Tag: New

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By: Gregg Keniston

How do you reintroduce yourself to a mainstream audience, who may only recognize your name only if you start singing, “Hey sister, it’s really, really nice to meet ya. I just met this five foot seven guy who’s just my type?” Well, when you let the music speak for you, it’s easy. Estelle blessed us back in 2008 with her smash-hit “American Boy (feat. Kanye West).” It rocked our radios and our tangled-up headphones before AirPods were a thing, as the iPhone took off. Since then, she’s released three albums in between: All of Me, True Romance, and Lovers Rock; including her debut album The 18th Day.

Estelle has captivated audiences with her vocals and her ability to flip styles from a sleek and funk-styled rap, reggae sounds, and a beautiful, eloquent R&B/Soul sound. Now, Stay Alta offers a fresh, perpetually bright and positive sound. The album encompasses a variety of flavored genres, from dance to soul, to pop sounds hinting at her “American Boy” tones. There’s a little something for everyone with Estelle’s masterpiece.

“Outside” reels the listener in immediately, with a jazz flair switching up to a call-and-response of positivity and encouragement. There is nothing more enticing than hearing music that lifts you up from trying times. “Oh I” is dance beat with a message that time is on your side. But, don’t sit around. It’s an honest song of presenting that the good and bad may happen with our decisions, yet you won’t know unless you try.

“Grateful (feat. Teeters Moses & Russell Taylor)” follows up encourages that no matter your situation, especially if you are currently in a comfortable place in life; to stay grateful. The singer knocks off a list of what she is grateful for in a slight-rap monologue. She proclaims to stay grateful through the whole daily process, good and bad of life. “Love On Love” follows sharing the limelight and vocals with D-Nice. It’s an insistent message, uplifting spirit that bounds through the speakers that there is a mission afoot. Estelle and D-Nice announce that we are to celebrate! And we are to celebrate, in party-fashion, one another, love; human to human.

Up next, is “Roses (Now’s the Time).” A simple yet, empowering song, to take your moment. In life, there are times (many) to be humble and thankful…or grateful; but other times call for us to soak up our success and proper accolades along with that achievement; each and every one of us. Meanwhile, “Like He Is” sings softly and elegantly of appreciation for the singer’s other half. Taking the good with the bad and understanding that time is short; Estelle is appreciate of the moments big and small. “Fire (feat. Joi) is crafted very uniquely with an intro and outro poem and the music falls like a soulful blanket in between. It’s a blend of funk and soul where the imagery is cinematic in her lyrics.

The last quarter of the record begins with the title-track “Stay Alta (feat. Channel Tres).” The track is the highlight of the record for a reason – pure fun. Essentially, Estelle is staying alert, staying positive, and reading the rooms to avoid anything that will bring her vibe down. It’s well worth the listen if you want to just let loose and feel good. On the flip side, “Let It Drop (feat. Durand Bernarr)” is a tag-team song between the duo for any dance floor. This dance jam, acknowledges the end of relationship, knowing in her being that she is trying to achieve better with her life however, Bernarr at first, believes she’s mistaken but, by the end he comes to realize it is best to move on as well.

We approach the next track with a flavorful feel that possesses a lot of the same bright and festive mix of cultural, European, Latin, and pop stylings “Stay Alta” personified. The mixture of these sounds, while Estelle maintains and carries her happy tonality throughout the song. It is a wonderful song that in listening to the lyrics, sounds like a daydream of lovers being the only two in existence, blocking out the outside world and its noise. “New Direction (feat. LaRussell & Keyon Harrold)” follows with lyrics of encouragement and decisive action. The trio lays out a “when-life-gives-you-lemons-make-lemonade, type of mantra. It is a proclamation to make the best out of the worst situations and turn it into a new direction.

Finally, there’s the end track “Starting Over.” The song is anthemic in sound and a joyous statement of an acknowledged false-start or misstep in a relationship. Both parties recognize what was to be done to heal and restore their bond and what their respective actions were to be done in order to get to that new beginning.

