Emeli Sande’s Next to Me is one of the most inescapable songs of the moment. The lead Stateside single from Sande’s debut, Our Version of Events, has quickly landed her on the pop A-list.
Needless to say, it’s been quite the whirlwind for the 26-year-old former med student. “That was a big breakthrough single for me back home in the U.K. Things change a lot when people listen to your music and your life completely changes,” she told MTV News. “So the past two years have really been a fast ride for me.”
In fact, the feel-good ditty has even given her the kind of recognition that leads to calls from showbiz heavyweights like Jay-Z and Baz Luhrmann, who enlisted the Brit R&B singer to cover Beyonce’s Crazy in Love for “The Great Gatsby” soundtrack.
“It was initially quite daunting, especially because Jay-Z is the executive producer,” she said of re-recording Bey’s single from her 2003 solo debut, Dangerously in Love, with Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry. “But [it’s] a big honor to be involved, and it was really, really fun going to the premiere and seeing it all come together.”
When we caught up with Sandé earlier this month, she had yet to hear from the Queen Bey about her cover, but did get the approval of her hubby. “I haven’t met Beyonce, but I met Jay-Z afterwards and he was digging it,” she said. “So that’s good.”
Next up, Sandé is working out what her next single will be, and she promises it’s likely to be one of her favorite tunes on her album. “How am I gonna follow up? Well, we’re discussing which one to come up with next in the U.S.,” she teased. “But I’m excited. We’ll see what happens; it’s one of the favorite ones on the album.”
Source: mtv.com
