When Emeli Sande speaks, her voice has a tranquil quality. Hearing her talk is like witnessing a spoken lullaby being created. However, the singer’s peaceful tone transforms once she steps behind a microphone. The Scottish-born, British native showcases powerfully poignant vocals when she graces the stage. Listen to her sing and two things will either occur: a smile or tears. Sande’s lyrics hit home for many when she expresses her devotion to family with “Breaking the Law,” risk-taking efforts on “Clown” and the loyalty she’s experienced with “Next to Me.”

At 25, she’s switched her name — she shares an interesting birthname with another esteemed chanteuse — attended medical school, won the 2012 Brit Awards Critic’s Choice and debuted her first album, Our Version of Events, around the world. By the time she reaches 30, a Grammy award could very well be in her hands. After all, the blonde-haired beauty’s already locked down studio time with multiple Grammy-winner Alicia Keys, an experience Sande calls “a real big honor.”

From med student to soulful songstress, passion is a key component in Emeli Sande’s life. She demonstrates that in her performance for AOL Music’s Sessions as well as her chat with The BoomBox. Her upcoming U.S. tour with Coldplay, Adele’s support, J. Cole’s artistry and geeky fans are all a part of the conversation.

You have an awesome song called “Next to Me,” which is about the strong, loyal men that you have in your life. Many times, singers go the bashing route when it comes to speaking about men in their songs. Why did you decide to celebrate men?

I guess when I write, I always want to write like things that are important to me and things I’ve experienced in my life. So you know, I’m lucky that I have had very strong men in my life and who have always been very loyal to me, from my dad, my manager, to my fiance. So I just felt, how cool would it be if I could hear a song celebrating those qualities not just in men, but in people. You know, loyalty between one another and… like real uncompromising love between one another. How cool would that be if we could hear on the radio and hopefully, you know, people will be able to relate to that more than kind of just… bashing men and bashing people. So I wanted a positive outlook on it.

Your album Our Version Of Events was released in the U.K. first and now it’s out in the U.S. Did you have any apprehension at first, as far as how the U.S was going to embrace you?

Really I just wanted to have the opportunity to introduce my music over here. You know I’m really happy with everything that’s happening in the U.K. and now I’m just approaching it like a brand new challenge. I really didn’t want any expectations because that’s how I’ve approached everything in the U.K. and I think that’s the best way — just to introduce your music and your stories, slowly… in a more intimate fashion, and then slowly build it like that. So I’m excited and so far I’ve just been really blown away with people’s reactions here and people connecting, so I’m really happy.

With the Coldplay tour that you’re going to go on in the coming months, what kind of conversations did you have with Chris Martin beforehand, before you got brought on? Was he asking you, “What’s your plan on the stage?”

He didn’t ask me any of those questions which I really respected. He heard the music and he heard what I was about as a musician and from that, just kind of brought me onboard. So we did the European tour with them which was incredible, so I’m just really honored to be asked to come back and introduce my music over here [in the U.S.] with them. He’s great. The whole band was welcoming to us and I had a fantastic time. So I’m very excited about this summer. Coming back and doing even bigger shows is going to be incredible.

You were a med student before we knew you as Emeli Sande. So what sparked your interest to go to medical school?

Well, I mean I always loved school as a kid. It was such a big thing in my life so I loved science and I thought the human body was just fascinating. There’s so much we don’t know, especially about the brain. So I was really interested in neurology and I guess I picked medicine because it would give me the academic challenge that I wanted. On top of that, you can be around people and you can feel like you’re contributing and helping and really getting into the real hearts of people. So medicine seemed like the perfect combination between using your… academic side of your brain, but then also the other side where you can kind of connect.

When did you realize that you had a talent to sing? You have such a powerful voice.

I’ve been singing since I can remember. I remember when I was 7 was the first time my parents really kind of took notes and they’re like, “Oh OK, you’re quite musical.” But before that, I mean I was singing since I was really, really young. So it’s something I’ve always loved and then I kind of fell into songwriting a bit later on and just the whole process of writing a song and creating music just has always been a big part of my life.

Alicia Keys has openly professed she’s a fan of your artistry. Have you two worked together? Explain that relationship.

