Sampha has released his second studio album, Lahai. After an incredible run in the mid-2010s, the singer-songwriter-producer seemingly stopped making solo music. He continued to build up his other credentials by working with the likes of Florence + Machine, Alicia Keys, Stormzy, Kendrick Lamar, and Travis Scott. Yet, it seemed like the days of solo music were behind him.
That was true until Sampha himself posted on X, explaining the meaning of “Lahai.” After a six-year hiatus, he is back.
Sampha begins his album with “Stereo Colour Cloud (Shaman’s Dream),” properly named as the sound evokes a dreamlike state as the lyrics explore typical ideas of being in a dream. Even if images like flying and demons are in the lyrics, the key element within the song is the idea of safety. It just so happens that the speaker finds their safe place with someone who is no longer around.
The lyrics of “Spirit 2.0” double down on this message as Sampha provides a physical description of what “safety” looks like. In the end. The closest he gets to describing is by taking notes from Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Descriptions morph into recounting memories as Sampha’s voice floats over the piano keys in “Dancing Circles.” The keys bounce in urgency as listeners hear that the joy of the relationship has faded.
In “Suspended,” Sampha provides a painful reminiscence of the love that previously uplifted his spirits and his life. As the album transitions to “Satellite Business,” the song serves as an interlude. It is a reflection as Sampha speaks on forgiveness and loss. “Jonathan L. Seagull” maximizes on the feeling of introrspection as he looks to what he has done versus what the other person did or was able to provide for him.
As “Inclination Compass (Tenderness)” plays, Sampha requests that the love shared reverts back to its original state; tenderness. By this point, the singer recongnized the growing toxicity in the relationship and there being only one way to save it. It’s through “Only” that the singer reaches the climax of his self-reflection. The song is not about what he’s lost or who has shaped him, it is about what he can do to better himself.
“Time Piece” is a quick interlude where the speaker repeats the phrase “Time does not exist, A time machine.” It is in “Can’t Go Back” that Sampha takes ownership over the lyrics being sung as he speaks on battles he personally fights. Though the birth of his daughter brought joy to his life, a cosmic balance took place as pain entered his life simultaneously.
In “Evidence,” Sampha discusses the lessons learned granted to him through loss. The song trails off with him taking ownership over his own actions that led to his own downfall. “Wave Therapy” is a beautfully orchestrated interlude leading into the albums’ finale. “What If You Hypnotize Me?” takes a deeper dive in the “what ifs” still remaining on Sampha’s mind. He explores the difference it would have made in the relationship if he were a different person with different needs. In the song’s outro, fans are treated to the only credited feature in Léa Sen. The album speaks on the perspective of a single individual, then her part provides the opposing side of a relationship. In her part she makes it clear that her role is to assist not solve.
If the album plays on time then it all ends with “Rose Tint.” Through the rosy tint someone would see the surface level beauty. There is no knowledge of everything behind the smiles and the “picture” pose. No one knows about anything that has happened or will happen. Yet, if the album plays on time, is this the beginning again?
Though the album follows Sampha through his own journey, anyone could enter the album at any point and continue. The project explores reflection from multiple places in life and pieces it all together in a cohesive form. Over melancholic music, beautifully placed instruments, and an angelic voice, Sampha gave listeners the journey of Lahai.
Stay tuned for Respect My Region for more pieces like this and be sure to stream Lahai.
