Sarah Faith Griffiths (born 21 January 2001), known professionally as Griff, is an English singer-songwriter. In 2019, she released her debut single, "Mirror Talk", through Warner Records. This was followed by her debut extended play of the same name, released later that year. Griff was named the Rising Star at the 2021 Brit Awards, becoming one of the youngest winners in the category at 20. Later that year, she released her debut mixtape, One Foot in Front of the Other, to commercial success and critical acclaim. On 12 July 2024, Griff released her debut studio album, Vertigo.
Griff | |
|---|---|
 Griff at Fonda Theatre in 2022 | |
| Born | Sarah Faith Griffiths 21 January 2001 Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, England |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2019–present |
| Awards | Brit Award for Rising Star (2021) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels | Warner |
| Website | officialgriff |
Early life and education
editGriff was born on 21 January 2001 as Sarah Faith Griffiths,[2] in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire.[3] Her father Mark Griffiths is the son of Jamaican immigrants who were part of the "Windrush generation", and her mother Kim is a first-generation migrant whose family moved to England amid the Vietnam War.[4] Griff has stated that she feels "more in touch with my Chinese side".[3] Griff's parents foster children and her experiences with the children were reflected in her song "Good Stuff".[5]
Griff stated that her earliest memory of loving music was being gifted an iPod Shuffle with the Taylor Swift album Fearless (2008) downloaded to it,[6] when she was around the age of eight.[7] She then taught herself to record and produce music on her older brother's laptop, and used tutorials on YouTube to inform her on techniques.[3] While attending St Clement Danes School, Griff kept her musical life private, due to not knowing if her musical career would be successful, stating: "no one likes that person at school who talks about how they want to sing".[3][4] After finishing her A Levels, she told teachers that she was taking a gap year, rather than informing them on her music ventures.[3] On using the stage name Griff, she stated: "Sarah Griffiths isn't that glamorous, I sound like I have a mortgage and 4 kids, it's very corporate".[7]
Raised an evangelical Christian, Griff has said of her own faith: "I guess if you grow up with Christian parents, you get to a point where you ask: “Okay, do I actually believe or am I just going through the motions?” And from a young age I felt like it was something I actually do believe and so it’s always been something that I’ve owned."[4]
Career
edit
On 4 July 2019, it was announced that Griff had been signed to Warner Records.[8] On the same day, she released her debut single "Mirror Talk", accompanied by a music video. Annie Mac featured the song on BBC Radio 1 under the New Name playlist.[9] She stated that the writing process for the song took an hour.[3] Griff described the release as a career highlight, since it was released immediately after she had finished her A Level exams.[6] Billboard described the song as an "electrifying debut", and praised her "powerful voice and vulnerable lyrics".[8] The next month, Griff released her follow-up single, "Didn't Break It Enough",[10] accompanied by a music video in which the clothing worn was made by Griff herself.[11][12] She released the single "Paradise" in October 2019,[13] which was followed by the release of her debut extended play, The Mirror Talk, on 15 November 2019.[14] In December 2019, Griff released a cover of the Bangles' 1989 song "Eternal Flame".[15]
On 7 February 2020, Griff released the single "Good Stuff". Despite people thinking the song is about a romantic breakup, she clarified that the subject of the song is about missing children that her family fostered, since they felt like siblings.[16] In March 2020, a song titled "I Love You's", that Griff co-wrote, was released by American singer Hailee Steinfeld.[17] This was followed by "Forgive Myself", a song released by Griff on 29 May 2020,[18] described by NME as an "anthem".[19] In July 2020, Griff was nominated by The Ivors Academy for an Ivor Novello Rising Star Award,[20] and later that month, she released the song "Say It Again".[21] In October 2020, she was part of two collaborative songs; "1,000,000 X Better" with English band Honne,[22] and "Inside Out", a song with German DJ Zedd.[23][24] In January 2021, she released "Black Hole", which NME described as a "dark pop anthem".[25] On 19 March 2021, Griff won the Brit Award for Rising Star and performed "Black Hole" at the 2021 ceremony.[26] Later that day, she announced details of her debut mixtape, One Foot in Front of the Other, which was released on 18 June 2021.[27] Two months later, Griff followed up the mixtape with single "One Night".[28] In October 2021, she embarked on a tour across the United Kingdom in support of her mixtape.[29] She later did European and North American tour dates.[30]
In November 2021, Dua Lipa announced Griff as one of her three supporting acts for the European dates of the Future Nostalgia Tour in 2022.[31] In September 2022, she performed on eight dates of the +–=÷× Tour by Ed Sheeran.[32] In 2023, she also took part in the Music of the Spheres World Tour by british band Coldplay as opening act for a few European dates including Portugal, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands.[33]
