![](\"https:\/\/www.papermag.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=62037004&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C253%2C0%2C997\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Dionne Bromfield<\/u><\/a> has lived many lives in music. At just 12 years old, she was signed to her godmother Amy Winehouse<\/u><\/a>\u2019s Lioness Records, releasing her debut album and quickly stepping into a spotlight few teenagers could imagine. A follow-up arrived when she was 15 \u2014 just a week before Winehouse\u2019s passing \u2014 and Dionne was suddenly balancing grief, expectation and fame all at once. \u201cIt was a whirlwind,\u201d she recalls. \u201cI wasn\u2019t just Amy Winehouse\u2019s goddaughter. I was starting to form my own identity.\u201d<\/p>\n More than a decade later, Bromfield is ready to reintroduce herself. Now 29 and fully independent, the London-born artist has returned with new music for the first time in nearly ten years. Her latest single, \u201cGirl<\/u><\/a>,\u201d is an empowering, soulful reflection on presence \u2014 not the kind that comes wrapped in ribbon, but the kind that can\u2019t be bought. \u201cYou give me presents, but they\u2019re not for free,\u201d she sings. \u201cI just want your presence.\u201d Written after a relationship that prioritized luxury over love, the song channels the kind of grown-woman clarity that only comes with time, heartbreak and perspective.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Produced by the Grammy-winning duo Blue Lab Beats, \u201cGirl\u201d bridges Dionne\u2019s classic soul roots with a modern, Motown-tinged groove \u2014 the kind of sound that feels both nostalgic and freshly her own. \u201cI wanted to keep the soul element but make it current,\u201d she says. \u201cNot dated, not like I\u2019m trying to rework old records.\u201d The result is a confident new chapter from an artist who\u2019s found her footing outside of anyone\u2019s shadow.<\/p>\n Still, Amy\u2019s spirit remains close. Dionne admits she still catches herself wondering, Would she like this?<\/em><\/em> \u2014 the same question she used to ask her mentor when showing her new lyrics. \u201cShe was a musical genius,\u201d Dionne says. \u201cAnd she would\u2019ve told me straight if something was shit.\u201d<\/p>\n For this story, PAPER<\/em><\/em> photographed Bromfield at The Zetter Clerkenwell, one of London\u2019s most beloved boutique hotels. The 13-bedroom Georgian townhouse \u2014 with its award-winning cocktail lounge, games room and dining room \u2014 sits on historic St John\u2019s Square in East London, just a short walk from Farringdon Station. The shoot, styled by Adele Cany, captures Dionne in her element: elegant, grounded, and finally calling the shots.<\/p>\n Below, Dionne Bromfield talks about independence, healing, and rediscovering her voice after growing up in the orbit of a legend.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tell me about where you are in your career and artistry right now.<\/strong><\/p>\n For me, it\u2019s a completely new place to be as an artist. I came up at such a young age. I got signed at 12, and my first album came out through my godmother Amy Winehouse\u2019s label. Then I had a second album out at 15, and she passed away about a week after that record came out.<\/p>\n It was a whirlwind. I had just started to promote the album and was beginning to set a precedent for myself as an artist. I wasn\u2019t just \u201cDionne Bromfield, Amy Winehouse\u2019s goddaughter,\u201d I was starting to form my own identity. Then, of course, her passing brought all that Amy connection back up again, which isn\u2019t a bad thing. It\u2019s not a bad person to be associated with. But I always say it\u2019s like being married to someone really successful. You might be successful in your own right, too, but you still get labeled as that person\u2019s partner. It\u2019s like, hang on, I can stand on my own two feet here.<\/p>\n Now, doing it at 29 feels completely different. It\u2019s been a long time. This is the first time I\u2019ve released music officially in about 10 years. I was a young girl then; now I\u2019m 29 and life has lifed me. I\u2019m looking at everything from a new perspective, and I\u2019m doing it independently. Coming out of that whole record-label system and being able to do things on my own terms, without having to answer to anyone, has been really nice.<\/p>\n So you\u2019re independent now. You\u2019re no longer on Lioness Records like back then, when you were a teenager?<\/strong><\/p>\n Exactly. Having someone like Amy as my boss \u2014 because technically it was her label \u2014 was actually good in a lot of ways. If I ever said, \u201cAmy, I don\u2019t want to do that,\u201d she\u2019d be like, \u201cOkay, cool, I\u2019ve got you. Don\u2019t tell anyone, but I\u2019ve got you.