Today, the mystical singer, songwriter, DJ and producer from North West London Qendresa (pronounced: Chen-Dre-Sa) shares her first release of the year, “Rain In July / Be The One”. A shimmering and smokey AA-side drenched in groove and vulnerability, “Rain in July” both twinkles and pulsates, as Qendresa intimates her desires and fears to her partner: “I don’t wanna be just a memory to you,” she repeats in a lilting tone, attempting to control her own fate. The swirling, percussive “Be the One” sees Qendresa pitching her aching vocals up as she digs her heels in even deeper with her lover: “Can you take me back? / I just want to rewind.”
Speaking on the tracks, Qendresa shares:
“I wrote these songs about a love that was slowly slipping away. Intergalactic heartbreak songs with otherworldly synths and haunting memories picking apart every word they said…”
For the visual, Qendresa returns to work with the multidisciplinary artist Sofire who worked on the artwork for her debut EP Midnight Request Line. Inspired by hot summer evenings, London living, GTA, 80s anime and female led comics like Tank Girl, the music video is a homage to everything that created Sofire and her feminine viewpoint, effortlessly carrying the mood of Qendresa’s seductive vocals via a series of animated vignettes of a female protagonist taking agency and engaging in self care (smoking, bathing, driving).
Speaking on the video, Sofire shares:
“I wanted to create something that all divine ladies would relate to, something for the inner city chicks, something for my sensual sisters. That’s what Qendresa’s music makes me feel … seen. This video wouldn’t have come to life without Olivia ‘Liffia’ who turned my 62 stills into a moving piece of art. So much talent and gratitude for the chance to work together on this.”
About Qendresa
Qendresa knows firsthand that you don’t have to dress up honesty. Hailing from north-west London – a part of town that has been synonymous over the decades with strands of sound system culture – she prefers dealing with the naked truth, which she distills then offers back to R&B lovers who recognize themselves in her vulnerability.
A singer, songwriter, producer and DJ, her often self produced, electronic tinged soul music stands out in today’s contemporary soundscape as totally singular, paying homage to her affinity for the hip hop and r&b that soundtracked her formative years. When she first started making her own music at 21, she really found her voice. With inspiration coming from the grime golden era, the UK rap scene as well as stalwarts like Sade and Mariah Carey, Qendresa also found herself inspired by neo-soul purists like Erykah Badu, and left-of-center hip-hop artists like Outkast, J Dilla, and MF Doom — artists whose emotional depth and sonic individuality helped shape her approach.
Her art centres the female experience. Her breakthrough mixtape Midnight Request Line in 2020 and her follow-up, 2024’s Londra both saw her speaking through a relatable, fed-up female protagonist and soon became quiet, dial-moving, underground projects that bubbled to the surface receiving co-signs by the likes of Lil Yachty, Drake, The Deftones amongst several others; leading to global performances at Milan Fashion Week.
Qendresa comes to embody the melting pot that is London, whether her place as a result of the Kosovar diaspora or the position she’s carved out in the city’s music scene as both a DJ and a live artist. She sits just as comfortably gliding over a 808-laden track or floating over an 80’s rnb rhythm with her live band, and her show on NTS that she’s been a regular since 2018 will find everything from soul to salsa, hip hop to house, reggaeton to rap.
She’s your favourite artist’s favourite artist, and one with an exciting year ahead filled with new music that will make her the next big star and the name on everyone’s lips.
2026 Qendresa Live Dates
22 May – Gala – London – DJ
5 June – Paris – We Love Green – LIVE
28 June – Perk Belgium – Paradise City – LIVE
29 August – Berlin – Elle’s & L’s – LIVE
Photo Credit: @joepuxx
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