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Rochester, NY
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Call it a second coming. The birth of a voice conceived through the spirit of classic greats like Billie Holiday, the neosoul of Jill and Erykah, and the jazz of yester years. A voice that transcends its 24 years on this earth and lifts its listeners away in a sweet melody.
Sounds like a religious experience doesn't it? I call it the Church of Chrisette.
It's June 12th -- a full week before Chrisette Michele's debut album even drops -- so I can understand if ya'll are thinking I am over-reaching a bit. Granted I have only heard four songs of hers via her myspace account (www.myspace.com/chrisettemichele) and of course our station -- but the minute I heard her... her tone, the control in which she sings, the words of her songs... I converted. And you know how new converts are: caught up in the spirit and happy as can be.
Take a listen to "Best of Me" and you will feel like Billie herself has been resurrected. "Good Girl" will have all my sistas bobbin' to their heads to the beat... and the message. I swear that's my new anthem. "Your Joy" paints a beautiful picture of what love should be (both parental and romantic), the type of love we don't talk about in music nowadays -- at least not the way we should.
Chrisette feels each note, carrying the music, never letting it carry her.
Of course, I saved "If I Have My Way" for last. That song, that song, that song... what can I say other than it is beautiful! I think it's a song that everyone can relate to at one point or another. It's definitely one to sit and chill to.
For me, Chrisette is more than a breath of fresh air, she is a sigh of relief: FINALLY!
I am sorry, but half of the artists on the scene right now can't sing a lick. They are overly produced, studio-made models who can carry a tune, but can't sing.
The girl can sing!
It's what brought me to her myspace page to begin with.
I was listening to the tracks she had posted online, refreshing the page so it would play back to back as I painted (which I tend to do when I am inspired by beautiful music -- Dwele, Jill, Erkyah, Robin Thicke, Sade, Cassandra Wilson, Tony Toni Tone', etc). Anyway, when I scrolled down her myspace page, I noticed she was headed to Louisville in a couple weeks. I was just milling over the possibility of making a trip there to see her perform (I just moved from there in November), when I scrolled down a little further and literally gasped.
There -- in regular letters, small type -- it said: "Performing for WDKX.... Rochester, NY."
I was both excited and ticked off at the same time. I work for the station, damn it! Shouldn't I have known?
I later found out that she was finalized over the weekend while I was out of town in Chi so I didn't feel so bad being out of the loop -- not that it mattered.
Now I am just excited... excited to get my hands on the entire CD (which I am pre-ordering online) and excited to hear that exquisite voice in person. Def Jam found a gem in Chrisette. I am keeping my fingers crossed. She might just be the revival r&b music of our day as been longing for.
