“You ain't gonna use me to just be singin hooks what I look like?” – Missy Elliot from Not Tonight Remix

Chrisette Michelle. While the name may not ring a bell right away, you have definitely heard her sing. You heard a sample of her vocal style as she put some flavor on the hook for Jay-Z’s Lost One and then again on Nas’s Can’t Forget About You.

Now with her debut release I Am, what it looks like is that Ms. Chrisette Michelle can do more than sing a hook on a track. She can put it down for an entire song and then some.

I Am is a blend of tracks flavored with Soul, R&B, Hip Hop and a little bit of everything in between.

The opening track-Like A Dream, took me back to the first time I heard Erykah Badu’s On and On. You become instantly aware of the influence that some of jazz’s great voices have had on her. What I liked about Chrisette’s vocal style is that while you can recognize some of the jazz greats that may have influenced her, she definitely developed her own style.

This is very apparent on the tracks Work It Out and If I Have My Way. Work It Out to me has a jazzy-blues kind of feel to me. You get the feeling that she is singing from the bottom of her gut. There is a sense of strength and power in her delivery, yet controlled. The musical arrangement and her vocals work well together. If I Have My Way is actually one of my favorites. Chrisette showcases her vocal range a bit on this one. The delivery is sultry and sassy.

On Best of Me, she sounds like an entirely different person. Again the jazz influence is evident and track flips the entire sound of the album. But trust me you will not be disappointed. Your Joy leaves me speechless. This is absolutely a beautiful ballad about most girls’ first love – Their Dad.

I love the eclectic feel of I Am and the fact that she can vocally handle all of it.

Chrisette Michelle – I Am glad you are on the scene.

Until next time,

Peace.