Cleo Sol is a British soul singer-songwriter, known for albums like Rose in the Dark and Mother, and for her connection to SAULT. She has a gift for turning memory, motherhood, faith, and pain into gentle harmonies. While her accomplishments are many, her impact is lasting.
On first listen, I did not realize how much her Mother album would affect me. Then it put me face to face with something very personal to me.
In my youth, I always felt misunderstood. And there were times I was mean-spirited toward my mother. God help me.I was so mean to my mother sometimes. Painful memories I will have to carry with me until the end of time.
This album gave me understanding. It has the honesty of “To Zion” by Lauryn Hill with the musicality of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye.
“23” and “Build Me Up” are probably the most impactful songs to me on this project. It helped me put a voice to the isolation I felt for so long. Don’t get me wrong, my mother was by no means absent, and this wasn’t my story. But being an activist’s kid, sometimes you get engulfed and your family becomes a part of the movement.
And I would not have it any other way because, as a dear friend once told me, “Life isn’t meant to be fair Brandon, it’s meant to be lived.”
But I wanted to understand.
It took me a lot of quiet nights to fully understand that my mother was doing the best she could. And I know there are some monster situations out there, things that push past forgiveness. But if you’re not in one of those situations and you’re at odds with someone you love, please extend an olive branch and be patient with them. Especially our elders.
Because the same way we are a product of them, they were a product of something too, and they deserve mercy.
Please, please don’t wait until it’s too late.
Listen to CLEO SOL
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5 Songs to Start With :
SELF
PROMISES
23
BUILD ME UP
YOUNG LOVE
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A running playlist of artists featured in Spotlight.