Last week’s edition of the Uproxx Music 20 column shined a light on Nigerian singer FAVE and her new EP Dutty Love. This week, we’re staying on the African continent, but heading over to Kenya where the spotlight shifts to Xenia Manasseh. The 27-year-old singer is actively exploring the heights and depths of love. It’s a journey that began in 2023 with the release of her debut album Love/Hate Pt. 1. Through that album, Manasseh preached that “it’s okay to be vulnerable and to confront how they feel and see that there’s a lot of beauty that can come out of that.” That confrontation can come through acceptance or a fight to preserve, but acknowledging that it’s all in the name of love makes it worthwhile.
That sentiment remains true on Love/Hate Pt. 2. The project, which Manasseh released back in September, arrives presents a fiercer version of the singer. Yes, they are free-spirited and lively moments like “Asali” and “Longer,” but ferocity guides the bulk of the album. “Dare You” with Waye captures Manasseh on the offensive as she warns an ex of what lies ahead as she remains scorned from their past foray in romance. “Fire” places Manasseh on a well-deserved pedestal and out of the shadows of insecure men, while “Sober” capture an alcohol-fuel spiral that snowballs despite her desire to go cold turkey.
A few removed from the release of Love/Hate Pt. 2, Uproxx found a moment to chat with Xenia Manasseh who is this week’s Uproxx Music 20 artist. Scroll down to learn more about Xenia Manasseh’s inspirations, aspirations, and influences.
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What is your earliest memory of music?
My earliest memory of music is playing the piano in kindergarten.
Who or what inspired you to take music seriously?
Not really sure I was necessarily inspired by someone else to take it seriously, I like to think me and music chose each other.
Do you know how to play an instrument? If so, which one? If not, which instrument do you want to learn how to play?
I can play the piano, guitar, bass, and drums. I started playing all of these (except bass) when I was much younger, but I just don’t get the chance to practice enough.
What was your first job?
Probably being a “secretary” for my grandma.
What is your most prized possession?
My heart.
What is your biggest fear?
I try not to use the word fear anymore because I truly believe that it manifests everything that comes with it into my life.
Who is on your R&B Mt. Rushmore?
Brandy, India Arie, Erykah Badu, and Alex Isley.
You get 24 hours to yourself to do anything you want, with unlimited resources: What are you doing? And spare no details!
I’d love to be in the mountains or by the beach somewhere in a big house with a fully equipped studio and just spend the day making music and having fun with the homies.
What are your three most used emojis?
😂,🌻, and 💜.
What’s a feature you need to secure before you die?
Brandy.
If you could appear in a future season of a current TV show, which one would it be and why?
Avatar The Last Airbender: Live Action because this is my favorite show ever and just to say I was a part of the franchise. I’ll give number 2 to Abbot Elementary, top tier humor.
Which celebrity do you admire or respect for their personality and why?
A public figure I’d probably like to sit down and have lunch with is Sadh Guru. I enjoy talking & learning about life and its philosophies & I feel like we’d do that but also actually have a lot of fun together.
Share your opinion on something no one could ever change your mind about.
Avatar The Last Airbender is the best show in the world.
What is the best song you’ve ever heard in your life and what do you love about it?
That’s a hard one to answer I can think of so many… but it always comes down to the writing and it’s always a love song.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform, and what’s a city you’re excited to perform in for the first time?
Nairobi [is my favorite]; Paris & Tokyo.
You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location where it would be held.
Brandy, Alex Isley, Khadja Nin, Manana, and Lucky Daye.
What would you be doing now if it weren’t for music?
Playing sports or dance.
If you could see five years into the future or go five years into the past, which one would you pick and why?
I have no clue, I’m happy with the present moment, this is where I heal and learn from the past and also build for the future.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
It’s okay to let go, life will always go on and it is 100% what you make it.
It’s 2050. The world hasn’t ended, and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
I won’t be that old, so I hope it’s still a reminder of this crazy journey we call life. Hope I continue to see my growth through it and that it remains a reminder that it’s okay to feel.
Love/Hate Pt. 2 is out now via Manasseh Entertainment LLC. Find out more information here.
