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CHARLI TAFT “SENTIMENTAL”
“Charli Taft is putting her hit-making abilities to use with her own music.” – Complex
The incomparable rising UK R&B star Charli Taft makes a stunning return via “Sentimental” – a classic R&B-funk number, served as the latest slice from Taft’s upcoming 2022 debut album.
Instantly enticing listeners with its opening funk guitar grooves and hip-hop flavoured beat, “Sentimental” is an outstanding throwback evocative of the late ‘90s / early ‘00s golden years of R&B, elevated by Taft’s honeyed harmonies akin to icons like Brandy and Faith Evans. Co-writing all of her music and produced by Charli’s partner in crime, the acclaimed GRAMMY winning producer Daniel “Obi” Klein (Method Man, Fat Joe), “Sentimental” emerges as a nostalgic yet undeniably fresh up-tempo blues bop about being stuck in an impossible situation with someone that you just can’t bring yourself to leave.
“Sentimental” is further marked by an impressive music video directed by underground Korean visionary MADSCENE (BamBam, N.Flying); defined by edgy, fashion-forward cinematography, the striking “Sentimental” clip depicts Charli strutting through vibrant night-time settings in the city of Seoul, distinctly capturing the vibe of MTV’s 90’s and 2000’s heyday.
Sharing her thoughts on “Sentimental”, Taft said the following: “Sentimental” is a record that sonically really sets the tone for my album. On the one hand, the lyrics are personal and intimate; I’m generally an optimistic person and I always want to see the best in people, so I’ve definitely left myself open to heartbreak in the past and I think so many people can relate to that. On the other hand, the track has this soulful, hip-hop bump. I love exploring that push-pull in my music. Even when I’m singing a song about heartbreak, I still want people to feel good when they hear it. Obi and I knew we wanted to make something 2000’s inspired with a nostalgic, organic feel. We were playing songs to get us in the mood, including one track we absolutely love called “Alright” by Freeway; listening to that record gave us such a good feeling that we ended up carrying all that energy forward and we made “Sentimental”. I wanted the music video to have a grainy, underground feel that would complement the track. It was filmed during a twelve-hour shoot on my last day in Seoul. Obi and I had just finished up a week-long writing camp so we had a really tight schedule to fit everything in. As soon as we started shooting, the energy was amazing and everyone gave everything they had, even in the insane July heat!
As a major frontrunner in bringing back the nostalgic R&B vibes of yesteryear but in her own matchless style, Taft has over the years built a major reputation for herself by quite famously injecting her signature take on music into the Korean music scene; with her credits amassing over 120M+ streams to date, she is at the heart of much-loved hits by some of the country’s most commercially successful names including LOONA (“Eclipse”, “Sweet Crazy Love”, “Puzzle”), Taeyeon (“Christmas Without You”), Red Velvet (“Automatic”, “Time Slip”), SuperM (“Step Up”) and Taemin (“Ace”).
Also a bona fide rising solo star in her own right, Taft’s growing catalogue of instinctively irresistible original music – including the slinky, slick pop in “Like Me”, gritty hip-hop vibes of “Love Like You”, as well as recent singles “Oh!” and “Money Can’t Buy” – has earned support from the likes of Complex and Billboard alongside spins by legendary radio tastemakers including Trevor Nelson, MistaJam and Adele Roberts. With Charli also landing in the studio with the legendary new jack swing pioneer Teddy Riley (Janet Jackson, Blackstreet) and her work placed on a notable project alongside Babyface, one of her biggest idols, all of these elements come together to position Charli as one of today’s most genuinely credible R&B prospects with solid potential and heavyweight co-signs.
With a slew of gripping singles still on the horizon for 2022, Taft’s debut album is fastly shaping up to be one of next year’s most anticipated and polished pieces of work; but for now, listeners are invited to enjoy “Sentimental” before experiencing the true magic of Taft’s upcoming album.