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Released 13 September 2019 on Ninja Tune

Sampa the Great's debut studio album The Return arrived after years of intense soul-searching. Born in Zambia, raised in Botswana and based in Melbourne, Sampa Tembo made a record about finding a sense of place in a world that keeps marking her as "other". Across 78 minutes it pulls jazz, '90s R&B and hip-hop into a single, restless suite.

What the critics said

Pitchfork (Marcus J. Moore) called it "a dense and sometimes-challenging record," one where "the sprawling sounds mirror her thoughts, racing, fully formed, everywhere at once," noting that "the arduous journey it traces is one toward peace." He singled out "Final Form" as the album's most pointed cut and read her "thousand-yard-stare determination" as proof that "her journey is only beginning."

Clash (Jack Doherty, 8/10) described The Return as "a bold post-genre record packed with inspired moments," arguing it "challenges the very notion of 'World Music'" by spending "as much time in the library as the dancefloor." The review praised its intentionality: "Every track has a purpose. Everything is intentional, from the click of a drum to the syllables in a line," and concluded that "the lack of real standout tracks makes for a much better, more mature record."

PopMatters (9/10) called it "both a willfully enigmatic and deeply revealing album" and "a dazzling celebration of her cultural and musical heritage that will resonate for years to come," praising "a genre-defying blend of hip-hop, jazz, and soul, all with a light sprinkling of southern African rhythms."

Recognition

The Return peaked at number 12 on the ARIA Charts and earned a Metacritic score of 83/100. In 2020 it won the Australian Music Prize, making Sampa the Great the first artist to take the award twice, and at the ARIA Music Awards she won Best Female Artist, Best Independent Release and Best Hip Hop Release.

Where to start

Begin with "Mwana," then "Final Form" and "OMG." Let the record play in full; it asks for a patient ear and rewards it.

Listen to The Return on Spotify

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Elsewhere Editorial · demo editorial content. The named work and artist are a subject and source, not a contributor or partner. Review excerpts quoted from Pitchfork, Clash and PopMatters; full credits remain with their publishers.