Soulful singer and songwriter, Gabrielle, relesed her single, ‘Rise’ in January 2000. The song (written by Gabrielle, Ollie Dagois and Ferdy Unger-Hamilton and produced by Jonny Dollar), was the second single to be taken from her third, studio album of the same title, Rise.
The track became notable for the rare, authorised use of a Bob Dylan sample (taken from his 1973-song ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’. Apparently, Dylan liked ‘Rise’ so much, that he allowed Gabrielle to use the sample for free, while receiving a co-writer credit for providing the song’s chord progression and vocal sample.
The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and stayed there for two weeks, acroos January and February 2000, becoming her second chart-topper.
This is such a soulful song that for the era of mainstream pop, it actually stood out quite significantly for her different vibe, making her stand out as an artist in that era. Subsequently, this track has a rather timeless feel to it.
The music video (Directed by Kevin Godley) sees the singer singing whilst spectating at a boxing match – a nice visual metaphor to accompany the song.
What are your thoughts of this soulful singer’s 2000 hit? Are you still a fan 20 years on? Do you have a #ThrowbackThursday track to recommend us? Please leave your thoughts or song suggestions in a comment or via social media.
Scott Quinn is a Yorkshire-born, soul-synth multi-instrumentalist, whose latest track is captivatingly beautiful with its shimmering synths and passionate vocals.
‘Run’ oozes heartache and despair, tackling the emotionally-driven subject of trying to help and support someone who’s not in the right place to be helped but is already on the path of self-destruction, leaving a trail of demolition in their wake.
Quinn has spent time in the studio, working with the likes of JONES & SG Lewis and has recently toured Europe with Aquilo. All this comes ahead his first, big, headline show at the Camden Assembly on June 20th (tickets available here).
No music video has been released as yet, but as always, we’ll keep you updated if/when one emerges.
What are your thoughts of this intriguing singer-songwriter’s latest single? Do you have a #MellowMonday track to recommend us? Please leave your thoughts or song suggestions in a comment or via social media.
Leah McFall first came to the public attention as a runner-up on the second series of The Voice UK, back in 2013. Since then, she’s been busy crafting her sound and has finally released her first mini album, INK, which she will be touring throughout the UK, this month.
The title track, ‘Ink’, is also the opening track of the mini album; it’s a subtle, laid-back song with haunting melodies and incredibly well-placed backing vocals that add a interesting depth to it. The song (and several others on the record) has strong resemblances with NAO.
‘Happy Human’ is an uplifting, full-on track with a positive message. ‘Bottle It’ stands out for it’s edgy sound – similar to the current tropical house trend but with her own, unique interpretation. ‘Colours At A Funeral’ is a raw, emotional song that has a deep soulfulness to it and is followed by another stand-out song, ‘Language’; the latter is a great song, probably the most poppy song (and my personal favourite) on the record. It’s a quite a blend of late 80s and 90s pop sounds and has that feel-good factor about it.
The closing track is Leah‘s first, independently released single, ‘Wolf Den’, which boasts an upbeat, quirky sound and really showcases just what she can do with her voice; whistle notes and all. It’s the perfect end to the whole mini album.
The production throughout, is what I’d describe as subtle yet intricate – it doesn’t scream out pop and it can’t easily be pigeon-holed, but that’s what makes it such a fantastic release. It’s very dreamy with seemingly simplistic production (although that’s most definitely not the case); it’s been impeccably well produced and each song makes an impact in a different way. Leah‘s powerful vocals and delicate ad libs have been layered beautifully and weave stunningly around the instrumentation, creating euphoric highs and emotionally-driven lows throughout the entirety of the record. It is an honest offering and almost exposes a vulnerability about the singer. This is undoubtably something fans will appreciate; an insight into her world.
In summary, this mini album has a lot to offer and is a very strong independent release that’s currently charting highly on the UK iTunes charts. Although she may not have won The Voice UK, her talent definitely outshines any other contestant to have graced the show previously or since. This release is a symbol of what fan power, self-belief and determination can achieve and her every success is deserved! Let’s hope a full-length album follows, and soon!
We hope you’ve enjoyed our review of Leah McFall’s release! What do you think of the mini album? Are you as much of a fan as us? What would you rate it? Please leave your thoughts in a comment or via our social media.
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Kehlani is an American singer-songwriter who’s sound sits somewhere between R&B, Hip Hop and Neo-Soul but still has a catchy pop edge to it.
She initially found fame as a member of the teen pop group, Poplyfe, which was a finalist on America’s Got Talent.
This song is the first single to be taken from her upcoming debut album, SweetSexySavage and was produced by female R&B/Pop duo Novawav.
The message behind the song is clear and the team wanted to “create an unapologetic statement embracing the challenges and double standards that come with being a woman.” The video for the track is amazing too – check it out below!
This song has definitely made me take note of her and I’m thoroughly excited for her debut album, but what are your thoughts? Have you got another favourite song of hers? Please leave your thoughts of own, similar #WildCardWednesday tracks in a comment below or chat to us via our social media.
Zayn (Malik) has finally released his debut solo single and frig me, it’s blowing up! Zayn has opted for a modern house-style vibe, similar to that of Justin Bieber‘s new sound.
This song also marks a very clear departure from his One Direction days; not only is the sound so different, but the video is graphically more mature too! I truly think this could be his best move yet and predict humongous things from him as a solo singer – his voice is remarkable and the sound he’s creating is inspired.
I think he’s set to take on the world with this! Bring it on!
NAO is a London-based singer-songwriter known for her unique blend of alternative R&B and neo-soul.
NAO recently graced the Radio 1 Live Lounge with a performance of this song, alongside a cover, and she has also been pegged for big things throughout 2016 and quite rightly so I think!
The video for the song is unusual and worth a watch, but again, like Zayn’s is rather risqué! Enjoy!
Sam Sparro exploded onto the pop scene with this electronic, dance-pop song, back in 2008.
The song is about the relationships between spirituality, love and reason and how they are intertwined. The song is quite melancholic in its tone, but that’s what makes it so endearing.
However, this particular track has been Sam’s biggest song to date (it reached Number 2 in the UK charts) and he has not really been able to replicate its success, since.
He still continues to make music today and has had another album and EP in recent times, but to little commercial reception.
The video is captivating – Sam dances alongside replicas of himself clad in old-fashioned white tie and tails.
Did you like this song back in 2008? Are you still a fan? Please share your #ThrowbackThursday in a comment below or on our social medias.
Today’s #MellowMonday song has a pretty interesting style; it’s a relatively new and modern one. Here with a ‘neo-soul’ genre is Jesse Boykin’s III‘s song ‘Plain’.
This type of music is a unique collection of modern-day electronic sounds mixed alongside other older, soul-styled aspects.
Jesse Boykins III claims influence from Stevie Wonder; this can be heard in his 2014 album ‘Love Apparatus’ even though it features modern piano, synths and electronic samples. I really like the style Boykins creates through his music; listening to his albums I can notice how it develops in a variety of ways, in each song.
Critics say he has kept up very well with the fast developing styles of R&B, but in his own original way; which I truly appreciate!
Watch the pretty interesting dance-lyric video for Jesse Boykins III’s ‘Plain’. This is my favourite song from ‘Love Apparatus’!
Muzik Speaks 