In August 2023, after a break from music whilst on the Future Nostalgia Tour, Griff released the single "Vertigo".[34] The song was promoted by Taylor Swift on Instagram, who said she "loved" the song.[35] She released an EP to support the single, Vert1go Vol. 1, in October 2023.[36] Later that month, Griff announced her single "Astronaut", which was written in collaboration with Coldplay lead vocalist Chris Martin and released in December.[37]
On 22 June 2024, Griff opened for Taylor Swift as part of the Eras Tour in London alongside Paramore.[38]
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [2] |
AUS [39] |
GER [40] |
IRE [41] |
SCO [2] | ||
| Vertigo | 3 | 27 | 75 | 93 [43] |
2 | |
Mixtapes
edit| Title | Mixtape details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [2] |
IRE [41] |
SCO [2] | ||
| One Foot in Front of the Other |
|
4 | 85 | 5 |
Extended plays
edit| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| The Mirror Talk |
|
| Vert1go Vol. 1 |
|
| Ver2igo Vol. 2 |
|
Singles
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [2] |
BEL (FL) Tip [44] |
IRE [41] |
NZ Hot [45] |
NOR [46] | ||||
| "Mirror Talk" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | The Mirror Talk | |
| "Didn't Break It Enough" | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Paradise" | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Good Stuff" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Forgive Myself" | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Say It Again" | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "1,000,000 X Better" (with Honne) |
— | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Inside Out" (with Zedd) |
— | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Black Hole" | 2021 | 18 | 28 | 25 | 16 | — | One Foot in Front of the Other | |
| "One Foot in Front of the Other" | —[a] | — | — | — | — | |||
| "One Night" | 45 | — | 85 | — | — |
|
Non-album singles | |
| "Head on Fire" (with Sigrid)[49] |
2022 | 44 | — | — | 35 | 33 | ||
| "Vertigo" | 2023 | 84 | — | — | 23 | — | Vertigo[A] | |
| "Miss Me Too" | 2024 | — | — | — | 22 | — | ||
| "Anything" | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "It Could Have Been Us" (with Christopher) |
— | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||
| "Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow" (with Aodhán King)[50] |
— | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Pure Imagination"[51] | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||
Promotional singles
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [2] |
BEL (FL) Tip [52] |
IRE [41] |
NZ Hot [53] |
NOR [54] | ||||
| "Eternal Flame" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Love Is a Compass" (Disney supporting Make-A-Wish) |
2020 | 42 | 9 | — | — | — | ||
| "Shade of Yellow" | 2021 | — | — | — | 26 | — | One Foot in Front of the Other | |
| "Walk" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Astronaut" | — | — | — | — | — | Vertigo | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||
Music videos
edit| Title | Year | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Mirror Talk" | 2019 | Sylvie Weber |
| "Didn't Break It Enough" | Rory DCS | |
| "Paradise" | Unknown | |
| "Good Stuff" | 2020 | Imogen Snell and Riccardo Castaneo |
| "Forgive Myself" | ||
| "Love is a Compass" | Maria Goulamhoussen | |
| "Say It Again" | Stephen Isaac-Wilson | |
| "Black Hole" | 2021 | Joe Shaw and Eseosa Ohen (SOB) |
| "One Foot in Front of the Other" | Stephen Isaac-Wilson | |
| "One Night" | ABCDCD | |
| "Head on Fire" | 2022 | CC Wade |
| "Miss Me Too" | 2024 | Colin Solal Cardo |
Songwriting credits
edit| Title | Artist | Year | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "I Love You's" | Hailee Steinfeld | 2020 | Half Written Story | Co-writer |
| "Angry Man" | Kawala | 2021 | Paradise Heights | Co-writer |
| "Happy Hunting Ground" | Maisie Peters | 2021 | Trying: Season 2 | Co-writer, performer |
| "Minute" | Kim Petras | 2023 | Feed the Beast | Co-writer |
Tours
editHeadlining
edit2024 Tour
edit| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening Act |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 January 2024 | Brisbane | Australia | Fortitude Music Hall | |
| 3 January 2024 | Sydney | The Metro Theatre | ||
| 6 February 2024 | Los Angeles | United States | The Roxy Theatre | |
| 9 February 2024 | New York City | (Le) Poisson Rouge | ||
| 10 March 2024 | Stockholm | Sweden | Debaser Strand | Amanda Cy |
| 11 March 2024 | Oslo | Norway | Parkteatret Scene | |
| 12 March 2024 | Copenhagen | Denmark | VEGA | |
| 15 March 2024 | Hamburg | Germany | Mojo Club | CXLOE |
| 16 March 2024 | Berlin | Heimathafen Neukölln | ||
| 18 March 2024 | Cologne | Gloria | ||
| 19 March 2024 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Tolhuistuin | |
| 21 March 2024 | Brussels | Belgium | Botanique - Orangerie | |
| 22 March 2024 | Paris | France | La Machine du Moulin Rouge | |
| 24 March 2024 | Bournemouth | United Kingdom | O2 Academy Bournemouth | |
| 26 March 2024 | Dublin | Ireland | 3Olympia Theatre | |
| 28 March 2024 | Manchester | United Kingdom | Albert Hall | |
| 30 March 2024 | Glasgow | Barrowland Ballroom | ||
| 31 March 2024 | Birmingham | Birmingham O2 Institute | ||
