Fans have described him as a breath of fresh air but rising soul singer Shakka has praised artists like Sam Smith and Drake for continually injecting new ideas into the charts.

Since 2013, the 26-year-old has taken the music industry by storm mostly thanks to his standout collaboration with rapper Wretch 32 on Blackout, which peaked at number six in the charts.

With artists such as Smith, James Bay and Hozier rising up the ranks, soul-inspired music is enjoying somewhat of a resurgence.

Speaking to the IBTimes UK backstage at London's Wireless Festival 2015, Shakka said: "It goes in cycles, there's always someone that changes the tide and it always causes people to think differently about things.

"I'm glad people like SBTRKT, Sam Smith and Drake are here to continually inject the music scene with fresh ideas."

The music by the London-born singer has reached the likes of Rita Ora, Rudimental, Skepta and Wiley, all of whom have praised the rising star. But rather than allow it to inflate his ego, Shakka uses the high-profile support to humble himself.

"Rita's my people, we grew up in the same area and Wiley, I've been listening to him since I was 13, so to hear him tell me I'm the real deal, it's nothing short of humbling," he admits.

The singer, who cites the likes of Stevie Wonder and Coldplay as inspiration, added: "Personally I feel like I've got a long way to go, I feel like I need to stay in the studio and make more [music] so I'll just give it more time and see what happens.

"Aside from that, I'll stay in the studio and make sure I've made a song that was better than the last."

More about Wireless Festival 2015
Drake