Wednesday 4 July 2012

Bebe Black - New Waves

Rather like rising star John Newman who we featured last month, Bebe Black is another artist that's become the new standard bearer of the guest vocal route. It’s a tried and tested formula in the music industry which has launched the careers of everyone from Katy B to Craig David; now there’s a name that we never thought we’d mention on Breaking More Waves.

It’s Katy B rather than Mr Bo Selecta that’s more relevant to this new artist however – the link being Benga. For it was Benga, one third of Magnetic Man for whom the aforementioned Katy B provided guest vocals on their 2010 top 20 hit Perfect Stranger before kick starting a solo career with Katy On A Mission, which Benga also produced.

Now Benga’s new choice chanteuse collaborator is Black and the song that you may have heard is Icon, or you may have seen Bebe and Benga jumping out of an aeroplane in the accompanying video. The song may not have placed Bebe in quite the same bright spotlight as Katy B, but this is only the start. In fact Bebe’s start has been almost in slow motion - we first caught her early one afternoon in her home county of Dorset in 2009 at Camp Bestival festival in the Big Top stage sporting flaming red hair performing an intriguing blend of nostalgic jazzy tinged rockabilly tunes as part of the duo Bebe and Paulo.

Cut forward to 2012 and Bebe, collaborations notwithstanding, will soon be a bona fide solo artist. There are a number of songs available on line that already show off what a talent she is. For whilst Bebe Black may be working with big-gun studio producers, her unique voice is breathtakingly pitch-perfect when she sings live too. Add to this some weighty pop songs like I’ll Wait and what you have is a new jewel in the modern pop crown. Bebe's on a mission. 

Bebe Black - I'll Wait



Benga featuring Bebe Black - Icon


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