KATY B releases her third album, ‘Honey’, on Friday (April 29). Quays News entertainment reporter Becky Waldren has already had a listen…
A voice that can adapt to can suit any genre: Katy B aka Kathleen Anne Brien has such versatility that ranging from soft vocals to a heavy club tune just doesn’t seem to matter as far as new album ‘Honey’ is concerned.
Katy has been in the public eye for a few years now, since her debut album ‘Katy On a Mission’ in 2011 saw rise her to fame with a single of the same name and popular collaboration with Ms. Dynamite. Since then the star has gone from strength to strength, with second album ‘Little Red’ debuting a much softer side to Brien’s voice with thanks to ‘Crying for no reason’.
This Katy B album is gonna be ???
— ☝? (@UncleTimi) February 4, 2016
But the 26-year-olds’ bid to jump right back into her natural home of the global club and underground scene sees her collaborate with other famous names to do just that on her third album.
A song that’s familiar to everyone’s ears already is number one song ‘Turn The Music Louder (Rumble)’, which gave the singer her first number one as she joined Tinie Tempah to get the nations feet moving back in October last year. A song which she has bravely adapted to make her own with extra stunning vocals and an underground essence which is so unbelievably addictive that it is still vibrating our eardrums now.
Next, the track ‘Calm Down’, a collaboration with Four Tet and Floating Points, gave fans a preview into the album back in December. It offers an interesting beat accompanied by some great vocals and lyrics which speak of Katy’s urge to “get down”.
“Taste It Baby”, she screams as her title track leads the album into a talent pool of collaborations. Spanning from radio friendly Craig David and Major Lazer to genuine house DJs’ Chris Lorenzo and Hannah Wants alongside the softer tones of Katy B and long time collaborator Geeneus there really could not be a broader range.
Memories of past experiences are what led her to write such a wide collection however as Brien has suffered the loss of her brother and the relationship with her boyfriend since the beginning of her career, which have inspired her to write songs as a reflection. ‘Who Am I’, track number two, which features Craig David and Major Lazer is all about finding her way after her relationship ended and the struggles of losing people. This is something which we can all relate to in some way or another and the soothing sounds of comeback king Craig David allow us to do just that.
On Katy’s mission to get people dancing again she plans to inspire people through some of her favourite artists by creating the sort of songs you can listen to at Warehouse Project or Fabric. Hannah Wants, the Ibiza born star is a perfect example of this due to her global self made success which has seen her name appear at every English (and abroad) festival since she rose to stardom. ‘Dreamers’ the penultimate track is the ultimate summer tune and if you close your eyes tight enough you can just imagine yourself in a muddy field with a can of Somersby cider.
If you’re looking for a slightly mellower sound, then skip right to track 11 where long time collaborator and Rinse FM founder Geeneus and MssingNo have created a much softer feel. Not dissimilar to Brien’s hit ‘Crying For No Reason’ the song ‘Water Rising’ shows off her strong vocals and song writing talents as she sings about her troubles.
But the best track on the album without a doubt has to be track six ‘I Wanna Be’, which like ‘Dreamers’ oozes summer and feel good vibes from the start to finish. The beat that is so infectious it’s hard to ignore is bound to be a big hit for festival and club goers this summer, whatever the unpredictable English weather brings us.
So get yourself onto Itunes, down to your local HMV (if you still have one near you!), or whichever way you buy your music on Friday (April 29) to get your copy of Katy B’s brand new album – there’s a little bit in there for all of you!
By Becky Waldren
@becklaarr
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