Normally I don’t post clips like this, but these two have just laid a cover of one of my favorite songs OF ALL TIME: Brokenhearted by Brandy and Wanya Morris. The great thing is that both of them have amazing voices and really work the song out nicely. Since I’m such a fan of the original I think this should be slower and more true to the original to give their vocals a chance to really work it out, but this version ain’t bad at all! Read the rest of this entry »
I’m so happy to hear this young lady back on the scene. Last year, she released her debut album First Love (review here) and it was a great project. Signed to Def Jam records, she’s working on her sophomore album, to be released next year. Perfectly Different is a ballad with a soft piano-led melody that stands up for love despite opposition. I love her voice, check her out…
A few months ago, Def Jam recording artist Karina sang her version of Beyonce’s Halo. Here she is with another cover, this time taking on the melodic Ave Maria as she plays it on the piano. This girl is amazing with her vocals, and in time she will be a force to dominate the music industry. She has the potential to be THE VOICE of the next generation.
Okay… I don’t usually say it, but this time I’m gonna take the liberty to say… I TOLD YOU SO!! Karina released her debut album First Love, last year (Sound-Savvy Album Review Here) on Def Jam, and while it didn’t break huge ground chart-wise, it was an excellent album. Here she is, covering Beyonce’s Halo. For 17, this girl has a set of pipes that rival some of the best contenders in the industry. I can’t wait to hear her next project, I’m confident that with time she’ll emerge as a frontrunner among today’s vocalists (and tomorrow’s)…
These 4 styles were composed by Fashion Citizen over at FashionWithASideOfLife. When I look at these, they bring to mind some music from some of my favorite artists, so here goes:
It takes a cool dude to be bow tie fly, and the sign of a cool brutha is having every aspect of your outfit covered. Lupe’s cool swagger on all his music and his fly-in-the-face-of-the-majority styled music makes him a perfect candidate for this look that’s uniquely styled.
Look 4 by Fashion Citizen
Artist: Pharrell
Song: Frontin’
Album: The Neptunes Present…The Clones
The Louis bag almost made Kanye a shoe-in for this one. But the style says something to me: simple with a touch of class. Pharrell is just that: Simple from the initial appearance, but there’s something special about him that makes you love his music and his style.
-Mack-
Artist: Karina PasianWOW… that’s all I could say when I listened to this album. Most 17 year old girls these days are engulfed in the battles of everyday teenage life – boys, college acceptances, boys, graduating high school, boys, and either trying to please the parents or be the parents. Oh yeah, and boys. For Karina Pasian, life has been quite a bit different. In her teen years, Karina has won Star Search, sang in front of the president, performed for Quincy Jones in Rome, and was the unsigned hype in a bidding war between 3 major US record labels. And here’s why: she’s a piano master, fully bi-lingual and she can sing her ass off – IN 7 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES! Her debut album, First Love, is nothing short of amazing, with production backing from Tricky and the Dream, Gordon Chambers, and Ne-yo to name a few. First Love is a classic album that launches Karina as a formidable force on the music scene, and with her incredible talent, she’ll become a household name very quickly. I’d say she’s a good mix between Aaliyah, Tamia, and Alicia Keys, a composition that makes her voice totally unique, and her CD: a masterpiece.
Listening to this joint, I’ve adopted quite a few favorites beginning with 90’s Baby, which kick starts the album in a poppy display of youthfulness. But it’s actually the lead single, 16 @ War, which shows her maturity. Lyrically, this joint hits hard as an anthem for today’s teenage females while Karina steps up to be the voice of her generation: “Ain’t no daddy’s where I’m from, it’s just mad mothers and eyes that still seem they can’t look past color. Why am I disrespected by someone I should call brother?” Bob your head on the second single, Can’t Find The Words, which invokes a bit of Tribe’s Bonita Applebaum for a familiar feel to accompany Karina’s silky smooth vocal delivery. Other highlights on the album include The Love We Got and the title track, First Love – which is a dedication to the craft that she began at age 3. Resilience is the theme on Can’t Bring Me Down, while true love prevails on Winner. My favorite track is the poetic ballad Slow Motion. The lyrics here are very sincere, and her vocal delivery drives the song right into the heart over a soft piano-led melody. It’s all about taking love slowly and taking your time: “So much about this crazy game they call love that I’m trying to understand, so could you be my best friend, before you call yourself my man?” I just love the emotion in her voice; it brings out the tenderness in the lyrics and makes the song a certified classic.
Overall, First Love is an album that just comes together beautifully. Karina’s vocal delivery is strong but not overbearing, light but not faint, involved but not overdoing it. The producers here worked well with her and contributed tracks that allowed her vocals to soar and shine. You’ll notice that on most of the tracks, you can hear her raw natural voice, without the misleading augmentation used by a lot of today’s R&B and pop acts. There really isn’t a bad song on the album at all, and although she’s young, her content isn’t childish; she can speak across generational gaps. I highly recommend this CD. Trust me, you WILL keep it in rotation.
