Jamilah Barry - The Love Is Gone (Single)
British-Guinean singer-songwriter Jamilah Barry has released her new single ‘The Love Is Gone’.
Sultry and inviting with an additionally playful bounce home to Afrobeat that rhythmically envelops the body, ‘The Love Is Gone’ finds Jamilah at her most kittenish. With lyrical allusions to balancing relationships with both men and women, ‘The Love Is Gone’ exudes a confidence and charm that revels in the art of leaving certain things unsaid.
The track was produced by Rømme and Oddbox with additional saxophone accompaniment from esteemed producer and multi-instrumentalist Marco Bernadis (Snoh Aalegra, Venna, Jorja Smith, Radiant Children). The song was born during the same writing camp in Lausanne, Switzerland that bore ‘Give’, Jamilah’s breathtaking previous single from earlier this year.
As such, ‘The Love Is Gone’ sees Jamilah sonically continue to flirt with sounds from Cuba and Brazil, shown in the dazzling nods to rumba and bossa nova which beautifully mesh well with the record’s alternative R&B core roots. Undoubtedly a defining highlight in her musical journey, the record features some of Jamilah’s most expressive vocals to date.
Speaking on the track, Jamilah said: “I had so much fun writing this. Rømme and I couldn’t stop ourselves when it came to adding and layering the BVs and harmonies. There were literally HUNDREDS of vocal tracks (big up Engine Earz on the mix, haha). It’s giving cutesy. It’s giving demure and I can’t wait to hear people sing along to it”.
'The Love Is Gone' follows the release of Barry’s previous singles ‘Give’ and 'Fuck It (On-1)' which respectively dropped in May and July earlier this summer. ‘Give’ was noted as a captivating cocktail of neo-soul, jazz and bossa nova that alluringly brought into focus the all-encompassing and all-consuming power of love. Meanwhile 'Fuck It (On-1)' was described as ominous and menacing “rant in music form” fusing the worlds of drill and R&B.
Upon release, the tracks garnered cumulative acclaim from The Observer New Review, COLORS, CLASH, Official Charts, Rough Trade, New Wave Magazine, Rolling Stone Africa, Rated R&B, The Voice Newspaper, Noctis, YAMS and VIPER Magazine. This past May, Barry played dazzling sets at London’s Cross The Tracks festival in Brixton and Recess’ Dreamland Margate Weekender.
Raised between London and Leeds, Jamilah Barry's natural inclination as an artist is to flow“wherever feels good” with thoughtful lyrics and intriguing sonic sophistication that explore her inner and outer worlds. Her debut project ‘Salix Babylonica’ arrived in 2018 which she then followed up in 2020 with the ‘Romance Me’ EP. In 2021, she released ‘Coming Thru’ which to date has been streamed upwards of 10 million times across streaming services.
In the years since she’s been on the scene, Barry has received rapturous critical praise and support from press outlets such as VIBE Magazine, Highsnobiety, Wonderland, CLASH, Complex UK, gal-dem, i-D, GRM Daily, Earmilk, Mixmag, TRENCH, KALTBLUT and COLORS where she holds the distinction of being one of the few artists to have two performances on the platform.
Additionally being championed on the radio from the likes of DJ Target, DJ Ace, Twin B, Julie Adenuga, Dotty, Benji B and Apple Music’s Rebecca Judd who spotlighted her as an ‘Ascending Artist’ and Jamz Supernova who named her as an ‘After Dark Discovery’ on her BBC Radio 1 show.
As the featured vocalist on Yussef Dayes’ ‘Woman’s Touch’ - one of the standout moments from his 2023 critically acclaimed album ‘Black Classical Music’ which scored praise from CRACK Magazine, PORT Magazine, The Guardian and The Telegraph, Jamilah went on the road withDayes; joining him for shows at The Royal Albert Hall and Rough Trade. Barry previously supported him at Alexandra Palace and Somerset House on a bill that included Children Of Zeusand Channel One Soundsystem.