Once in a while an artist emerges in the industry that simply takes our breath away. They are the kind of artist that can appeal to just about any listener; children and parents alike. A new artist arose over the summer from the UK music scene known as Emeli Sande.
It doesn’t take too long after listening to the album to realize that Sande is her own person and will not be easily influenced by the industry around her. As a singer myself, her song “Clown” is by far my favorite. At the surface, you would think that this song was written about a lover, or ex boyfriend, but after watching the music video it is easy to see that she is speaking about the entertainment industry.
The chorus says; “I’ll be your clown behind the glass, go ahead and laugh cause it’s funny I would too if I saw me. I’ll be your clown on your favorite channel, my life’s a circus circus, around in circles, I’m selling out tonight.”
With close examination of the lyrics, it is easy to observe that she is speaking about dealing with a record label and them trying to shape her into something she feels she is selling herself short to be. I am sure that so many artists in today’s industry could relate to this song, but not many would dare write a song like this and present it to their label for use on the album that label is representing.
Sande is all about being raw and real when it comes to her music. She doesn’t sugarcoat any of her music, which is so refreshing during a time where music has become so one-dimensional.
Even though Sande is taking the music world by storm with songs such as, “Clown,” she is also conforming a bit to the high demand of music that “gets people on their feet.” In today’s industry with artists such as Beyoncé and Rhianna dominating the female RnB market, it is important to be able to have some feel-good songs that are easily distinguishable. Sande’s best “dance” song by far is “Daddy” ft. Naughty Boy. The chorus to this song is so catchy and has that feminist power message that many women can relate to, which is the most important thing when it comes to music today.
Emeli Sande is, in my opinion, the new Adele. An amazing UK singer who is now moving into the speakers of America and forcing people to remember what real music sounds and feels like. The only difference between Sande and Adele is that Sande can still get you on your feet; you can still play her album while pre-gaming for a party and sing along. At the same time, you can light some candles, take a bath and be completely relaxed. There are not many artists today who are as versatile as she is, and I do believe that she will soon be heard on every Pop and RnB radio station across the country. If you haven’t heard her music yet, it is time to give it a listen, because I promise you will fall in love.
*Be sure to get tickets to the Kishi Bashi show September 9, 2013 at The Space in Hamden. It is going to be an amazing show and I will be there to give you guys a behind the scenes review, which will be in next week’s paper. It could be a good chance for you all to compare your own experience at the show with my review. Hope to see you guys there!