\u201d Then she passed away, and of course everything dissolved. I didn\u2019t create another record with the label, and there was just a lot going on behind the scenes that didn\u2019t feel right. So I parted ways with the label.<\/p>\n It must have been crazy. You were, like, 15 years old, grieving, but also her goddaughter and part of this label. It was your career, but also so personal. How did you deal with that at such a young age?<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s funny. I think sometimes we don\u2019t give young people enough credit for how much they can actually endure. Looking back now, I would\u2019ve been like, \u201cOh my God, no work, no this, no that.\u201d But at the time, actually being able to work and carry on doing things kind of helped me in some ways.<\/p>\n The only problem is, I think it affected me later in life because I didn\u2019t really deal with it at the time. I just put my blinkers on \u2014 like, \u201cOkay, cool, this is what it is.\u201d I wasn\u2019t really giving myself permission to grieve because there was so much going on. And I always say this: it\u2019s very different when it\u2019s somebody of such big magnitude, because they\u2019re still being spoken about. You\u2019re still hearing their music, so even though they\u2019re not physically there, they still feel present. It\u2019s only when things start to die down a bit that you\u2019re like, \u201cOh God, I didn\u2019t deal with this.\u201d<\/p>\n You start looking at yourself, thinking, how did I not allow myself to grieve? I always say I\u2019m extremely blessed to have had somebody in my corner really pushing me \u2014 to even be in a position to release music and talk to you years later. But for me, it was always about and for her too. She always wanted me to find my own footing and be myself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I was watching the videos of you performing \u201c<\/strong>Mama Said<\/strong><\/u><\/a>,\u201d that last performance with Amy \u2014 and also the one on <\/strong>Strictly Come Dancing<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/u><\/a>. In that moment, what were your thoughts? Were you even aware of how special that was? It must\u2019ve been such a different time, like 2007 or 2008.<\/strong><\/p>\n When I did Strictly Come Dancing<\/em><\/em>, yeah, that was around 2008 or 2009. And hilariously, I had just signed my record deal. A lot of people don\u2019t realize that many folks weren\u2019t championing for me to actually put a record out. It was really Amy who pushed for it. If it wasn\u2019t for her, I wouldn\u2019t have had a record out. Plain and simple.<\/p>\n She was the one pushing it forward, not the label. The actual people who signed the deal didn\u2019t even do it until about two weeks before I was meant to do Strictly Come Dancing<\/em><\/em>. Did they think I was talented? Sure. Did they believe in it? To a certain degree. But if it hadn\u2019t been for her advocacy, it wouldn\u2019t have happened. <\/p>\n I remember when we got the call \u2014 they said, \u201cYou\u2019re going to do Strictly Come Dancing<\/em><\/em>,\u201d and I thought, \u201cDance on it?\u201d They said, \u201cNo, you\u2019re going to sing on it.\u201d Then they added, \u201cAmy\u2019s going to do backing vocals.\u201d And I was like, \u201cOkay, this is going to be interesting. Let\u2019s see how this goes.\u201d<\/p>\n Having her there was the best thing, because it made everything so much easier and more comfortable. Not many people can say they\u2019ve had Amy Winehouse doing backing vocals for them on something of that magnitude.<\/p>\n I can imagine the whole record label business must be insane. But now, how would you describe this new music? Where are you pulling inspiration from? What space are you in right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n Right now, I feel like I really know who I am. I\u2019ve experienced life at 29 \u2014 and I mean, you can imagine how different 15 to 29 feels.<\/p>\n I\u2019m 28!<\/strong><\/p>\n Oh, okay, 96 baby, right? Yeah, same here. 29 is a good year. Enjoy it. But yeah, 15-year-old you to 28 or 29-year-old you are two completely different people, and it\u2019s the same for me. I\u2019ve lived a lot of life. Relationships have come and gone, good and bad. Musically, if you\u2019d asked me two years ago if I was in the headspace to make music, I really wasn\u2019t. I didn\u2019t know what I wanted to do or what I wanted to write about.