Written by Sophie Wyatt

Yep, you read that name right, Izzy Bizu is BACK. After a few years break from the music world, the soulful South-London singer is back with a bang. After releasing her two newest singles ‘Faded‘ and ‘Tough Pill‘ earlier this year, she has since shared her single ‘MG‘ with her eagerly awaiting fans. We caught up with the singer about her first memories of creating music and how her music style has developed since her 2016 debut album ‘A Moment of Madness‘. 

 

After shooting to fame in 2016 with her debut album and singles such as ‘White Tiger‘, Izzy Bizu gained a worldwide following and a loyal fan base. At just 26-years-old, the singer-songwriter has developed her own unique and identifiable sound in both her beats and lyrics. So it’s not surprising that her love for music stemmed from a young age. Izzy explained that it was poetry that first got her into creating music. It was from then that her interest in poetry developed into her connection to music. ‘Then when I went to boarding school they had a small upright piano in a room and I’d play there when I was bored or missed home, it brought me a lot of joy!‘

 

Following performances at Glastonbury, being short-listed for the Brit’s Critic Choice Award and winning the BBC Introducing Award, Izzy released her debut album ‘A Moment of Madness‘. The album received a lot of praise from critics and fans when it was released in 2016 and led to her performing at several top festivals and touring with bands like Coldplay. Although it may initially seem that there is a different vibe to her music, Izzy explained to us that her heart could not totally stray from meaningful ballads and touching tunes. (Check out the newly released video for Izzy’s latest single ‘MG‘ below!). ‘Well, I still can’t run away from the soulful vibes, but I am discovering some cool synth sounds. However, I still have soft spots on the new album for guitar and piano driven ballads!‘

 

                                                                        

 

Between releasing singles and albums, Izzy has spent a large proportion of her time working with amazing charities such as Ethiopiaid and Studio Samuel. After being contacted by the charities to help support them through her music, Izzy explained to us how this came about and how she only wished she could do more. ‘Well I am half Ethiopian and I’ve always wanted to help in any way I can. Ethiopia is a place filled with smart people, resources, skill and talent! Fashion, food, coffee, jewellery, and of course, an amazing positivity about the culture that is worth exploring and supporting considering how much less Ethiopia has economically.’

 

Like many of us, the singer explained that her experience of the global lockdown was filled with ups and downs. However, she also told us that she has used the experience to try and exude positive thoughts and has been developing her life style in order to keep a healthy mental state. ‘Lockdown has been interesting, I’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs. I have felt anxiety yes but creating has mostly been the biggest joy in my life, along with my friends and family. The only thing that affects me is the lack of freedom..and I’m a very free person so it has affected my mood a lot. However, I am trying some changes in my life to kick the negative thoughts out of the way such as healthy eating (trying my best to be a vegetarian), meditation, more exercise and trying a new hobby. I will start with badminton.’

 

Photos by Pate Cadman

While Izzy has turned her time in 2020 into a positive experience in which she has been able to reflect, as an artist 2020 has been an incredibly confusing time. While some artists have taken time out altogether, some have turned to social media to allow their fans to not only continue enjoying their work, but also to give their followers and supporters a sense of comfort and somewhere to escape to when the world is still full of so many uncertainties and confusion. Izzy has been using her Instagram to not only carry on sharing her music, but has also created fun IGTV content from chats with artists such as Milky Chance and Arrow Benjamin, to thought-provoking chats with her followers while she makes brunch. ‘Oh that’s a whole other story. Ha! I love performing live. I used to hate the nerves but now it’s all I want! On the other hand connecting with people that I wouldn’t have met before if it wasn’t for lockdown has been amazing, and healing in a weird kinda way.’

Keep your eyes peeled for even more of Izzy Bizu’s music in the near future, and in the mean time head over to her Spotify to hear her newest single ‘MG’ featuring Dom McAllister.