FEATURE: Spotlight: Konyikeh — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

Konyikeh

__________

I am putting out…

a lot of Spotlight features at the moment. Though there are so many great artists who deserve recognition. I am looking at the brilliant music of U.K. Soul artist, Konyikeh. I am quite new to her music, so I have been looking at interviews around the release of her new E.P., Cinere. It is a remarkably body of work from an artist blessed with such an amazing voice. This classically-trained Essex artist is a true gem. The first interview I want to cover off is from The Culture Crypt. The emotional honesty that we get right through Cinere is moving and hugely powerful:

“Reared at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Konyikeh's foundation is rooted in classical discipline, but her artistry stretches far beyond it. As an Essex-bred singer, songwriter and violinist, she moves fluidly between worlds—drawing on orchestral training while shaping a sound grounded in soul, R&B and alternative textures.

Ahead of the release of her latest EP, Cinere, we sat down with Konyikeh to discuss its creation. Across seven tracks, the project deftly moves between softness and intensity, blending classical influences with contemporary production to create a sound that feels both grounded and atmospheric.

At its core, Cinere—deriving from the Latin phrase 'ex cinere', meaning 'from the ashes'—is deeply introspective. There is a sense of searching that runs throughout the record, whether that is navigating emotional vulnerability, questioning identity or sitting with feelings that do not always have clear answers. It is this tension between control and release that gives the project its emotional weight.

Having grown up surrounded by live music through choirs and orchestras, Konyikeh's return to the violin plays a subtle but defining role in shaping the EP's sonic identity. While many artists lean heavily into digital production, her process is informed by a strong understanding of instrumentation, allowing her to collaborate with producers in a way that feels both intentional and precise.

What version of yourself are we hearing on this project, and what did you have to let go of to create this EP?

"For this EP, I had to let go of any need for external validation. Growing up, I was used to validation coming from things like grades and achievements, so I carried that mindset for a long time. With this project, I had to shift that and trust my own instincts. If I didn't like something, it wasn't going out, regardless of what anyone else thought."

Does validation come from how you feel or from other people, and does that impact how you make music?

"It comes from me now. I think the way I create can seem quite selfish, but it's important that I trust myself. Even if a lot of people like something, if I don't, it's not happening. I've learnt to advocate for myself in the studio instead of just going along with things, and that's made a big difference in how I work."

Do you see Cinere as telling a continuous emotional story, or are the tracks more like individual moments of reflection?

"When I was writing, each track was its own individual moment, reflecting how I felt at that time. But when I started putting the tracklist together, I think subconsciously I shaped it into a continuous story. There's almost an A-side and B-side with the first half feeling more dramatic and production-heavy, while the second half is softer and more stripped back. The interlude sits in the middle as a reset for the listener."

What does this project represent for you at this stage in your life and career?

"This project feels like the most accurate representation of me as an artist right now. I'm proud of my previous work, but Cinere feels like the beginning of the sonic world I've always wanted to build. I hope it connects with people who appreciate the details in both the production and the lyrics”.

In June, Roiling Stone UK spoke with Konyikeh. This stunning voice and music that will stop you in your tracks, here is an artist that is going to enjoy a very long and bountiful career. I cannot see any forthcoming gigs, but I suspect that Koniykeh will be on the road soon enough. I for one would love to see her perform. A show that I suspect I will not forget in a hurry:

“There’s light and dark on this EP too. Big ballads, but also some fun moments. Does that reflect the duality of everything you were going through?

100 per cent and I’m glad that you picked up on that. I feel like this has an A&B side. The first three tracks are very full and dramatic and then the last two songs are a lot more stripped back. Even though it’s about a dark subject matter, it’s a bit more hopeful. I put ‘Miserere’ on there so it acts as a palette cleanser for the listener.

Let’s talk about ‘Buyers Remorse’. What does that title reflect?

