5 Ways Sampha’s Process Confronts Grief Over His Mother

  1. The album directly addresses the death of Sampha’s mother from cancer, making grief its central theme.
  2. Songs like “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano” use specific memories of his mother to explore loss.
  3. The lyrics avoid sentimentality, instead focusing on the raw, confusing emotions that follow a parent’s death.
  4. The sparse, electronic production mirrors the isolation and emptiness grief can create.
  5. Sampha does not offer resolution or closure, reflecting the ongoing nature of mourning.