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Neneh Cherry: I Did Not Disappear

Staff Writer

In fact, the '90s hip hop soul pioneer has been busy with the likes of Four Tet and Robyn

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Recent commentaries about Neneh Cherry's new album have spent much space mulling over the singer's extended absence from popdom – all very much to her bemusement.

"So much of how you're judged is by your products so, if there's not product out, it's a bit like you don't exist – like, 'Oh, you disappeared!'," Cherry told theMusic.com.au.

In fact, in the intervening years since her chart-hogging days with hits like Buffalo Stance and 7 Seconds in the '90s, Cherry collaborated with Groove Armada, 1 Giant Leap and Gorillaz. But, more importantly, she pursued side-projects.

In 2012 Cherry issued an avant covers album, The Cherry Thing, with Scandinavian nu-jazzers The Thing: "I really got into working and being creative in that way for a while because I needed to grow a little bit – I needed to do it kinda away from myself or maybe [away] from being in the centre."

Now, Cherry has collaborated with Four Tet to produce her Blank Project solo album - which also features a duet with kooky Swedish pop star Robyn. 

Cherry confessed that working on the album lifted her from a "black hole" she slipped into after her mother's death in 2009. The LP was therapeutic: "I was like, 'Wow, there's suddenly bright colours'."

Full story here.