Tanita Tikaram

...ngwriter known for her sophisticated blend of pop and folk and her deep, smoky voice. Her 1988 debut, Ancient Heart, was a breakout success, yielding the Top Ten hits "Good Tradition" and "Twist in My Sobriety." She continued to refine her sound on follow-up releases like Everybody's Angel (1991) and Eleven Kinds of Loneliness (1992), which, while less commercially successful, helped establish her as a pioneering cult artist whose influence could be heard in subsequent waves of female singer/songwriters. After 1998's The Cappuccino Songs, Tikaram took a hiatus from music, re-emerging in 2003 with the intimate, piano-led Sentimental. Her output since then has been sporadic, though of consistently high quality, and includes 2012's soulful Can't Go Back and 2016's jazzy Closer to the People. Tikaram returned in 2025 with the richly textured LIAR (Love Isn't a Right). The child of Malaysian and Indo-Fijian parents, Tikaram was born in Germany and moved to England at age 12 where she began writing songs as a teenager. A demo tape earned her first gig in London at age 17. A year later, Tikaram signed to Warner Bros. and recorded her debut album with co-producer Rod Argent and Peter Van Hooke. Released in 1988, Ancient Heart made a splash on both sides of the Atlantic where fans and critics alike were impressed with the 19-year-old singer/songwriter's smart, world-weary songs. Both "Twist in My Sobriety" and "Good Tradition" were Top Ten hits in the U.K. and netted Tikaram two BRIT Award nominations. Despite the success of Ancient Heart, her next three releases -- The Sweet Keeper (1990), Everybody's Angel (1991), and the self-produced Eleven Kinds of Loneliness (1992) -- failed to reach the commercial highs of her debut. Still, Tikaram began to bounce back in 1995 with the album Lovers in the City. She moved to Polygram for 1998's The Cappuccino Songs. By this point, she had begun to mature into a respected cult artist who, like Tracy Chapman, helped pave the way for smart, left-of-center female singer/songwriters. In the seven-year gap before her next release, Tikaram taught herself piano and developed the intimate, jazzy style heard on 2005's Sentimental which featured Nick Lowe as a guest. Another extended break followed Sentimental -- her next album, 2012's Can't Go Back, bore a heavy soul and Motown influence. Released on Ear, Can't Go Back was produced by Paul Bryan and featured guest vocals by Grant-Lee Phillips. Four years later, Tikaram released 2016's Closer to the People, a jazzy LP that showcased her road band. A 2019 career-spanning compilation, To Drink the Rainbow (An Anthology 1988–2019), was released by the Needle Mythology label, heavily favoring her later-period work. After another long break, Tikaram released her tenth album, LIAR (Love Isn't a Right), in 2025. Considered a spiritual sequel to her 1988 debut, the album featured elegant chamber pop arrangements and songs that dove into political and social commentary as well as reflections on aging and identity. ~ Timothy Monger & Steve Huey