Four years since the release of his debut album, Born Again, Michael Kiwanuka has returned.
The first single from his second album Love & Hate is ‘Black Man In A White World.’ If you were convinced that the BBC Sound of 2012 winner was just a Bill Withers wannabe on the basis of what you heard, then you clearly never saw his fantastic live shows in support of his debut. The single is a deceptively simple number that reveals its funky side with each successive play.
The man from Muswell Hill has spoken of his struggles with identity and how that shaped his teenage years. Without wishing to place a burden on his shoulders, the song burns with the same sense of bewilderment and searching as Marvin Gaye‘s ‘What’s Goin’ On.’ It’s an affecting quest to make sense of the world in which you find yourself in. This is music that is simultaneously for the head, feet and indeed heart.
With the new album produced by Inflo and Danger Mouse set for release on May 27, and Adele tweeting her joy at his return, the ground is set for a successful second album. The video for the song is directed by Japanese director Hiro Murai, who has previously worked with the likes of Earl Sweatshirt and Flying Lotus.
