- This Christmas - Single · 2015
- Seal II · 1994
- Seal: Best 1991-2004 (Deluxe Version) · 1990
- Space Jam (Music from and Inspired By the Motion Picture) · 1996
- Seal: Hits (Deluxe Version) · 2006
- Seal II · 1994
- Seal: Best 1991-2004 (Deluxe Version) · 2003
- Seal [1991] · 1990
- Dirty Dancing (Original Television Soundtrack) · 2017
- Seal IV · 2003
- Seal II · 1994
- Seal (Deluxe Edition) · 1991
- Soul (Bonus Videos Edition) · 2008
Essential Albums
- For his second full-length, Seal enlisted pop perfectionist Trevor Horn, whose meticulous production places Seal’s weathered voice at the center of a larger-than-life tableau. “Don’t Cry” is a delicate ballad at its core, but Horn transforms it into a manifesto; “Kiss from a Rose” floats from speakers while tugging forcefully at the heartstrings. Seal’s harmonizing with Joni Mitchell on the spaced-out “If I Could” even more fully reveals his grace. Seal is a stunner: an ambitious, openhearted statement from a one-of-a-kind singer.
- English singer Seal’s audacious debut turns his wide-ranging knowledge of the ‘90s musical landscape—thudding electronics, plush synth-pop, deeply felt R&B—into an album that balances on big beats while being carried along by his raspy instrument and thoughtful lyrics. The kaleidoscopic “Crazy” marries his depictions of life’s breaking points to dizzying synths; “Killer” places booming rhythms underneath his ruminations on the world’s ills. “Violet,” which closes out the album, simmers with hope, its Quiet Storm-recalling thrum adding heat to its humanistic optimism.
- 2017
- 2015
Artist Playlists
- Killer hooks from this emotional soul man.
- A smooch with the man behind music's most distinctive growl.
Live Albums
Compilations
Appears On
- Pete Tong, The Heritage Orchestra & Jules Buckley
About Seal
Seal has penned some of the most enduring songs in pop music, carrying the melodies of 1990s hits like “Crazy” and “Kiss from a Rose” with a voice that’s equal parts husky and sweet. Born Sealhenry Olusegun Adeola Samuel in February 1963, he grew up in London, shuttling between his biological parents and a foster family. After years of bumming around and honing his craft, he landed his first hit with the 1990 acid-house banger “Killer,” lending a yearning melody to a beat produced by DJ Adamski. Eager to release his own music, he teamed up with Frankie Goes to Hollywood producer Trevor Horn for his first two albums—both eponymously titled efforts, released in 1991 and 1994. The albums’ massive success made Seal a worldwide name, and he really launched into the stratosphere when “Kiss from a Rose,” a soaring serenade layered with multitracked harmonies, appeared in the end credits of 1995’s Batman Forever, becoming a Grammy-winning U.S. No. 1 and global smash. In the years since, Seal has continued to release well-received solo albums, balancing his own material with several covers collections in which he takes on R&B classics and jazz standards. He brings raw-throated gravitas to his 2008 version of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” showing respect for past masters while solidifying his own place as one of pop’s greats.
- HOMETOWN
- Paddington, London, England
- BORN
- February 19, 1963
- GENRE
- Pop