Léa Sen impressed with recent single “Hyasynth” and opening up for Nilüfer Yanya during her Europe tour a few weeks ago with a self-possessed vernacular of folktronica, experimental R&B and indie pop. It was cool seeing her alternate songs with deft free-form deviations, often interluding more formed songs with soothing ambient textures. She said she was also writing new material while on the road, which hopefully alludes to a new chapter sooner rather than later.
First things first though: today Léa Sen releases her single “I Feel Like I’m Blue”, which operates on a similar wavelength as the amorphous pop of Tirzah, Sampha and FKA Twigs. It’s the first taste of her new You Of Now Pt.1 EP, which comes out on May 20 via Partisan Records.
“You know when you have a concept or an idea in your head and never really act on it?“, she reflects. “That’s what ‘I Feel Like I’m Blue’ was to me. I felt like I was writing too much about the past or the present (which is already the past) and I got stuck in memories and vanished promises, so I needed to write something about tomorrows. It’s really just a conversation with my future self. “Do you finally get this right? Do you eventually let this go? I know you still feel that way, it’s cool. I don’t expect perfection from you.”
Léa continues: “This song is key in my EP, it was the first song I made out of the five. The start of so much work I did on myself while making the tunes alone in my room. The first production I made that I felt proud of. I’m glad past Léa made that song so I can share it today.”
In the Molly Burdett-directed video, Léa Sen encounters a chameleon named Blue. “In the video, Blue the chameleon is an extension of me and we’re going through the motions together. It was also a hint at the challenge of being an immigrant in London and sometimes having to (whether you’re conscious of it or not) change yourself to fit this foreign picture you’re now a part of. Shout out to Blue though, he was a legend on set, so calm and friendly.”
Watch the video below and find the song on streaming services.
Follow Léa Sen on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram. Preorder You Of Now Pt.1 EP here ahead of its May 20 release through Partisan.
