Genre-bending Belgian singer/songwriter Selah Sue stirred considerable anticipation prior to issuing her self-titled debut in 2011, an album that swiftly elevated her to prominence throughout Belgium and across portions of the continent. Her distinctive fusion of soul, R&B, jazz, and pop yielded a flexible yet captivating sonic palette, opening doors to partnerships with performers such as Childish Gambino and Cee-Lo Green. After her 2015 sophomore effort Reason achieved strong results, Sue maintained a lower profile through the remainder of the decade, resurfacing in 2022 with the inward-looking Persona.
Born Sanne Putseys on May 3, 1989, in Leuven and brought up in the adjacent town of Leefdaal, she first picked up an acoustic guitar and began writing original material at age fifteen. By her late teens she had polished her characteristic mixture of soul, hip-hop, funk, and reggae into a commanding style. Combining qualities reminiscent of both Adele and Erykah Badu, Sue developed her abilities through solitary practice, studio sessions, and club performances before attracting wider notice via slots at prominent festivals and appearances on Flemish television programs. At twenty she obtained a recording contract and entered the studio alongside Farhot and Patrice, Me'Shell Ndegéocello, and Cee-Lo Green, while Prince also invited her to open one of his concerts in Antwerp.
Issued in March 2011, the self-titled debut immediately reached the top of the Belgian charts and landed inside the Top Ten in neighboring territories such as France and Holland. Tracks including “This World” and “Crazy Vibes” became signature successes, and Sue established herself as a steady live act across major European festivals, culminating in a performance at the royal wedding in Luxembourg in 2012. A collection of rarities followed that same year, with the Alone EP appearing two years later. Her second full-length album, Reason, arrived in March 2015, again led by the hit single “Alone.” Another chart-topper in Belgium, it also claimed the top spot in the Netherlands and included a featured appearance by American rapper Childish Gambino.
After an extended break, Sue issued the Bedroom EP in 2020, then released the singles “Hurray” featuring TOBi and “Pills” the following year. Both tracks appeared on her third album, Persona, which reached listeners in March 2022. Less polished and more confessional than its predecessors, the record took shape through a therapeutic method known as voice dialogue, an approach centered on embracing the varied facets of one’s own character.
