The most interesting voice from Destiny's Child, Michelle Williams, is returning to her Gospel roots after a brief foray into the pop world with her last, and pretty good, album Unexpected in 2008.
Hitting the stage at BET's Bobby Jones Gospel Hour, the Mezzo-soprano gave a spirited rendition of Praise Him in front of a crowd that was clearly feeling her and the Holy Spirit.
With another Gospel album due for release this year, it looks like Michelle will be joining her Destiny's Child sisters, Beyonce and Kelly Rowland, in putting out new material in 2013. This heathen personally wishes she was still perusing the secular route, because I don't feel her voice gets enough love in the mainstream. But since Gospel seems to be where the sales are- and it being her "first love"- I can understand her decision to revert back to the sound carried by the first two (more successful) albums.
But as Michelle herself mentions at the end of this performance: will the Gospel buying public accept her back? Only time can answer that question.
I love gospel music because it is arguably the most raw, emotive and vocally sporadic music out there..... Seriously, what I a have to say has nothing do do with religion so don't bite me...
ReplyDeleteMichelle has always been my favorite member if destiny's child because of her child-like and chimpunkish timber that carries through her whole voice. If I could make up a classification for her I would.... I'd probably call it an icterid lyrc mezzo-soprano because of her sweet bird-like voice...
Onto the vocals, she did well. I enjoyed it and I like been broke my chair jooking and jiving to to holy spirit. I enjoyed it, she seemed at home, and that is what pure artistry is all about. I'm down with whatever decision she makes in her future career. I just can't get over her voice....It reminds me of those meadowlarks I used to hear in the fields growing up...I can't explain it...lol
I got most of that but I am wondering what you mean with ''vocaly sporadic music''?
ReplyDeleteI meant how it can go from a whispery falsetto to those dynamic and explosive growly belts seemingly without warning at times. Well It's just my attention span and how easily I can get lost in a song....lol I'm a strange kid.
ReplyDeleteNot liking the tune much, rather boring.The choir sounds good though. Not feeling the Michelle love tbh. Good singer but not liking the voice itself much.
ReplyDeleteThanks I get it now. :-)
ReplyDeleteHow do you like this one for some rousing gospel?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9xKty0T8ps&feature=youtube_gdata_player
It is very chesty like traditional gospel..... This Mike Farris is quite a tenor.... He reminds me of J-hud...A very punchy and ringing voice with a lot of depth, grit, and resonance ..... I honestly like this a lot....as for the lyrics, it is golden.....It reminds me of the Louisiana Folk Gospel that I was stapled on at my church.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I love about gospel is that you can never make it too emotive...lol
LOL True, ''too emotive'' would be quite the feat.
ReplyDeleteHere's another one you might like. One of the mcCrary sisters as a child so it's an oldie but new to me. What a voice!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3clRG0MoK-0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
You just don't find talent like that any more....lol when I was 8 years old...I was in grown folks coral section put with the highest altos ever till I turned like 14 and my voice dropped and I stop taking vocal lessons. But I wasn't as good as this lil girl....she's perfection.
ReplyDeleteOh I woudn't say the talent isn't around. More like what's lacking is media attention and with kids...I think that's actually a good thing.
ReplyDeleteThats a common thing with her voice. People either love it or don't. It has an usual timbre to it.
ReplyDeleteTotally . Besides I think its a more magical experience when you stumble upon something like this on your own terms.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. There is a lot of fun in that. Plus with stubborn,opiniated females such as myself, I find when I stumble upon something on my own terms, I tend to listen with little prejudice and oft times like something I might not have otherwise.;-)
ReplyDeleteTrue but funny thing is that listening to Mike I felt his timbre seemed to me a lot like Michelle's only the male equivalent. If that makes any sense?
ReplyDeleteI guess that just makes the difference between ''like'' and ''don't care'' for me.
Here's him doing the same tune solo (I think quite impressively)
With better audio .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfZPctn4jNk&feature=youtube_gdata_player