Who is Lady Blackbird as she performs on BBC Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Come Dancing enthusiasts are in for a delight this evening as the 'Grace Jones of jazz', Lady Blackbird, is poised to dazzle the ballroom with a special performance during Sunday's pre-recorded results show. Alongside Lady Blackbird's performance, the professionals will be showcasing a Beetlejuice-inspired routine.

Lady Blackbird, born Marley Munroe, has been in the professional music scene since she was 12 years old. The American singer-songwriter was under contract with a Christian record label until she turned 18 and chose not to renew her agreement.

At the age of 39, she inked her next record deal in 2014, launching two pop-soul singles before parting ways relatively soon due to creative disagreements. Munroe, now known as Lady Blackbird, had her major breakthrough in 2020 with the release of Nobody's Sweetheart and her rendition of Nina Simone's 1966 song, Blackbird.

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Blackbird was launched in May 2020, coinciding with the tragic murder of George Floyd by white police officer, Derek Chauvin. Although recorded a year prior, the song brought a poignant contemporary context to the narrative about Black womanhood in the United States.

Her debut album, Black Acid Soul, which Blackbird has showcased on The Graham Norton Show, The Jonathan Ross Show and Radio 2's Piano Room, reached number 6 on the UK Albums Chart and debuted at number 1 on the Official Jazz Chart, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Launched last month, Blackbird's newest album, Slang Spirituals, is reported to encapsulate not only the free-spirited, emotive sound of Lady Blackbird but also delves into deeply personal lyrics that narrate the singer's tough journey to musical fame.

Across 11 songs, Lady Blackbird utilises her expansive, cinematic vocal prowess on a range from the soulful orchestral fanfares of Let Not (Your Heart Be Troubled), to the finger-picking folk narrative of Man On A Boat, the uplifting gospel empowerment of Like A Woman and the seven-minute psychedelic soul instrumental of When The Game Is Played On You.

Lady Blackbird will be touring her new album Slang Spirituals across Europe and the UK throughout 2024 and into 2025.