Celeste: Bridging the Gap in Soul
Celeste Epiphany Waite is a UK-based musician and singer-songwriter. She has been a part of the music industry for some time; she amassed a large following in 2019, releasing her EP ‘Lately,’ which skyrocketed her to fame.
Seemingly inspired by soul, blues, funk, and R&B, Celeste’s music has proven to be a refreshing take on various genres, finding a bridge between mainstream pop and underground soul in many unique ways. But who is this rising young star, and where did she come from?
Celeste was born in California in 1994 to a Jamaican father and British mother. After her parents’ separation at an early age, she moved from the United States to the UK to live with her mother. She received a scholarship to attend a performing arts school, where she spent a year taking Ballet classes at the age of 10. At this tender young age, Celeste began to take an interest in singers such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Aretha Franklin.
As these were musicians listened to by her family, Celeste began to seek out her music in the spirit of raw musical inspiration. This included the likes of Sun Ra, Thelonious Monk, and Koyo Taylor. Even at the age of 14, Celeste had seemed to acquire a mature musical taste that would give her the initial direction for her musical career later in life.
As a teenager, Celeste performed with bands and began to express herself through songwriting. At the age of 16, she wrote a song dedicated to her now-deceased father, titled ‘Sirens,’ which she posted to YouTube. The song caught the attention of a production manager at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, who expressed that he was highly impressed with her songwriting abilities.
However, it wasn’t until the age of 18 that she began to take her musical abilities seriously and started to work in the studio. By the age of 20, she had released multiple songs on SoundCloud and even got the opportunity to upload one of her songs onto the BBC Music Introducing Website in 2014. After this point, many musicians in the UK began to notice this talented young woman, and she started to feature in multiple collaborations, including those with Tieks’, Avicii, and Real Lies.
By 2016, Celeste was signed to Bank Holiday Records. In October of that year, she released her debut single ‘Daydreaming,’ which earned her enough popularity to make her radio debut in December. Early the following year, Celeste released her debut EP titled ‘The Milk and the Honey.’ The EP features Celeste’s mature jazz-blues vocals over R&B beats and dreamy synthesizers.
Between 2017’s The Milk and the Honey and 2019’s Lately, Celeste had managed to amass something of an international following. She spent much of the two years performing across the UK, America, and Europe. This only accelerated her influence, and she was featured on the Forbes’ 2020 list of the 30 most influential people under the age of 30.
Celeste’s latest release has come after months of virtual performances and film soundtrack collaborations during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her debut studio album ‘Not Your Muse’ (2021) comes when Celeste is becoming well-known for expressing her experiences as a black woman in the music industry. The album harkens back to the classical jazz clubs and noir-film genres, with contemporary pop and R&B spin.
Celeste has proven to her fans over and over that she follows her own heart and inspiration. Up until now, it seems her audience is willing to follow her wherever she takes them. Keep an eye on this rising young star, as she may very well be the next big thing in R&B.
