Nao on fame, motherhood and living with ME: ‘I’ve had to work a lot on what my idea of success is’
She went from being Jarvis Cocker‘s backing singer to a Grammy-nominated purveyor of ‘wonky funk’, before being set back by chronic fatigue syndrome. But on fourth album Jupiter, she’s learned to ‘ride the waves’
Nao is trying to articulate how it feels to be on the verge of releasing a new album. When this thing that’s been yours and yours alone has to be launched into the world. “It feels really similar to being pregnant,” the 37-year-old mum of two decides. Her answer feels apt; we’re currently sitting in an east London cinema cafe hemmed in by buggies while a mum-and-baby screening of erotic thriller Babygirl plays next door. “It’s really exciting in the beginning, then it gets a bit tedious,” she continues. “And you’re stuck in the process because you need to finish it. Get it out.” Sometimes, she says, it can also be just as painful.
Not that you’d know it from listening to this month’s fourth album, Jupiter, a typically featherlight concoction of pillow-soft soul, experimental R&B and airy acoustic ruminations all anchored by her angelic, otherworldly voice. It also carries just a dash of the electronic-leaning “wonky funk” that saw Nao (born Neo Joshua) hailed as one to watch when she emerged in 2015. But Jupiter’s overarching sense of contentment has been hard won after years spent battling an illness that prevented her from touring.
Continue reading...Topics
-
Cynthia Erivo on fame, fear and not fitting in: ‘I’ve never talked about how tough my journey has been’
She is one of the world’s most acclaimed performers – going stratospheric as Elphaba in the hit film adaptation of Wicked. Now she’s up for a best actress Oscar. What next for Britain’s brightest ...The Guardian - 4d -
So, you want my data? What’s in it for me?
Data collection doesn’t just generate value for the company that gathers it. It also imposes a cost on the data subject.The Hill - 6d -
My father had plastic surgery. Now he wants me and my mother to get work done
The cosmetics industry has been reeling men into its multibillion-dollar empire in recent years, writes advice columnist Jessica DeFino. Hi Ugly, . My father is falling down a plastic surgery ...The Guardian - Jan. 22 -
My brother and father drowned on a bright summer day. Swimming brings me closer to the two men I’ve lost | Indigo Perry
When my grief was new and raw, I discovered that feeling it was preferable to the numbness that had set in since we’d buried them. Last week, I swam in the sea, slowly wading in until the water ...The Guardian - Jan. 17 -
‘I’ve never been happier’: I married a wonderful lady from Ukraine. I have two successful kids. Do I put my wife on the deed to my home?
“We are now looking to downsize and move to another home and I’m wondering if we should put the new property in joint names.”MarketWatch - Jan. 15 -
I’m the executor of my 90-year-old aunt’s estate. A neighbor threatened me and wants to buy her house. What should I do?
“I believe she doesn’t have that much time left.”MarketWatch - Jan. 8 -
Our best and worst stocks in 2024 actually had a lot in common
AI spending, the Federal Reserve's easing campaign and Donald Trump's election victory were key themes for the market and our stocks in 2024.CNBC - Jan. 3 -
I paid $15,000 for my friend’s live-in boyfriend’s funeral. He was in his 40s and only had $5,000 in the bank. What happens next?
“I understood that, in California, hospitals and funeral homes have to notify the court when someone dies.”MarketWatch - Jan. 2 -
‘The best abs I’ve ever had – but it hurt!’: the punishing rise of extreme pilates
Intense workouts like Solidcore and SLT are booming, one $43 class at a time. Are they making women stronger or feeding Ozempic-era expectations for thin bodies?. It’s lunchtime on a Wednesday and ...The Guardian - Jan. 2
More from The Guardian
-
Alarms were raised about ‘congested’ airspace before fatal Washington crash
Crash called ‘avoidable’, with lawmakers and residents previously sounding alarm about region’s crowded skies. After Wednesday’s fatal crash which took down a commercial jet and a military ...The Guardian - 6h -
WhatsApp says journalists and civil society members were targets of Israeli spyware
Messaging app said it had ‘high confidence’ some users were targeted and ‘possibly compromised’ by Paragon Solutions spyware. Nearly 100 journalists and other members of civil society using ...The Guardian - 1h -
‘My memories are crushed and buried’: a long walk home in Gaza
The Guardian’s reporter in the territory describes the journey back to see what might remain of their prewar lives. When the ceasefire came, there was a moment of relief that we had escaped death, ...The Guardian - 1h -
Canada ready with ‘forceful, immediate’ response if Trump imposes tariffs – US politics live
Donald Trump says he will impose trade tariffs on Canada and Mexico on Saturday, starting at 25% and they ‘may or may not’ rise over time. Secretary of state Marco Rubio will travel to Panama, El ...The Guardian - 25m -
Fears grow in Japan for truck driver trapped in sinkhole for third day
Residents near Tokyo question slow pace of effort to rescue 74-year-old as workers race to build 30-metre ramp. Fears are growing for a truck driver who has spent three days trapped inside a ...The Guardian - 6h
More in World
-
Indonesia casts doubt on role of Paris climate accord after Trump’s exit
US withdrawal from global agreement raises concerns about pledges to tackle global warmingFinancial Times - 21m -
Tomb of polarizing French far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen vandalized just weeks after his burial
Yahoo News - 25m -
Canada ready with ‘forceful, immediate’ response if Trump imposes tariffs – US politics live
Donald Trump says he will impose trade tariffs on Canada and Mexico on Saturday, starting at 25% and they ‘may or may not’ rise over time. Secretary of state Marco Rubio will travel to Panama, El ...The Guardian - 25m -
India set England 182 to win: fourth men’s cricket T20 international – live
Updates from the match in Pune, starts 1.30pm GMT Saqib Mahmood bowls triple-wicket maiden Women’s Ashes: Sutherland turns the screw on England Tilak Varma is the new batter, which is a ...The Guardian - 26m -
Manchester City to face Real Madrid in playoff, Brighton reject £75m Mitoma bid: football – live
Champions League playoffs: Bayern to face Celtic Ten things to look out for this weekend | Mail Yara Uefa are still preambling. I have learned that one side of the draw will be silver and ...The Guardian - 27m