Little Simz today shares new single ‘Free’, the second taster from her highly anticipated sixth album, Lotus, set for release on May 9th via AWAL Recordings. LISTEN HERE + LP PRE-ORDER HERE.

An exploration of the dualities of love and fear, ‘Free’ was written as a poem first. “Love will never judge you because of your pain,” Simz raps over lush instrumentation, the cinematic production guided by Miles Clinton James.

‘Free’ follows the foreboding first single ‘Flood’, which united two singular voices in Obongjayar and Moonchild Sanelly. Accompanied by a visionary video directed by celebrated filmmaker Salomon Ligthelm, it was a powerful entry point into the visual world of Lotus. Both ‘Free’ and ‘Flood’ start to reveal the scope and breadth of Lotus,  the shifting moods that take the listener on an expansive journey.  For Simz, the title itself, Lotus, embodies renewal and growth, mirroring her evolving artistry and the album’s thematic voyage through life’s intricate phases.

Little Simz is a boundary-breaking musician and cultural curator, recognised as one of the UK’s most captivating and visionary artists. A multi-award winner – collecting Brit Awards, MOBOs, and an Ivor Novello – across mixtapes, EPs, and five critically acclaimed albums, Simz’ music documents her story, her journey, her becoming – and in turn, her generation.

2021’s Mercury Music Prize–winning record Sometimes I Might Be Introvert catapulted Simz into the top five of the UK Official Albums Chart, followed by 2022’s surprise release NO THANK YOU, a record at once deeply honest and utterly propulsive. In 2023, she continued to carve her own lane as an acclaimed actor, returning in the final series of the Netflix drama Top Boy. Little Simz’s 2024 performance on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage further defined her reputation as an inimitable live performer and one of the most celebrated British artists. Across her catalogue of music and as a featured artist,  Little Simz global streams stand at over 1 billion.

The Southbank Centre recently announced Little Simz as the curator of the 30th edition of its iconic contemporary music festival, Meltdown. Joining a list of previous curators that includes some of the world’s most famous artists, Simz has curated a boundary-breaking lineup for the 11-day festival,  from June 12th-22nd.  Artists performing include The Streets,  Sasha Keable, Lola Young,  Ghetts,  Jon Bapiste, with Little Simz rounding off the festival, performing alongside Southbank Centre Resident Chineke! Orchestra.  More information can be found here.