Somi Returns After Six Years With Deeply Personal Album “What Does It Take to Bloom?”

After a six-year hiatus from releasing original material, Rwandan-Ugandan artist Somi is making her long-awaited return with an album that promises to be her most introspective work yet. The multi-award-winning vocalist has announced What Does It Take to Bloom?, set to drop August 7th via Salon Africana, accompanied by the contemplative lead single “We’re All Falling.”

Recorded across four continents—Dakar, Lagos, Paris, and New York City—the upcoming 13-track project reflects Somi’s nomadic creative journey and her continuous search for belonging. The album tackles profound themes of growth, transformation, and self-discovery during times of upheaval. “I wrote this body of work while traversing many places and losing many people,” Somi reveals. “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.”

True to her artistry, Somi continues blending jazz, soul, highlife, and spoken word across the album’s sonic landscape. The project features notable collaborations, including Nigerian highlife duo The Cavemen on “Sometimes Love” and acclaimed saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin on “So You Want to Be a Woman.” The lead single “We’re All Falling” was born from personal loss, serving as a meditation on life’s fragility and the importance of staying present through grief. Rather than dwelling in sorrow, the track gently pushes listeners toward grace and gratitude for the moments we’re given.

With tracks like “Throw Something,” “Sugar,” “Ngayaya,” and the title track “What Does It Take to Bloom?,” Somi is offering more than just music—she’s inviting us into her process of finding home within herself after years of searching externally. As the album release approaches, “We’re All Falling” sets the tone for what could be her most vulnerable and vital work to date.

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