commitments. This dual pursuit exacerbated burnout, prompting her full pivot to music as a more viable outlet, though she has expressed no regrets over the decision, viewing it as a necessary redirection amid mounting exhaustion. Following the rapid success of her 2012 debut album , Sandé experienced profound post-fame exhaustion, which contributed to a self-imposed hiatus and influenced the introspective tone of her 2016 follow-up . She has described this period as one of depression and anxiety triggered by the pressures of , including a relationship breakup amid industry scrutiny, leading her to prioritize recovery over output. No major physical illnesses have been publicly documented, but these mental strains underscored the causal toll of sustained touring and exposure, prompting deliberate pauses for restoration. To mitigate ongoing stress, Sandé relocated to rural in , her childhood home region, seeking the tranquility of its countryside for lifestyle balance and creative recharge, a move she credited with aiding regrouping after urban intensity. This shift emphasized physical activity and solitude as coping mechanisms, aligning with her advocacy for through faith-based practices, which she frames as meditative anchors rather than formal therapy.

Reception and impact

Critical assessments and debates

Emeli Sandé's debut album Our Version of Events (2012) received acclaim for her vocal prowess and emotional depth, with reviewers highlighting the sincerity and range in tracks like "Next to Me," which showcased her ability to convey resilience amid personal turmoil. The Guardian described it as a "good, if incomplete, display of her talents," praising the soulful delivery that elevated standard ballad structures into compelling narratives of faith and perseverance. Such assessments often emphasized her gospel-influenced timbre as a counterpoint to more stylized pop contemporaries, attributing her breakthrough to raw interpretive power rather than gimmickry. Subsequent releases faced criticism for formulaic repetition, with (2016) faulted by for an "overfamiliar" voice applied to predictable swells, lacking innovation beyond initial emotional peaks. Reviews of (2019) echoed this, noting generic simplicity in its soul-pop arrangements despite heartfelt intent, as Sungenre observed progress but frustration in unvaried structures. Skeptics, including in user aggregates on Album of the Year, pointed to her reliance on anthemic choruses as bordering on preachiness, where lyrical calls for unity and risked didacticism over subtlety, potentially alienating listeners seeking nuance. Debates persist on her career arc, with some attributing a post-debut fade to an "accidental" rise via songwriting credits rather than cultivated pop charisma, as her aversion to industry spectacle—evident in resistance to fame's demands—left her without a sustained amid shifting tastes. critiqued this in broader terms, arguing her power-ballad template, while earnest, seldom evolves risks, favoring commercial familiarity over artistic disruption. Left-leaning outlets like have lauded her "empowerment" themes in songs promoting communal healing, yet this praise sometimes overlooks causal critiques of lyrical optimism as insufficiently grounded in empirical adversity, contrasting with right-leaning skepticism toward overt moralizing in . Overall, assessments balance her vocal authenticity against tendencies toward sonic safety, with affirming her "good" voice but decrying energy-sapping predictability in later works.

Commercial metrics and market performance

Emeli Sandé's debut album, (2012), achieved significant commercial success, topping the for ten non-consecutive weeks and selling over 2.3 million copies in the alone, certified 7× by the BPI. Globally, it exceeded 5.4 million units, reaching number one in seven countries including the , , , and . In the US, however, it peaked at number 20 on the with modest sales contributing to her career total of approximately 500,000 album units there. Subsequent releases marked sharp declines amid the music industry's transition to streaming-dominated consumption, which disproportionately impacted mid-tempo soul and R&B genres reliant on traditional sales. Long Live the Angels (2016) debuted at number 2 in the with around 294,000 units certified by the BPI, but global sales fell below 1 million. Real Life (2019) entered at number 6 in the with just 7,650 combined units in its debut week, reflecting reduced mainstream appeal as streaming metrics favored high-rotation pop and hip-hop over Sandé's introspective style. Her career album sales total approximately 6 million worldwide, with UK and European markets driving the majority while penetration remained limited. The 2024 single "" exemplifies her shift to niche positioning, garnering modest streaming figures without significant impact, as her evolving emphasis on personal and cultural themes aligned less with algorithm-driven viral trends. This trajectory underscores how genre evolution toward gospel-infused roots music incurred market costs in an era where empirical data prioritizes repeatable, youth-oriented hooks over established vocal artistry.
AlbumRelease YearUK Peak (Official Charts)UK Sales/Certification (BPI)US Peak (Billboard 200)Global Sales Estimate
Our Version of Events201212.3M / 7× Platinum205.4M+
Long Live the Angels20162294K / GoldLow (outside top 100)<1M
Real Life20196Low (debut 7.6K units)Not chartedMinimal

