But what does England put in its female singers’ baby bottles? After Amy Winehouse, after Adele, here comes young Lusaint — powerful and incredibly intimate: it feels as though she is whispering her soulful, confessional songs right into our ear, with a voice that comes from the very depths of her soul. There are no boundaries between the young singer-songwriter and the person listening.
Perhaps this is because Lusaint, originally from Manchester, began singing as a pastime, doing karaoke on the family computer when the house was empty, joining choirs and, very soon, covering hit songs in her own way, both warm and powerful. She had never thought of making it a career. But, encouraged by enthusiastic feedback from those around her, she began posting her covers online. Instant success. In 2019, she broke the record for the number of Shazams in 24 hours, which propelled her into the spotlight with her acoustic covers of Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” and Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” (the latter now boasting over thirty-five million views on YouTube).
It was by listening to the classics of Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Ella Fitzgerald that Lusaint was inspired to start writing her own songs. Modest, sincere, with a girl-next-door aura, a voice that could melt icebergs, and a surprising maturity, she is quietly establishing herself as one of the great singers of the coming years.