Krystal Harris: no
pop flake
by itztru
| Jul 25 '01
The Bottom Line Krystal
is going to be huge.
Three weeks ago we were driving home from
Arizona to North Carolina, and had stopped to roam around Memphis,
TN. That's when I remembered: Krystal's album came out on Tuesday
(July 10)! We had to stop everything we were doing and go to the
nearest music store. I know, I know, you're probably saying
"ok, but who is Krystal?" Well, I'll tell you...
Krystal was found by Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson (hey
hey, don't leave yet!). When he did, it was at a point when he was
trying to put together a record label (now known as KBNHA
Records). The BSB fans had known about Krystal as early as
Spring of 2000. Then, we were all blessed with a bonus track on
the Burger King For The Fans CDs that the Backstreet Boys
were releasing...it was Krystal's My Religion (August
2000).
Well, in BSB fan households, Krystal's name became familiar. She
really caught a lot of people's attention. She definitely was NOT
another Britney or Christina, something we all liked. Hullaboo
about the Backstreet Boys' Black & Blue album coming
out eventually overshadowed our interest for Krystal, at least for
a little while.
The Black & Blue World Tour started in January of this
year, with Krystal as the opener. She and the Boys were the talk
of the town. Months later, her first single, Supergirl,
made it to mainstream radio, but only during 'off hours.' That's a
shame, because it's a good song. The video for the song also made
it onto TRL a few times, but didn't hold its place.
As far as my opinion of her on-stage performance, WOW. She has an
amazing stage presence and really holds your attention. During her
performance she plays the piano, sings/plays three of the songs
off of her album, and covers the old Jackson 5 hit, I'll Be
There. She's got what it takes, trust me...
So earlier this week I bought Krystal's album, Me & My
Piano. The songs are a mixture of R&B, pop, soul, etc.
It's hard to classify her music into one genre, she's rather
versatile. It's as if she's in a class of her own. Whereas, people
like Britney and Christina are solely pop artists, and it's
obvious.
Songs like Supergirl and ...Or Someone Else Will are
what bring in the pop of the album. They are both more upbeat and
have pop-ish lyrics. However, this is only slightly. I'd hardly
say they are pop, but to others it may sound that way.
Angel On My Shoulder, You're The Reason, and Love
Is a Beautiful Thing are all ballads that sound half pop/half
R&B/soul. It's so hard to say her songs are just one thing! So
bear with me.
Note: When I say "pop," I'm not talking Britney pop, I'm
talking a higher level of pop that you'd place people like Michael
Jackson or Janet Jackson in.
When You Hurt, 1/2 My Heart, and Let Me Be Your
Friend are ballads/midtempos that have the affect of a
meaningful Whitney Houston song. They grab you and take you into
another world, a world where you appreciate everything around you.
It's hard to explain.
Goodbye and Lead Me are funky and powerful uptempo/midtempos
that make you want to dance. These are like the new Janet Jackson
songs. You know that Britney uptempo sound that pounds (think Oops!...I
Did It Again), well Krystal never has that in her music. The
songs always keep a soft, R&B sound. Again, hard to explain.
My Religion is purely in a class all its own. I have no
genre to put it in. It's breathtaking and upbeat, Krystal sounds
great, it just rocks. It makes you want to dance around and
sing-along, truly believing what she has to say.
Then there's Me & My Piano, the song after which she
named her album. Oh, it's good. It's very good. There is an
amazing piano solo that she does. The verses are from track four, You're
The Reason (my favorite), but to a completely different
melody. The song is just Krystal singing and playing her piano.
The most sentimental track to me on the album is You're The
Reason. Since all of this about AJ from the BSB, it's been a
signature song of hope and trust between fans and the guys. The
Backstreet Boys sing with Krystal on the track, and believe me,
they sound beautiful together.
Just a few tid bits that should be acknowledged:
·Kevin Richardson (BSB) and Jon Morant (Krystal's
boyfriend/manager) executively produced Me & My Piano.
·Four out of the twelve songs were written/co-written by Krystal,
otherwise they were written by her boyfriend, Jonathan
"Mook" Morant and Kevin Richardson.
·Krystal plays the piano on ALL tracks.
·Her look: I almost forgot about this. You'd assume that Krystal
is just a blonde haired, blue eyed, scantily clad young woman like
the rest of them out there right now, huh? WRONG. Krystal has
short, black, spiky hair. She has a nose ring, black fingernail
paint, and is always seen wearing a cross around her neck.
Religious (very) rock chick!
·Her voice! Ok, she has the most outstanding vocal range. She can
go from pretty and soft to strong and powerful in 2.5 seconds. I
mean, she can even hit those high notes that we thought only
Mariah Carey had mastered. This girl can saaaang!
I strongly suggest checking out Krystal's Me & My Piano.
She's a refreshing young artist that brings us a new style,
separate from that of her peers. She's no Britney Spears or
Christina Aguilera, she's the girl that goes by one name, Krystal.
©Cindy Park - 2001
