From the late 1980s through the mid-‘90s, Britain was in a soul music upswing. A diverse wave of acts such as Sade, Loose Ends, Soul II Soul, Lisa Stansfield, Simply Red and George Michael all came into prominence, coining past soul music influences with sleek touches of pop currency. Seal debuted as a solo artist in 1990 with his hit single, “Crazy,” which pinned world-weary angst against dense techno-pop bombast. The song set a bold step for the young London-born singer-songwriter, destined to break into the music business on his own terms.