Culture

R&B singer-songwriter Lily Webbe releases new atmospheric single Gabriel

17 Jul 2026 2 minute read

Amelia Jones

Cardiff-based R&B/soul singer-songwriter Lily Webbe has released her new Welsh-language song Gabriel.

The song was originally written in 2025 as part of AffriCerdd, an initiative between Tŷ Cerdd and the National Eisteddfod, which supports musicians of colour to create new music in Welsh.

AffriCerdd stems from both organisations’ commitment to engage and support a diverse range of music creators in making work in the Welsh language.

Webbe is a prominent figure in the Welsh music scene, frequently performing at local events like the Cardiff Bay food festival, and leading vocal and R&B workshops for young women. Her soulful sound is heavily influenced by MOBO (Music of Black Origin).

Her influences span a wide spectrum, from old soul, reggae, and R&B, to jazz, hip‑hop, funk, house, garage, and beyond.

She is also co-founder of the R&B collective SOURCE, who are the previous winners of the Triskel Award at the Welsh Music Prize.

Talking about her new single, Webbe said:“I draw from everywhere, and that range shapes the sound I create. Gabriel is a devotional, atmospheric song that follows a seeker calling out to Archangel Gabriel for grounding, illumination, and rebirth.

“Blending imagery of roots, fire, and divine light, the song traces a journey from shadow into clarity as Gabriel’s presence becomes a source of guidance, transformation, and spiritual awakening. It’s a hymn-like invocation – part prayer, part surrender – wrapped in the glow of mystical reverence.

“This song is about a journey from darkness into light – a moment of reaching out for guidance and finally feeling something answer back.”

Webbe was mentored throughout the process by leading Welsh artist Eädyth Crawford, who developed her confidence in writing and performing Welsh lyrics.

AffriCerdd had its genesis in 2021 as an Eisteddfod Amgen project, and has since provided support for  several artists of colour in writing new songs in Welsh, including Adjua, Aisha Kigs, Frances Bolley and Asha Jane.

You can listen to the new single here.

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