Sophie Leliwa releases her debut single

Today, May 28, 2026, Sophie Leliwa is releasing “Rien qu’un pardon,” the first single from an EP set to drop in June.

A recent graduate of IMEP Paris College of Music, this 57-year-old singer-songwriter and mother of seven has developed a unique artistic style that blends French chanson with intimate jazz, drawing inspiration from artists such as Barbara, Brel, and Nougaro as well as Nina Simone, Chet Baker, and Cécile McLorin Salvant.

In Just Forgiveness, Sophie Leliwa reflects on the wounds she suffered during childhood, their lasting impact on her life as a woman, but also—and above all—her desire to live, to love, to heal, and to move forward.

At first, I sat down at the piano, and the notes came to me in the form and spirit of a requiem. A requiem for forgiveness—that’s what was in my heart… that plea for forgiveness I would never receive. And then the solemnity of the funeral and the requiem gave way to a haunting, somber arrangement, which I wanted to be a bit halting… As if the music were inviting me to mourn these sufferings and to build something at the same time.

Supported by a delicate and refined acoustic arrangement, the track features several musicians from the jazz scene and the IMEP Paris College of Music: