About Sparrow

"Sparrow" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé. It was released on 15 March 2019 by Virgin EMI Records as the lead single from her upcoming third studio album, to be released in 2019. "Sparrow" was written by Sandé primarily, with Laidi Saliasi credited as an additional songwiter. The track was produced by percussionist Troy Miller, with Sandé serving as a co-producer. The song, a power ballad with gospel influences, features lyrics which Sandé described as being inspired by the "intoxicating positivity" of Nigerian musician Fela Kuti.

Sandé sent demos of the song to producer Troy Miller, who she was familiar with due to his work with British musician Laura Mvula. Sandé referred to wanting a "militant, marching beat" prominent in the track. Miller wrote the string arrangements for "Sparrow", and recorded the instrumentation with the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Adele Emily Sandé, MBE (/ˈsændeɪ/ SAN-day; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a British singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire by an English mother and Zambian father, Sande rose to prominence after being a featured artist on the 2009 Chipmunk track "Diamond Rings". It was their first top 10 single on the UK Singles Chart. In 2010, she was featured on "Never Be Your Woman" by the rapper Wiley, which was another top ten hit. In 2012, she received the Brit Awards' Critics' Choice Award.

Sandé released her first solo single "Heaven" in August 2011. She has two number-one singles across the UK and Ireland with "Read All About It" with Professor Green and "Beneath Your Beautiful", a collaboration with Labrinth. Her album Our Version of Events spent ten non-consecutive weeks at number one and became the best-selling album of 2012 in the UK, with over 1 million sales. In 2012, she performed in both the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the London Olympics. She won two Brit Awards at the 2013 ceremony: Best British Female Solo Artist, and British Album of the Year.

In 2016, she released her second studio album Long Live the Angels, which debuted at number 2 on the UK album chart. In 2017, she won the Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist, becoming her fourth win in total.

Sandé was also appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for her services to music.