Celeste has shared a new single called ‘This Is Who I Am’ – you can listen to it below.
The theatrical and stirring track serves as the title theme to the new Sky series The Day Of The Jackal, which is also released today (November 7).
Eddie Redmayne (who portrays The Jackal) and his co-star Lashana Lynch (Bianca) selected for the song for the opening credits to the adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 novel.
“This song has existed for a long time, and it felt almost unjust that circumstances didn’t allow it to come out four years ago,” explained Celeste.
“Now, with everything aligning, this moment serves as a powerful acknowledgement of something that, back then, felt unresolved.”
Produced by Beach Noise (Kendrick Lamar), ‘This Is Who I Am’ follows on from the BRIT-winning and Mercury-nominated artist’s 2022 single ‘To Love A Man’.
The single arrives as Celeste “prepares to tell the next chapter of her story”, according to a press release.
“‘This Is Who I Am’ is less a reintroduction to Celeste’s music and more an act of self-actualisation, a complete creative distillation of her craft that sees her step with purpose into her new era,” it adds.
“Only you can tell them that this is who I am,” she sings over a cinematic and orchestral arrangement in the chorus. You can watch the vintage-looking, black-and-white lyric video above.
Directed by Brian Kirk, The Day Of The Jackal is described as “a modern retelling of the 1971 novel by Frederick Forsyth, and subsequent 1973 iconic film, and promises to keep you second-guessing to the end”.
The official description continues: “Bringing this international classic to life is an all-star cast, who will lead us on an international cat-and-mouse chase where there can only be one winner, leaving devastation in their wake.”
The series is available to watch exclusively on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
Celeste’s debut studio album, ‘Not Your Muse’, was released in 2021. In a four-star review, NME wrote: “Whether up-tempo or morose, Celeste’s remarkable voice is the real show-stealer on ‘Not Your Muse’. It has supernatural qualities, turning already poetic lyrics into gut-punch moments.”
The LP was also featured in NME‘s 20 best debut albums of the year list.
Speaking to NME at the Mercury Prize 2021 (where ‘Not Your Muse’ was shortlisted), Celeste explained that she’d been progressing well with writing her second full-length record.
“I don’t want to feel compromised at all, artistically or creatively in the sound or in the lyrics,” she said of her new material at the time. “I just want to feel like it’s truly myself – that’s where I’m starting out with it.”
She continued: “So far, a lot of the songs have been written on acoustic guitar, which I quite like. With some, you don’t need to do any more to it than that. It’s probably going to be more natural and toned down.”
