Cleo Sol

Cleopatra Zvezdana Nikolic[2] (born 24 March 1991), better known by her stage name Cleo Sol, is a British singer-songwriter. Working closely with the producer Inflo, she has released two solo studio albums, Rose in the Dark (2020) and Mother (2021), and is a member of the R&B collective Sault.

Cleo Sol
Birth nameCleopatra Nikolic
Born (1991-03-24) 24 March 1991
Ladbroke Grove, London, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
Years active2008 - present
LabelsForever Living Originals
Associated acts
Websitewww.cleo-sol.com

Early life

Cleo Sol was born and raised in Ladbroke Grove, London. Her mother is Serbian-Spanish and her father is Jamaican. Both are musicians.[3]

Music career

Cleo Sol made her debut in 2008 featuring on the single "Tears" by Tinie Tempah.[4] In 2011, Cleo Sol signed to DaVinChe's record label Dirty Canvas and Island Records, releasing singles such as "High" and "Never the Right Time (Who Do You Love)".[5][6]

She took a musical hiatus from 2012 to 2017.[1] She returned with the EP Winter Songs, released on 9 March 2018.[7]

In 2019, Cleo Sol was featured on the single "Selfish" by British rapper Little Simz, reconnecting in 2021 with the rapper for the song "Woman".[8][9]

She released her debut studio album, Rose in the Dark, on 27 March 2020, included by Complex and Clash in their end-of-year lists.[10][11] The following year, Nikolic released her second studio album, titled Mother, on 20 August 2021.[12]

She is rumoured to be a member of the pseudonymous collective SAULT who have released five studio albums.[13][14][15]

Musical style

Cleo Sol has cited influences from Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott while growing up on genres such as reggae, Motown and Latin music.[3][16][17]

Discography

Studio albums
List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions
Title Details
Rose in the Dark
  • Released: 27 March 2020
  • Label: Forever Living Originals
  • Formats: CD, digital download, streaming, vinyl
Mother
  • Released: 20 August 2021
  • Label: Forever Living Originals
  • Formats: CD, digital download, streaming, vinyl

Extended plays
List of extended plays, with selected details
Title Details
Winter Songs
  • Released: 9 March 2018
  • Label: Forever Living Originals
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles
Title Year Album
"High"
(featuring Gappy Ranks)		 2011 Non-album single
"Never the Right Time (Who Do You Love)" 2012
"Code to Crack"
(with Toddla T featuring Scrufizzer)
"Why Don't You" 2017 Winter Songs & Rose in the Dark
"Try and You Try" Winter Songs
"One" 2019 Non-album single
"Sweet Blue"
"Butterfly" 2020 Rose in the Dark
"Shine" Non-album single
Title Year Album
"Tears"
(Tinie Tempah featuring Cleo Sol)		 2008 Non-album single
"Selfish"
(Little Simz featuring Cleo Sol)		 2019 Grey Area
"Woman"
(Little Simz featuring Cleo Sol)		 2021 Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

Guest appearances
Title Year Other artist(s) Album
"Ladder" 2012 Angel, Mark Asari 7 Minutes Before Time

Awards and nominations
2021 MOBO Awards 2021
Best R&B/Soul Act Herself Won
Video of the Year "Woman" Nominated
Album of the Year "Mother" Nominated
Best Female Act Herself Nominated

References
  1. "Music for Your Soul: An Interview with Cleo Sol". No Basic Girls Allowed. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  2. "Cleo Sol Biography & History". AllMusic.
  3. "Cleo Sol: Get Familiar". Soul in Stereo. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  4. "GRM Exclusive: 11 Essential Tinie Tempah Tunes". GRM Daily. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  5. "Cleo Sol - The Vogue". The Vogue. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  6. "Cleo Sol - PRS for Music Foundation". PRS Foundation. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  7. "Premiere: Cleo Sol Shares Jazz-Inspired "Still Cold" Ahead Of New EP". Complex. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  8. "Little Simz connects with Cleo Sol for "Woman"". Revolt. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  9. "She Got Next: 10 upcoming female artists to watch". Revolt. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  10. "Complex UK's Best Albums Of 2020". Complex. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  11. "Clash Albums of the Year 2020". Clash. 14 December 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  12. Empire, Kitty (22 August 2021). "Cleo Sol: Mother review – intimate, spacious soul-jazz". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  13. Manno, Lizie (22 June 2020). "Sault's Album-of-the-Year Contender Embodies Black Excellence and Justified Fury". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  14. Curto, Justin (9 July 2021). "Song Review: SAULT 'Bitter Streets' Off NINE With Cleo Sol". Vulture. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  15. Homewood, Ben (1 October 2020). "Making Waves: Sault". Music Week. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  16. "Get to Know: Cleo Sol". MTV.co.uk. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  17. "British-Jamaican Singer Cleo Sol One of Eight Emerging Artists Changing the Sound of Soul". Jamaicans.com. 15 October 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
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