| 2 April 2024 | Camden, London | Roundhouse |
Supporting
edit- Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia Tour (2022)
- Ed Sheeran - +–=÷× Tour (2022)
- Coldplay - Music of the Spheres World Tour (2022─23)
- Taylor Swift - The Eras Tour (2024)
- Sabrina Carpenter - Short n' Sweet Tour (2024)
Awards and nominations
edit| Organisation | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBC | 2021 | Sound of 2021 | Herself | Fifth | [55] |
| Brit Awards | Rising Star | Herself | Won | [56][26] | |
| MTV UK | Push One to Watch | Herself | Nominated | [57] | |
| LOS40 Music Awards | Best International New Act | Herself | Won | [58][59] | |
| MTV Europe Music Awards | Best New | Herself | Nominated | [60] | |
| Best Push | Herself | Nominated | [60] | ||
| BBC Radio 1 | Hottest Record of the Year | "Black Hole" | Fifth | [61][62] | |
| Popjustice £20 Music Prize | Best British Pop Single | Nominated | [63] | ||
| Brit Awards | 2022 | Best New Artist | Herself | Nominated | [64] |
| Best Pop/R&B Act | Nominated | [64] | |||
| NME Awards | NME Radar Award | Won | [65] | ||
| Best Collaboration | "Head on Fire" (with Sigrid) | Won | [66] | ||
| Ticketmaster New Music Award | New Music Award | Herself | Won | [67] |
Notes
edit- ^ "Vertigo" is also included on the Vert1go Vol.1 while "Miss Me Too" is also included on Ver2igo Vol. 2.
- ^ "One Foot in Front of the Other" did not enter the UK Singles Chart, but peaked at number forty-five on the UK Singles Downloads Chart.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ "Up and coming R&B vocalist, Griff, releases song/video for "Mirror Talk"". That Music Mag. 13 July 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
Up and coming R&B/pop vocalist, Griff, shares her brand new track, "Mirror Talk,"
- ^ a b c d e f g "Griff | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "griff is the uk teen talking you out of negative body image with her pop music". i-D. 8 July 2019. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ a b c Godwin, Richard (10 June 2021). "'Get out of the way, all of you': Brit Rising Star Griff on her sky-high ambition". Evening Standard. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
- ^ "Premiere: Multi-Disciplined Soul Singer Griff Copes With Separation By Remembering The "Good Stuff"". Complex. 11 February 2020. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ a b "get to know: griff". 29 August 2019. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Notion 86: Griff". Notion. 12 August 2020. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Griff Signs to Warner Records, Makes Electrifying Debut With 'Mirror Talk': Exclusive". Billboard. 4 July 2019. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Griff Releases Debut Track And Video Mirror Talk". BroadwayWorld.com. 9 July 2019. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Griff Reveals new Track "Didn't Break It Enough"". Elicit Magazine. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Griff Continues Her Precocious Rise With 'Didn't Break It Enough'". Clash. 2 September 2019. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Griff faces down the frustratingly illogical lows of post-breakup funk on "Didn't Break It Enough"". The Line of Best Fit. 2 September 2020. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Rising Star Griff Has Just Released A New Single That'll Take You To 'Paradise'". Cool Accidents. 25 October 2019. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "U.K.'s Brightest New Pop Star, GRIFF Releases 'The Mirror Talk' EP". Rain. 15 November 2019. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Griff Releases New Holiday Track " Eternal Flame"". Elicit Magazine. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Griff Is a Star in the Making". Ones to Watch. 11 February 2020. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Hailee Steinfeld Shines In Brand New Song "I Love You's"". TellyMix. 26 March 2020. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "UK Pop Artist Griff Drops Tender Empowerment Anthem "Forgive Myself"". The Music Mermaid. 18 June 2020. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Griff: British pop phenomenon taking control of their destiny". NME. 3 June 2020. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Ivor Novello nominee Griff further proves her pop prodigy calibre with "Say It Again"". The Line of Best Fit. 6 August 2020. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Griff launches video for new single, 'Say It Again'". WithGuitars. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Griff Releases Stellar New Single 1,000,000 X Better With Honne". Melodic. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Listen to a Preview of Zedd's Upcoming Single "Inside Out" With Blossoming UK Pop Singer Griff". EDM.com. 20 June 2020. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Zedd Recruits Griff For Fresh New Single 'Inside Out'". Cultr. 23 October 2020. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Griff shares new dark pop anthem 'Black Hole'". NME. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Brit Awards 2021: Pop singer Griff wins Rising Star prize". BBC News. 19 March 2021. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "Griff details new mixtape One Foot In Front Of The Other after winning BRITs Rising Star award 2021". The Line of Best Fit. 19 March 2021.
