V V Brown offers “an ode to the stories and struggles that have shaped us as a black community” on her latest single, History.
The track is the third to be lifted from ‘Am I British Yet?’, following previous releases such as Black British, Twisted and Marginalised.
Of the single, she says: “This song is a journey through time and memory […] it’s a piece of my heart and soul. Let’s make some history together!”
Listen to History below.
Launching into the charts in 2009 with her breakthrough hit, Shark In The Water, Brown started out on Island Records before releasing her second and third albums independently via her YoY label.
For her new project, which encompasses music along with essays and journalistic pieces, she’s teamed up with Virgin Records under her imprint and, reflecting on the shift in attitudes from major labels, says plenty has changed.
“I never ever thought that I would ever go back to a major,” she told RETROPOP’s June 2023 issue. “So it’s my label partnered with Virgin Music under Universal, and it’s a really nice feeling to be partnered with a major that is encouraging it and understanding the direction.”
She added: “The industry has changed so much from when I left; it’s a whole different universe now and it’s really refreshing to see how artists are having more of a creative voice. I love it. I think it’s great how bold artists are being and how independent and powerful they are.
“Like RAYE, for instance – I just think she’s awesome for the way that she’s navigated through her career, even though she’d had a hard time. There’s so much power in the hands of artists now.”
