Lil Silva reunites with Sampha on new single "Backwards"

"Backwards" is Lil Silva's first outing since featuring on Duval Timothy's "Fall Again" single with Melanie Faye in July 2020, and sees him reunite with Sampha for the first time since 2013's "Salient Sarah".

Lil Silva and Sampha say of their new collaboration, which is teamed with a Fenn O’Meally-directed video, ""Backwards" is the feeling of alienation and constantly venting in a matrix you find yourself inside, whatever that may be… Restricted and feeling guilty to move forward, constantly going backwards mentally… I guess the song is about being in a never ending cycle and the heaviness that can bring on you…It’s a metaphor for that."

As well as working with Duval Timothy in 2020, Lil Silva worked with Paul Epworth on "Love Galaxy" with Jay Electronica, and collaborated with George Fitzgerald to release their debut album as OTHERLiiNE.

The new song is Sampha's first outing since appearing on Actress' "Walking Flames" single in October 2020. He also helped to co-write Infinite Coles and Coby Sey's 2021 track "Spiders".