Love Language: Sekou Interviewed
British songwriter Sekou, 21, spoke to Clash about the connection between fragrance, confidence and creativity, in an interview built around his visit to Grasse in the South of France to meet Olivier Polge, CHANEL's Perfumer-Creator. The piece frames fragrance as central to Sekou's sense of self-presentation, tying it to his rapid rise in music, where he has earned recognition from major figures despite his youth.
Sekou, a BRIT-nominated songwriter since his teens, has drawn co-signs from artists including Justin Bieber and Sir Elton John, and has just released his most successful project to date, a two-part mixtape praised for its emotional depth. During the interview he reflects on feeling he has "lived 100,000 lives" despite his age, and describes meeting Polge, who succeeded his father as CHANEL's perfumer, as an intimate lesson in the complexity of scent-making, with Polge explaining how hundreds of olfactory molecules combine and can be adjusted to reshape a fragrance.
In short
- Clash interviews rising songwriter Sekou on music and his love of fragrance
- He visits Grasse, France, to meet CHANEL perfumer Olivier Polge
- Sekou, 21, has backing from Justin Bieber and Elton John, new mixtape out
Explained simply
Sekou is a British songwriter whose career has advanced quickly: he was nominated for a BRIT Award as a teenager and has attracted praise from established musicians. His recent two-part mixtape is his most successful project so far, and is noted for its emotional depth.
Fragrance is part of how Sekou presents himself and connects with his creativity. In Grasse, a town in southern France known for perfume-making, he met Olivier Polge, CHANEL’s Perfumer-Creator, to learn how many scent ingredients can be combined and adjusted to shape a fragrance.
The story links personal style with artistic identity, exploring how scent can express confidence and a sense of self. It also offers a glimpse into the skilled process behind creating perfume.
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