It’s hard to take artists like Kanye West seriously when they boldly claim”We’re all self-conscious, I’m just the first to admit it.” Michael Kiwanuka on the other hand, is a much more credible testament to the fact that the road to self-respect is a bumpy one. Pursuing one’s dreams, especially as a musician, rarely follows the stereotypical, effortless fairy tale narrative that society has come know and love. As London’s Kiwanuka wholeheartedly admits, there are far too many opportunities to gaze upon the stack of detestable failures and think that there’s no choice but to quit. “I’m Getting Ready” puts all of Kiwanuka’s persistence and hard-fought self-worth on the line, as he candidly questions his potential in a defenseless confession of insecurity. At the time of his second-coming 2011 EP also titled I’m Getting Ready, the young artist truthfully didn’t have much credible success to believe in.

The aftermath of “I’m Getting Ready’s” release would change Kiwanuka’s previously hapless fate forever. His impressive debut earned him a spot supporting Adele’s 2011 tour and later helped him win the prestigious BBC Sound of 2012. His newfound prosperity was secured on the back of his stripped honesty, as Kiwanuka introspectively told DIY Magazine “I have a real problem of sticking things out. With anything, if you do it for so long then it will inevitably start getting difficult, and it was getting frustrating constantly giving up on things, whether it be university or playing guitar for people.” Despite a strenuous 4 year grace period between albums, Kiwanuka returned to 2016 with one of the most impressive and culturally outspoken albums of the year in Love & Hate. You can find/stream his recent unreserved treasure in my list FeenyFaves – Top 10 Album of 2016.