{{short description|English singer-songwriter (born 1991)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Sakima | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Isaac Sakima | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1991|3|20|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], [[England]], UK | origin = [[London]] | genre = {{hlist|[[Alternative pop]]|[[Electro (music)|electro]]-[[Contemporary R&B|R&B]]|[[Pop music|pop]]|[[Contemporary R&B|R&B]]}} | occupation = Singer-songwriter, producer | years_active = 2014–present | label = | website = }}
'''Isaac Sakima''' (born 20 March 1991), known professionally as '''Sakima''', is an English singer-songwriter and producer.
== Early life == Isaac Sakima is originally from [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], but was raised in [[Milton Keynes]]. He later returned to Newcastle and identifies as a [[Geordie]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thefourohfive.com/music/article/sakima-interviewed-141|title=The 405 meets Sakima|url-status=dead|last=Buck|first=Courtney|date=19 November 2014|work=[[The 405 (magazine)|The 405]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007223056/https://www.thefourohfive.com/music/article/sakima-interviewed-141|archive-date=7 October 2018}}</ref> At the age of 6, Sakima felt his first gay attraction towards another classmate.<ref name=":2">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8114095/sakima-justin-tranter-death-is-in-the-air|title=Sakima Releases Justin Tranter-Inspired Track 'Death Is in the Air'|last=Daw|first=Stephen|date=2018-02-16|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2018-10-07}}</ref> He started making music at 8 years old.<ref name=":3">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/7989245/sakima-pop-outspoken-queer-voice-interview|title=Sakima's Dirty Pop: Meet Music's New Queer Voice|last=Crowley|first=Patrick|date=2017-10-09|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2018-10-07}}</ref>
== Career == Sakima is a London-based singer-songwriter.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://pilerats.com/music/electronic/sakima-breaks-boundaries-on-his-debut-ep-facsimile/|title=Sakima breaks boundaries on his debut EP, Facsimile|last=Davies|first=Hayden|date=2017|work=PILERATS|access-date=2018-10-07}}</ref> His debut single "Energy" was premiered by [[Zane Lowe]] on [[BBC Radio 1]] in August 2014{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} and was described as a "moody pop ballad". He has worked with Cyril Hahn and [[Ryan Hemsworth]]. Sakima was working with a Chicago-based manager Ardie Farhadieh and the company Wick Management. Farhadieh connected Sakima with [[Jakwob]] and his label Boom Ting for his song "Energy". In 2014, Sakima was managed by the UK-based company, Empire.<ref name=":1" />
In May 2017 Sakima released his debut EP, ''Facsimile'', containing four-tracks.<ref name=":3" /> [[Out (magazine)|''Out'']] describes ''Facsimile'' as "an accidental gateway into queer eroticism". The opening track is titled "I Used to Have an En Suite".<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=https://www.out.com/music/2017/6/18/meet-sakima-londons-rising-star-making-sexually-inclusive-pop|title=Meet Sakima: London's Rising Star Making Sexually Inclusive Pop|last=Moran|first=Justin|date=2017-06-18|work=Out|access-date=2018-10-07|language=en}}</ref> Other tracks include "He's Trippi" and "Happy Hr".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.intomore.com/culture/sakima-is-the-queer-pop-star-we-need/|title=Sakima Is The Queer Pop Star We Need|last=|first=|date=2017-12-17|website=INTO|language=en|access-date=2018-10-07}}</ref> "He's Trippi" was influenced by [[Zayn Malik]]'s "[[She (Zayn song)|She]]". Sakima liked the song but noticed the pronouns and highly sexualised nature of the song. He wanted to release a song using pronouns applicable to gay people.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/7824835/sakima-interview-gay-sex|title=Meet Sakima, The Pop Crooner Who Wants to Talk About Gay Sex|last=Crowley|first=Patrick|date=2017-06-08|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2018-10-07}}</ref>
He released his EP ''Ricky'' on 13 October 2017.<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/sakima-pop-singer-ricky-15-things-you-should-know-7998878/|title=15 Things You Should Know About Sakima|last=Salud|first=April|date=2017-10-23|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2018-10-07}}</ref> On the seven-track EP, Sakima sings about the rejection of [[heteronormativity]] and explores [[Polari]]. The track "Daddy", featuring YLXR, used Polari in a queer-themed song inspired by "[[Work from Home (song)|Work from Home]]".<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.out.com/music/2017/10/13/playlist-sakimas-queer-daddy-anthem-10-more-new-songs|title=The Playlist: Sakima's Queer 'Daddy' Anthem & 10 More New Songs|last1=Moran|first1=Justin|date=2017-10-13|work=Out|access-date=2018-10-08|last2=Thomas|first2=Chris|language=en}}</ref> Sakima released the single "Death Is in the Air" on 16 February 2018 after hearing [[Justin Tranter]]'s interview on the ''And the Writer Is...'' podcast.<ref name=":2" /> He released the LGBT-themed single "Show Me" in 2018,<ref name=":5">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8458542/sakima-show-me-premiere-interview|title=Sakima Wants You to Talk With Your Body on His New Single 'Show Me': Exclusive Premiere|last=Daw|first=Stephen|date=2018-05-30|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2018-10-07}}</ref> which explores [[homophobia]] and [[cruising for sex]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.papermag.com/sakima-premiere-1-2574292686.html|title=Sakima Makes Sexy Queer Bops with Deep Historical Context|last=Michael|first=Michael Love|date=2018-06-01|work=PAPER|access-date=2018-10-07|language=en}}</ref>