Estelle is back and all glammed out. She is radiating a stellar confidence and brings a dose of sunshine with her lyrics and vocals together. It is well worth the listen if you’re looking for a pick-me-up. The album offers a fresh outlook on life and how to get through each and every day. From the cover, to the tracks, to Estelle’s vocals resonating through each song; this album is simple yet elegant and effortlessly combines a combo of genres to create a masterpiece.

Key Tracks: “Stay Alta (feat. Channel Tres).” “Oh I.” “Love On Love (feat. Teedra Moses & Russell Taylor).”

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In its entirety, 2021 fell short of the recovery expectations we all so hoped for. It came and went without much growth. Country music – it seems, had one of the most show-stopping years in recent history. Between new artists rising, veterans releasing double and TRIPLE albums, and hit-makers remastered and re-released to please the artists’ audiences and their ears accordingly. And there’s no shortage of excitement coming down the pike of 2022.

Newcomers

The official debut of Mickey Guyton, with her album, Remember Her Name was one of the long-awaited albums of the year and her fanbase alike. After serenading us with her eponymous EP, featuring the hit single, “Better Than You Left Me.” Following up with her single “Nice Things,” Guyton made herself even more of a household name. She embodied everything down-home and sweet while making her audience do a double-take every time she stepped up to the mic. Now, she’s come full circle to claim our hearts with songs like “American Dream,” her airy cover “If I Were a Boy,” and the trailblazing title track; Mickey Guyton is a force to be reckoned with in the coming years ahead.

 

Morgan Wade and Lily Rose were also big newcomers on the country scene this year with their albums, Wreckless, and Stronger Than I Am respectively. Both artists showcase an amazing blend of folk-rock and country along with bone-chilling truth-filled lyrics with songs like “Villain” and “Take Me Away.” Singing of mischaracterization, judgment, and back-and-forth stories, as well as, a desire to be whisked off and free from the singer’s current life situation; these two pack a powerful punch of raw emotion into their writing and artistry.

Double-Triple Threats

 

There are certain points in an artist’s career where they are boiled over with experiences and creativity to surprise their fans with not just one, but two, sometimes even THREE, sets or albums to embody a story the artist wishes to tell to the listener. 2021 saw its fair share of jam-packed music from musicians like Cody Johnson, Eric Church, and one of the best-selling records of the year from Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album.

 

From the singles – “7 Summers,” and “More Than my Hometown,” to songs like “865,” “Beer Don’t,” and “Whatcha Think About Country Now; the entire 30 tracks unveil a much-needed, bare-knuckled/outlaw sound that has been missing for quite a few years from country radio. Yes, we have the greats before like The Highwaymen supergroup of  Cash, Jennings, Kristofferson, and Nelson; as well as Eric Church and Jason Aldean. However, Morgan Wallen has proven to be a top contender, bringing a mix of crooning vocals and outlaw stylings in his lyrics.

Cody Johnson has a similar crooning tone to his voice but, lies more within a bluegrass/americana style. His album Human: The Double Album, really hits the heart of every listener with the lyrics. They are reminiscent and storytelling. Each time he begins a new song, Johnson finds his groove within a new tale to tell his audience. On “‘Til You Can’t,” Johnson encourages the listener to go at life and whatever direction or journey it takes you on with no reservations. It’s a fresh perspective on optimism. Additionally, songs like “Son of a Ramblin’ Man” and the title track “Human,” both offer unique senses of nostalgia and personal growth respectively. It is encouraging to see such an artist create and mold their songs into something retrospective and thought-provoking while committing to a strong sense of positivity.

