Entertainment

Things to know about Griff, the Newest Gen-Z pop Singer in Town

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5m ago

Jun 22, 2024 / 4252 Views

Evan Walker

Brit Award winner Sarah Faith Griffiths, aka Griff, is a Gen-Z pop singer who’s making waves in the music industry. Within only a few years of her debut, the artist has garnered attention from the crème de la crème of the current music scene. Her soft and distinctive vocals, compassionate lyrics, and amazing production skills set her apart in the crowded pop landscape. Now, she’s booked to open for Taylor Swift’s massive London Eras Tour show on June 22. In anticipation of that, we take a look at Griff, her career as a singer, and other interesting things to know about her.

The English artist started making music at the age of ten. However, she kept her musical talent and passion hidden from other people, only making it public through her work later. Griff’s debut album Vertigo is scheduled to release on July 19 2024. Having performed at Hong Kong’s AIA Carnival this year, the multi-talented performer is also planning a world tour following the release of her debut album. From her humble beginnings to her first international tour, Griff has made a significant impression as an artist in the music scene.

Interesting things to know about Griff the singer

Childhood and rise to fame

Born in 2001 in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, Griff’s Jamaican father and Chinese mother introduced her to soul and gospel music at an early age. She made her first cherished musical memory aged eight, when she received an iPod shuffle as a gift with the Taylor Swift album Fearless inside. Feeling inspired, she taught herself how to perform and produce music on her brother’s laptop using YouTube lessons.

While in school, she decided to keep her desire to be a musician a secret. After finishing her A-levels, she made the decision to take a year off from school to focus on making music. While studying, she balanced her music and schooling, but kept uploading her work on Soundcloud and other media platforms. In 2019, she signed with Warner Records and released her debut single Mirror Talk shortly after completing her A-levels. Soon, she began recording more music, including Didn’t Break It Enough and Paradise, which was swiftly followed by her debut EP, The Mirror Talk.

Musical endeavours

After the release of her debut EP, Griff released a song called Good Stuff about missing the kids that her parents used to foster because they grew up together as siblings. She also did Disney’s 2020 Christmas ad Love Is a Compass and co-wrote the song I Love You’s with Hailee Steinfeld. Later that year, she collaborated with the English band Honne on the song 1,000,000 X Better and provided vocals for DJ Zedd’s single Inside Out.

Early in 2021, Griff released her breakout single Black Hole, a dark pop ballad that set the stage for her win at the Brit Awards for Rising Star. Following that, she released her debut mixtape, One Foot in Front of the Other, and went on tour throughout the United Kingdom, North America, and other parts of Europe. In November 2021, Griff was named as one of three supporting performers for the 2022 European dates of Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia Tour. The following year, she participated in eight stops of Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour. She also opened for Coldplay on a number of their European gigs during their massive Music of the Spheres World Tour.

While performing as the opening act on Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia Tour, Griff released the single Vertigo, which featured Coldplay’s Chris Martin on piano. Taylor Swift, whom she had previously met at the Brit Awards, praised the song on her Instagram stories. Coming off her significant win, Griff is now preparing to open for Swift’s Eras Tour alongside Paramore. While Griff will open the June 22 performance, two other rising popstars Mette and Benson Boone are scheduled to perform on June 23 and 21 respectively.

In October 2023, the singer released her next EP Vert1go Vol. 1, which included four songs. The release of Ver2igo Vol. 2 followed in April 2024. Griff is now preparing to release her debut studio album Vertigo, which will feature 14 songs, including all eight hits from the EPs. She is then slated to embark on her world tour from June to December 2024.

Get tickets to see pop singer Griff live on tour here.

Beyond singing: The artistic talents of singer, Griff

Griff has an eclectic style when it comes to creating her new music. Though she is an exceptionally talented singer, it bears noting that she has many musical talents that go beyond singing. She skillfully blends elements of pop, R&B, and electronic music, creating a sound that is both contemporary and distinct. Her lyrics often explore themes of love, identity, heartbreak in all forms, and self-discovery, resonating with a wide audience. In an interview, she mentioned she mostly writes in an autobiographical sense.

But what sets her apart from other artists is her hands-on approach to producing music. She often produces her own songs, leveraging her keen ear for arrangement and sound design. But that’s not all; she often DIYs her stage outfits and even music videos.

Influence

As a young artist, Griff is not afraid to take a step towards the betterment of society. She advocates for mental Health awareness and she also openly discusses the complexities and stereotypes young artists face in the music industry today. Of this, she has said, “The industry still only looks at female talent as a product. When I was a songwriter, people saw me as an artist automatically, which was cool. But people still aren’t thinking that I can be a producer and can comPete with the men in the industry. I don’t think we know how to support women behind the scenes, be it production, mixing or engineering.”

(Main and featured images: wiffygriffy/Instagram)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

– What is Griff famous for?

Griff is a British musician and one of the youngest recipients of the Brit Awards for Rising Stars.

– Why is Griff called Griff?

Griff is the stage name of the pop singer Sarah Griffiths. She selected this name because she thought her original name wasn’t glamorous enough to be a stage name.

– What ethnicity is Griff?

Griff has Jamaican-Chinese roots.

– How was Griff discovered?

Griff was scouted and signed by Warner Music after she started posting her work on Soundcloud and other social media.