With the onset of lockdown and live music on pause for the foreseeable future, London-based artist J Appiah's summer was free to explore his solo project again. Off the road from tours with Jess Glynne and Wilkinson, Appiah channelled his reaction to this summer into this vital new record.

In his own words, he stresses that "this song's very important to me and I felt it was the right time to use my voice given the current climate on race and inequality..." H adds "this is my personal protest." A symbolic statement "CHAINS" is mighty and marks a confident return for an artist who continues to grow and evolve with every release.

The impressive charm of "CHAINS" comes from its refusal to conform. It marks a new leaf in Appiah's creative journey with its sprawling electronic backbone shifting to make a home for the vital message of Appiah's poetic and vital lyrics.

"CHAINS" has been released by one of Appiah's other ventures, his independent label 19fifty7. Set up last year his intention is to use this platform as a way to celebrate artists across the African diaspora, and on the continent, finding new ways to democratise black art as they release music they're passionate about regardless of genre.