Scottish soul singer Emeli Sandé has returned with a staggering new anthem, “Sparrow.”
The track boasts another powerhouse vocal performance from Sandé, who starts the song with a soft croon that flutters over a delicate blend of piano and chimes. But “Sparrow” changes in an instant, the rumble of a cymbal introducing a full gospel choir that backs up Sandé as she flies forward over marching drums and a sweeping orchestral arrangement. “Yeah, we’re gonna take the long, the long way home,” Sandé belts, “Oh, we’re gonna take the world, the world by storm.”
“Sparrow” marks Sandé’s first solo song since 2017, when she released a six-track EP, Kingdom Coming. Her last full-length album, Long Live the Angels, arrived in 2016. Last year, Sandé collaborated with a variety of artists, notably contributing to Chic’s latest LP, It’s About Time, while also partnering with Naughty Boy on the single “Bungee Jumping” and Don Diablo and Gucci Mane on “Survive.”