The last of the major multi-layered releases this year came from Eric Church, and Jason Aldean (although we won’t hear the other half of Jason’s double – Macon / Georgia, until early 2022.) Aldean’s counterpart, Eric Church took it upon himself to write not only one record but instead, blend it into a three-tier album, Heart & Soul. Encouraged by long-time friend and producer Jay Joyce, Church took the time in lockdown to simply just write and emote everything he could possibly conjure up. Feeling pointless in leaving out a handful of songs, the triple-album (or surprise EP as I like to refer to it,) was born. While Eric Church has certainly garnered more mainstream attention in the last few years, at some points musically, it still feels as though artists like Church do not get a fair shake in airplay because of his blustery, badass style. Some may say a few songs are N.S.F.R. (Not Safe For Radio.) Regardless, of his style not being as mainstream as it ideally could be, “Heart on Fire,” “Rock and Roll Found Me,” and “Hell of a View” are all credit-worthy hits that entice the ear-worm of the modern listener.

 

Hit Makers Come Back for Nostalgia and Modernity

 

Late 2021 saw a host of artists that we all know and love re-release their music for different purposes, coating them with a variety of tones and textures. Some artists came back to simply state that they weren’t done yet and have no plan to rest. Taylor Swift re-released two of her hit albums, Fearless and Red, after a legal battle with her label; Reba McEntire served up her hits on, Revived Remixed Revisited; and Carly Pearce poured out her heart and soul during a year of heartbreak, lockdown, and soul-searching on; 29: Written In Stone.

Each of these leading ladies found a way to reinvent what had already made them household names in the first place. Taylor took her albums and essentially stripped them down to showcase her and her piano. Her soft and dark tonality brought us back to her beginnings of what made Swift such a lovable woman and artist alike. Reba took a more “disco” approach. While many of her songs already had a toe-tapping sensation to them, she cranked the volume up to ten and turned many of her hits into something every type of listener can enjoy. Carly, well, she won the award for most vulnerable album of the year and the last decade. If you didn’t shed a tear on songs like “Show Me Around” and the title track “29,” then you might as well be living in a dark and dank cavern. Giving her acknowledgments to songwriting superstar and mentor, Busbee (who passed away in 2019 due to his battle with cancer;) Pearce knew exactly how to channel the worst internal pain and turn it into something beneficial and wholesome.

 

Down The Line…

 

If 2021 showed the music world anything, it’s that music is timeless and endless. In an artist’s mind, the notes and lyrics know no bounds. The year ahead is already gearing up to continue and outperform every one of the releases mentioned above…or so we hope. Jason Aldean will be releasing the second half of his double album Georgia, while the queen of country returns with her forty-eighth studio album, Run, Rose, Run. Even more so, Thomas Rhett is set to return to the stage with not one but two releases this year; finishing out a double album of his own (Country Again: Side B) as well as, a stand-alone record Where We Started. All of these new releases, plus the return of Maren Morris with Humble Quest, and a host of debuting artists like Jessica Willis Fisher and Priscilla Block; are guaranteed to make 2022 a year of spectacular musicianship and wild artistry.

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  1. Who are some of your influences?

Cassadee Pope, Kacey Musgraves,Taylor Swift,  Hannah Ellis, and Shinedown would definitely be a few of my biggest influences for this record. 

2. When and where did you come up with the concept for “21”.

So, I wrote “Him” after coming home from my boyfriend’s house and something just hit me. Throughout my 21st year of life, I went through a lot mentally and emotionally. Not only was I tackling college, two jobs, and an internship, but I was also going through a tough breakup after having been together for four years and falling out of love awhile prior to the breakup. After the breakup, I started going through another romantic situation with a friend that just went south. For a while, I was really down on myself in the world of romance and I just didn’t think true love existed… Then unexpectedly, I fell in love again with my current boyfriend and he literally brought out the music in me. He was the ultimate reward to one of the toughest years of my life and once I wrote, “Him,” I was inspired to tell the story of my 21st year of life after not writing, or playing music for over a year. 

