The Oscar-nominated musician Celeste is back with her brilliant second album, Woman of Faces, but getting to this point has been anything but easy. In an interview with Roisin O’Connor, she discusses the pressures of the music industry, the struggle to have her voice heard, and what it means to “come back to exist as herself again”.
As one of the most distinctive voices in British soul music, Celeste is still fighting to assert herself. The release of her second album Woman of Faces should have been a moment of celebration, but in the weeks leading up to its release, she accused her record label of providing “very little support” for the project. She shared her frustrations on social media, describing how she felt punished for not doing things the way she was instructed.
“There definitely came a point where I thought, ‘I have to speak up about this,’” the 31-year-old artist reveals. “When you’re a singer, there’s something really important about opening your throat chakra.” Celeste reflects on her struggles in the studio, where she felt unable to assert her own voice and vision. She recalls seeing a video of another female artist freely expressing herself in the studio, something she felt she had missed out on.
Before releasing her debut album Not Your Muse in 2021, Celeste had already made a name for herself with her smoky vocals on hits like “Strange” in 2019. Her song “A Little Love” featured in the John Lewis Christmas advert, and “Stop This Flame” was used by Sky Sports for its Premier League coverage. Her song “Hear My Voice” was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Yet despite these accolades, she was anxious about releasing Woman of Faces, partly because much of the material was written three years ago. “It’s existed for quite a long time,” she says. “Sometimes you lose a sense of whether it’s good or not.”
In a video call from her London home, where she’s battling jet lag, Celeste remains warm and engaging, giving thoughtful, lengthy responses as though there’s much she’s been meaning to say. “I feel like I’m finally finding the space to express myself,” she adds.
The process of creating Woman of Faces wasn’t without its challenges. Celeste felt that there was a noticeable imbalance between the support she received for her debut and this new record. After venting her frustrations on social media, she’s since spoken to her label, Polydor, and says there’s now a “gradual process of figuring things out.” A representative from Polydor said, “We’ve adored working with Celeste over the last few years and are really excited about her new record.”
Though Celeste acknowledges the difficulties, she insists, “I’m not having a breakdown right now – I actually feel really good about it all.” She’s found herself questioning why other female artists seem freer to explore challenging and adventurous ideas in their music.
Woman of Faces is a superb album, and in many ways, it’s her best work yet. Themes of identity, self-worth, and finding strength resonate throughout. In tracks like “On with the Show”, which was written during a personal low, Celeste blends Hollywood glamour with dark, introspective lyricism. The song “Keep Smiling” evokes the classic sounds of Nancy Sinatra, with a touch of cinematic allure.
Celeste’s journey, both as an artist and as a person, is one of resilience and authenticity. In an industry that demands everything of you, she insists on finding the integrity to “come back to exist as yourself again.” Her powerful words echo across her music, making Woman of Faces not just an album, but a statement.