Chrisette Michele has never been a run-of-the-mill R&B singer, and the Grammy Award-winner pulls even further away from the pack with the gutsy "Let Freedom Reign."
Now on her third disc, Michele bends her vintage
vocals to take on love, loss and headier topics — and she raps too.
"Oh American citizen/ come collect your
freedom/ no matter what you're living in/ no more giving in," sings
Michele on the title track. She also drops this rap verse: "Keep us in the
four walls of our church we'll be quiet/ Most of us ain't even Democratic or
Republican/ and by coincidence/ we love the elected/ until they're detected of
being human."
The track also features Talib Kweli and Black
Thought and fits right in with edgy anthem "I'm a Star" and the
self-empowerment track "Number One."
She recaptures the classic, piano-driven sound that
drew fans to her 2007 debut with the grand "I Don't Know Why, But I
Do," written by John Legend and Jazmine Sullivan, and brings her elegance
to "I Know Nothing," and to a smattering of sweet interludes that
range from thoughtful to funny.
"Let Freedom Reign" shows an incredible
balance in both its content and in the way it contrasts Michele's demure vocals
with a bold sound.
CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: Michele imagines a life in
and out of the spotlight, singing over melancholy piano and cello on the
beautiful "If Nobody Sang Along."
Copyright
2010 The Associated Press.
(AP
Photo/Def Jam Recordings)
