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Grrl of 2004:
Keshia Chanté...
THE LOWDOWN
There were a few good men that earned the title of Man of the Year, such as k-os, Kanye West and, of course, Usher, but I'm sure that you already read numerous articles about their contributions in 2004.
Instead of recognizing the talents of men, I was more than happy to honour the talents of a female, who just happens to be an up and coming R&B supastar!
My Grrl of the Year is Keshia Chanté.
It's been a long time since a female R&B artist from Canada has received so much attention (do you remember Deborah Cox or…Tamia?). So I'm thrilled that this truly talented artist is getting the opportunity to let her star shine.
Though this Ottawa native is very young (I'm pretty sure that she celebrated her sweet sixteen in '04), she has been working extremely hard at her flourishing career.
I first heard of Keshia Chanté in 2003 when she hit us off with "Shook (The Answer)," which was a good-natured response to Shawn Desman's song, "Shook." I doubt that anyone would disagree with me when I say that her song was way better than his - lyrically and vocally (the Mobb Deep sample was sick, too. Great production!). I remember being very shocked when I found out that this singer was only fifteen years old.
But just when I thought that she would become a teenage has-been, she released her second single, "Unpredictable." This tale of loving a guy who's behaviour at times tests your patience obviously struck a chord with audiences, as it raced up the charts and eventually reached number one.
I was impressed by Keshia's vocals on that track. She didn't sound like a teenager trying to be grown up; she came across as a wise-beyond-her-years young woman. Many young singers fail at their attempt to capture emotion in a song (hello Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan…), but her vocal range could rival any accomplished singer.
After scoring hits with her first two singles, Keshia finally released her long awaited debut album in July 2004 and began to dominate the Canadian urban scene. She had songs on the radio ("Bad Boy," "Does He Love Me" and "Let The Music Take You"), videos on MuchMusic, and she performed in several concerts. She was quickly becoming Canada's new "It Girl."
In October 2004, she took home three Canadian Urban Music Awards trophies for Best New Artist, Fan's Choice and Video of the Year ("Bad Boy"). Actually, Canadian audiences are not the only ones loving Keshia. Her video for the song "Bad Boy" is getting some serious airtime on the BET channel.
But besides her obvious talent, I feel that Ms. Chanté should be the grrl of the year because I like the fact that he is not trying to portray something that she's not. Her appearance and the content in her music reflect that of a teenager. She speaks about crushes, puppy love and the normal stuff that teenagers obsess on, instead of singing about situations that would be appropriate for a "Sex and the City" crowd. Moreover, I find it extremely comforting to know that she hasn't taken the sleazy route by selling a sexy image.
Keshia also gets some love and respect for giving back to the community. She has dedicated her time and energy to work with the organization War Child, and last November she performed with Alicia Keys, k-os, and Nelly Furtado among a host of others, at the Urban Aids Benefit Concert.
She has accomplished a lot by sixteen, no? If I weren't already grown, she would definitely be my role model. She's driven, talented, and has her feet firmly planted on the ground. I'm more than certain that we will hear from Ms. Chanté for years to come. ¤ Michelle