Somi Opens a New Chapter With What Does It Take to Bloom? and “We’re All Falling”

Rwandan-Ugandan Songstress Somi Returns After Six-Year Hiatus With “What Does It Take to Bloom?”

After six years away from releasing original material, celebrated Rwandan-Ugandan vocalist Somi is making her long-awaited return to the music scene. The multi-award-winning artist has unveiled plans for her forthcoming album What Does It Take to Bloom?, set to drop August 7th via Salon Africana, alongside the project’s stirring lead single “We’re All Falling.”

For those familiar with Somi’s artistry, her music has always possessed a remarkable quality—transforming intimate, personal narratives into universally resonant anthems. This new 13-track collection continues that tradition while exploring themes of transformation, identity, belonging, and self-discovery. The album was crafted across four distinct cities—Dakar, Lagos, Paris, and New York—with each location leaving its imprint on the soundscape. “We’re All Falling” emerged from a particularly vulnerable chapter in the artist’s journey, written amid profound loss and reflecting on life’s impermanence. Rather than dwelling in sorrow, the track offers a meditation on presence, encouraging listeners to embrace the fleeting moments we’re given with grace and intention.

What has consistently distinguished Somi’s catalog is her refusal to be confined by genre boundaries. Throughout her career, she’s seamlessly woven together jazz, soul, highlife, spoken word, and the diverse musical traditions of her African and diasporic heritage. What Does It Take to Bloom? promises to continue this evolution, with notable contributions from Nigerian highlife revivalists The Cavemen on “Sometimes Love” and acclaimed saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin on “So You Want to Be a Woman.” Reflecting on the project, Somi shared: “I wrote this body of work while traversing many places and losing many people. This album is a mirror of searching for where and how to take root in spite of that. I pray these songs offer each listener a sense of Home or, at the very least, a witnessing of me coming Home to myself.”

Stream “We’re All Falling” now on all platforms as we count down to the full album experience this August.

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