Michael Kiwanuka

Michael Kiwanuka, a British singer and songwriter, fuses folk, indie rock, and R&B with strains drawn from his Ugandan background, all shaped by his acoustic approach and enduringly soulful vocals. Reviewers have drawn parallels to Curtis Mayfield, Terry Callier, and Van Morrison. His opening release, the 2012 album Home Again, earned a Mercury Prize nomination, while he claimed the BBC Sound of 2012 honor. The 2016 follow-up Love & Hate further established his standing as a skilled, earthy performer; the record attained gold certification and topped the U.K. charts. In 2019 he delivered the full-length Kiwanuka. Danger Mouse and Inflo served as co-producers, and the project secured the 2020 Mercury Prize. Returning to the same production team, Kiwanuka issued the 2024 single "Floating Parade," which summoned the dreamy psychedelic soul of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On era—another central influence—and offered the first taste of Small Changes, the album that arrived later that year.

Born in 1987 in Muswell Hill, London, to Ugandan parents who had left Idi Amin's regime in the 1970s, Kiwanuka first embraced rock music, especially Radiohead and Nirvana, and performed with several cover bands while pursuing brief studies in jazz at the Royal Academy of Music and pop music at Westminster University. An unused take of Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" led him toward a more minimal style. After appearing as a session musician with James Gadson, formerly Bill Withers' drummer, and Labrinth, the producer for Tinie Tempah, Kiwanuka performed across London's live circuit, where Paul Butler of the Bees encountered him and asked him to record at his Isle of Wight studio. Following his 2011 signing to Mumford & Sons' Communion label, he released the EPs Tell Me a Tale and I'm Getting Ready before supporting Adele on her U.K. tour.

Kiwanuka finished third on the 2012 Brits Critics Choice short list behind Emeli Sandé and Maverick Sabre. He continued the trajectory of Jessie J, Florence + the Machine, and Ellie Goulding by winning the notable BBC Sound of 2012 poll. Soon afterward he put out both his debut single and album, each titled Home Again. The set achieved critical and commercial success, reaching number four in the U.K. and number 23 on the U.S. folk chart while also earning a Mercury Prize nomination.

After an extended tour, Kiwanuka reentered the studio in 2015. His second album, Love & Hate, received partial production from Danger Mouse and appeared on Polydor in mid-2016. It too met with strong reviews and gave Kiwanuka his first U.K. number one. In 2019 he released the single "Money" with Tom Misch, then previewed three tracks—"Hero," "You Ain't the Problem," and "Piano Joint"—before the October arrival of the full-length Kiwanuka. Co-produced by Danger Mouse and Inflo, the album held the top position on the British charts for five weeks and stayed prominent for months. Kiwanuka received the prestigious Mercury Prize in 2020.

When he later resumed studio work with Danger Mouse and Inflo, the first result emerged in mid-2024 as the psychedelic soul single "Floating Parade," after which he launched a co-headline tour with Brittany Howard. Small Changes followed that November once several additional previews had surfaced. Kiwanuka's fourth album drew on inspirations such as Gene Clark, Beth Gibbons, and African bands including Amanaz and Ofege, and included organ contributions from Jimmy Jam along with bass from Pino Palladino.