Lianne La Havas spoke with NPR's Ari Shapiro on All Things Considered for its Play It Forward series, in which artists share musicians who inspire them. The previous week, spoken word poet Kae Tempest had selected La Havas, saying: "There is something that happens when I hear her sing, which is so uplifting ... this wash of pure melodic brilliance." Shapiro, in describing the song "Bittersweet," from La Havas's new album, says: "I feel like this summer, everyone is kind of trying to do their best to just keep it together. And when the chorus of this track hits, it's like you're not even pretending anymore. Like, the mask drops, and it just feels very real."