Silence falls to the profoundly moving voice of Hamzaa, her powerfully-deep vocals stirring your heart in seconds.
London by Hamzaa really connects the audience to a breathing community – the music video not being an impersonal tourist commercial of the city, with a selection of landmarks to be seen, but instead a celebration of the breadth of people that make the life of London. Director Lily Rose Thomas showcases the building blocks of the city; there are flats, terrace and council houses, market-traders, shops and a wealth of individuals. Those included in the video being friends, family and many local-artists that work across a range of mediums (e.g. Liv Little founder of magazine gal-dem, photographer Vicky Grout, author of ‘Queenie’ Candice Carty-Williams, musical artist BenjiFlow and many more inc producers, artists and DJs), all of which contribute to a sense of home.
In listening and watching Hamzaa sing London I feel as though I’d be welcomed with a rich tea biscuit and a cup of tea, before heading out to meet her friends. However, if you listen past the bright notes of the tracks, you’ll hear a sadder note of how London’s “Not like it used to be” with the verse poetically and beautifully explaining why; “I read something in the news about global warming/That this city’s feeling colder everyday/And now the tension’s overflowing on the underground…”. The comparison of the warmth from climate change to the cold atmosphere of people is stunningly poetic, while the current times of life is often commented on in today’s news, with increasing pressure, inequality, discrimination, and a degree of isolation due to a rise in social media tech. Although Hamzaa’s lyrics are open for your own personal reflection, with some stating it’s on politics, socio-economics or/and an increase in crime, maybe it’s all of that or something else entirely.
But despite the reason for this change to London, Hamzaa still loves her home – the individuals and the community being what makes it – and beneath it all there’s a strong essence of optimism to the music, the last lines ending on it;
“Yeah, you know we’ve got love for London always
Even though the sun doesn’t shine on us, no
We’re never giving up, never giving up…”
And that’s a powerful message, not to give up on your home and maybe to instead fight for it. The song London having a worldwide appeal as a relatable anthem, and one I’ll be listening to on repeat.
Debuting in 2019 with the seven-track-album First Signs of Me – I have more than a hunch Hamzaa will soon be dominating the charts. Each song from this incredible artist being a breathy rendition of what music should be like; with a uniqueness making each track different from the other, and so brilliantly vibrant it’s hard to choose a favourite, and why would you? Her follow-up music being no different, with her second album Full Circle being played out so much that I’m starting to hear it when I sleep.
It’s no surprise then that Hamzaa’s performances are often sold-out, with the tickets being like a golden find from Willy Wonka. For now I’ll have to settle to listen to Hamzaa online, but it’s not really like settling when the vocals are so beautifully enjoyable.
Other songs by Hamzaa we love:
- HEAVEN (2021 – Full Circle)
- WHO’S LOVING YOU? (2021 – Full Circle)
- Breathing (2019 – First Signs of Me)
- You (2019 – First Signs of Me)
- Hard To Love (2019 – Phases [EP])
- Home (2019 – Phases [EP])
- Sunday Morning (2019 – Phases [EP])
Other artists you might like:
- JNR Williams
- Jordan Mackampa
- Olivia Dean
