Saam Sultan Interview: The NME 100 Artist on ‘Seraphim’ and His Genre-Defying Sound

In the rapidly shifting landscape of the UK music scene, few emerging voices are as difficult to categorize—and as intriguing to follow—as Saam Sultan. The 20-year-old artist has cultivated a distinct, visceral sound that blends the atmospheric textures of cloud rap with ambient pop and cinematic sensibilities. By prioritizing instinct over genre, Sultan is carving out a space where the emotional resonance of a track outweighs its technical classification.

This intuitive approach has already garnered significant momentum. His breakout single, “locked in love,” has become a focal point for his growing audience, showcasing a soft-focus style that feels both intimate, and expansive. The track’s success has helped position the Fort Lauderdale-born, Brighton-raised artist as a key figure in the next wave of experimental music, earning him a spot on the NME 100 list of essential emerging artists for 2026.

For Sultan, the drive toward recognition is secondary to the act of creation. He views music not as a career ladder to climb, but as a visceral experience. “Music is something that’s supposed to plug into your soul,” he explains, emphasizing a philosophy where feeling takes precedence over analysis. This perspective is rooted in a life defined by movement and a familial support system that he describes as his “real wealth.”

Born in Florida and spending his early years between the Sunshine State and Barbados, Sultan’s world shifted dramatically around age 10 when his family relocated to Brighton, England, following his father’s job loss. Despite the instability of those early years, the artist credits his mother’s eclectic record collection—which spanned Persian music, Motown, Latin sounds, and ’80s J-pop—as the foundation for his unbound musical taste.

From MIDI Keyboards to Self-Taught Production

Sultan’s entry into music was a product of curiosity and resourcefulness rather than formal training. During a brief trip to Brighton before his permanent move to the UK, the young Sultan spotted a MIDI keyboard in the window of the music shop GAK. He spent months performing chores and saving birthday money to afford the £60 instrument. Around the same time, a great-uncle built him a PC from spare parts, providing the hardware necessary to begin experimenting with Ableton.

His early years were marked by a clandestine obsession with sound. At school, Sultan would frequently skip classes under the guise of piano lessons, instead hiding in empty music rooms to refine his production skills. By age 17, he made the pivotal decision to drop out of college to pursue music full-time, encouraged by his mother’s belief that he had “enough time to fail.”

This lack of traditional structure continues to define his process. Sultan describes his method of songwriting as “jamming,” allowing ideas to surface from a half-conscious state rather than following a rigid compositional plan. This instinctive flow is what allows his music to swing between hushed introspection and moments of high-energy confidence.

Defining a Sound Beyond Genre

The accidental nature of Sultan’s success is evident in the reception of “ydoifeel?”. While the track’s warped samples and weightless delivery aligned him with the UK’s cloud rap resurgence—drawing comparisons to the production styles used on A$AP Rocky’s “Live.Love.A$AP”—Sultan admits he was not initially aware of the genre’s definition. “I wasn’t really informed enough to understand that’s even called cloud rap,” he notes.

Despite the external labels, Sultan remains hesitant to identify strictly as a rapper. While he acknowledges that he does rap, he views the term as too limiting for the world he is building. His discography reflects this fluidity, with songs like “I Might,” “stick around,” and “bleed from me” exploring different emotional registers and sonic palettes via Apple Music.

The emotional core of his perform is often tied to pivotal life moments. Sultan recalls the “ethereal feeling” of listening to Michael Jackson’s “Smile” while standing beside his grandfather’s hospital bed, a memory that solidified his belief that music is something to live through. This commitment to authenticity over commercial success is a recurring theme in his outlook; he has stated he would rather exit behind a vast catalogue of music that proves he “lived” his life than simply achieve a dream at the cost of his artistic integrity.

The Evolution of ‘Seraphim’

As Sultan moves toward his debut album, he is using his upcoming EP, Seraphim, as a “crossover period.” This project serves as a bridge between his underground roots and the more expansive sound he is developing. One standout track, “Crocodile Woman,” signals a shift toward progressive R&B, pushing his vocal range to its limits to express the instability of love and the influence of external voices.

Where his earlier work focused on personal observation, Seraphim introduces a stronger narrative element. This evolution allows him to move beyond the “underground rap” framing and explore more complex emotional expressions. The EP is scheduled for release on April 24 via Darkroom Records.

Saam Sultan: Quick Facts

With a scheduled performance in London at The Lower Third on Wednesday, May 6, at 7 PM, Sultan is preparing to bring his atmospheric sound to a live audience. As he continues to flesh out his debut album, the artist remains focused on building a space where definitions are irrelevant and the music is allowed to simply “plug into the soul.”

We invite our readers to share their thoughts on the evolution of cloud rap and the rise of genre-fluid artists in the comments below.