Neneh Cherry is an icon. In 1989, this young Swede based in London caught all of our attention with her debut album Raw Like Sushi, and through the 90’s she’d hold it, with two more albums before taking a breather from music. But her creative life began way earlier. With an artist mother and jazz legend Don Cherry as her stepfather, Neneh’s childhood was a life less ordinary. She split it between commune style living in rural Sweden and loft apartments in New York, and when she moved to London as a teen, she fell in with some of that cities most creative punks; people she remains friends with to this day. We travelled through all of this when she came in to Take 5 with songs of force. Music that had made an impact on her as a fan, a voice, and an artist. From new voices to legendary poets, the way Neneh speaks about these songs and their influence on her is something to behold. This is one hell of a way to kick off a new year.

Tanya Winley - 'Vicious Rap'

Stevie Wonder - 'Living For The City'

Frank Ocean - 'Seigfried'

Dice Ailes - 'Otedola'

Nina Simone - 'Mississippi Goddam'