The first song I remember hearing
Bob Marley – ‘Waiting in Vain’
“We played a lot of Bob Marley in the house when I was a child – and his records were the first songs that I would play on the record player and practise singing along to. He was a big part of my childhood.”
The first album I bought
Madonna – ‘Like a Virgin’
“I remember going to Our Price record store or somewhere like that. Obviously, the song ‘Like A Virgin’ was a big deal when it came out, and all the kids were talking about it, so that song led me to the album. Madonna is iconic. She was a big part of my childhood… I went to watch her recently at The O2. I enjoyed it for the memories of being a kid and first starting to listen to the radio and to music.”
The first gig I went to
Bros
“My best friend from primary school, we went to separate secondary schools, and it was a big deal as she’d gone off to secondary school and got into Bros. I’d actually gotten into New Kids On The Block, and Bros was one of the first concerts that happened before New Kids On The Block came here. She wanted to get me ready so she’d gotten me these bottle top parts to put on my shoes, and that was a big Bros thing.”
The song I can’t get out of my head right now
Jungle – ‘Back on 74’
“I love the whole [of their latest] album, [2023’s ‘Volcano’] but that song in particular. It’s just such a sweet melodic song, I find myself humming that song a lot.”
The song I wish I’d written
Vampire Weekend – ‘Sunflower’ (feat. Steve Lacy)
“I was actually a latecomer to that song. I met him at a friend’s [place] once, and I didn’t know who he was, but he was so interesting, him and his wife. When I left I delved into the Vampire Weekend archives, and I came across this song. I became so obsessed with it. It’s definitely a song I wish I’d written.”
The song I do at karaoke
New Kids On The Block – ‘You Got It (The Right Stuff)’
“There is a particular routine that goes with it. To do karaoke I’m probably really drunk anyway, so usually there’s quite a few of my friends from my generation and we usually scream when that song comes on and fight for the mic, and spread out to do the dance routine while singing it. And it’s the best night ever.”
The song that makes me want to dance
Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock – ‘It Takes Two’
“I’m a hip-hop girl at heart and went to many hip-hop nights at warehouses and clubs when this song was huge in the late ‘80s. It’s still a timeless track that makes me dance like it’s 1988 all over again.”
The music I can no longer listen to
All Saints
“The songs I probably can’t listen to are some of the old All Saints stuff, more from a critical point of view: whether it’s some of the production or some of the way it’s been written. That’s actually stuff I can’t revisit. As chaotic as it all was back then, I don’t feel like there was enough time put into certain songs. I think the perfectionist that I probably am now, and the way that I work, had I not been so busy and all over the place back then I would have paid a lot more attention to detail.”
The song that makes me cry
Labrinth – ‘Forever’
“I don’t really cry to songs, but there’s a song that makes me feel emotional. I don’t know why but it’s ‘Forever’ by Labrinth, from [teen drama series] Euphoria. I don’t know if it’s the chords, but that song, when I listen to it, makes me feel really emotional.”
The song I want played at my funeral
‘Rock of Ages’
“I was thinking about this actually, and went on my phone and was thinking: ‘Have I written a funeral song?’ And I have! I’ve written my funeral song as it stands to date, it could change. On my phone I have ‘Rock Of Ages’, the Christian hymn. It’s obviously a very well known hymn, and I wrote that on my phone so I’m going to have to go with that for now. It kind of references your life and death, and I’d have it sung by a very soulful Christian choir. It’s such a beautiful song.”
Shaznay Lewis releases her new single ‘Good Mourning’, featuring Shola Ama and General Levy, today (April 12). Her new album ‘Pages’ comes out on May 17. She will play her first solo show in 20 years at London’s Jazz Cafe on May 14