Yukimi

As the singer and percussionist of the style-defining art-pop combo Little Dragon, Yukimi Nagano became one of Europe’s most versatile artists in the 2010s. With her silky voice, which likes to nestle up against delicate instrumental harmonies, she always manages to hit the vocal sweet spot between neo-soul, R&B, and quirky synthpop. Now, with her debut album, ‘For You’ (2025), she is also embarking on an unconventional musical journey as a solo artist, which is leading past the eclectic pop prisms of her band to a more minimalist but equally concise sound. The soul remains but is now characterised by introspective themes that lie somewhere between the loss of confidence and the gaining of resilience in unreal times. It is a different tenor, a different musical setup, in which the coldness of Yukimi’s Scandinavian homeland serves as a parable for a world in upheaval: a reflection on the highs and lows of life, which always present themselves differently. With influences ranging from jazz to hip-hop, from roots dub to psychedelia and electronic pop, Yukimi creates contemporary music for relaxing and mourning, for growing and dreaming – detached from the turmoil of these modern times.