I’m late to ERIKA DE CASIER, and I have to thank my local record shop Audiopile for the recommendation that’s made her my favorite artist of 2021. Her sophomore release Sensational came out earlier this year on 4AD, after her March 2020 debut album Essentials came out on her own label, Independent Jeep.
I’ve spent the last month catching up on everything she’s put out because it’s been two decades or longer since I heard someone flawlessly hit this kind of r&b vibes. She’s one part Janet, one part Sade, one part Aaliyah, and 100% Erika set to addictive and clever production that takes inspiration from trip-hop, UK garage, and house. As a 90s teenager who lived and loved during the heydey of r&b, Erika feels like a renaissance—in no way derivative or attempting to mimic the stars that came before her, instead, she’s building something beautiful and new on their foundation.
I love how effortless her music is while delivering sophistication and genius. I also love how down-to-earth she is in her artistic persona—I get the impression that she’s just presenting herself as she is. Just living life as a stunning goddess on the streets of Copenhagen.
Her lyrical themes are straightforward and almost conversational and get to the heart of what it’s like to navigate the world of love and dating in a very real way. Erika makes it clear that she’s in her power, she wants what she wants and she said what she said. Despite her angelic voice, I get the impression that you don’t fuck around with her.
Today I’ve put together all the Erika de Casier videos and albums I’ve been overindulging in lately…so immerse yourself in her flawless r&b universe…
ERIKA DE CASIER TOUR DATES:
4th – Voxhall, Aarhus, Denmark
8th – Sneaky Petes, Edinburgh, Scotland
9th – Broadcast, Glasgow, Scotland
11th – Scala, London, UK
12th – Kitchen Street, Liverpool, UK
13th – YES, Manchester, UK
14th – Strange Brew, Bristol, UK
17th – Le Botanique, Brussels, Belgium
18th – Paradiso Noord, Amsterdam, Netherlands
20th – Les Creatives, Geneva, Switzerland
23rd – Meetfactory, Prague, Czech Republic
