SIPHO. - PRAYERS + PARANOIA

A fixture of Birmingham’s creative community, the 23-year-old blends the pop, gospel, dance and rock sounds of his upbringing on his wide-ranging debut – NME Cover Story

DIY Mag: Interview

SIPHO. (pronounced see – po) releases his incredible debut album, PRAYERS & PARANOIA, out now via Dirty Hit.

The album comes accompanied by the video for focus track, ‘PARANOIA’, the third and final visual in the thematically linked trilogy of videos for the record directed by long term collaborator Benji Beacham. Prior to today, there have been five singles to be released from the album; ‘SOBER’, ‘ARMS’, ‘THE CHEMICALS’, ‘LOCK IT IN (NO REGRETS)’ and ‘RUN FOR YOUR LIFE’.

On his debut album, SIPHO. embarks upon a multi-genre escapade, oscillating between multiple influences including funk, rock, soul, and gospel, whilst displaying his reverence for the UK’s rich history of dance music. Throughout the album, SIPHO.’s vocals are as flawless as always, adorning the record in velvety textures. It is yet another example of SIPHO.’s impeccable artistry and is one of the best debut albums of the year.

Speaking on PRAYERS & PARANOIA, SIPHO. states: “I started making it and had no idea what it was about, a year later its making sense. It’s all growing music. What’s the future look like? Am I gonna be a shit human being? How do I change that? Why am I so tired already? I’m growing with these songs and I hope you do too.”

PRAYERS & PARANOIA, the debut record is a product of an eclectic musical palette and sees the Birmingham native channel influence from his childhood. The album embraces the complexities of retaining hope in the face of growing and becoming an adult. The project acts as a refreshingly honest acknowledgement of self-worth, faith, insecurity, and anger, binding together to inform critical conversations on becoming an adult and living through the most complex form of humankind in history.