Public persona critiques and career trajectory analyses

Following the breakthrough success of her 2012 debut album , which sold over 1.4 million copies in the UK alone, Emeli Sandé faced early critiques of overexposure, particularly after her prominent performance at the London Olympics closing ceremony on August 12, 2012, and subsequent high-profile appearances. Public and media commentary highlighted her ubiquity in UK media, with some observers questioning whether the saturation diminished her appeal. In February 2013, Sandé addressed these criticisms in interviews, asserting that accusations of overexposure were "a bit unfair" since her visibility stemmed from organic demand rather than self-promotion, emphasizing her gratitude for the opportunities amid a demanding schedule. This period marked an initial fatigue in public perception, where rapid ascent—fueled by hits like "Read All About It Pt. III" and "Next to Me"—clashed with expectations for sustained momentum without perceived ubiquity. Post-2013, Sandé's reduced mainstream presence prompted analyses attributing her trajectory dip not to industry or bias, but to deliberate withdrawal from the "fame machine" to prioritize and personal authenticity. After divorcing her husband Adam Gouraguine in 2013 following a whirlwind marriage the prior year, she took an extended break, later citing burnout from fame's pressures, including relentless touring and promotion that exacerbated personal vulnerabilities. Forum discussions, such as those on Reddit's r/popheads, echo this view, portraying her as a "one-era vanished after overexposure at the Olympics, with subsequent albums like (2016) underperforming commercially—peaking at No. 2 in the UK but lacking prior crossover hits—due to her reluctance to fully engage promotional cycles, rather than label interference. Industry observers note no verifiable evidence of ; instead, causal factors include her pivot toward influences and self-reflection, as detailed in a 2016 interview where she described post-fame exhaustion leading to a gospel-inspired reinvention, trading broad pop visibility for introspective work. Sandé's 2022 public as , announcing a relationship with classical pianist Yoana Karemova—whom she later married in 2023—has fueled debates on persona shifts potentially alienating segments of her original fanbase, particularly given her outspoken Christian faith. Prior to this, her evangelical worldview, rooted in family influences and evident in gospel-leaning projects like the 2021 classical album Promises, positioned her as resilient in niche genres, with collaborations yielding modest successes such as No. 1 on classical charts. However, conservative critiques highlight tensions between her faith's traditional tenets—expressed in emphasizing redemption and —and her queer identity, which she navigated amid initial fears of familial and communal rejection, as revealed in interviews. threads and analyst views question whether this "pivot" contributed to lower visibility by diverging from the relatable, faith-affirming persona that propelled her early appeal, though empirical data shows sustained output in indies and classical without mainstream resurgence, underscoring authenticity's trade-offs: personal fulfillment via genuine self-expression versus optimized fame strategies. No data supports bias-driven exclusion; rather, her choices reflect causal realism in forgoing pop conformity for long-term coherence.

Awards and achievements

Major accolades and nominations

Emeli Sandé has garnered four , recognizing her as a leading British artist during her breakthrough period. These include the Critics' Choice Award in 2012, Best British Female Solo Artist and British Album of the Year in 2013 for , and Best British Female Solo Artist again in 2017. Her accolades peaked empirically in 2012–2013, aligning with the commercial and critical reception of her debut album, with subsequent recognition diminishing amid reduced output. At the , which honor songwriting excellence, Sandé won two prizes in 2013 for "Next to Me": Best Song Musically and Lyrically, and Most Performed Work. She secured three in 2012, including Best Album for , Best Female Act, and Best Video for "My Kind of Love," reflecting strong peer and industry validation within music of Black origin circles. Other notable nominations include a 2014 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album (live recording category) for Live at the Royal Albert Hall, though she did not win. Sandé received no Academy Award nominations for her contributions to film soundtracks. In 2017, she was appointed Member of the (MBE) for services to music.
YearAwardCategoryResult
2012Brit AwardsCritics' ChoiceWon
2013Best British Female Solo ArtistWon
2013British Album of the Year (Our Version of Events)Won
2017Best British Female Solo ArtistWon
2013Best Song Musically and Lyrically ("Next to Me")Won
2013PRS Most Performed Work ("Next to Me")Won
2012Best Album ()Won
2012Best Female ActWon
2012Best Video ("My Kind of Love")Won

