FEATURE:
Spotlight: Revisited
over four years since I put Greentea Peng in my Spotlight feature. The London artist is someone who may still not be known by some. In March, she released the album, TELL DEM IT’S SUNNY. One of the best of the year in my view, it has received some acclaimed but has passed by some people. It is a remarkable album that has that incredible voice at the centre. Smoky, beautiful and arresting, there are few as captivating as Greentea Peng. I wanted to revisit her because she has really grown over the past four years. Rather than repeat the interviews I included back in 2021, I am going to bring things more up to date. I will come to a couple of 2025 interviews and a review of TELL DEM IT’S SUNNY. Before that, I want to come to this interview from Firebird Magazine that was published in 2023:
“Hailing from South London, Greentea Peng’s journey to stardom has been a tumultuous one. As a child, she always loved singing and creating music, performing at school and even creating her own “funky house tunes.” However, by the time she was 15, Peng grew quite depressed, quitting music and losing confidence in performing. After leaving home at 17, Peng threw herself into a life of partying and, according to her, “a lot of drugs, drug-taking.” After years of working at bars and losing herself to the chaos of the London nightlife scene, Peng felt the need to escape the dark place she had been in, choosing to go to Mexico for some soul-searching. Her time spent traveling and meditating led her to join a local Mexican band, through which she fell in love with music again. Peng’s renewed sense of self-confidence led her to move back to London to record and release her debut EP, Sensi.
Peng’s music is undeniably beautiful; the delicate washes of sound in “Mind” on Sensi and the luxurious, deep vocals on her single “Soulboy (IZCO Remix)” are perfect examples of the earthy soundscape she creates. However, it’s her emotional complexity and her ability to transform life experiences into music that make her discography truly something unique. Combining swing-style reggae beats with elements of ska, funk, and even an occasional fiery electric guitar riff, you can almost hear the swirling emotions of her chaotic teenage life reflected in the erratic blending of genres. Yet at the same time, Peng’s soulful R&B-style vocals and psychedelic synths, present in songs such as “Moonchild,” provide a subdued sense of calm, balancing out the pandemonium and preventing it from being too overwhelming to the listener.
Peng’s voice could be the subject of an article all by itself. Her resonance is rich and deep, cut with a rasp reminiscent of Amy Winehouse. She combines this incredible tone with a Kali Uchis-like delivery, smooth and lush. Yet Peng isn’t merely a copycat of her predecessors; her voice shifts and transforms from song to song, always perfectly in step with the vibe of the music. In “Sane,” the penultimate track on the EP RISING, she utilizes vocal breaks and ornaments to punctuate her voice and keep up with the calm yet chaotic nature of the track. Other songs like “Mr. Sun (miss da sun)” contain that smooth, continuous delivery she’s so loved for. Peng’s voice is simply another element which adds to the perfect kaleidoscope of sound that she creates.
Despite the apparent chaos of her musical construction, Peng’s discography is remarkably accessible to the average listener. The many different genres she uses intertwine to create a truly multifaceted sound, one that draws in fans of many different types of music. This is best encapsulated in her 2021 album Man Made, which takes the listener on a journey of musical exploration. “This Sound,” the second track on the album, provides a funky, bass-filled instrumental, while the next song “Free My People'' displays a hypnotizing ripple of reggae-style rhythm, although the reggae influence is less obvious than in other projects, notably the 2020 single “Revolution”. Moving through the project, a huge variety of styles and influences emerge; the D’n’B beats in “Nah It Ain’t the Same”, grungy bass and electric guitar in “Sinner”, and enthusiastic jazzy style of “Jimtastic Blues” are just some examples. This all resides under her lulling neo-soul vocals, through which enthusiasts can recall the lush sound of Peng’s greatest inspirations, Erkyah Badu and Lauryn Hill. Clearly, there is something within her music for every type of listener.
Another incredible facet of Peng’s music is its psychedelically soothing sound. Although she avoids calling her music “spiritual,” it certainly possesses a mystical quality to it, evoking loungy images of profound late-night conversations, of incense burning in someone’s dimly lit studio apartment. It is spiritual in a general sense, not tied to any one culture or message; it is a perfect reflection of Peng herself, who—despite having the Om symbol tattooed between her eyes, posters of hindu gods plastered around her apartment, and countless shrines and cultural relics from around the world—does not subscribe to any particular form of devotion. She explains, “My spirituality is individual and universal … It’s not a formal practice and I don’t want to be branded.” Whatever the case, her music conveys a searching, transcendental quality that one might feel while stargazing or dreaming, or simply appreciating the grandeur of life. The yearning for something greater than ourselves is best represented in “Liberation,” in which Peng sings, “Yeah, I’m trying to lose my mind. To elevate, yeah, it takes a lifetime. I don’t mind, I’m searching for my liberation.” Celestial song titles such as “Saturn” and “Moonchild,” also display the universal scale on which she operates.
