Emeli Sande

Emeli Sandé (born Adele Emily Sandé, 10 February 1987, Sunderland, England) is a British singer-songwriter and musician whose work spans pop, soul and R&B. Raised primarily in Scotland, she became one of the most prominent UK vocalists of the early 2010s. She is notable for a sequence of high-selling singles and for the chart success of her debut album.

Sandé studied medicine at the University of Glasgow and began writing songs while performing locally. Before establishing a solo career, she wrote for other artists and gained industry attention through featured appearances, including the single “Diamond Rings” with Chipmunk (2009). Her early solo breakthrough came with “Heaven” (2011), followed by “Read All About It (Pt. III)” (2012), which introduced her as a major chart presence in the UK.

Her most commercially successful period centred on her debut album Our Version of Events (2012), which reached number one in the UK and became one of the best-selling British albums of the decade. Singles from this era included “Next to Me” and “My Kind of Love”, and she also featured on high-profile collaborations such as Professor Green’s “Read All About It” (2012). Sandé received major recognition at the 2013 Brit Awards, including British Female Solo Artist and British Album of the Year, and her work was closely associated with the contemporary soul-pop revival in UK mainstream music.

After the initial peak of her debut era, Sandé continued releasing new material while expanding her songwriting and production approach. She returned with the second studio album Long Live the Angels (2016), which reached the UK top three and included singles such as “Hurts” and “Breathing Underwater”. Later releases included the album Real Life (2019) and Let’s Say for Instance (2022), reflecting a continued interest in blending pop structures with gospel and soul influences, alongside ongoing live performance and festival appearances.

Sandé’s record sales are closely associated with the sustained success of Our Version of Events, which achieved multi-platinum status in the UK. Her honours include Brit Awards and other industry recognition for both recording and songwriting. Her influence is often noted in the prominence of piano-led soul-pop and emotionally direct ballad writing in British mainstream music during the early 2010s, and her best-known songs remain widely played and performed.