Ezra Collective Secure First U.K. No. 1 Album With ‘Here Because of Hope’
Ezra Collective has earned its first-ever U.K.
No.
1 album with fourth LP Here Because of Hope on the chart published Friday (Sept 18).
Related Ezra Collective on Stunning New LP ‘Here Because of Hope’ & Collaborating with Olivia Dean: ‘My Most Perfect A&R Moment!’ U.K.
Jazz Is Reaching New Heights, But the Scene Still Has a Major Gender Imbalance U.K.
Artists Say the Government’s Support for Music Education Is Declining.
Experts Say They’re Right The London-formed jazz group lands atop the Official Albums Chart for the first time, following 2019’s You Can’t Steal My Joy (No.
70), 2023’s Where I’m Meant to Be (No.
24) and 2024’s Dance, No One’s Watching (No.
7).
The group has achieved a number of critical highs in recent years.
In 2023, they won the Mercury Prize for Where I’m Meant to Be , becoming the first jazz act to take the award; two years later, at the 2025 BRIT Awards, they scored the group of the year trophy.
Speaking to Billboard U.K. , bandleader Femi Koleoso discussed the group’s legacy a decade on from its first release and being cited as an inspiration for rising musicians.
“It’s beautiful because people only can aspire to be that if they think it’s accessible and possible, and that’s how I want to come across all the time,” he said.
5News aggregated this summary from the outlet’s public feed. The full article, with all the context, is on www.billboard.com — the content belongs to Billboard.
