“Why don’t you just let go / And quiet down your ego / Don’t complain about finance”
Our track of the week is the breezy “Why Don’t You” from Cleo Sol. This is a summer vibe, that kick-off-your-shoes-relax-your-feet-just-kick-it vibe. Neo Soul from a British artist, imploring us to just calm down, regain focus, and push forward. If you ever needed to hear a message in 2020, this is it.
“Go ahead and live your dreams / To me you’re stronger than a whole team”
One would assume from her name and her sound that Cleo Sol was heavily influenced by Philadelphia born Neo Soul. On the contrary, multiracial Cleo Sol was born in London to her jazz singing mother, half Serbian and Spanish, and bass playing Jamaican Dad. Like me, Cleo is one of eight siblings, and like most of us, her parents informed her musical tastes: Motown, Reggae, Latin, and of course, Jazz.
“I know it’s never the right time / But we gotta do things on our time”
Discovered as a teenager by UK Grime producer DaVinChe on MySpace, she landed the break she needed. From Davinche to Inflo, the producer of this track, Cleo has honed her style in a way that feels very Jill Scott: light and delicate voice with emotionally personal lyrics, over a soft yet rich head nodding track.
“Sometimes I still doubt myself / But at least now I love myself”
“I’m not perfect / So I try every day and I grow a little bit”
“Pray cause I’m ready for the bloom of the sea / Peace and serenity is all that I need”
As the track fades out, Cleo Sol sings four words that could be dismissed as throw away lyrics. Instead, it’s the theme of this playlist, and leaves you with key life advice:
Eat
Pray
Love
Grow