Jump to content

Kwabs: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 18: Line 18:
}}
}}


'''Kwabena Sarkodee Adjepong''' better known by his stage name '''Kwabs''' (born 24 April 1990)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kwabs-mn0003208759/biography|title=Kwabs - Biography & History|website=AllMusic|accessdate=15 January 2019}}</ref> is a British singer and songwriter. He is best known for his international hit, "[[Walk (Kwabs song)|Walk]]".
'''Kwabena Sarkodee Adjepong''' (born 24 April 1990),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kwabs-mn0003208759/biography|title=Kwabs - Biography & History|website=AllMusic|accessdate=15 January 2019}}</ref> better known by his stage name '''Kwabs''', is a British singer and songwriter. He is best known for his international hit "[[Walk (Kwabs song)|Walk]]".


==Early life==
==Early life==
Born in London,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/feb/04/new-band-of-day-kwabs|title=Kwabs (No 1,692)|first=Paul|last=Lester|date=4 February 2014|accessdate=15 January 2019|website=Theguardian.com}}</ref> Kwabena Adjepong was raised in [[Bermondsey]], [[South London]] [[London Borough of Southwark|Borough of Southwark]] to Ghanaian parents.<ref name=standard>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/music/interview-with-southwark-singer-kwabs-i-always-knew-i-deserved-better-9728690.html|author=Lucy Brisbane|title=Interview with Southwark singer Kwabs: 'I always knew I deserved better'|newspaper=[[London Evening Standard]]|date=12 September 2014|accessdate=12 December 2014}}</ref> At [[The Charter School]] his music teacher Xanthe Sarr, and manager of the Southwark Youth Orchestra, introduced him to the [[National Youth Jazz Orchestra]]. Accepted in the programme, Kwabs became the lead singer of the orchestra for four years. He also studied jazz at the [[Royal Academy of Music]].
Born in London,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/feb/04/new-band-of-day-kwabs|title=Kwabs (No 1,692)|first=Paul|last=Lester|date=4 February 2014|accessdate=15 January 2019|website=Theguardian.com}}</ref> Kwabs was raised in [[Bermondsey]], [[South London]] [[London Borough of Southwark|Borough of Southwark]] to Ghanaian parents.<ref name=standard>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/music/interview-with-southwark-singer-kwabs-i-always-knew-i-deserved-better-9728690.html|author=Lucy Brisbane|title=Interview with Southwark singer Kwabs: 'I always knew I deserved better'|newspaper=[[London Evening Standard]]|date=12 September 2014|accessdate=12 December 2014}}</ref> At [[The Charter School]], his music teacher Xanthe Sarr and manager of the Southwark Youth Orchestra, introduced Kwabs to the [[National Youth Jazz Orchestra]]. Accepted in the programme, he became the lead singer of the orchestra for four years. He also studied jazz at the [[Royal Academy of Music]].


==Career==
==Career==
===2011–12: Beginnings===
===2011–12: Beginnings===
In 2011, Kwabs was in the BBC TV show ''[[Goldie's Band: By Royal Appointment]]'' of drum-and-bass musician [[Goldie]], a UK nationwide platform to search for young talented musicians, and one of twelve artists chosen to create some musical pieces for a special performance at [[Buckingham Palace]]. This culminated in Kwabs appearing in a 2011 presentation,<ref name=standard/> performing a rendition of "[[Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child]]". In 2012, he released cover versions of "Like a Star" by [[Corinne Bailey Rae]] and "The Wilhelm Scream" by [[James Blake (musician)|James Blake]]. The Kwabs version went viral on YouTube. He signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records collaborating with a number of artists for his debut EP ''Wrong or Right'' with critical acclaim.<ref>[http://www.spex.de/2014/02/13/kwabs-soul-reloaded/ Spex.de: Kwabs: Soul, reloaded] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311101832/http://www.spex.de/2014/02/13/kwabs-soul-reloaded/ |date=11 March 2015 }} {{in lang|de}}</ref>
In 2011, Kwabs was in the [[BBC]] television show ''[[Goldie's Band: By Royal Appointment]]'' of drum-and-bass musician [[Goldie]], a UK nationwide platform to search for young talented musicians, and one of twelve artists chosen to create some musical pieces for a special performance at [[Buckingham Palace]]. This culminated in Kwabs appearing in a 2011 presentation,<ref name=standard/> performing a rendition of "[[Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child]]".
In 2012, he released cover versions of "Like a Star" by [[Corinne Bailey Rae]] and "The Wilhelm Scream" by [[James Blake (musician)|James Blake]]. The Kwabs version went viral on [[YouTube]]. He signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records collaborating with a number of artists for his debut EP ''Wrong or Right'' with critical acclaim.<ref>[http://www.spex.de/2014/02/13/kwabs-soul-reloaded/ Spex.de: Kwabs: Soul, reloaded] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311101832/http://www.spex.de/2014/02/13/kwabs-soul-reloaded/ |date=11 March 2015 }} {{in lang|de}}</ref>


