Jordan Mackampa steps further into his true self with 'What Am I'. The questioning single is executed with soulful resilience against a backdrop of resplendent horns, harmonious percussion and orchestral strings - and if you listen closely - a funk undertow. It's the kind of song that sweeps you off your feet, carried by Mackampa's powerful-yet-amicable vocals reminiscent of Lianne La Havas .The zenith of the track, around the three minute mark, is especially poignant as the songwriter pivots between uplifting instrumentation and his own sense of unknowing. He repeats’ "what am I supposed to do?" capturing the feeling of a generation, lost. As the track comes to an end, Mackampa leaves us without an answer, left to ponder the question on everyone’s lips. ‘What Am I’ was produced by Dani Castelar (Paolo Nutini).
Filmed in London and directed by Tom Ewbank. The track has a vintage feel with a current sound and the video depicts this perfectly, featuring classic TVs and old school news broadcasters (played by Jordan). Jordan surfs the TV searching for answers on how to live in this chaotic world. The performance is filmed on a modern, styled set bringing us back to now.
The London based soul singer is the combination of his Congolese roots and midlands upbringing. His soul soaked, indie driven tracks swim in the sounds and stories of the cities he’s inhabited over the years. Inspired by his mother’s love of the great soul singers, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers and Curtis Mayfield, Jordan combines his timeless vocal with catchy melodies and heartfelt lyrics to create an exciting hybrid of alternative pop and soul which will enchant and uplift in equal measure.‘What Am I’ follows the release of single‘Under’ (May ‘19) and follows the release of three EP’s; ‘Live From The Grand Cru’, (rel late 2017), ‘Tales From The Broken’, (rel early 2017) and ‘Physics’ EP, (rel 2016). All three EP’s have received critical acclaim from NME, The 405, LOBF, Clash, Indie Shuffle, Wonderland, Mahogany, BBC Introducing, The Telegraph, Atwood Mag and Hillydilly. Jordan has strong support on Spotify; all 3 EP’s have collectively amassed over 50m streams.
