Labrinth

Labrinth stands out for his extraordinary range across today’s musical landscape. Based in London, the performer sings, raps, plays multiple instruments, writes songs, and produces records, achieving solo prominence while contributing to projects by the Weeknd, Ed Sheeran, and Sia. Since the start of the 2010s he has consistently placed near or atop the U.K. singles chart, whether featured on Tinie Tempah’s “Frisky,” leading with the number-one single “Beneath Your Beautiful,” or appearing as part of LSD on “Thunderclouds.” Alongside these releases he composed Ivor Novello- and Emmy-winning scores for the HBO series Euphoria and issued three expansive solo albums: the 2012 U.K. number-two hit Electronic Earth, Imagination & the Misfit Kid in 2019, and Ends & Begins in 2023, the last containing his Grammy-nominated duet with Billie Eilish, “Never Felt So Alone.”

Born Timothy McKenzie, he first surfaced in 2008 as a triple-threat talent by writing, producing, and performing on Master Shortie’s track “Dead End.” The following year brought further work with Tinchy Stryder and Chipmunk, yet 2010 marked his decisive arrival through his appearance on Tinie Tempah’s breakout “Frisky.” That same year his remix of Gorillaz’s “Stylo” appeared, prompting record labels to pursue him for behind-the-scenes songwriting and production roles.

Simon Cowell, however, envisioned a different path. In early summer the music executive signed Labrinth directly to Syco, the first such artist in six years to join the imprint without prior involvement in one of Cowell’s televised competitions. Labrinth’s initial Syco single, “Let the Sun Shine,” followed in August and climbed to number three on the U.K. pop chart. Early in 2011 he began shaping his debut album while simultaneously producing for Ms. Dynamite and contributing to the BBC Children in Need charity single “Teardrop.” October 2011 brought his first new solo-era release, the Tinie Tempah collaboration “Earthquake,” which entered the U.K. singles chart at number two.

Six months afterward Electronic Earth appeared, incorporating earlier successes plus three further hit singles, among them the chart-topping “Beneath Your Beautiful” featuring Emeli Sandé. Work on a successor began promptly, yielding several singles such as “Let It Be,” which reached number eleven on the U.K. pop chart, and “Jealous,” which peaked at number seven, though repeated delays left the album unreleased. Visibility remained high through guest spots on Tinie Tempah’s “Lover Not a Fighter,” Sigma’s “Higher,” and the Weeknd’s “Losers.” Production credits continued to accumulate, including the Grammy-nominated Beauty Behind the Madness and Starboy for the Weeknd, ÷ for Ed Sheeran, and “Again” for Noah Cyrus.

Between 2017 and mid-2019 additional solo tracks surfaced, yet the most notable development was the formation of the pop trio LSD alongside Sia and Diplo. The group released “Genius,” “Audio,” and the hit “Thunderclouds,” a Top 20 U.K. single that also reached the Top Five in France; these recordings later formed the album Labrinth, Sia & Diplo Present LSD. In 2019 Labrinth composed the original score for Euphoria, highlighted by the single “All for Us” featuring Zendaya, earning an Ivor Novello Award for Best Television Soundtrack and a Primetime Emmy in the United States. “All for Us” appeared on Imagination & the Misfit Kid, issued that November. Further Euphoria material followed, and “Still Don't Know My Name” from the score attained platinum certification in the States.

After joining Sia on Major Lazer’s 2021 track “Titans,” Labrinth supplied new songs for the Euphoria: Season 2 soundtrack in 2022, including another Zendaya duet, “I'm Tired.” Preceding singles “Lift Off” and “Iridium” led into the April 2023 release of “Never Felt So Alone,” created with Billie Eilish and Finneas, which entered the U.K. Top 40 ahead of the parent album Ends & Begins later that month. The song earned Labrinth his third Grammy nomination, this time in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category.