If the sound of her music perfectly encapsulates the essence of Peng, it’s the lyrics that truly show what’s going on in her mind at any given moment. If we zoom in, we can see that Peng touches on subjects that are very tangible. She speaks out about her own struggles in life through songs like “Downers,” with striking lyricism:
I can’t smell the flowers
Felt empty now for hours
Lost my powers
Now, I can’t smell the flowers
I’m sick of all these towers
Think I done too many downers
Many of her songs also focus on issues that affect the greater community surrounding her; a great example of this is her single “Ghost Town,” where the lines “London Bridge is fallin’ down… But you can’t take my city from me'' encapsulate the turbulence that gentrification inflicts on London. Her lyrics allow the listener to catch a glimpse of her anger, her turmoil, her sadness underneath the apparent musical tranquility. She has a sense of maturity and self-awareness that comes across effortlessly, and it is precisely this dichotomy between enigmatic abstractism and realism which provides yet another layer of allure to her music.
Greentea Peng is the perfect mix of new and old, bold and soft, sophisticated yet grungy. She's the perfect artist to recommend to those around you, a unique recommendation that they probably will not have heard of but perfectly approachable enough to be a hit in any circle. If you are a music enjoyer of any kind, take a listen and do a little soul searching of your own”.
I am going to come to this year. With the release of an incredible new solo album, there has been this new attention on Greentea Peng. I hope that TELL DEM IT’S SUNNY is in line for a Mercury Prize. In March, DAZED spoke with Greentea Peng. Discussing TELL DEM IT’S SUNNY, she has become a mother and channels something more introspective and personal through her third album:
“‘Tell Dem It’s Sunny,’ urges Greentea Peng’s third studio album, and, for the first time all year, it actually is. She sits in her favourite East London cafe in late February, the rare Winter sun beaming through the window behind her. Peng is hot off a photo shoot for the project and her numerous tattoos and trinkets are on full display, each hinting at a battle untold.
“Initially, Tell Dem It’s Sunny, but then having the black and white artwork, was almost sarcasm. Like, ‘Yeah, tell dem it’s sunny. Everything’s blessed.’ But everything’s not fucking blessed,” Greentea Peng tells me. “But then, after I made ‘Glory’, I realised it’s actually a philosophy. It is sunny, no matter how much shit they spray in the skies to block out the sun. I travel the depths with the sun in my chest.” Looking at the weather that day, the magic of such a philosophy was hard to deny.
It’s a hard-fought positivity that accompanies Greentea Peng’s turn inwards on this latest release. Where previous album Man Made was a colourful, psychedelic response to the madness of the lockdown era, Tell Dem It’s Sunny’s visuals are almost entirely grayscale, enlisting distorted guitars and cavernous dub basslines to soundtrack its tale of repairing a psyche worn down by external turmoil.
“There are no insecure masters, no successful half-hearters,” Peng proclaims on lead track “TARDIS”. The line arrives as a mission statement for Peng’s new direction on the project. “How could you possibly imagine being able to manoeuvre your exterior environment if inside you’re alien to your inner goings?” she says. “They’re intrinsically interconnected, a constant reflection of each other.”
This project does feel like a big turn inwards.
Greentea Peng: Man Made was a political statement in one of the most unprecedented times in my lifetime, especially as quite an outspoken person. So Tell Dem It’s Sunny is very much… What’s the opposite of introspective? Outtrospective? I make up words all the time. But, yeah. I’ve started to recognise a pattern within myself and the projects, going inward, outward, inward and outward again. This one’s definitely inward. A lot of the songs are addressed to myself. I like to think that I’m engaged in sonic journaling.
Most of the visuals are in black and white, too. Where did that come from?
Greentea Peng: I knew I wanted “TARDIS” to be in black and white, and then I knew I wanted “One Foot” to be in black and white. Then, before I knew it, I was like, actually, this whole album is black and white. I think it’s been easier to associate me with flowers and sunshine and hippy shit.
On a personal level, I’m obviously not a mother, but this journey resonates. I think there are lessons in here that are really important for people to hear.
Greentea Peng: It’s within all of us. It is a constant struggle and sufferation. It’s been a constant battle my whole life with my mental health, my personal narratives, my inner voice. It’s been a lot, and it still is, in many ways. But that’s where the beauty comes from, in the articulation and translation of them battles.
But sometimes I think about the ideal situation – would it be no pain whatsoever?
Greentea Peng: Probably not. Roses need shit to grow. Them good, good roses need that horse manure. I firmly believe that it builds character, and I got a lot of fucking character. So, yeah, I’m a big advocate of the journey within, coming back to centre. That only comes through the pursuit of knowledge of yourself. It’s not an easy task”.
PHOTO CREDIT: William Spooner
Before coming to a review of TELL DEM IT’S SUNNY, this interview from HUCK is worth including. It is a change for Greentea Peng in terms of the colour scheme and the themes addresses. Motherhood is a natural catalyst for more introspective and personal work. Not just in terms of how a child affects that artist but the way it in which they shape their vision of the world. Anyone who has not heard of Greentea Peng before needs to check her out:
“It must be a lot of work releasing an album – which I love by the way – while being a parent. What themes do you explore in it?
