Process
Studio album by
Sampha
Released3 February 2017 (2017-02-03)
Studio
  • Miloco the Square
  • RAK
  • Sarm
  • Strongroom
  • Westpoint
  • XL
  • Zelig (London)
  • Ocean Sound (Giske)
Genre
Length40:17
LabelYoung Turks
Producer
Sampha chronology
Dual
(2013) 		Process
(2017) 		Lahai
(2023)
Singles from Process
  1. "Timmy's Prayer"
    Released: 17 May 2016
  2. "Blood on Me"
    Released: 26 August 2016
  3. "(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano"
    Released: 12 January 2017

Process is the debut studio album by English singer Sampha, released on 3 February 2017 by Young Turks. The album was co-produced by Sampha and Scottish music producer Rodaidh McDonald. It won the Mercury Prize for 2017.

Recording

As compared to Sampha's characteristic bedroom recording style, Process was recorded in professional recording studios. The album was primarily recorded in studios across Sampha's native city of London, although it was also partially recorded at Ocean Sound Recordings on the Norwegian island Giske.[1]

Release and promotion

"Timmy's Prayer" was released on 17 May 2016 as a single.[2] The album's title was revealed alongside the release of "Blood on Me" on 26 August 2016 as Process' lead single.[3] The video for the song was released on 16 September 2016 and was directed by Alex Lill.[4] Sampha performed the song in his network television debut as a solo artist on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on 1 September 2016.[5] The album's track listing, artwork, and release date were revealed on 3 November 2016 with the announcement of a 2017 tour.[6] "(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano" was released as the album's third single on 12 January 2017.[7] Sampha performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon the following day on 13 January 2017.[8] A video for "(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano" directed by Jamie-James Medina was released on 31 January 2017 in standard format and in virtual reality.[9]

In a cover story with The Fader in June 2016, Sampha premiered "Plastic 100°C" in a solo piano performance on the rooftop of Young Turks' London office.[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.1/10[11]
Metacritic86/100[12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
The A.V. ClubA−[14]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[15]
The Guardian[16]
The Independent[17]
Mojo[18]
NME[19]
The Observer[20]
Pitchfork8.6/10[21]
Rolling Stone[22]

Process was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 86, based on 28 reviews.[12] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.1 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[11]

Alexis Petridis from The Guardian wrote, "Sisay shows off a genuinely individualistic approach to arrangement. The panic of "Plastic 100°C" floats along on a gentle wave of what sounds like harp or maybe koto. "Kora Sings" features a thrilling patchwork of scampering percussion, electronic noise and field recordings of rain and children speaking. The samples on "Reverse Faults" are melded into an insistent, slightly groggy pulse that's both compelling and unsettling. Nothing feels in thrall to current trends in R&B, either sonically or emotionally: Sisay may have been a constant, quiet presence on other people's records last year, but Process doesn't sound much like any of them. Instead, it's a weighty, powerful album with an identity entirely of its own. And while clearly not constructed with commercial ambition at the forefront of its mind, it's certainly good enough to make an unlikely star of the man behind it".[16]

In NME, Jonny Ensall described the album as a "finely crafted and devastating take on the loss of his mother to cancer, as well as his inner turmoil at how success has dragged him away from his roots".[19] Entertainment Weekly critic Eric Renner Brown said, "Sampha executes a sonically adventurous vision that's entirely his own and builds on his enormous potential".[15] Marcus J. Moore from Pitchfork said that "it's a remarkable, meditative work, as he processes grief and navigates self-discovery".[21] Clayton Purdom from The A.V. Club wrote: "Process is an exercise in finding beauty in even the tragedy of a parent's death, a record of singular probity and hard-earned optimism. It's the best R&B debut since FKA Twigs' LP1."[14] Alexander Smail from The Skinny gave the album a perfect score, stating: "Process is an exercise in catharsis, a deep breath in that lays Sampha's soul bare through gorgeous vignettes of his life. He worries, he regrets, he aches. He's human."[23]

Accolades

Process won the 2017 Mercury Prize.[24] In 2019, Pitchfork included the single "(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano" on their list of the 200 Best Songs of the 2010s.[25]

Select rankings of Process
Publication List Rank Ref.
BBC Radio 6 Music Top 10 Albums of 2017
3
[26]
Clash Top 50 Albums of 2017
3
[27]
Complex UK Top 15 Albums of 2017
4
[28]
Double J Top 50 Albums of 2017
4
[29]
Drowned in Sound Favourite Albums of 2017
90
[30]
Exclaim! Top 10 Soul and R&B Albums of 2017
2
[31]
NME NME's Albums of the Year 2017
23
[32]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2017
15
[33]
The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s
114
[34]
PopMatters Top 60 Albums of 2017
6
[35]
The Skinny Top 50 Albums of 2017
5
[36]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Sampha Sisay; track 8 additional writing by Kanye West