In 2018, [[R3hab]] released the album ''The Wave'', including the track "Back to You" with Sakima.<ref name=":7">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/8472052/r3hab-the-wave-album-breakdown|title=R3HAB Breaks Down His 16-Track Album 'The Wave': Exclusive|last=Bein|first=Kat|date=2018-08-24|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2018-10-17}}</ref> On 14 September 2018, Sakima released the single "Holy Water" from his debut album ''Project Peach'', which was released in 2019.<ref name=":9">{{Cite magazine|last=Blynn|first=Alex|date=2019-08-16|title=Sakima Gets Real About 'Project Peach' & the Evolution of Queer Music: 'I'm Hungry for a New Vocabulary'|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8527524/sakima-project-peach-evolution-queer-music|access-date=2020-07-31|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> Joshua Bote of [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']] describes "Holy Water" as "with a reverb-and-trap-heavy fog surrounding him, he treads through self-love as a spiritual exercise, in effect, turning [[RuPaul]]'s iconic mantra into a prayer of sorts".<ref name=":6">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8475078/sakima-holy-water-project-peach|title=Sakima Releases 'Holy Water' From Forthcoming Album 'Project Peach'|last=Bote|first=Joshua|date=2018-09-14|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2018-10-17}}</ref> His single "Apps" was inspired by [[hookup culture]] and the relationship complications caused by [[dating app]]s.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news|url=https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/sakima-apps/|title=Sakima Takes Hookup Culture to Task on New Single "Apps"|last=Boyer|first=Jake|date=2018-10-30|work=Highsnobiety|access-date=2018-10-30|language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2021, Sakima released the single "Sleepy Head"<ref>{{Citation|title=Sleepy Head|url=https://open.spotify.com/album/2EcIFd1rqdhriar6rPGbWF|language=en|access-date=2021-09-01}}</ref> and co-wrote several singles for other artists, such [[Little Mix]]'s "[[Love (Sweet Love)]]"<ref>{{Cite web|last=Evans|first=Mel|date=2021-08-30|title=Little Mix are glowing queens in stunning snap as they announce new single|url=https://metro.co.uk/2021/08/30/little-mix-in-stunning-snap-for-new-single-love-sweet-love-15175564/|access-date=2021-09-01|website=Metro|language=en}}</ref> and [[Regard (DJ)|Regard]], [[Troye Sivan]] and [[Tate McRae]]'s "[[You (Regard, Troye Sivan and Tate McRae song)|You]]".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Regard Teams Up With Troye Sivan & Tate McRae for New Song "You"|url=https://www.pmstudio.com/music/music.html?page=20210416-13590|access-date=2021-09-01|website=pm studio world wide news|language=ja}}</ref>
== Artistry == In the media, Sakima has been described as a "[[Contemporary R&B|R&B]] artist", "[[alternative pop]] singer", "[[Electro (music)|electro]]-R&B musician", and a "[[Pop music|pop]] artist".<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /> Sakima sings pop and R&B songs with queer themes.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nylon.com/articles/sakima-daddy-music-video|title=Sakima's NSFW "Daddy" Video Is A Queer Triumph|last=Manders|first=Hayden|date=2017-12-01|work=NYLON|access-date=2018-10-07|language=en}}</ref> Sakima stated that he aims to add queer stories and a gay perspective to traditional pop and R&B music with the hope of normalising LGBT experiences.<ref name=":4" />
== Personal life == Sakima lives in London.<ref name=":0" /> He is a gay man.<ref name=":5" /> On his sexuality, Sakima reported that "I never 'realized' I was gay...I always knew. I've never known anything different. I've never known what it's like to be in the closet. I've never known what it's like to be separate from that part of yourself".<ref name=":4" />
== Discography ==
=== Albums === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+List of albums ! scope="col" style="width:7em;" | Title ! scope="col" style="width:19em;" | Details |- ! scope="row" |''Project Peach'' | * Released: 16 August 2019<ref name=":9" /> |}
===Extended plays=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+List of extended plays ! scope="col" style="width:7em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width:19em;"| Details |- ! scope="row"| ''Facsimile'' | * Released: May 12, 2017 * Label: Moving Castle * Format: [[Music download|Digital download]] |- ! scope="row"| ''Ricky'' | * Released: 13 October 2017 * Label: Independent * Format: [[Music download|Digital download]] |}
=== Singles ===
* "Energy" (2014)<ref name=":1" /> *"Death Is in the Air" (2018)<ref name=":2" /> * "Show Me" (2018)<ref name=":5" /> *"Back To You" (2018) with [[R3hab]]<ref name=":7" /> *"Holy Water" (2018)<ref name=":6" /> *"Apps" (2018)<ref name=":8" /> *"Virtus Domum" (2018)<ref>{{Cite web|last=Moen|first=Matt|date=2018-12-14|title=Sakima Shares New Single 'Virtus Domum'|url=https://www.papermag.com/sakima-virtus-domum-premiere-2623358381.html|access-date=2020-07-31|website=PAPER|language=en}}</ref> *"U Dnt Fk Me Up" (2020) *"Sleepy Head" (2021)
== See also ==
* [[LGBT culture in London]]
== References == {{Reflist}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sakima}} [[Category:21st-century English male singers]] [[Category:English male singer-songwriters]] [[Category:English pop singers]] [[Category:English gay musicians]] [[Category:English LGBTQ singers]] [[Category:English LGBTQ songwriters]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Musicians from Newcastle upon Tyne]] [[Category:Entertainers from Milton Keynes]] [[Category:Gay singers]] [[Category:Gay songwriters]] [[Category:English contemporary R&B singers]] [[Category:21st-century English LGBTQ people]] [[Category:1991 births]] [[Category:21st-century English singer-songwriters]]