Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
Emelee, the nineteen year-old dynamo from Toledo, Ohio, will be launching her debut Kiss and Tell in November. The first single, “Head of Heels,” did quite well on the Dance charts this summer and she was kind enough to send me three other sample tracks from the forthcoming album.
Emelee began to realize her dream of performing her own music soon after announcing her desire to her mother at the age of twelve. A demo-tape recorded soon after caught the attention of RJ Rice, the President of Detroit-based Barak Records. She began making weekly trips from her Toledo home to Detroit to record her unique dance sound, and from those recordings came Kiss and Tell.
That first single, “Head Over Heels,” is unmistakable dance fare with synthesized sound and a flowing moving beat. The lyrics are what one might expect they would be — a sugary sweet love song. Emelee’s voice reflects her young age, though masterfully clear as she expertly shows her range. The video for the song (appearing below) was filmed in part in her native Toledo and completed in Detroit.
The mood changes up with the next track. “Let Me Show You” is still a definitive dance song, but it has a sultry feel that Emelee pulls off as if she is beyond her young age. The song is not nearly as up-tempo as the lead single, but I still see how it would be well received in the dance clubs she performs in. In contrast, “The Way I Feel” is an all out ballad.
Speaking of the song in a recent interview for Blogcritics Emilee said, “I wrote that song in the eighth grade and it’s about love. I didn’t know anything about love then, but at the time I thought I did. It came out pretty good, though. It worked well for me.” The song is about universal want, love, and desire. The lyrics do have the soft innocence to them despite the more mature way she delivers them.
Rounding out the tracks I received from the yet-to-be released Kiss and Tell is “Addicted.” Another song with a sultry delivery, this one has a funky beat and hooky lyrics that you’ll soon be singing along to them. With this song as well as the others, there is a common theme — Love.
Whether it is the whimsical “Head Over Heels” or the serious and sexy “Addicted,” it is the common emotion that resonates from this young songwriter and enthusiastic performer. What ever the next release may be from Kiss and Tell, I have no doubt it will climb the dance charts much the same way the first single did.
Keep your eyes on Emelee because I can tell you she will be going places. Updated news and tour dates can be found at her official website as well as her Myspace Profile page.
