Ivy

Ivy Quainoo – Voice of Germany

As strange as it might seem, the last Voice of Germany contest was won by a female singer who looks far from an average German lady. Ivy Qu ainoo was born to parents coming from Ghana, yet it was her who was destined to become a symbol of Germany’s new generation of pop-music performers. It could not have any other outcome, for this singer made a sensation leaving the jury no space for doubts. In the meantime, the final contest performance that Ivy shared with Florence Welsh from Florence And The Machine made everyone believe that the girl feels more than comfortable side by side with celebrities and intends to join them pretty soon. Just like it always happens in suchlike cases, the contest winner headed straight to a studio to make a debut record under watchful eyes of wise and experienced gurus. The CD, which, again traditionally, was named after the singer, was eagerly awaited not only in Germany, but all over the word as the global audience was deeply impressed by Quainoo’s contest show.

Soul in pop wrappings

The Ivy track listing includes fourteen pieces penned by different authors and displaying features of different styles. As for Quainoo, she described the album as soul with a strong influence of pop and some alternative trends. Ivy’s voice, indeed a perfect match for soul, would sound best with most stripped instrumentation. However, the Voice of Germany was expected to deliver a more pop-colored product. Her voice is made more energetic through distinguished bass and drums. Too make the sound deeper and thicker, handclaps are also used on the background, which is particularly noticeable in Walk Man. This track and, probably, You Got Me are all that can be referred to soul as it is. The emphasis was made on pop ballads, which was not that difficult to predict, and dance tunes. Neither would be of any great interest without saving grace of Ivy’s voice. Among the slower songs, one might remember Break Away, while the best dance track on the record is Do You Like What You See.

An album that is granted a warm welcome

It is time to speak on the song that really should be a demonstration of the real Ivy Quainoo’s personal style, not adjusted to anything, not dictated by producers. I Say A Little Prayer For You, sung in duet with one of the album’s authors The BossHoss, is exactly what is needed. It is an original music piece with a slight retro touch, centered around Ivy’s flawless singing, and her voice is so full of youth and sincerity, which make it a doubtless hit. Alas, you are not going to find anything like it on the rest of the album. Yet the list is closed with another public favorite, Soul Suckers, the live version with Florence Welch. The conclusion is clear. On the whole it is no wonder that on her first album Ivy Quainoo looks rather like an executor of somebody else’s ideas than an independent creator. Yet even these songs can not conceal how much heart and soul the singer puts in the music. And this is her voice that turned basically plain motifs into a very entertaining album.