Ladies and gentlemen meet Bianca Gerald – a true diva who strikes the right balance of Beyoncé classy sexiness, Rhianna raw power, and Erykah Badu’s soul-stirring reality. Coming from Leeds, UK, this singer/songwriter is giving us attitude, regal swag, and pulsating passion that ignites four genres in one – Jazz, R&B, Soul, and Pop. I call her the “Royal Flyness” of Indie Music and she does not disappoint in proving my words right on her newest EP “Feelings.”
Six songs build the melodic formation on this EP:
- #GoddessMode
- Wondering
- Some Typa Beauty
- Chill
- Oh Boy
- Feelings
This is my interpretation of “Feelings” – a fully loaded EP that explores the feminine side of the human experience by way of her feelings, be it her mood, her frame of mind, her strength, the way she loves, her questions, or her requests and demands.
The hit “#GoddessMode” starts off this lyrical excursion with a bang and sets up the overall mood of the EP. This track holds one of the best rhythm patterns I have heard in a while – staying true to Gerald’s fingerprint of style, talent, and fierceness. Please read my single song review of this dynamic track here!
Moving on to the second track, we come across a track that is heightened with emotion and released by vivid R&B instrumentation. “Wondering” starts off with a moody synthed-piano chord and crisp piano notes. It has a nice swing-low vibe to it and layers of vocal techniques that keeps the track moving through to the end unlike most ballads. The premise of the track closely follows Gerald’s theme of a female’s human condition in that the female muse is asking and contemplating the next step in affirming love or lust. Her lyrics illustrate this theme: Let’s talk about last night and the way you looked at me was so right . . . really gave me some insight into you and your mind / a gem like surely hard to find / I’m laying here wondering / boy you got me stumbling / is this a possibility / are we even meant to be, yes you and me. Gerald’s soft vocal is laced with the easy seductive structure of a classic R&B track with modern FX and vocal lines. At the two minutes / 20 seconds mark, Gerald takes her vocal register higher into a full soprano and flutters above the chords and adlibs to show the emotional high of the song’s character. This is the satin pillow of the collection. The sultry adlibs create word-pictures on the mind while the melody just whisks you away into the artist’s frame of mind.
“Some Typa Beauty” not only shows its street-cred and urban-awareness by its flip-the-script spelled title, but also in its message of inner beauty and the major independence within a woman’s strength. In typical Bianca Gerald style, she keeps with her signature end-vocal flutters letting her fans know that it is she on this track, but she kicks up the individuality by tweaking her vocal register on this cut making it sound almost like a synth-effect which is a technique used by an artist who has knowledge of her artistry. Choosing to sing in a lower register vocally, Gerald soon dances with a lighter vocal and rolls into a bit of an attitude which hits right on the that urban grind and swag pulling this song from the middle of the track list to the top.
The track with the most variety in the form of vocals and instrumentation is “Chill” – a song about longing and being unapologetic about being in love, and sensually powerful while being devotedly weak. This track is an impressionable passionate song that is both experimental in its production and distinctive in its result – a hit full of expression ready to climb the charts. It connects all of the dots and creates a picture of a woman’s comfort zone where she is in her element. From the airy euphoric adlibbed opening to the raw lyrics onto the ignited outro where Gerald scales her octaves to a fever-pitched close. This track truly places you on CHILL-mode for three minutes.
“Oh Boy” introduces a different side to the “Royal Flyness” of Indie Music where she is depicted almost euphoric as her vocal is bit more animated and more rap inspired in its movement and the music is more electronic, but she keeps her original lyrical flow which gives the track texture. In addition, the fifth track feature classic Hip-Hop synths and electronic percussions that gives the track a mellow punch. The overall playing with fire vibe of the track is highlighted by Gerald’s millennial word-play like “a call to Congress,” “we got that good stuff,” “there’s no pleasure without pain” “they got rules, but we got laws” and an infectious hook. As she states on this track, she’s “flying” on this quasi-ballad of reciprocation.
The title track closes the EP and does so with a BANG! This EDM-Pop track about retribution is anything but NORMAL and that is what fans love about Bianca Gerald. “Feelings” is like Gerald’s stamp of recognition where she demonstrates her broad vocal and musical appeal. The balance between soft soundscapes and powerful percussions is amazing, and the way Gerald introduces her lyrical message of retribution is wonderful – she sings: “you got me all up in my feelings / he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not, does he love me? / you should not have tried to break me, now you will not escape me, you will see me, you’ll feel me, feelings . . . baby you the meanest and I cannot believe this, I need to release this!” A muted hook makes this track standalone but gain recognition – it is well-crafted and projects female empowerment.
It is no secret that a woman’s feelings is often the first and last thing that resonates her strength, and after exploring “Feelings,” it is as if you just opened a book and musically saw illustrations after illustrations of how it is to be a Modern woman today – one who is equipped to deal with all of life’s wonderment, twists, and turns all through the eyes and feelings of a woman.
Bianca Gerald gives us what we need in a female artist today: one who is true to artist form in that she is razor sharp, personal, confident, loving, commanding, and approachable inside and outside of the music.
Produced by Dave-O, Gerald penned each track on this EP and her Mezzo-Soprano voice is impressive as she harnesses a heck of a range reaching down to low lows and scaling high to soar. She has her own way of doing things and we simply LOVE it.
“Feelings” gets you out of your own feelings and shows how the artist is creative enough to shine a light on what it means to be in #GoddessMode, where a woman understands her power, yet she is not too powerful or prideful that she shies away from being loved or showing love. Gerald accomplishes this technique by utilizing lyrics and storylines that are full of honesty, passion, poise, and a welcoming spirit. She knows how to creatively balance the scales. This gave way to a collection of music that is both liberating and empowering to females across the globe.
And while some may grab this concept as being overly proud or simply a big ego, do not get it twisted. Listen to the honesty in the lyrics and the power in the melodies – celebrate the confidence and see it as it is supposed to be seen – a woman wearing a much-deserved crown. When “Feelings” is purchased or downloaded, it is going to spread much-needed awareness about the power and beauty of women, because so many fall through the cracks by way of depression, feeling less than or unworthy, or by allowing society to dictate how they should live. Yes, each female listener will take away their own memo after listening to “Feelings” and others will follow suit.
Gerald is set to become critically acclaimed and an idol for young ethnic females globally, but anyone can identify with her. And even though her style resonates to her musical peers, this will be difficult to match or mimic because Gerald in comparison is sexy but refuses to be a sex-symbol; she takes risks but is not risky; in other words, she owns her right to be beautiful while demanding respect. She is wielding female empowerment to be sultrier and more beautiful versus bitter and obnoxious.
She’s the “Royal Flyness” of Indie Music, who better to illustrate the beauty and power of diversity be it ethnicity or femininity.
“Feelings” dropped the seventh of this month, go here to download it today!
*UK Promotional Tour TBA and commencing September 2018*
Check out Bianca Gerald’s Social Media pages below:
FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM SOUNDCLOUD
#BlackGirlsRock! #MeToo