Yeah. We have met. I opened up for her in London when she was doing the Piano & I tour and that was… a great honor to be asked to do that. And since then, she’s just showed so much support. I’m such a big fan of hers, so I really appreciate it and it’s a real big honor. We’ve worked together. We worked on this album [Our Version of Events], there’s a song called “Hope” that we wrote together.

Our Version Of Events is done. Have you recorded any new songs for a sophomore album?

I’m pretty focused on this. There isn’t like a block of time in the studio, but there are a few new songs… I mean little ideas in my head so any time I can kind of sit at a piano, I’m trying to work on them. But at the moment, I just want to focus on really promoting this album as much as possible.

Is there someone in the spotlight right now that has told you that they’re a fan of your work, which surprised you? I’m sure you meet a lot of people at different events who share their opinion.

I mean I’m surprised… when I hear Alicia is a fan or Adele likes my stuff… that blows my mind because these are artists that… I love and I’ve listened to for a very long time. It’s when people that I don’t expect to come to shows; I get a lot of med students, a lot of like neurologists coming. I love that because, you know, I feel like the geeks can unite and they’re there at my show. It’s just amazing when I just get people from all around — different ages, different races — it still kind of gets me.

Speaking of Adele, you and her share the same first name. So explain that decision to go with Emeli rather than Adele.

Well, Emeli’s my middle name and about three years ago, Adele was really starting off and getting really big and she won the Brit’s Critics’ Choice. I just felt you know, why not just change my name. Adele is not a very… it’s not a common name. I thought… I just want my own identity as a musician so I picked Emeli.

We know that the medical field is something that you’re passionate about; we know singing is something that you’re passionate about. What is something that people would be really surprised to know about you? Maybe you’re a geek in something else.

What do I like? I really like Disney’s, but that’s mainly because the music’s in it [laughs]. But I don’t know; everything is usually connected to music so I don’t know if there’s anything that would really surprise anyone [laughs].

Is there a song that you always find to be your guilty pleasure? I know everyone has one.

Guilty pleasure… there’s a new artist out in the U.K., he’s called Conor Maynard and you know all the girls love him. He’s really young, but he has this song, it’s incredible. It’s about girls and I just love that so I sing it all the time. So I guess at the moment that’s my guilty pleasure I guess.

You’re a soulful singer but are there any rap artists that are on your radar?

Yeah, I love J. Cole. I think he’s incredible mainly because of his lyric. I think he’s saying things that are quite different and in such a new way. I’m a big fan of his.

What’s the message you want people to take away when listening to your album?

The message is that they’re very honest songs. The one thing I hope is that people can take the stories and can relate it to their own life. I hope that these songs aren’t just, you know, limited to me. I want people to listen to the album and hopefully these songs will live with them for a long time and can kind of grow with them as well.

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Emeli Sande was in Dundee tonight for the Dundee Olympic Torch Relay. Emeli did another amazing job performing her beautiful songs ‘Heaven’, ‘Next To Me’, and ‘My Kind of Love’. View the video below!

My Kind of Love

Heaven

Emeli Sande recently visit AOL studios to do an AOL Session. Most artist do these sessions so it’s no surprise that an amazing artist like Emeli did one. Emeli performed ‘Next To Me’, ‘Heaven’, ‘My Kind of Love’ and ‘Daddy’. Emeli did an incredible job! Enjoy the videos below!

Next To Me

A few days ago we posted a video of Emeli singing ‘Next To Me’ at the Olympic Torch Relay in Glasgow. Now more videos have surfaced. Their are now video of ‘Heaven and ‘Wonder’.

Wonder

BRIT Award winner and album chart-topper Emeli Sande has announced the biggest shows of her career, to take place in November 2012.

The ‘Heaven’ singer follows up a second sell-out tour of the UK earlier this year with four dates in November, including a headline show in support of the Prince’s Trust at the Royal Albert Hall.

Speaking of her work for both the Princes Trust and Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, Sande says: “I was extremely happy to accept the kind invitation to become an Ambassador for the Princes Trust, having witnessed the wonderful work that they do first hand and having met some of those lucky enough to benefit from the support which they offer.

“As a former medical student, it’s wonderful to see the therapeutic qualities and comfort that music brings, and that is seen nowhere better than in the wonderful work undertaken by the Nordoff-Robins charity in Scotland who will be the beneficiaries from my Glasgow show.  I’m looking forward to contributing in some small way to highlighting the work that these two organisations do.”

