#EssenceFest: Daley Reflects on Personal Loss, Growth and His Long-Awaited Return to Music

For Daley, returning to New Orleans wasn’t just another performance; it marked the beginning of a new chapter.

The British singer-songwriter helped kick off ESSENCE Festival weekend on July 2 during SiriusXM Heart & Soul Presents “Night in N’Awlins” at Tipitina’s alongside Raheem DeVaughn and Lalah Hathaway. The intimate concert marked one of his first New Orleans performances since before the COVID-19 pandemic and offered fans a preview of his long-awaited return to music.

Speaking with InquisitiveCarter.com during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, Daley reflected on the significance of returning to New Orleans, reconnecting with audiences after years away, and the personal journey that ultimately led him back to the stage.

“I loved it,” he said of the Tipitina’s performance. “It was like diving back into the deep end because I’ve done ESSENCE Festival quite a few times, but not since the pandemic. Very intimate and it was just great to be back playing new music and just kind of being able to feel that out.”

After releasing “Lavender” earlier this year, his first new music since 2018, Daley acknowledged that the road back wasn’t a simple one.

“It was a lot of life changes,” he said. “There was a lot of stuff going on in my personal life, some loss and grieving and things like that. And then also music industry changes.”

Rather than rushing to release music, Daley gave himself permission to slow down and rediscover his creativity.

“I had to take some time and figure out how to stay inspired and just take my time making the music,” he explained.

That patience ultimately shaped the collection of songs he’s preparing to share with the world.

“It just felt like the songs, the collection of songs that I have now, I’m so happy with,” he said. “I’m really excited for people to hear them.”

Among those releases is “Slide,” which follows “Lavender” as part of his musical resurgence.