It’s an exploration of the self-political – everything from love to heartbreak and just the existential shit that is always preoccupying my mind. It’s more of an introspective album than MAN MADE, but it still travels those kinds of subject, through songs like ‘Glory’. In the end, the overall themes would be of transition and surrender throughout the album, and just coming to terms with that – real human shit, you know. I felt torn, there was so much going on politically around the world that it would be mad to put out something like MAN MADE, which was more overtly political, but actually my own life has been kind of chaotic and that space was what I was sucked into.
Can you talk about the album name, TELL DEM IT’S SUNNY? Who needs to know that it’s sunny?
Just tell them, innit. Everyone’s trying to drown us in dread, spray the skies with shit – like tell them it’s sunny inside. You can’t dampen that internal sunshine, no matter the dread, no matter the challenges we’re faced with– it’s a kind of ‘we shall prevail’ sentiment. Initially it was kind of an oxymoron, because it’s quite a moody album. The artwork’s moody, it’s in black-and-white, and it’s a moody time for me. But within that I know there’s light to be tapped into.
Do you think it’s your darkest album yet?
Yeah, I think it is. I feel like it has been easy for people to just associate me with this hippy-esque, sun, flowers, peace and love [vibe]. But this record is very, very honest and an exploration of me and all my forms. I’m an eclectic person and a complex individual as a lot of us are. And actually, I spend a lot of my life in the darkness. The first couple of records I put out was me coming back to music and it was a beautiful time, but I felt comfortable enough in this record to explore that darkness and honour it. Because you can’t have dark without light. All the videos are quite dark – I’m an honest person and I just express what I’m feeling at the time, so it’s a reflection of how I’m feeling right now.
We’ve spoken about the dark time it is in the world at the moment – the rise of the far right marches on, everyone is broke, and AI is probably going to take everyone’s jobs at some point – what does healing mean to you in 2025?
You know what? I question and think about this shit a lot, because in the west this idea that we’ve got of healing – going to yoga class, drinking matcha and going on fucking retreats. I feel disillusioned with the whole narrative over here to be honest. There’s women and children dying all around the world, our brothers and sisters every day – every fucking day – to feed this consumerist, fake life that we’re living over here, which is a complete bubble. It makes me question everything.
Obviously, there’s a lot of beautiful, beautiful things, but I struggle to conceptualise healing – I don’t know what it means. It’s a time where people really need to tap into what is it to be human? What is it to be part of this human family? What is it to love thy neighbour? To look after each other rather than just look after yourself. Everything seems kind of superficial to me right now, even myself if I’m honest”.
It is great that those who did review TELL DEM IT’S SUNNY were very positive. I want to round up with DIY and their opinions about Greentea Peng’s new album. I wonder what she has planned for the rest of the year. It has been a busy one for her, though you know that she must be thinking ahead to what is next. Whether that is another album or something else, it is going to be amazing:
“If anyone can attest to the sentiment ‘healing is not linear’, it’s Greentea Peng. The self-described psychedelic R&B artist – real name Aria Wells – has always candidly shared her journey of self-reflection and spiritual connection through music. 2021 debut ‘MAN MADE’ and subsequent mixtape ‘GREENZONE 108’ translated the chaos of the objective world into creation, detailing a return to source characterised by self-discovery, love and growth atop a vast backdrop of neo-soul, jazz, dub and hip hop influences. Meticulously produced with consideration of the most vibrational details (such as recording her debut’s title track one frequency below industry standard to mirror the natural frequency of the universe), Greentea has an established gift for creating optimal collections to expand your consciousness.
‘TELL DEM IT’S SUNNY’ delves further into this awakening with a nuanced examination of the self – the light and the dark – and an acceptance of surrender, best summarised by ‘GREEN’: “Come over and in, and let the healing begin / That’s how we solve business when shedding one’s skin / Feel it all around and let it enter within / There’s no resisting, you may as well give in.” Positioned later in the record, it feels like the heart of the work, with its resonant point of embracing lessons and uncomfortable change serving to contextualise the album’s broader themes. Opener ‘BALI SKIT PART 1’ invokes a trance-like state with rotational synths, a low-flowing bassline, and otherworldly vocals; elsewhere, Greentea feels around for a sense of belonging on the synthpop-powered ‘NOWHERE MAN’, bears baggage on the shadowy ‘MY NECK’ (featuring Wu-Lu), consolidates oneness on the grit-edged ‘CREATE AND DESTROY’, and seeks tranquility through the experience of being malleably human on the patter-pulsed ‘THE END (PEACE)’.
Much like the process of inner work, ‘TELL DEM IT’S SUNNY’ is gently transformative; it channels patience and expansion, ultimately speaking to the heart as a continuation of the unending path that Greentea has shown listeners thus far. Healing may not be linear, but for Greentea Peng, the journey feels like it’s headed in the right direction”.
It has been great returning to the music of Greentea Peng. A sensational artist that everyone should know about, go and follow her on social media and listen to TELL DEM IT’S SUNNY. I knew in 2021 that she would go on to great things. A tremendous songwriter and artist, she has a voice…
THAT always stuns me.
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