Tickets for Emeli Sande’s November shows go on sale on 15 June, 2012. For more information visit Gigwise Gig Tickets. Full dates are as follows.

Glasgow Clyde Auditorium – 6th November  (in support of Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy in Scotland)
Birmingham Symphony Hall – 8th November
London Royal Albert Hall – 11th November (in support of the Prince’s Trust)
Manchester Bridgewater Hall – 12th November

Buy Emeli Sande tickets

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Scottish star Emeli Sandé is making a name for herself in the US with her debut album – and as it turns out she’s already making superstar friends on the other side of the pond.

Scottish star Emeli Sandé is making a name for herself in the US with her debut album – and as it turns out she’s already making superstar friends on the other side of the pond.

When Alicia Keys celebrated the 10-year anniversary of her 2001 debut Songs in A Minor, she performed in different countries. Emeli Sande was the lucky new artist to open at Keys’ London show.

Emeli admitted: “I was like, ‘Oh my god. I can’t believe I’m opening for Alicia Keys!”

Following that, she got an email from the R&B singer who owns 14 Grammys, inviting the newcomer to New York City to write songs.

She continued: “I just have this email from her and she’s like, ‘I’d love it if you could come over to New York and we can write together’.

“And it was an incredible experience for me — someone’s who has really been a great inspiration to me — sitting at a piano with her.

“We just kind of wrote and we wanted to really get back to the real bones of songwriting, the real craft of songwriting just on an instrument.”

From that writing session came the song Hope, which made its way to Emeli’s debut, Our Version of Events, released in February in Europe and this week in America. It debuted at number one in the UK.

As well as that, she also wrote a song for Keys’ upcoming album. Emeli said: “It came out really naturally and as people we really connected, and as musicians we connected as well. So, yeah, it developed into such a great relationship.

“It feels like I’ve really made a friend in the industry which is quite rare.”

Emeli is opening on the US leg of Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto tour, which kicks off June 22 in Dallas and wraps August 11 in Saint Paul, Minn.

She also opened for the group in Europe, and said of that experience: “I learned a lot from their routine, how they approach everything, how they give that energy onstage.”

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SCOTS singing sensation Emeli Sande will star at the Olympic Games closing ceremony with a host of British pop legends.

Emeli, from Aberdeenshire, will play the gig of a lifetime alongside The Who, Take That, George Michael and others on August 12.

Televised around the globe, the concert will announce Emeli’s arrival on the world stage in front of an expected international audience of FOUR BILLION.

Beaming with pride, Emeli, 24, clasped the Olympic torch in Glasgow yesterday as she performed to 10,000 people in George Square.

Today – in a moment she wouldn’t have thought possible less than a year after releasing her first single – she will take her turn to run with it.

Grinning Emeli told the Record last night: “I found out a few days ago in New York that I’m going to be running with the torch and that is really exciting and an honour to do.

“I think that’s going to be a really special moment.

“Maybe tonight I’ll just double-check l can do it properly. I’mtrying not to think about fallingover, the flame going out or myhair going on fire.”

The Brit Award winner added: “It’s great to celebrate the flame coming to Scotland.

“I studied here for about five years so it’s so nice to come back to Glasgow and I can feel the excitement.

“I don’t think within my lifetime we’re going to be able to do this again – have the Olympics in my country.”

Scots actor James McAvoy had the Glasgow crowd cheering wildly as he ran with the flame yesterday.

James, who has scaled the heights of Hollywood from a humble upbringing in Drumchapel, Glasgow, carried the torch along Buchanan Street and Queen Street before passing it on.

Yesterday’s celebrations also featured performances from General Fiasco and Eliza Doolittle.

Eliza, who will be running with the flame in London, said: “I was askedto do this and feel very excited to be celebrating. I’m not worried aboutthe flame blowing out because they have spares – but if they didn’t, I’d gladly take it back to China personally to relight it.”

The August 12 concert, held at the Olympic Park in east London, is being masterminded by artistic director Kim Gavin – the man behind Take That’s record-breaking Circus tour.

A committee source said: “It was imperative that the games close in spectacular fashion but that there is substance as well as style.

“Although a lot of work is going into the production side of things, the committee wanted four major artists representing Great Britain over the past 50 years to headline. Emeli will appeal to youngsters while The Who are an inspired throwback to the Swinging Sixties.

