Neneh Cherry

Neneh Cherry launched her solo career in 1982 with the protest song ‘Stop the War,’ following a formative period immersed in the punk scene, joining influential bands such as The Cherries, The Slits, and Rip Rig + Panic. Her groundbreaking debut album, Raw Like Sushi, released in 1989 and co-written with Cameron McVey, achieved significant critical and commercial success. The album featured the global hit single ‘Buffalo Stance,’ which peaked at number 3 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100, and topped the US Dance chart in 1989. Cherry’s memorable performance of ‘Buffalo Stance’ while pregnant on Top of the Pops further cemented her status.

She earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist in 1990 and received a Brit Award for Raw Like Sushi the same year. Cherry continued her innovative genre blending with subsequent albums, Homebrew (1992) and Man (1996). Homebrew featured ‘Buddy X,’ which reached number 4 on the Billboard Dance Club Music Charts in 1992, and ‘Trout,’ which hit number 2 on the Billboard Alternative Music Charts, leading to an MTV VMA nomination for Best Female Video for ‘Buddy X’ in 1993. Man included the worldwide hit ‘7 Seconds,’ a powerful collaboration with Youssou N’Dour released in 1994, which garnered her a second Grammy nomination and an MTV Europe Music Award for Best Song that same year.

Neneh Cherry’s lasting impact on music and culture has been consistently recognized through prestigious awards, including the NME Icon Award in 2022 and the AIM Independent Music Innovator Award in 2024. Building on her rich artistic journey, Cherry published her autobiography, A Thousand Threads, in 2024, offering deep insights into her influential career.