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British Soul singer
Gender:
Male
Work field:
Birth:
24 April 1990(London, England, UK)
Star sign:
Instruments:
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The details
Biography

Introduction

Kwabena Sarkodee Adjepong better known by his stage name Kwabs (born 24 April 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. He is best known for his international hit, "Walk".

Early life

Born in London, Kwabena Adjepong was raised in Bermondsey, South London Borough of Southwark to Ghanaian parents. At The Charter School his music teacher Xanthe Sarr, and manager of the Southwark Youth Orchestra, introduced him to the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Accepted in the programme, Kwabs became the lead singer of the orchestra for four years. He also studied jazz at the Royal Academy of Music.

Career

2011–12: Beginnings

In 2011, Kwabs was in the BBC TV show Goldie's Band: By Royal Appointment of drum-and-bass musician Goldie, a UK nationwide platform to search for young talented musicians, and one of twelve artists chosen to create some musical pieces for a special performance at Buckingham Palace. This culminated in Kwabs appearing in a 2011 presentation, performing a rendition of "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child". In 2012, he released cover versions of "Like a Star" by Corinne Bailey Rae and "The Wilhelm Scream" by James Blake. The Kwabs version went viral on YouTube. He signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records collaborating with a number of artists for his debut EP Wrong or Right with critical acclaim.

2014–present: Love + War

The subsequent EPs Pray for Love and Walk EP have a more pop-oriented sound, with Walk EP containing the hit single "Walk," his best known release, launched on 5 October 2014 on Atlantic Records. It was a minor hit in the United Kingdom reaching number 71, but became hugely popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It was also number one on the iTunes Music charts. In April 2015 he released the single "Perfect Ruin" and on 11 September 2015 he released his debut studio album Love & War.

In popular culture

  • "Saved" was used in a number of promotional trailers for the second series of the BBC's The Musketeers.
  • "Walk" was used in the soundtrack of EA Sports video game FIFA 15, along with promotional trailers for the BBC's coverage of the 2015 general election. It was also used in an ad for the WeAreUs August 2015 ad for Boohoo.com.

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak positions
UK
AUT
BEL (Fl)
GER
HUN
NL
SWI
Love + War
  • Released: 11 September 2015
  • Label: Atlantic Records UK
  • Format: Digital download, CD
26 44 39 26 24 23 12

Extended plays

No.TitleLength
Wrong or Right
  • Released: 4 February 2014
  • Label: Atlantic Records UK
  • Format: Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Wrong or Right"3:36
2."Last Stand"3:28
3."Spirit Fade"5:06
4."Wrong or Right (Ben Pearce Remix)"6:07
No.TitleLength
1."Wrong or Right"3:36
2."Last Stand"3:28
3."Spirit Fade"5:06
4."Wrong or Right (Ben Pearce Remix)"6:07
Pray for Love
  • Released: 19 May 2014
  • Label: Atlantic Records UK
  • Format: Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Pray for Love"3:16
2."Into You"3:26
3."Something Right"2:52
4."Brother"4:27
No.TitleLength
1."Pray for Love"3:16
2."Into You"3:26
3."Something Right"2:52
4."Brother"4:27
Walk
  • Released: 3 October 2014
  • Label: Atlantic Records UK
  • Format: Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Walk"3:34
2."Saved"3:56
3."Walk (Jaded Remix)" (featuring Jaded)5:30
4."Walk (Royce Wood Junior Remix)" (featuring Royce Wood Junior)3:44
No.TitleLength
1."Walk"3:34
2."Saved"3:56
3."Walk (Jaded Remix)" (featuring Jaded)5:30
4."Walk (Royce Wood Junior Remix)" (featuring Royce Wood Junior)3:44
1."Wrong or Right"3:36
2."Last Stand"3:28
3."Spirit Fade"5:06
4."Wrong or Right (Ben Pearce Remix)"6:07
1."Pray for Love"3:16
2."Into You"3:26
3."Something Right"2:52
4."Brother"4:27
1."Walk"3:34
2."Saved"3:56
3."Walk (Jaded Remix)" (featuring Jaded)5:30
4."Walk (Royce Wood Junior Remix)" (featuring Royce Wood Junior)3:44

Singles

Year Title Peak positions Certifications Album
UK
AUT
BEL (Fl)
BEL (Wa)
GER
NL
NOR
SWI
2014 "Wrong or Right" 67 Love + War
"Walk" 71 3 53 59 1 98 12 4
  • IFPI AUT: Gold
  • BVMI: Platinum
  • IFPI SWI: Gold
2015 "My Own" 84
"—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Non-charting
  • 2014: "Pray for Love"
  • 2015: "Perfect Ruin"
  • 2015: "Look Over Your Shoulder"

As featured artist

Year Title Peak positions Album
UK
AUS
FRA
2015 "Willing and Able"
(Disclosure featuring Kwabs)
70 78 116 Caracal

Music videos

Year Title
2014 "Wrong or Right"
"Pray for Love"
"Walk"
"Saved"
2015 "Perfect Ruin"
"Fight for Love"
"My Own"
"Cheating on Me"