Cleo Sol
Born: 1990
Location: Kensington, London, England
Genre: R'n'B, Neo-Soul
Years Active: 2008 -
Real Name: Cleopatra Nikolic
Meaning of the Name: Sol means sun
Way of Working: Sings over a producers beats
Associated: Inflo, Sault, Little Simz
Essential Releases
Sault - 5 (2019)
A genre defying, debut album from the UK supergroup .
A Rose in the
Dark (2020)
An introspective, soulful journey about finding beauty in the dark.
Sault - Untitled
(Rise) (2020)
A powerful statement on racial identity and injustice.
Mother (2021)
A deeply personal and tender tribute to the complexities of motherhood.
Cleo Sol, the voice behind Sault, is a captivating solo artist in her own right. Sault, who work closely with established stars such as Michael Kiwanuka and Little Simz, didn't play their first live set until 2023, despite releasing their debut album in 2019.
This was partly due to Sol's crippling stage fright, but also to a sophisticated marketing campaign that created insider buzz by giving journalists something they couldn't ignore: an unanswered question.
'Who are Sault?' emanated from the ink-stained pages of many music publications in 2019, essentially providing them with free publicity equalling a significant advertising spend. We're lucky enough now to know that Sault are comprised of Cleo Sol and Inflo, a husband-and-wife, vocalist-producer team with deep connections in the British music industry.
While Sault's work, and Cleo Sol's solo efforts, are both products of the same pairing, they are noticeably different. Cleo's albums are markedly more personal, intimate, and tender than Sault's politically charged output, clearly indicating her authorship.
Take, for example, her second LP Mother, which celebrated the birth of the pair's firstborn child. Vitally, in this context, Inflo not only provided the beats but was also the child's father. The resulting album has a touching intimacy that would have been impossible to replicate with a different person behind the boards.
However, the record is titled Mother. Even though Inflo produced every track, and was the father of the child in question, this is undeniably Cleo's album. It's a product of the love she experienced when those feelings were at their most intense, as both the record and the child were born in 2021.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
90
Mental Impact
40
Originality
60
Artistry
40
Authenticity
90
Live
70
Production
95
Musicianship
65
Singing
85
Songwriting
80
Danceability
45
Fun
40
Consistency
75
Range
60
Cool
60
Charisma
55
Commercial & Critical Success
Awards >>>
- Ivor Novello Award Nominee 2022- Mother
Certifications
Charts
Critics >>>
- The Fader- Heaven - Best Albums of 2023: #19
- Complex UK- Gold - Best Albums of 2023: #4