===2014–present: ''Love + War''===
===2014–present: ''Love + War''===
[[File:Kwabs-16.jpg|thumb|245px|Kwabs on stage in 2015]]
[[File:Kwabs-16.jpg|thumb|245px|Kwabs on stage in 2015]]
The subsequent EPs ''Pray for Love'' and ''Walk EP'' have a more pop-oriented sound, with ''Walk EP'' containing the hit single "[[Walk (Kwabs song)|Walk]]," his best known release, launched on 5 October 2014 on Atlantic Records.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/new-music/11108995/Kwabs-New-Music.html|author=Charlotte Krol|title=Kwabs – New Music This London talent has a voice that could shake the earth|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=29 September 2014|accessdate=12 December 2014}}</ref> It was a minor hit in the United Kingdom reaching number 71, but became hugely popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It was also number one on the iTunes Music charts. In April 2015 he released the single "Perfect Ruin" and on 11 September 2015 he released his debut studio album ''[[Love + War (Kwabs album)|Love & War]]''.
The subsequent EPs ''Pray for Love'' and ''Walk EP'' have a more pop-oriented sound, with ''Walk EP'' containing the hit single "[[Walk (Kwabs song)|Walk]]", Kwabs' best known release, launched on 5 October 2014 on Atlantic Records.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/new-music/11108995/Kwabs-New-Music.html|author=Charlotte Krol|title=Kwabs – New Music This London talent has a voice that could shake the earth|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=29 September 2014|accessdate=12 December 2014}}</ref> It was a minor hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number 71, but became hugely popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It was also number one on the [[iTunes]] Music charts.
In April 2015, Kwabs released the single "Perfect Ruin", and on 11 September 2015, he released his debut studio album ''[[Love + War (Kwabs album)|Love & War]]''.


==In popular culture==
==In popular culture==

Revision as of 22:31, 7 September 2020

Kwabs
Kwabs performing in 2015
Kwabs performing in 2015
Background information
Birth nameKwabena Sarkodee Adjepong
Born (1990-04-24) 24 April 1990 (age 34)
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2011–present
LabelsAtlantic
Websitekwabsmusic.com

Kwabena Sarkodee Adjepong (born 24 April 1990),[1] better known by his stage name Kwabs, is a British singer and songwriter. He is best known for his international hit "Walk".

Early life

Born in London,[2] Kwabs was raised in Bermondsey, South London Borough of Southwark to Ghanaian parents.[3] At The Charter School, his music teacher Xanthe Sarr and manager of the Southwark Youth Orchestra, introduced Kwabs to the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Accepted in the programme, he became the lead singer of the orchestra for four years. He also studied jazz at the Royal Academy of Music.

Career

2011–12: Beginnings

In 2011, Kwabs was in the BBC television show Goldie's Band: By Royal Appointment of drum-and-bass musician Goldie, a UK nationwide platform to search for young talented musicians, and one of twelve artists chosen to create some musical pieces for a special performance at Buckingham Palace. This culminated in Kwabs appearing in a 2011 presentation,[3] performing a rendition of "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child".

In 2012, he released cover versions of "Like a Star" by Corinne Bailey Rae and "The Wilhelm Scream" by James Blake. The Kwabs version went viral on YouTube. He signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records collaborating with a number of artists for his debut EP Wrong or Right with critical acclaim.[4]

2014–present: Love + War

Kwabs on stage in 2015

The subsequent EPs Pray for Love and Walk EP have a more pop-oriented sound, with Walk EP containing the hit single "Walk", Kwabs' best known release, launched on 5 October 2014 on Atlantic Records.[5] It was a minor hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number 71, but became hugely popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It was also number one on the iTunes Music charts.

