Emeli Sande - Let's Say For Instance (2LP)

Emeli Sandé’s fourth studio album, Let’s Say For Instance, lands like a reset and a reaffirmation. Released on 6 May 2022 through Chrysalis Records, it marks a new chapter for her, one she described in interviews as a move toward greater independence and creative control. You can hear that shift from the first notes. The record leans into the voice that made her a household name, but it also opens the windows to let new light in, with fresher textures and a looser, more buoyant energy than her last outing.

“Family” set the tone when it arrived ahead of the album. It’s a declaration and a welcome back, built around a steady pulse and lyrics that sound like someone choosing hope on purpose. “Brighter Days” follows through on that promise. Sandé layers a choral lift, crisp piano, and a rhythm that nudges rather than shouts. It’s the kind of song that used to float out of car windows in July, and it suits her clear, ringing delivery.

What’s striking this time is how often she steps into dance-pop and UK club currents without losing the intimacy of her songwriting. “Look What You’ve Done,” featuring Birmingham rapper Jaykae, rides a gleaming beat and a garage-adjacent snap. She treats the groove as a conversation partner, letting her phrasing stretch and contract around it. “Ready To Love” keeps the momentum up with a cleaner, modern sheen, the sort of track that slides easily from headphones to a late set in a small venue. When the album eases back into ballad mode, the arrangements feel patient and unfussy, often with her at the piano and harmonies tucked just behind her shoulder. The balance works. She moves between uplift and reflection without feeling like she’s chasing charts or trends.

Part of that comes from where she is in her life and career. After the chart-topping wave of Our Version of Events in 2012 and the more brooding landscapes of Long Live the Angels and Real Life, this set carries less weight on its shoulders. Sandé has spoken about the freedom of releasing through Chrysalis, and that intention shows up in the songs’ open space and the care with which they’re constructed. There’s a generosity here, a sense of reaching out, but she avoids the generic motivational language that sinks many pop-soul records. Instead she sticks to clear images, steady hooks, and melodies that climb only when they need to.

Vocally, she’s in strong form. The top end is still pure, yet she’s more playful with texture, dipping into a huskier tone on verses, then letting the chorus bloom. Production choices match that restraint. Even when the drums hit harder, the mixes leave room for breath and piano, and the choir parts sound like real voices in a real room rather than a blocky stack of samples. It’s easy to imagine several of these songs reworked for a small band and a church hall, which is a good test for material that aims to last.

On vinyl, the album’s warmth comes into focus. The quiet spaces between piano and voice feel more intimate, and the bass on the uptempo tracks sits rounder in the groove. If you’re hunting for Emeli Sandé vinyl, Let’s Say For Instance vinyl is a smart pickup, especially if you’ve been waiting for her to broaden her palette again. It’s widely available in shops, and it’s simple to buy Emeli Sandé records online if your local doesn’t have it. I’ve seen it filed near her earlier LPs too, so if you’re building a run of Emeli Sandé albums on vinyl, this one connects the dots between the stadium-soul of the debut and the more reflective turns that came after. Whether you’re flipping through bins at a Melbourne record store or browsing a site that ships vinyl records Australia wide, it’s an easy record to recommend.

Let’s Say For Instance won’t rewrite her story, and it doesn’t need to. It’s a confident, open-hearted collection from an artist who knows her strengths and isn’t afraid to test them against new sounds. The best moments feel both polished and human, like a singer rediscovering joy in her tools. If you’ve followed Sandé since “Heaven,” you’ll hear the thread. If you’re new, start here and then work backward. Either way, these songs reward time and a good needle.