3. How did you come about recording your first album?

We recorded, “Him,” first in November of 2018 and then I released the news about the single on my 22nd birthday (December 3, 2018). I also announced that I would be releasing a full-length album titled, ‘21,’ later in 2019.  We didn’t actually record the rest of the album until March of 2019 and it took about two months total to record and really put it together collectively and creatively. I will never forget the last night we spent recording the album, it was like 2 AM one night in April after an award show the music department was hosting at my college, Monmouth University.  We recorded the final two vocals that night and then the record was done. It was the best feeling ever.

4. What was your favorite track to record?

My favorite record was definitely the second single I released off the album which was, “More.”  It’s the last song on the record. It is the last because it makes me feel strong and empowered about who I am both as an individual and an artist in particular going forward. The rest of the album kind of resembles who I was when I was 21 and who I used to be. “More” is who I feel like I am now that I am in a better place in my life and it is the foreshadow of the sound and vulnerability that is to come next in my future music.

5. Do you feel pulled more towards one genre of music over another?

I feel that we morph into what inspires us, specifically as a musician. As you go through different experiences and life events, you become a part of that scene, or culture that is surrounding you at that moment. Same thing with music. I listened to a lot of different music. I am rooted in pop punk, but I love pop and country music. I feel like there will always be a little pop punk in my music because of those roots, but that is what makes me Kelli Faith and not someone else.  It feels very natural as I just build upon myself and the music I create to become an embodiment of everything I am inspired by.

6. As a women in music, how do you see yourself in contributing to the music scene, and your growth as an artist?

Early on, I felt like I could not write love songs because it was such a stereotype, then as I grew into my artist persona as Kelli Faith; I came to understand that it did not matter what I was writing about because I was writing from my own heart and my own perspective. I saw a lot of male artists like Maroon 5, or Ed Sheeran make hits from love songs countless times over and no one’s ever judged them for any of those songs. So, in response to experiencing all of this, I stopped caring about what others might think about me, or what I had to say in my music. Instead, I let my heart take the reigns and my emotions do the driving. I feel like my music could inspire more women to allow themselves to be emotional and authentic in their own music. ‘21’ taught me not to hold back and that is what I want to help other women, and just anyone in general, and/or in music do.

7. Who are some of the personalities that helped you craft “21”?

Craig Smith and Alex Peragine helped me mix, master, produce, and record the entire record. They were essential to building the framework of the album, I am incredibly grateful. I had a lot of instrumental production behind my record as well, including: Dee DiMeola, Cassidy Crosby, Julia Whary, and Jay Sweet. Lastly, the promotional team really brought out the best content to display ‘21’ in its final stages: Summer DeFalco for photography, Nicole Govel for the album artwork, Jenna Bruno for PR, Angelica Pasquali and Nicole Diglio for the logo and video content you will see in the coming weeks. Kris Khunachek also produced the music video for “More” and he is simply amazing.

8. Who would you dream of touring with if you should blossom further into your music career?

I think that would definitely be Cassadee Pope. I feel like  I would be the perfect opener for her shows. I would never want to be so big of an artist where I couldn’t go outside into the public eye by myself. I feel that her artistry and energy very much aligns to mine, so that really attracts me to her and other artists like Kacey Musgraves.  Kacey Musgraves is just on a bit of a larger scale, but if that were to ever happen, anything is a dream to be honest.

9. How do you feel your schooling or your growth inspired your artistry?

What came out of Monmouth University were the connections and friendships that allowed me to explore my creativity. I gained a large understanding from a PR class on branding and etc, however, the majority of my inspiration and thought process behind the album did not come from schooling or lessons, but the connections I made throughout college.

10. What’s next after “21”?

There will be another music video coming in the future for sure. Be prepared for a small tour once the album gets released probably later in the winter. Like I had mentioned before, ‘21’ taught me to not hold back, so I think whatever music is to come, will definitely demonstrate a new side to Kelli Faith. A lot has happened in the making of this album and I think it truly curated a perfect setup to my future music.