• February 19, 1996
• Mabel is the youngest daughter of "Buffalo Stance" singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry and Massive Attack producer Cameron McVey.
• Born in Malaga, Spain, Mabel's nomadic childhood included spells living in New York, Paris, West London and Sweden. She recalled to the Evening Standard how famous musicians such as REM's Michael Stipe would drop by. To the pre-teen Mabel, these were just "all my dad's annoying friends. Like, can I just get on with building this Lego?"
• Mabel suffered from severe anxiety as a child. To help combat this, her parents encouraged her to learn an instrument, so she took up the piano.
• During her time in Sweden, Mabel channelled her anxiety issues into songwriting classes at Stockholm's prestigious Rytmus music school where past students included Scandinavian pop stars Robyn and Tove Lo. "I'm still insecure, she told Q Magazine, "but there's a way to make that a positive thing. You can put all that in motion into dance music can still make people feel good."
• Mabel started her own musical career in 2015 with her debut single "Know Me Better". The same year she had a small part in Skepta's "Shutdown" video. The hard part was convincing herself that she was destined for a life and pop. "I knew people thought my mum was an icon," she said. "So when I watched videos of her I thought, what are the odds I could do that as well? But there was nothing else I really lived for."
• Her big breakthrough came a couple of years later when "Finders Keepers" reached the Top 10 in the UK.
• Mabel has a half-brother on her father's side, Marlon Roudette, who is 13 years older than her. He had a UK Top 10 hit in 2014 with "When The Beat Drops Out."
• Mabel married music executive Preye Crooks in an intimate ceremony in London on July 26, 2025. He's the son of former footballer Garth Crooks.

Comments

More Songfacts:

A Little Less ConversationElvis Presley

Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation" was just a minor hit when it was released in 1968, but a 2002 remix made the song a global smash, taking it to #1 in a number of countries, including Australia and the UK.

AlejandroLady Gaga

The songs on Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster album represent a "fear" of some "monster." "Alejandro" is her "fear of sex" monster.

Live ForeverOasis

The Oasis song "Live Forever" was written in response to "I Hate Myself And I Want To Die" by Nirvana. "Kids don't need to hear that nonsense," said Noel Gallagher.

Heaven KnowsRobert Plant

Robert Plant's "Heaven Knows" is a satirical look at the '80s, when style seemed to trump substance.

Mr. CrowleyOzzy Osbourne

The Ozzy Osbourne song "Mr. Crowley" is about Aleister Crowley, a British practitioner of dark magic in the early 1900s.

Black Hole SunSoundgarden

It has long been speculated that the Soundgarden song "Black Hole Sun" came from the name of a sculpture in Seattle, but according to their frontman Chris Cornell the title came from a phrase he misheard on the news. The band's name did come from a sculpture.

Editor's Picks

Timothy B. SchmitSongwriter Interviews

The longtime Eagle talks about soaring back to his solo career, and what he learned about songwriting in the group.

Zac HansonSongwriter Interviews

Zac tells the story of Hanson's massive hit "MMMbop," and talks about how brotherly bonds effect their music.

80s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

MTV, a popular TV theme song and Madonna all show up in this '80s music quiz.

Ian Anderson of Jethro TullSongwriter Interviews

The flautist frontman talks about touring with Led Zeppelin, his contribution to "Hotel California", and how he may have done the first MTV Unplugged.

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music SceneSong Writing

With $50 and a glue stick, Bruce Pavitt created Sub Pop, a fanzine-turned-label that gave the world Nirvana and grunge. He explains how motivated individuals can shift culture.

John Doe of XSongwriter Interviews

With his X-wife Exene, John fronts the band X and writes their songs.