Elmiene Announces Debut Album 'Sounds for Someone,' Shares 'Reclusive'

After honing his craft over the last few years, Elmiene is ready to deliver a full-length project.

The British-Sudanese singer will release his debut album, sounds for someone, March 27 via Def Jam. He announced the news Thursday (Jan. 15) across his social media platforms.

“I have finally risen to the occasion, the ALBUM is ready and almost here to be all of yours,” Elmiene wrote in an Instagram caption for the album’s cover art. “It’s been a strong year making this album, we heated the streets in the middle of it, so if you’re ready I’m ready. An album dedicated to mine and all of your someone’s.”

Elmiene sounds for someone album cover — Polydor / Def Jam

The 12-track album includes features from Raphael Saadiq and Baby Rose, as well as production by Saadiq, Sampha, Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman, No I.D, Andrew Aged, Buddy Ross and Ghostnote. Per official press materials, sounds for someone “is a deeply intimate meditation on love, loss, and legacy—born from Elmiene’s relationship with his late father and shaped by both his own memories and the stories carried by his mother.”

Regarding sounds for someone, Elmiene said, “Making this album was painful, I felt lonely sometimes, I felt loved sometimes. I felt guilty sometimes and I felt forgiven sometimes but most of all it was an important duty to myself that I needed to fulfill.”

Along with his album announcement, Elmiene has released his new single “Reclusive,” produced by Gitelman. He co-wrote it with Gamal Lewis, Kareen Lomax and Gitelman.

“I’m grateful for a pretty debilitating sickness I had in December 2024, it’s the reason this song exists,” Elmiene shared. “When writing ‘Reclusive,’ the goal was to make it painfully autobiographical, zooming in on the most mundane moment of my life and seeing if it could carry a song. Turns out it could. Biz Markie was a huge inspiration, he mastered making everyday life feel funny, honest, and memorable, all tied together with a genius hook. I’m trying my best to do the same here.”

“Reclusive” follows the gut-wrenching “Cry Against The Wind.” Of the latter song, Elmiene noted, “This song is about crippling guilt. It’s about a mistake that I know is too late to truly be forgiven for. We all sometimes have to live with things we can’t fix but acknowledging and accepting that is heavy, like a strong wind you can never turn away from.”

Sounds for someone will arrive three years following Elmiene’s debut EP, EL-MEAN, which dropped in March 2023. Since then, the rising R&B sensation has released a few EPs, including Marking My Time (2023), Anyway I Can (2024) and For The Deported (2024), as well as live projects (Live at RAK Studios, Live From 525, Live From Brussels).

In September 2025, he released his Heat The Streets mixtape, which featured standouts such as “Miss Hot July” and “Useless (Without You).”

Sounds for someone is available for presave on digital platforms and a preorder for the vinyl. According to Elmiene’s official webstore, the 1LP vinyl will be available in blue and orange — the latter version includes a signed insert.

In other news, Elmiene is nominated for Outstanding New Artist at the 2026 NAACP Image Awards. The category also includes Ravyn Lenae, Lee Vasi, Madison McFerrin and Monaleo.

Stream “Reclusive” by Elmiene and see the tracklist for sounds for someone below.