Get to know up-and-coming Scottish songstress Emeli Sandé.

To put it mildly, we're obsessed with Emeli Sandé. The Scottish soul singer-songwriter has captivated her fans across the pond, and we're thinking it's about time for the U.S. to get a taste of what the U.K. is currently losing their minds over.

Raised in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Emeli studied medicine at the University of Glasgow (smart babe alert). Torn between her two passions (music and medicine), Emeli stopped her studies in her fourth year, but has remained steadfast about the fact that if her music career fails, she will always have education to fall back on. (Read: She's a scientific genius and a dope singer. Why do some girls get all the gifts?)

Listen to Emeli Sandé after the jump. 

As a vocalist, Sandé's rich and lush R&B pipes have already garnered comparisons to Joni Mitchell, Lauryn Hill and Nina Simone, but it was initially through her songwriting that Emeli got her kick start. She's penned records for big deal artists like Cheryl Cole, Chipmunk and Tinie Tempah, to name a few. Shortly after entering and winning a BBC Urban Music competition, Sandé's buzz exploded and landed her a massive record deal. As an artist, Emeli got her big break in 2009 after appearing on the track she wrote for Chipmunk's debut single, "Diamond Rings." The single reached at No. 6 on the U.K. Singles charts, making it Chipmunk and Sandé's first top 10 hit.

Cut to present day: Emeli is doing just fine all on her own, thank you very much. Earlier this year, the singer released her debut single, "Heaven," which shot to No. 2 in the U.K. She's already taken home the coveted 2012 Brit Awards Critics' Choice award (past winners include Jessie J, Florence +  The Machine and Adele), she was named "One-Two-Watch" by Myspace, and her debut album, Our Version Of Events, has already topped the U.K. charts.

Emeli's first official U.S. single, "Next To Me," will be available Tuesday, April 17, on iTunes, and we're prettty positive it's gonna soar. Bolstered by her poignant lyrics, the song's melody is rooted in pop but is ultimately defined by Sandé's gritty and powerful tone. As she preps for the June 5 U.S. release of her album, Sandé also found time to pen songs on the forthcoming Alicia Keys album and, knowing this overachiever, she probably retook the MCAT's just for fun in her spare time.

+ Listen to Emeli Sandé, and cop a free download of her song "Easier In Bed."