While the other pop princesses from The Saturdays have gone on to create life and host things, Vanessa White has been carefully crafting a solo career for herself and we’re really, really into it. Leaving her pure pop mentality behind in favor of smooth R&B, she’s been working with the likes of Snakehips and has already released her debut EP, Chapter 1, along with a slick Rob Heppell-directed video for “Lipstick Kisses” ft. Wretch 32.
In a genius twist of events, Vanessa has reworked the vocals from 1998 “Swing My Way” by K.P. & Envy into Bryson Tiller’s “Exchange” from last year, that samples the track. With a verse from Kojey Radical, and refix by young London producer Subside, the track brings together old school and future R&B for 3:47 glorious minutes of pure banger.
“I’m a huge Bryson Tiller fan and was lucky enough to be at his one-off show in London a couple months ago,” Vanessa told i-D. “‘Exchange’ is my favorite track on the TRAPSOUL record and I wanted to approach it from a female perspective — then Kojey brought in a whole other dimension to the remix with his verse, which I love! Adding that old school R&B vibe with ‘Swing My Way’ was loads of fun as it’s still such a tune. The response to the Chapter One EP has been pretty amazing so far so I’m excited for everyone to hear this.”
Ahead of her first solo headline show at London’s Cargo on March 16, reintroduce yourself to Vanessa White.