About this event
Two years ago, Brussels-based artist Adja released her debut EP, IRONEYE, featuring her single ‘Told You So', which has since racked up over 1.8 million streams. In the spring of 2025, her long-awaited debut album Golden Retrieve Her will be released (Sdban Ultra), and she will celebrate this with a sold-out release show on 9 May at the Ancienne Belgique. The album, written in collaboration with her partner-in-crime and guitarist Alexis Nootens, consists of eleven interconnected stories that explore the impact of capitalist society on our most intimate moments. Adja combines her talents as a singer, theatre maker and performer, using her voice and storytelling to tackle profound themes with humour and generosity. With a background in theatre and jazz, and a passion for R&B, soul and gospel, Adja has developed a musical style that sounds warm, rich and organic, with influences from D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Hiatus Kaiyote and Lauryn Hill. Her music possesses a delicate power, imbued with a rich, complex atmosphere. In 2022, Adja was named a laureate of ‘Sound Track', and later that year she was tipped by De Morgen as one of the six Belgian musical prospects of 2023. Her music is praised for the spiritual neo-soul of artists such as Erykah Badu and the velvety approach of Lianne La Havas. In 2025, she released her debut album, *Golden Retrieve Her*. For this, she collaborated with producer Adam Scrimshire—named by *The Guardian* as one of the UK's top three soul producers alongside Swindle and Inflo—and the renowned Belgian producer, mixer and musician Koen Gisen, both of whom helped her develop her own production skills. The album's first single, A Moment (December 2024), humorously explores the desire to find a moment's peace in a hectic world, whilst her second single, Sucking on My Emphatitties, challenges the audience with an energetic outburst. With Golden Retrieve Her, Adja demonstrates that she not only has a powerful voice, but is also a force of nature who brings her diverse talents together in compelling live shows.
