KAMAL has officially stepped into album territory — and he’s done it with a Dave verse on the front line.

The 24-year-old singer-songwriter from north-west London has just released his debut record after years of trying to find his footing in the industry. He signed to independent label Neighbourhood Recordings as a teenager, and now he’s stacking major co-signs while insisting his priority is still making music for the “real ones”.

One of the album’s biggest moments is The People That Saved Me, which features award-winning rapper Dave. Kamal admits it still felt “scary” to ask, despite the fact their connection was already there: Kamal previously appeared on Dave’s 2021 track Mercury. He calls Dave “humble” and says he doesn’t feel inaccessible because he leads with a love of music.

Kamal says Dave’s verse — built around love and memories — was “perfect for the album” and matched the message he wanted to send.

The album arrives off the back of earlier breakthroughs too. His 2020 single Homebody became a lockdown hit, and the R&B-leaning Blue brought more attention — including, Kamal says, a reported nod from Billie Eilish after she apparently added him to a Spotify playlist she curated.

He’s also crossed into Central Cee’s world, featuring on the Mobo-winning rapper’s 2025 track Now We’re Strangers and performing it with him at London’s The O2 — a moment Kamal calls “proper surreal”.

Across the 13-track album, Kamal leans into what he calls “honesty”, with songs like Suffer (love and heartbreak) and All My Favourite People Are Sad (depression and friendship), alongside more experimental tones that stretch beyond his usual soft vocal.

He describes his background as Trinidad, Belize, English and Palestinian, says music was everywhere in his childhood, and insists he’s still learning. He’s also wary of the “doomscrolling” era: TikTok can help artists who might not otherwise get a “fighting chance”, he says, but the constant stream can turn music into “fast food” that you have to “weed through” to keep your taste intact.