Melanie Fiona performs at SOBs - Wireimage
“Expect to get to know me a little bit better, one on one,” Melanie Fiona told Neon Limelight on Monday (August 24) about what to expect of her upcoming show at New York City’s SOBs lounge, which would come a day later. “Expect to get to know a little bit more about the music I love to listen to and cover and artists that influence me — and just, you know, have a good time!”
“It’s just about putting on a great show, entertaining people and having a good time at the same time.”
When Tuesday night’s show came, it was clear she’d make good on those promises.
From the minute she took the stage, you knew you were in for something different than what’s currently being offered in today’s music. For starters, to help her entertain the crowd, a full band complete with a dazzling horn section accompanied her on stage, along with two background singers wearing some of the fiercest and highest heels you’ll see outside of the Las Vegas strip.
She had a DJ but not the kind that you’d typically find at a modern day R&B show. Instead of throwing on stale tunes from a tired vinyl for Melanie to sing to, he recreated the music live on his keyboard.
When she finally appeared, the sold out crowd definitely got to know more about Melanie. Her stature is petite — she’s more hair and wide grin than anything else — but her stage presence and voice are huge. Her spirit was felt as her sultry voice soared on the many tracks she performed from her upcoming debut album, The Bridge, like the sexy first single, “Give It To Me Right,” the heartache-filled “It Kills Me,” and the doo-wop inspired “You Stop My Heart.”
She’s every woman on the stage, but it’s a mixture that is sure to become undeniably Melanie Fiona. She’s Alicia Keys‘s fiery passion, Beyonce‘s sass and sex appeal, and Lauryn Hill‘s unquestionable soul. Hill is most certainly one of the artists who’s inspired Fiona; The Fugee‘s “Killing Me Softly” was among one of the covers she performed in addition to Sam Sparro‘s “Black and Gold” and Kanye West‘s “Heartless.”
Signaling that they loved everything they got to know about Fiona, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause that drowned out the faint “thank yous” Fiona could muster up while getting emotional. “You guys are why I do what I do,” she said, looking away at times to compose herself as she became teary-eyed. She then launched into her fist-pumping, foot-stomping anthem “Ay Yo” where she laments her struggle to overcome adversities in her life and career and encourage others to go after their dreams. “If you have a dream, something you believe, it’s time to set it free,” she sang on the bridge.
As she stood on the stage, her dreams realized, the room filled with newly minted fans felt privileged to see her live them out. To see Melanie Fiona perform is to see a star being born right before your eyes — scratch that — not just a star, but a future soul icon.
thank you for this interview. ppl really need to know who she is. she deserves all that she has acheived.
Her performances on youtube are always good. I can only imagine how good she is live.
She has a really good voice for real…..I wish her the best success..