Chart successes and certifications

Emeli Sandé's debut album Our Version of Events (2012) topped the UK Albums Chart for ten non-consecutive weeks, marking the longest reign by a debut album from a British artist since 1956, and became the best-selling album of 2012 in the UK with 1.4 million copies sold by year-end. By April 2013, UK sales surpassed 1.82 million units, surpassing previous records for non-consecutive No. 1 weeks. The album peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 and has sold approximately 500,000 copies there. It received 7× Platinum certification from the BPI in the UK for 2.1 million units shipped. Key singles from the album also charted highly; "Next to Me" reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart and was certified 2× Platinum by the BPI for 1.2 million units. "" and "My Kind of Love" both entered the UK top 10, contributing to the album's dominance driven by physical and digital sales in a pre-streaming-heavy . Subsequent releases showed diminished commercial performance. Long Live the Angels (2016) debuted at No. 2 on the and achieved certification from the BPI for 300,000 units. Real Life (2019) peaked at No. 6 in the with combined sales under 300,000 units as of 2021, failing to qualify for BPI certification amid a shift toward streaming where equivalent units accumulate slower for legacy thresholds. This trajectory reflects the debut's outsized success relative to later efforts, with total UK album certifications for Sandé standing at around 10.9 million units equivalent, predominantly from the 2012 release.

Discography and performances

Key releases overview

Emeli Sandé's debut studio album, , was released on 13 February 2012 by in CD, digital download, and vinyl formats. It became the best-selling album in the for 2012, with 1.4 million copies sold that year, and exceeded 2 million sales by October 2013. Globally, the album has surpassed 5.4 million units to date according to artist management figures. Her second studio album, , arrived on 11 November 2016 via , offered in standard and deluxe editions across CD, digital, and streaming platforms. It peaked at number 2 on the and achieved gold certification with 294,338 sales recorded as of 2021. The third album, , was issued on 13 September 2019 by in digital download, CD, LP, and streaming formats. It debuted at number 6 on the . Following a label transition to in 2021, Sandé released her fourth studio album, Let's Say for Instance, on 6 May 2022 in CD, digital, and streaming editions. The album marked her first project under the independent-leaning label. How Were We to Know, her fifth studio album, followed on 17 November 2023 through , available in digital, CD, and vinyl formats, and entered the at number 10. In a further shift to independence, Sandé launched her own Venus Records label and released the single "" on 29 November 2024 in digital and streaming formats.

Touring history and live milestones

Following the release of her debut album in 2012, Emeli Sandé embarked on her first major headlining tour, which spanned from late 2011 to 2013 and included dates across , , , and other regions, with over 100 performances documented in aggregate setlists and concert archives. In March and April 2013, she conducted a prominent leg featuring seven arena and theater dates, commencing at Birmingham's O2 Academy on March 26 and concluding at London's Eventim Apollo, with stops in Newcastle, , , , and ; these shows often sold out, reflecting peak commercial momentum tied to the album's chart dominance. The tour's scale aligned with her breakthrough, but subsequent live critiques noted occasional vocal inconsistencies, such as strain in extended belting during high-energy sets, attributed by observers to the demands of frequent performances without adequate recovery periods. A pivotal live milestone occurred during the 2012 London Olympics, where Sandé performed "Abide with Me" at the opening ceremony on July 27, delivering an emotive rendition amid a global audience of billions, followed by "Read All About It (Pt. III)" at the closing ceremony on August 12, cementing her as a of British musical talent. These high-profile appearances, produced under intense production constraints, showcased her vocal power but also foreshadowed later challenges, as she has since canceled shows due to voice loss, including a 2019 London gig and pre-recording vocals for a 2022 charity event after onset. In support of her 2016 album , Sandé toured starting in early , including arena dates like Antwerp's on March 24 and festival slots at on June 25 and on August 19, though the itinerary emphasized mid-sized venues over the prior cycle's arenas, signaling a deliberate reduction in scale amid personal reflections on fame's toll. This period lacked a dedicated "" tour but featured seasonal promotions, with vocal delivery praised for intimacy yet critiqued in some reviews for breathier tones under fatigue. By 2025, activity shifted to select engagements, including a performance at Peace One Day at London's and an exclusive concert at Prague's O2 Universum on October 29, prioritizing boutique settings over mass tours, consistent with post-peak adjustments following health-related pauses. Looking ahead, she is slated for a one-off orchestral collaboration with The Absolute Orchestra at the on July 10, 2026, reinterpreting hits in symphonic arrangements for a contained audience, further evidencing a pivot to curated, lower-volume live events.

