Let Freedom Reign

The result of Chrisette Michele and producers’ joint efforts

At about the same time when female pop-singers of approximately the same age appeared in Great Britain and got called post-Amys, young R&B divas began to release albums in the USA. They are the likes of Ciara, Jazmine Sullivan whose second album has been recently released and the singer whose third album has just seen the light of the day, i.e. Chrisette Michele. Possessing a luxurious velvet voice which can be compared to Anita Baker’s vocals, Chrisette had written all the songs for her 2007’s debut album I Am but the label Island Def Jam Music the singer is signed to thought that a more mainstream material was necessary for her next creation. Her sophomore effort Epiphany was released last May and became the album number one in the USA, though Michele’s personality was not revealed that brightly on it. Her new record Let Freedom Reign is the result of Chrisette Michele and producers’ joint efforts and a worthy continuation of the singer’s brilliant career.

Freedom and love are the main components of Let Freedom Reign

Despite offering fifteen tracks the album Let Freedom Reign is quite short, forty-five minutes, four of the tracks being short interludes. One of them, Fairy Tales And Castles, Pt.1, opens the album immediately pleasing with Michele’s a capella singing. The first full-length number I'm A Star, also the album’s first single, sets an example for all the girls who are indecisive to break a relationship in which they suffer for the singer is celebrating her faith in herself. The song Number One continues the first single’s mood in a tougher and more insistent form, whereas one of the album’s highlights is the ballad I Don't Know Why, But I Do. Built on marvelous keyboards and strings it does not only demonstrate what Chrisette is capable of as a vocalist but also is one of her most personal songs which is why it is so full of emotions and vulnerability. The title track Let Freedom Reign is performed with Talib Kweli and Black Thought and touches upon the social aspects of freedom against the background of a faultless beat, and the rap verses combine harmoniously with the powerful female vocals here. Another ballad Goodbye Game is once again filled with strong emotions dealing with breaking up, while So In Love featuring Rick Ross takes us back to the theme of being ready for a new acquaintance once again. Another strong moment is the most personal song of Chrisette as an artist If Nobody Sang Along, a stunningly beautiful pop ballad on which we learn the singer’s secret thoughts: she wants to be herself in spite of her being popular. It is interesting that the expressive final ballad I Know Nothing is not a full stop but a comma in Michele’s reflections on freedom and love, which are the main components of the entire album.

Fashionable music trends and the performer’s personal feelings

It goes without saying that arrangements, the songs’ production and memorable tunes play an important role on Let Freedom Reign but the lyrics definitely occupy the main position. Chrisette Michele’s third album is conceptual to some extent, the main theme being freedom. First of all, it has a lot to do with Chrisette’s personal life, she has recently broken up with her boyfriend. Second, the singer has once again penned her songs and could express her own feelings in the songs she performs which are really important for an artist. The sincerity and passion that sound in her mid-tempo compositions about freedom in all the word’s possible meanings, in which she even touches upon some social issues, are those features that the sophomore effort was obviously lacking. That is why Let Freedom Reign has all the chances to become the best work in Chrisette Michele’s discography. It finally unites all the fashionable music trends and the performer’s personal feelings mixed in a perfect balance essential for the record’s success.