Iris Gold

About

" Upbeat pop and shiny-hip-hop "

Born in London and raised in Denmark, Indian/ Jamaican singer-songwriter Iris Gold seemed to grab the spotlight fast when she launched her musical escapades, attracting attention from renowned artists as diverse as Doja Cat and Taylor Swift. For her new album, ‘Woman’, she’s collaborated with the legendary musician/ producer and Eurythmics co-founder, Dave Stewart. The result is probably the purest and most effective distillation yet of her hybrid aesthetic and colourful background (she has experienced a nomadic life, squatting above the Folktreat and being part of the autonomous Christiania, surrounded by freethinkers). 

Iris steadily rides the line between “singer” and “rapper” over melodies and beats that possess a psychedelic pop drift (check ‘Talk All Night’), mid-tempo vibes (‘Lover of my own’), and she even channels 90s alternative pop alongside a swaggering hip-hop feel (in ‘Girl Pick Up Your Drum’). Her voice often sounds like a melodic stream flowing above Stewart’s multi-faceted instrumentation.

As flexible as Iris Gold can be, since she’s indicated boundless creative energy and an instinct to mix it up, her reflections on relationships and social issues are quite pointed. Much of ‘Woman’ focuses particularly on women’s liberation and taking control of your own sexuality. 
Lyrically speaking, this is not at all far from the concept of ‘Planet Cool’, her debut album back in 2019, which also featured a zero-racism-tolerated lyrical approach that fits perfectly with Iris’s youthful energy. By embracing her own dynamic perspective, she sidesteps the miserabilism that’s accompanied an important amount of hip-hop and R&B over the past years, bringing an eclectic mix of styles and positive vibe in today’s hip-hop menu.

Photo : Joshua Fry