Izzy Bizu: "Everything's gonna be alright no matter what happens..."

We had a chat with the 22-year-old soul/pop artisan, who's gearing up to drop A Moment Of Madness in July. Shortlisted to the BRIT Awards' Critic's Choice prize and longlisted for the BBC's Sound Of 2016, Bizu's got a lot of eyes following her every move.

Bizu recently revealed a collab with Honne, titled "Someone Who Loves You", which sees both artists step into each other's worlds. It's a lush, balmy duet primed for dusky evening and late nights.

Take a listen to Joe Goddard (Hot Chip)'s rework of "Someone That Loves You" below, and read our catch up with Bizu after.

Could you tell us a bit about "Someone Who Loves You"?

It's about someone or something that you can't really have, but you don't really wanna do anything about it because your conscience is sky high so you're like 'I shouldn't do anything...' and it's just very frustrating. You want to do something about it but you can't.

How was it working with Honne?

It was amazing! I was really fond of their music before, and I was listening to them on the tour bus and then just Tweeted them. We went into the studio after that and just had the best time; they're really sweet guys.

You both make make pretty different music - how did that work in the studio?

It was actually alright - really refreshing! I'm so not used to working with electronics...

One thing we have in common is that we both really like soul music, so I think that helped us bond. It's generally really fun working with opposites.

Did it lead you to try things you might not have otherwise?

It was a bit of a break from what I usually do. It's nice when you're making music to bounce around different genres and ideas with other people, and working with Honne gave me the opportunity to do that.

What can we expect from the video?

It's quite saucy... [laughs] I don't know if I should tell you everything because it's a bit of a spoiler! It's really self-explanatory with the song. I'll tell you one thing: it's set in Japan.

Did you have to go over?

Well we're not the focus of the video. The actors are taking our roles, like what we've written about but with a bit of a twist. We've got a cameo though, which we did in London.

Towards the end of 2015 both yourself and Honne were tipped for big things - was there any pressure working together?

They must have so much pressure and they're just so chilled. For me, sometimes I feel it and sometimes I don't - I think that's pretty normal.

Is pressure a good or bad thing on the creative process?

I've no idea! It's kind of like when you take an exam and you don't know whether you've done good or not. I guess it's good in the way it gives you a kick up the arse and makes you carry on, but then other times it just makes you go 'oh my god' about everything. It can be overwhelming. I get a bit of both sides I suppose, but I'm aware everything's gonna be alright no matter what happens.

What are you working on next?

I'm actually going into the studio in a bit! We're just gonna jam for fun. I've finished the album, but I want to write and see what happens. We're gonna experiment, but I don't know if anything will come out of it. We'll see.

Have you been working with anyone else?

I'm working with Troy Miller today. He's really cool. I'm working with all the people I worked with on the album as well, so pretty much lots of old friends who are really sweet. It'll be good to see them again.

What's next?

The album's out in July, and after that we've got loads of festivals coming up. We just did Live At Leeds - that was so lovely! We're doing Glastonbury, Longitude, Wildlife, Parklife... we're doing a corporate gig abroad in Japan which I'm so excited about! I've never been, but I've got a couple of friends who have, and the video's set there so I'm really eager to see everything.

What are you looking forward to this summer?

The festivals mostly! Hopefully going away for a little bit... just chilling. A short break in Europe perhaps.

Any more releases planned in 2016, other than the album of course?

Possibly, possibly!

Bizu's debut album A Moment Of Madness is out 22 July. "Someone That Loves You" is out now on Atlantic.