<\/p>\n Then, at the end of last year, I started working with these two guys who ended up producing a lot of my new stuff. They\u2019re called Blue Lab Beats, a Grammy-nominated, Grammy Award\u2013winning producer duo. I remember telling them, \u201cI want to work with you guys,\u201d and they were like, \u201cYeah, yeah, sure.\u201d You know how the industry can be \u2014 lots of \u201cyeah, let\u2019s do it\u201d and then no callbacks.<\/p>\n But last December, I went to an event and they were there, so I went up to them and said, \u201cWe need to work together.\u201d They finally said, \u201cOkay, fine, we\u2019ve got time in January.\u201d The industry\u2019s usually quiet in January, so I made sure to lock it in. Once we got in the studio, everything just flowed. They understood me and what I wanted to do.<\/p>\n They knew I wanted to keep the soul and Motown element but make it sound current \u2014 not dated, not like I\u2019m trying to rework old records. And they just got it. They play everything. Like, if I say, \u201cI want to flip a ukulele on this,\u201d they\u2019ll literally pull one out and start playing. When you find that kind of musical partnership and it just clicks, that\u2019s the moment every artist prays for.<\/p>\n What are the themes of the songs? What\u2019s the first single like?<\/strong><\/p>\n The first single is called \u201cGirl.\u201d It came from a situation where I was dating someone who could buy me all the fancy things \u2014 take me to nice places, give me nice bags \u2014 but when it came to actually being present in my life, they just weren\u2019t there.<\/p>\n I remember saying to them, \u201cI don\u2019t really care about all the material things, I just want you.\u201d And they said, \u201cI\u2019m too busy.\u201d So I was like, \u201cAll right, cool,\u201d and they ended up in a song. It\u2019s really about that feeling. Like, I don\u2019t care for that stuff anymore. I just want someone who\u2019s physically and emotionally present. I remember telling them, \u201cYou give me presents, but they\u2019re not for free. I just want your presence.\u201d That line stuck with me, and I wrote it down before bed.<\/p>\n The next day I went into the studio and told the boys about it. They were like, \u201cOkay, this is actually really good.\u201d It\u2019s got a little nod to that Motown sound, which felt right to start with \u2014 to show where I\u2019ve come from \u2014 but it also branches out into something new for me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Where are you currently in terms of pulling from memories with Amy, or things she taught you about songwriting and music? Did you wrestle with that while making this new work?<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s funny, because with anything I do, I always think, Would she like this? You know what I mean? It\u2019s just something I naturally do. When she was here, I\u2019d always be like, \u201cI\u2019ve written this song, what do you think?\u201d or \u201cI\u2019ve got this book full of lyrics, what do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n We\u2019re talking about someone who was a musical genius, so being able to have her as that sounding board to just ask, \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d was such a blessing. I wouldn\u2019t say I pull from her for inspiration, though. What she wrote about and what was going on in her world was vastly different from what I\u2019ve experienced. But I do always think, Would she like it?<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n Sometimes I\u2019m like, \u201cShe\u2019d hate this,\u201d and I can hear her in my head saying, \u201cThis is shit.\u201d She would\u2019ve told me that straight up. She didn\u2019t sugarcoat anything. So yeah, it\u2019s more about asking myself, Would she like it?<\/em><\/em> rather than, I want to make a record like Amy.<\/em><\/em> I don\u2019t want to do anything like her. Her career stands completely on its own \u2014 it\u2019ll outlive me, outlive you, outlive everyone. No one can come close to that, nor should they.<\/p>\n Exactly, I agree. What\u2019s your personal favorite Amy song?<\/strong><\/p>\n Okay, I\u2019ll give you two. One is \u201cHe Can Only Hold Her,\u201d which isn\u2019t a single. It\u2019s on Back to Black<\/em><\/em>. And then \u201cTears Dry on Their Own.\u201d That\u2019s the quintessential one.<\/p>\n I was just listening to <\/strong>Frank<\/em><\/strong><\/em>. You were probably like seven years old when that came out.<\/strong><\/p>\n Too young to know what she was talking about, that\u2019s for sure. But now, as a 29-year-old, I can listen back to that record and it still rings true today. Everything she said \u2014 there\u2019s always someone out there who can relate, like, \u201cYeah, this man is giving me the same stresses she was talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n Visually, what\u2019s your vibe for this new era? How are you imagining the aesthetics or styling?