SIFFRE, LABI

So Strong is the seventh studio album by British singer-songwriter Labi Siffre. Released originally in 1988 on China Records – this is the first vinyl re-issue of the album. Marked as a triumphant return after nearly a decade away from recording, the album features Siffre's signature blend of soul, pop, and contemporary adult vocal styles. "(Something Inside) So Strong" was released as the lead single in early 1987 and reached #4 on the UK Singles Chart and won an Ivor Novello Award. Siffre wrote the anti-apartheid anthem in response to seeing white soldiers firing on Black civilians in South Africa, while also drawing deeply on his personal experiences as a Black, gay man. The song has remained enduringly popular and is an example of the political and sociological thread running through much of Siffre's lyrics and poetry.