|
Client Quotes
|
Robin S.
"I feel as if I'm soaring on these songs," the singer says with pride. She is inspired to take flight by a deftly mined musical environment that transcends the traditional boundaries of dance music. From Now On succeeds in delivering the credible grooves of underground club culture, while also showcasing fine live musicians, who bring a soulful warmth to every one of the album's songs. "There is no match for the experience of singing with a band. It's nourishment of every singer. After all, you can't feel the funk of a computer-generated guitar." From Now On also showcases Robin's previously untapped gift for songwriting --- not to mention a voice that now glistens with the vibrancy and unfettered soul of a seasoned veteran. A sterling array of producers and tunesmiths that includes Bryce Wilson, Tony Moran, Wayne Cohen and Shepard Solomon, King Britt and John Wicks, Eric "E-Smoove" Miller, Darrin Whittington, and Steve Dubin guided Robin to this impressive plateau, providing what she describes as "the freedom to fall, the strength to get back, and the focus to reach the victory line." It was venerable songwriter Michael O'Hara --- acclaimed for his highly successful collaborations with Anita Baker, among others --- who first helped Robin find the confidence to begin sharing her insightful words and infectious melodies. "He was the first writer to take me seriously," she says. "He took me under his wing and shared his magic with me." The two crafted "Shine On Me," a storming house music anthem that is the centerpiece composition of the album. "That first song I recorded for the new album was about as painful as giving birth," Robin says with a laugh. "But it has been just as joyous. Michael and I have written so many songs together since then. He brings out the best in me." The world's first taste of From Now On is via the premiere single, a sassy rendition of Alton McClain & Destiny's famed 1980 chestnut "It Must Be Love." The track was produced by Groove Theory's Bryce Wilson, who earned platinum marks last year at the helm of the Toni Braxton smash "Your Love Is Making Me High." Robin brilliantly approaches "It Must Be Love," which places her in an arrangement featuring a tight funk groove and an elaborate orchestra, with a reverence that will soothe fans of the original recording, while simultaneously making the song her own with phrasing that balances subtle colors with a spree of free-flowing vamps. "It can be intimidating to take on a song that is associated with another artist," she says. "But this song is beautiful in that it captures the spirit of an era that I love. I gave myself to that energy and that allowed me to really dig into the song, have a lot of fun with it, and make it my own. I'm pleased with the end result." Among the other numerous highpoints of From Now On are "Givin' U All That I Got," a rousing, disco-inflected collaboration with Todd Terry that was first heard on the multi-million-selling soundtrack to the hugely successful Michael Jordan motion picture Space Jam, and the lush ballad "There Is A Need" --- a Darin Whittington song that Robin fell in love with at first listen. "I thought it was one of the most beautiful songs I've heard," she says. "I only pray that I did it justice. It's the kind of song that I believe adds to an artist's creative longevity. Everytime I sing it, I find myself anticipating tomorrow with a positive attitude." And looking to the future is what is most important to the New York-based singer these days. It's a change in perspective from the days when she first found herself inside a studio, belting out what would become the hits "Show Me Love" and "Love For Love." "I was simply happy for the chance to sing --- and I still am," she says. "But there's a difference now. I now look at myself as a messenger of hope... of love... and as a messenger of the fact that perseverance and faith will win out in the end. With that kind of focus and goal, you can bet that I'm not going anywhere. I've got work to do... and it will get done."
Entertainment We Provide
|