<\/strong><\/p>\n Styling-wise, I absolutely love Kelis. For me, she was the ultimate Black Barbie. I\u2019d see her in those \u201cMilkshake\u201d videos wearing that Dior bustier and think, Who is this woman? <\/em><\/em>She had the big afro, the colors, the confidence. I was like, \u201cYeah, this is the girl. This is the it-girl.\u201d<\/p>\n I love her color palette and how she always had her own thing going on. I actually think she was the original alt-girl. There really wasn\u2019t anyone doing it like that back then. And she doesn\u2019t get enough credit for it. <\/p>\n But yeah, I love Kelis. She\u2019s great. I think she\u2019s more adventurous than me, though. I\u2019m still very British, a bit more demure.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I mean, yeah. <\/strong>Flesh Tone<\/em><\/strong><\/em> was everything. That whole album, the sound, the visuals \u2014 so good. She\u2019s like a chameleon, she can do anything. She just hops from different genres and styles, it\u2019s insane. And now she\u2019s got her own food and wellness brand!<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, she looks incredible. I saw her about three years ago at an LGBTQ+ festival here in the UK, and oh my God, it was one of the best shows I\u2019ve ever been to.<\/p>\n First of all, I forgot how many hits she had. And second, she can really sing, she looks amazing, she can dance. She just has this thing about her, being unapologetically herself. She\u2019s never been one to hold her tongue or not say what she thinks, but she always backs it up. She\u2019s not one of those people who bark just to bark. When she says something, it\u2019s because she means it, and you\u2019re like, \u201cYeah, I kind of hear that.\u201d She\u2019s incredible. I love Kelis.<\/p>\n Same. I\u2019m literally going to listen to Kelis after this. Any last teasers or things you want to say to your fans? Anything you want to put out into the world for <\/strong>PAPER<\/em><\/strong><\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot of new music coming. Honestly, the best music I\u2019ve ever made. And the next single? It\u2019s even better than this one. I\u2019ll just say that.<\/p>\n Nails: Jamie Nunn using Saviour, Gellifique, Minx <\/p>\n <\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dionne Bromfield has lived many lives in music. At just 12 years old, she was signed to her godmother Amy Winehouse\u2019s Lioness Records, releasing her debut album and quickly stepping into a spotlight few teenagers could imagine. A follow-up arrived when she was 15 \u2014 just a week before Winehouse\u2019s passing \u2014 and Dionne was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6702,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6727"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6727\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6728,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6727\/revisions\/6728"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.papermag.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=62037012&width=980\")
<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.papermag.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=62037014&width=980\")
<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.papermag.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=62037017&width=980\")
<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.papermag.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=62037020&width=980\")
<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.papermag.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=62037021&width=980\")
<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.papermag.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=62037028&width=980\")
<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.papermag.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=62037051&width=980\")
<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.papermag.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=62037052&width=980\")
<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.papermag.com\/media-library\/image.jpg?id=62036920&width=980\")
<\/p>\n
Photography: <\/em>Melanie Lehmann
Styling: Adele Cany<\/a> @ stella creative artists
<\/em>Hair: Elvire de la Roux<\/a> using Ran&co
<\/em>Makeup: Moomal Moghul<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
Assistant: Sue Chandler Kemp
<\/em>1st Assistant: Francesca Albarosa
<\/a><\/em>Photo Agent: Dust Bunnies Agency<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/h3>\n