It’s about the way I feel as a Black woman who plays classical music but listens to a lot of other genres from electronic to rap. I’ve been told I’m interesting as a person, but I feel like people don’t always get seen as a real human and it’s about that idea that if I do let someone in and be completely vulnerable, will they have remorse buying into me? Whether that’s investing in a financial sense through my music, but also investing into me emotionally as well and friendships and relationships. It’s about deconstructing myself as a concept and a proposition and how people see me as a human being.

The EP highlights your incredible voice too. Is there any you’d model your vocals on?

I still do get Nina Simone comparisons, and I used to be very self-conscious of that because Nina Simone is an icon and to me an untouchable force and she’s done everything. I’m very conscious to learn the difference between referencing and copying, because this is just the way I sound and in classical music you teach your muscles all of the stuff you need to sing classically. So that and and singing the way I sing now are two very different things.

But it genuinely is just the sound that comes out of my voice I’m not really referencing anyone.

And what’s your next steps?

There’s a lot more on the way. I have a real passion for live music, so everything is written and recorded with a live sound to it. I’ve got my own headline show on July 8 and I’m super excited about that. I’d just come off tour with Jalen Ngonda when I made this EP and it solidified the fact that I just love to perform live”.

I am going to wrap things up with NME and their conversation. On her third E.P., Konyikeh is breaking rules. As NME say in their header, the first couple of E.P.s were her learning the rules. I am going to drop in the second half of the interview, as I think the first half maybe repeats things we have already read. Go and check out thew whole chat, though:

“The shift extended far beyond the music itself. Konyikeh became deeply involved in every stage of the creative process, from production decisions and mixes to visual concepts, edits and creative direction. “If you speak to FAMM candidly, it was very much my way or the highway,” she laughs. Instead of being rooted in ego, her confidence came from finally trusting her instincts. She’d fiddle with instruments in the studio until a twang was tuned just right for her ears, and would build upon it until she had songs she loved.

That’s how ‘Mercenary’, a track inspired by gqom, amapiano and Arabic scales, came to be. While others around her initially struggled to understand what she was making, Konyikeh never wavered. “‘Mercenary’ made me feel something,” she offers. “After feeling so numb for a lot of 2024 and 2025, I realised it’s such a luxury to be able to feel emotion.” Throughout our conversation, she returns to that word again and again: feeling. It’s what guides her songwriting, production choices and listening habits. Whether she’s talking about Mariah The Scientist, Slayyyter or Mozart, the criteria remain remarkably consistent: “Sounding good and feeling good are the same thing.”

After resisting “the violin girl” tag for years, her classical training now sits proudly at the centre of her music, informing everything from arrangements to production choices. It’s the same confidence that led her to advocate for mixes, visuals and creative decisions throughout the making of ‘Cinere’, and the same confidence she credits with finally giving her faith in herself.

“I realised what my core beliefs are and how I want to do things. That’s why, in 2025, I was like, ‘No, I’m going to run a tight ship, and I’m going to do it my way,’” she says. “I developed a stronger sense of self. I developed a lot of autonomy. I realised I have no one to report to about myself.” It might have taken years for her to arrive at that understanding, but ‘Cinere’ shines for it, allowing the things she once tried to keep separate to exist together”.

In their review of Cinere, The Musical Road wrote this: “Vocally, Konyikeh delivers with intensity and nuance. Her voice is the emotional anchor of the EP—capable of tenderness, power, and quiet introspection within the same phrase. There’s a sense that every note is intentional, every lyric drawn from lived experience rather than abstraction. This sincerity makes the songs feel immediate and immersive. The songwriting itself is equally compelling, exploring identity, self-awareness, and growth without resorting to clichés. Instead, the EP unfolds like a series of emotional snapshots, each revealing a different facet of the artist’s journey. “Cinere” ultimately succeeds because of its authenticity. It’s not just a collection of songs—it’s a document of change, crafted with skill and emotional clarity. The result is an EP that doesn’t just invite listeners in—it stays with them, lingering long after the final note fades”. High compliments to one of our finest young artists. Who knows what comes next but, when it comes to the mesmeric Konyikeh, it is guaranteed to…