- ^ Richards, Will (26 August 2021). "Griff returns with euphoric new single 'One Night'". NME. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ Stickler, Jon (19 March 2021). "Griff Wins Brits Rising Star Award, Announces Mixtape 'One Foot In Front Of The Other' And UK Tour". Stereoboard. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ Henderson, Chelsea (4 November 2021). "Griff announces rescheduled date for headline show at Dublin's Academy". Hotpress. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ Jones, Damian (22 November 2021). "Dua Lipa announces Tove Lo, Griff and Angèle as support for 2022 UK/European tour". NME. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ "Griff is supporting Ed Sheeran on his European tour". NME. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Last.fm griff page". last.fm. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Griff has Just Dropped a Soaring New Single, 'Vertigo': "It Feels Like a Big Song"". Dork. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Here's the Emotional New Song Taylor Swift Is Loving Right Now". Billboard. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Griff announces 'Vert1go Vol. 1' EP following recent single 'Vertigo'". Why Now. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ Duran, Anagricel (19 October 2023). "Griff debuts Chris Martin collaboration 'Astronaut' at intimate London show". NME. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ Wilkes, Emma (27 May 2024). "Taylor Swift announces extra support acts for London 'Eras' tour dates". NME. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ Peak chart positions for albums in Australia:
- Vertigo: "ARIA CHART WATCH". ARIA. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ "Discographie von Griff" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Discography Griff". irish-charts.com. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ "Griff brings forward release date of her debut album, Vertigo".
- ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ "Discografie Griff". Ultratop (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ^ Peaks on the NZ Hot Singles Chart:
- "Black Hole" and "Shade of Yellow": "NZ Hot Singles Chart for week of 27 June 2021". Recorded Music NZ. 26 June 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- "Head on Fire": "Hot Singles Chart for week of 30 January 2022". Recorded Music NZ. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- "Vertigo": "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- "Miss Me Too": "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ "Singel 2022 uke 04". VG-Lista (in Norwegian). Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ a b "British certifications – Griff". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 February 2023. Type Griff in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ Wade, Ian (3 January 2022). "Sigrid and Griff share collaboration snippet". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ "Aodhán King Releases "Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow" Feat. Griff". The Christian Beat. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "Griff Shares Dreamy Cover of 'Pure Imagination'". Broadway World. 1 November 2024. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
- ^ "Discografie Griff". Ultratop (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 May 2021.
- ^ Peaks on the NZ Hot Singles Chart:
- "Black Hole" and "Shade of Yellow": "NZ Hot Singles Chart for week of 27 June 2021". Recorded Music NZ. 26 June 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- "Head on Fire": "Hot Singles Chart for week of 30 January 2022". Recorded Music NZ. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
- "Vertigo": "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- "Miss Me Too": "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ "Singel 2022 uke 04". VG-Lista (in Norwegian). Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ Youngs, Ian (6 January 2021). "Rapper Pa Salieu wins BBC Sound of 2021: 'I am the voice of the voiceless'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
- ^ Savage, Mark (11 March 2021). "Brit Awards: Griff, Pa Salieu and Rina Sawayama nominated for rising star prize". BBC News. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ "Meet Our MTV PUSH UK & IRE 2021 Shortlist..." Mtv.co.uk. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ LOS40. "LOS40 Music Awards 2021". LOS40 (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ LOS40 (13 November 2021). "LOS40 Music Awards 2021 Illes Balears: La emoción del reencuentro en la noche triunfal de Ed Sheeran". Los40 (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "Justin Bieber Leads 2021 MTV EMA Nominations". Billboard.com. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- ^ "BBC Radio 1 - Radio 1's Future Sounds with Clara Amfo - Radio 1's Hottest Record of the Year 2021 - Vote for your favourite!". BBC. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "Record of the Day - In tune. Informed. Indispensable". Recordoftheday.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- ^ "The Popjustice Twenty Quid Music Prize • Popjustice".
- ^ a b "The nominees for the 2022 BRIT Awards have been revealed". NME. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ "BandLab NME Awards 2022: Winners". Nme.com. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ "BandLab NME Awards 2022: Nominees". NME.
- ^ "O2 Silver Clef Awards". Nordoff Robbins. Retrieved 7 July 2022.