“Kim has worked with Take That before and the boys, including Robbie Williams, will put on their most dazzling set ever.

“Finally, George Michael is a global icon and this, for him, will be a major comeback. The gig will be a fitting Olympics send-off.”

A total cast of 15,000 will takepart in the Olympic and Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies, including dancers, acrobats andmusicians.

The Games begin on July 27.

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If you haven’t heard about Emeli Sande yet, well, come here, sweetie. *envelopes you in a fluffy wing of bedazzled maribou feathers* We have a lot to show you. This Scottish soul and R&B songstress is our PUSH Artist of the Week, and not only is she a vocal powerhouse with a nasty knack for writing hooks, she has style pouring out her ears to boot! We caught up with her before her Steve Madden Summer Music Concert to chat about her performance outfit selection process and just how she gets that amazing smokey eye!

MTV STYLE: We really dig your personal style. It’s a little bit tailored and a little bit streetwear, equal parts edgy and chic.

EMELI SANDE: Thanks! My style is quite British. I just like to make small statements with things. I don’t like to be over-the-top, so I try to be as bold as I can but also quite simple. I love to mix it up, but usually, it’s quite simple with one or two statement pieces.

We definietly get a similar sense from your music. Would you say there’s a relationship between your music and your style?

Yes, I try and approach my music the same way, trying to be as effective as possible. I don’t like to write too many words. I just try and use statement things in my music that will catch people’s attention. I also try and be bold and strong with my music, and I definitely represent that through my fashion, as well.

Tell us a little about putting together a performance outfit. Are there any special criteria?

Well, I used to wear wedges all the time, but then it became kind of an issue. I couldn’t run around, and I couldn’t get into the vibe of the song too much because I was worried about falling over. I started to get into more like flatter shoes with a bit of a platform, so that’s a big criterion. And something I can just feel free in. I don’t want to be thinking about, “Oh, this skirt,” or “Am I hanging out of this?” and also, something that I’m not going to get too hot in.

Oh, I’m sure. Especially in the summer and under a bunch of stage lights!

Exactly. If I’m performing in a colder country or outside, I like wearing buttoned-up shirts and keeping it quite smart, but recently, over here, I’ve just been like screw that, I’m wearing a t-shirt!

We see you wearing this great gold pendant a lot. Is there a story behind it?

I always wear this necklace. I feel like it just protects me. Sometimes on stage the light comes off it, so in pictures you see it reflecting. I wear it all the time, and it’s kind of protection for me. [It's] from Montenegro. My fiance is from Montenegro, and his mother gave this to me. It’s a monastery in these amazing hills and there’s this little white church in the hills. This is the church.

That’s beautiful. Any other fashion good luck charms?

I also have this ring that I always wear. I got it in Washington Heights one of the first times I came and wrote in New York, so it kind of has special meaning to me. It just reminds me of how I felt at that point. Just so excited to be in New York. Nobody knew who I was, but it was just such a kind of buzz that I got. I have these two things on stage all the time. Also, 11 is one of my favorite numbers, so when I feel like I need a bit more good luck, I’ll get numbers on my nails.

Oh yea? Where are some of your favorite places to get your nails done?

There’s a massive Topshop on Oxford street where they do your nails downstairs. I live in Hackney, and there are also some really cool great value places there. There’s a lady that I know there that always knows exactly what I want.

Speaking of beauty… You’re pretty much the Queen of the Smokey Eye. Almost every time we see you, it’s varied slightly but always killer. Teach us your ways!

I have a really cool hair and make-up girl, Yasmina Bentaieb, she’s from France. She’s really good with the hairspray and making me look good for the stage. And yea, she’s really good at getting the eyes right and kind of giving me a look that’s quite strong without being over-the-top. I just kind of let her do her thing!

So she’s responsible for your FANTASTIC statement hairstyle, too! Do you think you’re going to stick with this look for a while?

For the time being, yes. I think I’m going to keep this up because it is just such a signature. People often think of my hair when they think of me, so for now I’m going to keep it. But I’d love to experiment with a few different colors, you know? Maybe put a bit of green somewhere or something like that!

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Hi everyone, Zimbio has posted some new images of Emeli arriving at ‘Live! With Kelly’ today. Check out the images below; visit the gallery to see the more images and to view the images in a larger scale.