Saw a video last night on VH1 Soul while I was writing, and the music was so gorgeously arresting, it stopped me in my tracks. The woman’s voice reminded me of some kind of cross-pollination of Erykah Badu and the smoothness of The Brand New Heavies meets, hell, I don’t know, Dido maybe, and I don’t even know if that’s a close enough estimation. It is its own creature, just plain exquisite, and the music wrapped around it…wow. Her voice has a childlike gentleness, yet it delivers strongly, confidently, perfectly.
The song that got me was called “Like A Star.” I quickly proceeded to Google her, bought that puppy online, and have been playing it over and over and over and over and over ever since. The singer’s name is Corinne Bailey Rae.
Turns out yesterday was actually the official release date of her self-titled album, Corinne Bailey Rae, so apparently I was right on time discovering her.
Go here to her site to listen to her music. The first song that begins to play when you go to the website is the one that grabbed me so instantly—“Like A Star.” Here’s the video for it. Samples of all the other songs on her cd can also be heard at her site, and they too are quite lovely, well worth the purchase price.
The Lo Zone 
>Okay, so I need to stay up outta here. First you got me running out buying books, now I am buying CD's. I am feeling this sister's voice. I am really going to tell my age but she reminds me of a sober Billie Holiday. I definitely hear the influences you mentioned but my first response was Minnie Ripperton with a lower register. I guess it was the "child like" quality hidden by "life" that I was hearing.I just emailed a friend in London to send the CD but I think I'll trip on over to itunes and get it now.Thanks, I think.Juan
LikeLike
>Her voice sounds great!!! Accent is crazy!
LikeLike
>Isn't her accent something, Mel? Not very in-your-face, but every now and then you notice that she intonates certain words differently, and the nuance of it gives her voice a whole 'nother level of beauty. As for you, Juan, I love having you here (both you and Mel) as active presences. It's great when people who regularly visit have something to say, especially those who aren't afraid to get deep. And you're right…she does kind of sound like a sober Billie. And you're so right about Minnie. I couldn't put my finger on it, but the second you wrote it, I realized that Minnie's innocent worldliness was what I felt in Corinne's voice.
LikeLike
>thanks for the heads up lo on corinne. it's special to hear an upcoming artist before they reach superstardom. something about her, like you and juan mention comparatively about minnie ripperton, but i really hear a lot of billie holiday, in delivery and flow. i hope great things for her worldwide. her melodies are like neo-soul/smooth jazz but i wonder how r&b will acknowledge her? i hope her team can market her successfully. in hearing her sing, she reminded me of norah jones, "i don't know why" i remember the first time hearing norah sing the aforementioned song. i was sitting at a del taco restaurant parking lot in rialto, california watching the sunset and eating a burrito with a tear in my eye. sad, but stirring.
LikeLike
[…] Back in February, I told you guys about an incredible new talent I had accidentally come across, a British artist named Corinne Bailey Rae. Her voice was fresh, soulful, intimate, and, in my opinion, not quite like anything else that’s out there on the market now. The way her voice moved me reminded me of how I felt about another unique, soulful sistah from the UK when she first hit the scene back in 1984. Like Corinne, she too was different. They both have “that thing.” […]
LikeLike