There isn't much in contemporary music that
Labrinth can't do. The London-based artist is a singer, rapper, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer who has enjoyed success as a solo artist while also working alongside such stars as
the Weeknd,
Ed Sheeran, and
Sia. Along with his solo albums, Electronic Earth (2012) and
Imagination & the Misfit Kid (2019), he has regularly appeared near or at the top of the U.K. singles chart since the dawn of the 2010s, whether as a featured artist (
Tinie Tempah's "Frisky"), headliner (including the number one hit "Beneath Your Beautiful"), or group member (LSD's "Thunderclouds"). This work has been supplemented with Ivor Novello Award-winning original music for television, specifically the HBO series
Euphoria.
Born Timothy McKenzie, the London-based
Labrinth first emerged as a triple-threat artist in 2008 when he wrote, produced, and sang on rapper
Master Shortie's 2008 track "Dead End." A year later he was working with fellow U.K. artists
Tinchy Stryder and
Chipmunk, but it was 2010 when he really broke through, beginning with his guest spot on
Tinie Tempah's smash hit "Frisky." His remix of
Gorillaz's "Stylo" landed that same year, and soon labels were offering
Labrinth behind-the-scenes songwriting and production deals.
But
Simon Cowell, the music mogul behind American Idol and The X Factor, saw it differently. Early in the summer it was announced that
Cowell had signed
Labrinth as an artist to his Syco imprint, making him the first act in six years to be signed to the label without taking part in one of
Cowell's talent shows.
Labrinth's debut single for the label, "Let the Sun Shine," arrived that August and reached number three on the U.K. pop chart. At the beginning of 2011,
Labrinth started work on his debut album. Juggling production work for the likes of
Ms. Dynamite and working on the BBC Children in Need's 2011 charity single "Teardrop," the first new material from
Labrinth saw the light of day in October 2011. The single "Earthquake" (a collaboration with
Tinie Tempah), debuted on the U.K. singles chart at number two.
Labrinth's debut album, Electronic Earth, was released sixth months later. It featured the previous hits and three additional smash singles, including the chart-topping "Beneath Your Beautiful," a collaboration with
Emeli Sandé.
Labrinth soon began work on a follow-up, but while numerous singles appeared from the album's sessions, including "Let It Be" (number 11, U.K. pop) and "Jealous" (number seven, U.K. pop), the full-length has yet to appear after missing several rescheduled release dates. However,
Labrinth stayed in the public eye with guest appearances on singles by
Tinie Tempah ("Lover Not a Fighter"),
Sigma ("Higher"), and
the Weeknd ("Losers").
Labrinth also remained in demand as a producer for the likes of
the Weeknd (the Grammy-nominated
Beauty Behind the Madness, as well as
Starboy),
Ed Sheeran (
÷), and
Noah Cyrus ("Again").
Additional
Labrinth solo singles were released from 2017 to mid-2019. More significantly during this period, he formed the pop trio LSD with
Sia and
Diplo, issuing singles including "Genius," "Audio," and the hit "Thunderclouds," a Top 20 U.K. entry that also went Top Five in France. These singles were gathered on the full-length Labrinth, Sia & Diplo Present LSD. Later in 2019,
Labrinth took on a new role when he provided the original score for the HBO series
Euphoria, which included the hit single "All for Us," featuring star actor
Zendaya, and earned an Ivor Novello Award for Best Television Soundtrack. "All for Us" also appeared on
Labrinth's proper second full-length,
Imagination & the Misfit Kid, which arrived in November 2019. More
Euphoria-related tracks soon followed, and "Still Don't Know My Name," off the original score, gathered enough steam to go platinum in the U.S. After he and
Sia were featured on the 2021
Major Lazer track "Titans,"
Labrinth returned in 2022 with contributions to the Euphoria: Season 2 soundtrack, which included another
Zendaya collaboration, "I'm Tired." ~ David Jeffries