In April 2015, Kwabs released the single "Perfect Ruin", and on 11 September 2015, he released his debut studio album Love & War.

  • "Saved" was used in a number of promotional trailers for the second series of the BBC's The Musketeers.
  • "Walk" was used in the soundtrack of EA Sports video game FIFA 15, along with promotional trailers for the BBC's coverage of the 2015 general election. It was also used in an ad for the WeAreUs August 2015 ad for Boohoo.com.

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak positions
UK
[6] 		AUT
[7] 		BEL (Fl)
[8] 		GER
[9] 		HUN
[10] 		NL
[11] 		SWI
[12]
Love + War
  • Released: 11 September 2015
  • Label: Atlantic Records UK
  • Format: Digital download, CD
 26 44 39 26 24 23 12

Extended plays

Title Details Notes
Wrong or Right
  • Released: 4 February 2014
  • Label: Atlantic Records UK
  • Format: Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Wrong or Right"3:36
2."Last Stand"3:28
3."Spirit Fade"5:06
4."Wrong or Right (Ben Pearce Remix)"6:07
Pray for Love
  • Released: 19 May 2014
  • Label: Atlantic Records UK
  • Format: Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Pray for Love"3:16
2."Into You"3:26
3."Something Right"2:52
4."Brother"4:27
Walk
  • Released: 3 October 2014
  • Label: Atlantic Records UK
  • Format: Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Walk"3:34
2."Saved"3:56
3."Walk (Jaded Remix)" (featuring Jaded)5:30
4."Walk (Royce Wood Junior Remix)" (featuring Royce Wood Junior)3:44

Singles

Year Title Peak positions Certifications Album
UK
[6] 		AUT
[7] 		BEL (Fl)
[8] 		BEL (Wa)
[13] 		GER
[9] 		NL
[11] 		NOR
[14] 		SWI
[12]
2014 "Wrong or Right" — — 67[A] — — — — — Love + War
"Walk" 71 3 53[A] 59[A] 1 98 12 4
2015 "My Own" — — 84[A] — — — — —
"—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Non-charting
  • 2014: "Pray for Love"
  • 2015: "Perfect Ruin"
  • 2015: "Look Over Your Shoulder"
Year Title Peak positions Album
UK
[6] 		AUS
[18] 		FRA
[19]
2015 "Willing and Able"
(Disclosure featuring Kwabs) 		70 78 116 Caracal

Music videos

Year Title
2014 "Wrong or Right"
"Pray for Love"
"Walk"
"Saved"
2015 "Perfect Ruin"
"Fight for Love"
"My Own"
"Cheating on Me"

References

Notes

A ^ Did not appear in the official Belgian Ultratop 50 charts, but rather in the bubbling under Ultratip charts. For Ultratip peaks, added 50 positions to arrive at an equivalent Ultratop position.

Sources

  1. ^ "Kwabs - Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  2. ^ Lester, Paul (4 February 2014). "Kwabs (No 1,692)". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  3. ^ a b Lucy Brisbane (12 September 2014). "Interview with Southwark singer Kwabs: 'I always knew I deserved better'". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  4. ^ Spex.de: Kwabs: Soul, reloaded Archived 11 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine (in German)
  5. ^ Charlotte Krol (29 September 2014). "Kwabs – New Music This London talent has a voice that could shake the earth". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  6. ^ a b c "Kwabs UK Charts". Official Charts Company.
  7. ^ a b Hung, Steffen. "Discographie Kwabs". Austrian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
  8. ^ a b Hung, Steffen. "Discografie Kwabs". Belgium (Flanders) Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
  9. ^ a b Hung, Steffen. "Discographie Kwabs". German Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
  10. ^ "Kwabs". Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Archived from the original on 20 August 2013.
  11. ^ a b Hung, Steffen. "Discografie Kwabs". Dutch Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
  12. ^ a b Hung, Steffen. "Discographie Kwabs". Swiss Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
  13. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Discographie Kwabs". Belgium (Wallonia) Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
  14. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Discography Kwabs". Norwegian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
  15. ^ "Gold & Platin". Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  16. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank". Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  17. ^ "Awards 2015". Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  18. ^ "Delta Goodrem's 'Wings' Spends Second Week on Top of Australian Chart". Noise11.com.
  19. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Discographie Kwabs". French Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kwabs.
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata. Edit this at Wikidata
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Kwabs&oldid=977271550"