Mabel

Mabel Artistfacts

  • 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

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Amanda Palmer

Amanda PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Call us crazy, but we like it when an artist comes around who doesn't mesh with the status quo.

Janis Ian

Janis IanSongwriter Interviews

One of the first successful female singer-songwriters, Janis had her first hit in 1967 at age 15.

Producer Ron Nevison

Producer Ron NevisonSong Writing

Ron Nevison explains in very clear terms the Quadrophenia concept and how Heart staged their resurgence after being dropped by their record company.

John Waite

John WaiteSongwriter Interviews

"Missing You" was a spontaneous outpouring of emotion triggered by a phone call. John tells that story and explains what MTV meant to his career.

Protest Songs

Protest SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know your protest songs (including the one that went to #1)?

Keith Reid of Procol Harum

Keith Reid of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

As Procol Harum's lyricist, Keith wrote the words to "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." We delve into that song and find out how you can form a band when you don't sing or play an instrument.