Santigold facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Santigold
Santigold performing in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Santi White
Also known as	Santogold
Born	(1976-09-25) September 25, 1976 (age 48) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	Electronic new wave indie alt-pop alternative dance
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter record producer
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Roc Nation Downtown Atlantic

Santi White (born September 25, 1976), known as Santigold, is an American singer, songwriter, and music producer. She used to be known as Santogold.

Her first album, Santogold (2008), was released by Atlantic Records. People loved it because it mixed different music styles like dub, new wave, and hip hop music. The song "L.E.S. Artistes" from this album became a top 40 hit in the UK.

Her second album, Master of My Make-Believe (2012), was also very popular. It reached number 21 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US. The song "Disparate Youth" from this album was a hit in several countries.

Santigold has released more successful music, including 99¢ (2016), I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions (2018), and Spirituals (2022). The Guardian newspaper called Spirituals a "whirlwind album full of feeling and fervour."

She has also worked with many famous artists like Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Diplo. Santigold has won awards, including "Best Breakthrough Artist" at the 2008 NME Awards.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Santi White was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 25, 1976. Her dad, Ron White, was an advisor to the mayor, and her mom, Aruby Odom-White, was a psychiatrist.

She went to Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia. Later, she studied music and African-American studies at Wesleyan University.

A friend gave her the nickname "Santigold" in the 1990s. She used to work for Epic Records finding new artists. But she left that job to help write and produce How I Do, the first album for singer Res.

Before becoming a solo artist, Santigold was the lead singer of a punk rock band from Philadelphia called Stiffed. The bassist from the band Bad Brains, Darryl Jenifer, produced their albums. While in the band, she was offered a solo music deal.

Santigold's Music Career

2007–2010: First Album and Tours

Santigold performing in 2008

Santigold's first songs as a solo artist, "Creator" and "L.E.S. Artistes", got a lot of attention online in 2007. Her first album, Santogold, came out in April 2008. She created it with John Hill, who was also in her band Stiffed.

The album featured other artists and producers like Diplo and Switch. It mixed many music styles, from new wave to alternative rock and reggae. Critics loved the album, praising its "cross-genre confidence."

Santogold received great reviews from magazines like Entertainment Weekly and Spin. Rolling Stone magazine put "L.E.S. Artistes" at number 2 on their "Singles of the Year" list. They also ranked Santogold as the sixth best album of the year. Some of her songs, like "Creator" and "Lights Out", were used in commercials.

In 2008, she released a mixtape called Top Ranking: A Diplo Dub. It was also well-received by music critics. To support her album, Santigold toured with artists like M.I.A. and Björk. In June 2008, the band Coldplay asked her to open their shows in the US.

She also had her own US tour called the Goldrush Tour. After that, she opened for Jay-Z and Kanye West at some of their concerts. She also performed at the BBC's Electric Proms music festival.

In February 2009, she changed her stage name from Santogold to Santigold. This was because of a possible legal issue with a director named Santo Victor Rigatuso. She finished her tour in August 2009 at the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago. She told the audience she was getting ready to write her next album.

2011–2013: Master of My Make-Believe

In 2011, Santigold released the song "Go!" which featured Karen O from the band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. NME magazine called it a "brittle and brilliant brawler of a track."

She announced that her next album, Master of My Make-Believe, would be released in spring 2012. She recorded some of it in Jamaica. She described the album as "sonically eclectic," meaning it had many different sounds.

She said the album was about "creating your own reality." The first song and video from the album, "Big Mouth," was released in January as a free download. In February, an animated video for "Disparate Youth" was released. This became the first single from the album.

Master of My Make-Believe was released in April and got great reviews. "Disparate Youth" was used in commercials for the Honda Civic and Direct Line insurance. Santigold then went on tour and opened some shows for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. She also headlined her own shows in the US and Europe.

In 2013, she recorded the song "Girls" for the TV show of the same name. She also appeared as a guest on the TV show The Office.

2015–2021: 99¢ and I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions

In June 2015, Santigold contributed the song "Radio" to the movie soundtrack for Paper Towns. In November, she released "Can't Get Enough of Myself," the first song from her new album, 99¢.

In February 2016, Santigold released a special music video for "Can't Get Enough of Myself." It allowed viewers to put themselves into the video. This helped show the song's message about how people focus on themselves and promote themselves on social media. She said the video was about how "everything is packaged" in today's world.

Her third album, 99¢, came out in February 2016. Mojo magazine gave it a four-star review, saying it had "pleasure, sunshine and subversion." Santigold then toured the US from March to May.

