Jordan Rakei, has shared “Clouds”, the latest single off his forthcoming release What We Call Life, due out on September 17, via Ninja Tune. “What We Call Life”. Following global conversations that have taken place over the last 18 months around race and discrimination, the track sees Rakei reflect on his own mixed race heritage (his father is a Pacific Islander, his mother white) and the privileges that his light skin has afforded him in Western society. “That whole movement made me think about this a lot, and then therapy enabled me to write about it,” he says. “I’d never been that open about this in the past.”

“What We Call Life” represents a conscious shift from Jordan to write more openly from the heart. Something that he attributes to listening to singer-songwriters like Laura Marling, Scott Matthews, Joni Mitchell, and John Martyn while writing his new record. “Their lyrics are usually very honest, and sometimes not even ambiguous,” he says. “I was jealous of how open they were, when my stuff in the past had been more like commentary.”

Rakei, has collaborated with rap legend Common, Loyle Carner (with whom he co-wrote, produced and performed on ‘Ottolenghi’ and the Jorja Smith-featuring “Loose Ends”), Tom Misch and Alfa Mist. He has also joined Chic’s Nile Rodgers for a writing session and recorded with Terrace Martin, producer for Kendrick, Snoop Dogg and Herbie Hancock.

Rakei, recently announced his biggest UK and European headline tour for April 2022, finishing at the iconic O2 Academy Brixton. He is also set to play a run of intimate UK instores around the release of his new album in September taking in Kingston (Banquet), Brighton (Resident), Bristol, Nottingham and London (all Rough Trade). Tickets available HERE