Process track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Plastic 100°C"5:16
2."Blood on Me"4:06
3."Kora Sings"4:17
4."(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano"3:38
5."Take Me Inside"2:18
6."Reverse Faults"4:13
7."Under"4:41
8."Timmy's Prayer"4:23
9."Incomplete Kisses"3:53
10."What Shouldn't I Be?"3:32
Total length:40:17
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."In-Between and Overseas"3:27
12."Answer"4:27
13."Too Much"3:01
14."Happens"5:07
15."Without"3:47
16."Indecision"4:24
Total length:64:30
International bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."In-Between and Overseas"3:25
12."Answer"4:24
Total length:48:13

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from Process album liner notes.[38]

Charts

Chart performance for Process
Chart (2017) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[39] 28
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[40] 28
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[41] 144
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[42] 35
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[43] 38
French Albums (SNEP)[44] 117
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[45] 46
Irish Albums (IRMA)[46] 98
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[47] 155
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[48] 40
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[49] 44
Scottish Albums (OCC)[50] 34
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[51] 34
UK Albums (OCC)[52] 7
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[53] 3
US Billboard 200[54] 51
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[55] 21

Certifications

Certifications for Process
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[56] Silver 60,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Krishnamurthy, Sowmya (3 February 2017). "Kanye Co-Writer Sampha Prepares for the Spotlight After Family Tragedy". Billboard. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  2. ^ Minsker, Evan (16 May 2016). "Sampha Shares New Track "Timmy's Prayer": Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  3. ^ McCormick, Luke (31 August 2016). "Hear Sampha's New Song "Blood On Me" From His Debut Album Process". The Fader. Archived from the original on 10 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  4. ^ Kreps, Daniel (16 September 2016). "Watch Drake Collaborator Sampha's Intense 'Blood On Me' Video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  5. ^ Gaca, Anna (2 September 2016). "Sampha Debuts 'Blood on Me' on 'Colbert'". Spin. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  6. ^ Geslani, Michelle (3 November 2016). "Sampha details new album Process, announces 2017 tour dates". Consequence. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  7. ^ McNett, Jared (12 January 2017). "Listen to Sampha's "(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano"". Paste. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  8. ^ McNett, Jared (16 January 2017). "Watch Sampha play '(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano' on Fallon". DIY. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  9. ^ Slingerland, Calum (31 January 2017). "Sampha "(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano" (video)". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  10. ^ Saxelby, Ruth (28 June 2016). "Sampha's Search for Magic". The Fader. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  11. ^ a b "Process by Sampha reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  12. ^ a b "Reviews for Process by Sampha". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 9 February 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  13. ^ Kellman, Andy. "Process – Sampha". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
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  15. ^ a b Brown, Eric Renner (3 February 2017). "Sampha's Process: EW Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 3 November 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
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  20. ^ Empire, Kitty (5 February 2017). "Sampha: Process review – the next Mercury prize-winner?". The Observer. London. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  21. ^ a b Moore, Marcus J. (3 February 2017). "Sampha: Process". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  22. ^ Hermes, Will (3 February 2017). "Review: Sampha Finds Beauty Within the Process". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  23. ^ Smail, Alexander (30 January 2017). "Sampha – Process album review". The Skinny. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  24. ^ Brown, Mark (14 September 2017). "Mercury prize 2017 is won by Sampha's Process". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  25. ^ "The 200 Best Songs of the 2010s". Pitchfork. 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 11 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  26. ^ "BBC 6 Music Recommends Albums Of The Year 2017". BBC Radio 6 Music. Archived from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  27. ^ "Clash Albums of the Year". Clash. 19 December 2017. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  28. ^ Keith, James; Oke, Tobi (16 December 2017). "Complex Uk's Best Albums of 2017". Complex UK. Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  29. ^ "50 Best Albums of 2017". Double J. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  30. ^ "Drowned in Sound's Favourite Albums of 2017". Drowned in Sound. 22 November 2017. Archived from the original on 23 November 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  31. ^ "Top 10 Soul and R&B Albums of 2017". Exclaim!. 30 November 2017. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  32. ^ "NME's Albums of the Year 2017". NME. 23 November 2017. Archived from the original on 30 November 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  33. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Pitchfork. 12 December 2017. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  34. ^ "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s". Pitchfork. 8 October 2019. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  35. ^ "The 60 Best Albums of 2017". PopMatters. 11 December 2017. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  36. ^ "The Skinny's Top 50 Albums of 2017". The Skinny. 29 November 2017. Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
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  38. ^ Process (CD liner notes). Sampha. Young Turks. 2017. YTCD 158.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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  41. ^ "Ultratop.be – Sampha – Process" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
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  45. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Sampha – Process" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  46. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Sampha". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  47. ^ プロセス | サンファ [Process | Sanfa] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
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  49. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Sampha – Process". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  50. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  51. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Sampha – Process". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  52. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  53. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
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  56. ^ "British album certifications – Sampha – Process". British Phonographic Industry. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
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