Santigold released a dancehall-inspired mixtape called I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions on July 27, 2018. She announced it just one day before. The album was inspired by Afro-Caribbean music and aimed for a "looser, sunnier spirit of summer."

Her song "Disparate Youth" was the first song on the soundtrack for the Netflix series Unorthodox in 2020. Her song "Run the Road" was also featured in the HBO show Euphoria.

2022–Present: Spirituals

After a four-year break from music, Santigold returned in May 2022 with "High Priestess." This was the first song from her fourth album, Spirituals. She released "Ain't Ready" in June and announced the album's title.

Spirituals was recorded with both old and new collaborators. Two other songs, "Nothing" and "Shake," were released before the album. Spirituals was released worldwide on CD and vinyl records.

When Spirituals came out in September 2022, it received good reviews. NME magazine gave it 4 out of 5 stars, calling her a "fearless sonic pioneer." The Guardian also gave it 4 out of 5 stars, describing it as a "winding journey through a landscape of loneliness, triumph and rage."

In 2024, she toured in the US and Canada in August and September.

Collaborations with Other Artists

Besides her own music, Santigold has worked with many other artists.

She helped write the song "Beneath the Surface" for GZA's 1999 album of the same name. She also helped write and produce most of Res's album How I Do in 2001. Later, she appeared on GZA's 2002 album, Legend of the Liquid Sword.

In 2007, Santigold appeared on Mark Ronson's album Version. She sang on a cover of "Pretty Green" by The Jam. She also co-wrote Lily Allen's song "Littlest Things" with Mark Ronson.

In 2008, she recorded a song called "My Drive Thru" with Pharrell Williams and Julian Casablancas for Converse shoes. Santigold said they recorded their parts separately, making it a "weird long song" with everyone's unique style.

That same year, she sang on Jay-Z's song "Brooklyn Go Hard." This song, produced by Kanye West, also used a sample from Santigold's song "Shove It."

In 2009, she sang on the song "Whachadoin?" with M.I.A. and others. She also collaborated on a song called "Gifted" with Kanye West and Lykke Li. She added her vocals to the song "Saga" on Basement Jaxx's album Scars. Santigold also worked with Lil Wayne on Drake's song "Unstoppable." Her vocals were also on the Major Lazer song "Hold the Line."

In 2010, she sang lead vocals on the song "Please Don’t" for David Byrne's album Here Lies Love.

In 2011, she was featured on the song "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" by Beastie Boys. She also lent her voice to the song "After Party" on the Lonely Island's album Turtleneck & Chain.

In 2012, Santigold was a guest on Amadou & Mariam's album Folila. In 2013, she appeared on ASAP Rocky's album Long. Live. ASAP, on the song "Hell."

In 2015, Santigold was featured in iLoveMakonnen's song "Forever." In 2016, she was featured in OneRepublic's song "Neighbourhood."

In 2017, she was featured on With You.'s "Give It All" with rapper Vince Staples. This song was on the Power Rangers movie soundtrack.

In 2018, she was featured on Matt and Kim's song "Glad I Tried." She also worked with Lil' Yachty on Diplo's song and video "Worry No More."

She sang on several songs on Tyler, the Creator's 2019 album Igor.

In 2021, she was featured on Mick Ronson's song "Do You Do You Know" for the TV series Watch The Sound.

Santigold's Music Style and Influence

Santigold at Koko, London, August 2008

Santigold has a strong singing voice. Her music style has often been compared to M.I.A.. Santigold said they are both "women who have similar influences" and work with some of the same people. But she added that her "music is different."

White enjoys dub and punk music. She also likes new wave music. She said her song "My Superman" was inspired by a Siouxsie and the Banshees' song called "Red Light."

The singer is also inspired by 1980s pop music. She feels that pop music from that time "had a depth to it." She hopes to "bring back some more good pop songs." Her main influences are James Brown and Aretha Franklin. She has called Devo her "ultimate favorite band." White also grew up listening to a lot of reggae, jazz, and Nigerian music.

Her Legacy

In 2022, Beyoncé mentioned Santigold in her song "Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)". Beyoncé named Santigold among 29 legendary Black women in music. This was like a "Lifetime Achievement Award" in pop culture.

Australian singer-songwriter Kevin Mitchell, also known as Bob Evans, said that Santigold's music influenced his album Familiar Stranger. He even performed her song "Disparate Youth" on Australian radio in 2013.

Personal Life

Santigold was married to Trevor Andrew. They have three children together. Their son was born in 2014, and they had fraternal twins in 2018.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Santogold (2008)
• Master of My Make-Believe (2012)
• 99¢ (2016)
• Spirituals (2022)

Mixtapes

• Top Ranking: A Diplo Dub (2008)
• I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions (2018)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Santigold para niños