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  80. https://people.com/music/emeli-sande-announces-engagement-to-girlfriend-yoana-karemova/
  81. https://www.them.us/story/singer-emeli-sande-and-pianist-yoana-karemova-are-engaged
  82. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12748455/Emeli-Sande-forced-cancel-wedding-girlfriend-Yoana-Karemova-just-ONE-year-engagement.html
  83. http://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2012/08/tune-in-tuesday-abide-with-me.html
  84. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/apr/30/this-much-i-know-emeli-sande-cutting-my-hair-was-the-start-of-embracing-myself
  85. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/10/arts/music/emeli-sande-long-live-the-angels-review.html
  86. https://balance.media/emeli-sande-interview/
  87. https://www.news24.com/life/relationships/parenting/emeli-sande-on-getting-support-from-her-family-and-fears-after-coming-out-20221018
  88. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuvnMayB5BY
  89. https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/interviews/emeli-sande-comes-full-circle-with-her-pop-desires
  90. https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/movies/emeli-sandes-long-journey-from-med-school-to-the-opening-ceremonies
  91. https://www.thefader.com/2016/09/16/emeli-sande-long-live-the-angels-interview
  92. https://happiful.com/emeli-sande-on-identity-and-refocusing-her-mind
  93. https://www.stylist.co.uk/people/emeli-sande-on-taking-career-break-time-out-mental-health-self-love/275123
  94. https://www.aberdeenlive.news/news/aberdeen-news/emeli-sand-returns-aberdeenshire-exciting-9328888
  95. https://www.instagram.com/p/DPv6YhcgUlH/
  96. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/feb/09/emeli-sande-version-events-review
  97. https://sungenre.com/review/emeli-sande-real-life/
  98. https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/62063-emeli-sande-long-live-the-angels.php
  99. https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22610-long-live-the-angels/
  100. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/03/emeli-sande-review-comeback-glasgow-long-live-the-angels
  101. https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/emeli-sande-how-were-we-to-know-review-2754289
  102. https://bestsellingalbums.org/artist/3853
  103. https://open.spotify.com/artist/7sfgqEdoeBTjd8lQsPT3Cy
  104. https://www.gigwise.com/news/79662/
  105. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15299638.brit-winner-emeli-sande-tells-recovering-divorce-year-marriage/
  106. https://www.reddit.com/r/popheads/comments/181pacz/emeli_sande_lost_and_found_from_popstar_to/
  107. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-21527795
  108. https://www.prsformusic.com/m-magazine/news/emeli-sande-wins-double-at-the-ivors
  109. https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/emeli-sande-takes-two-trophies-at-the-ivor-novello-awards-1562736/
  110. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-20194811
  111. https://mobo.com/history/2012
  112. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/naacp-image-awards-nominations-announced-669689/
  113. https://www.prsformusic.com/m-magazine/news/emeli-sande-tops-2012-album-sales
  114. https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-22318627
  115. https://www.ukmix.org/forum/chart-discussion/chart-analysis/10974988-brit-certified-bpi-highest-certified-female-artists-of-all-time-in-uk
  116. https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/emeli-sande--2
  117. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-20044657
  118. https://www.divadevotee.com/2013/04/vocal-profile-emeli-sande.html
  119. https://www.olympics.com/en/video/emeli-sande-kicks-off-the-closing-ceremony/
  120. https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/emeli-sande-apologises-to-fans-for-pulling-out-of-gig-after-losing-voice/38499684.html
  121. https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/18107405/concert-for-ukraine-viewers-same-complaint-emeli-sande/
  122. https://www.setlist.fm/setlists/emeli-sande-63d31eb7.html
  123. https://www.ticketmaster.cz/artist/emeli-sande-tickets/868238?language=en-us
  124. https://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/events/emeli-sande-with-the-absolute-orchestra-friday-10th-july-2026/
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