Debbie: The Subtle Superstar Making Soul Music From The Soul For The Soul

Sometimes an artist is quietly destined for stardom. Defying expectation and genre, transcending theirs peers to deliver a sound so startlingly listenable that it becomes etched into your ear drums. Future Soul frontrunner Debbie’s voice, emotional resonance and cathartic character amalgamates a subtle superstar. Only the second signing of revered label 0207 Def Jam after Stormzy, it’s clear that I’m not the only one who thinks so.

With a voice that is effortless and powerful in equal measure, Debbie is a singer before all else: ‘The thing that fuels my fire is singing. I’ve always been a singer, my mum just to say I’ve been singing since I left the woom. It takes me to a different place, I always close to eyes when I sing. No matter what is going on in my life, if I sing, I’m alright. To continuously be able to feel like that and to make it into a career, and into something that can touch other people keeps me going’.

Her music is entrenched in the sonic universe of Soul, but not exclusively. Elements of Pop, R&B and Jazz flow through Debbie’s rich, dainty and softly hypnotic sound. ‘I don’t think I have a genre, I think I just make meaningful music that comes from the soul’, says the singer when discussing her style, and it’s hard to disagree. It’s the purpose and deep seated emotion of her music that elevates Debbie above the congested scene; a scene that Debbie is successfully standing out from. ‘At first I was a bit nervous’ she admits, ‘I didn’t want to oversaturate the market more, I wanted to add something that was a bit different and unique. Then I realised that everyone brings something new to the table because they’re them. Now I’m just comfortable in my art and confident in my craft’.

Debbie has just released her fourth single, ‘All Night Long’, a sonic manifesto that truly encapsulates her as an artist. More personal than the previous cuts, this is the song that Debbie wants you to hear, to understand and to appreciate: ‘I’d say it’s steered more towards the artist that I actually am. I wrote it about 3 years ago. At the time in my relationship it was at a really toxic point, and I find it really hard to voice how I feel. On the day I was just writing it all down and it flowed out. It felt like the right moment to release it. I think ‘All Night Long’ is another side to me that I really want to show’.

As genuine as a person can be, Debbie deserves the success she is being showered by, as she bathes in the moment and humbly enjoys her boldness - ‘I’m just proud to have had the guts to go for what I wanted. I’m just proud that I’m here because I didn’t think music could be a career for me. I did a finance degree and thought I’d end up in an office. I thought it was impossible to be a singer.’ Despite her quickly established acclaim, Debbie is far from content with her artistry and is looking to push herself in every way. When asked about the next big goal in her career, she commented: ‘To be a great performer. I think I’m just starting out, I’ve only done about 5 performances and I’ve realised that with singing being the root of everything, I need to look at the other parts of being an artist like songwriting, performing and social media presence. Those things I’m still learning’. It’s right, she is still learning, but she’s a damn good student.