Melanie Fiona Makes a 2-Peat for BET’s Rising Icons
Two years strong Melanie Fiona headlines a promising group of superstars in the making for Rising Icons. Since launching last year, BET’s partnership with GREY GOOSE ENTERTAINMENT has positioned artists like Melanie, J. Cole and Estelle as ones to watch because they all look and sound different, ushering in a new era for their respective contributions to music. For the new season, the performances were filmed at New York’s Hiro Ballroom. The set design was made to have that upsacle feel of watching award shows on TV. Only thing is, out of most of the guests, Melanie is kind of a veteran after racking up a gang of nominations last year from the Grammy’s to the BET Awards. When we caught up with her behind the scenes, she talked about the making of her sophomore album and how she’s rising to the occasion.
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John Legend & The Roots f. Common and Melanie Fiona, “Wake Up Everybody” MP3
John Legend may not exactly be Teddy Pendergrass but his raspy voice makes for great vocals on this cover. Both JL and Melanie Fiona stick to Teddy Pendergrass’ quiet and and soulful calm on the melody. As always, The Roots provide the perfect background music. It’s pretty sick how good these guys are at bring soul and funk to anything they do. Of course this original was a product of Gamble and Huff’s Philadelphia International label—something we’re sure the Philly natives know tons about. Overall what we love is how mellow they remake a protest song, while still delivering the original recording’s rational call to action. Teddy along with Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes never gets crazy and radical until the very end when he starts yelling for everyone to “WAKE UP.” John and Melanie follow the same route which makes for a superb cover of the dearly departed crooner.
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The Morning After: Melanie Fiona, “Bang Bang” on Live with Regis and Kelly
Check in with us daily to see Suite903 artists take over TV. Today we’re watching Melanie Fiona perform “Bang Bang” on Live with Regis and Kelly.
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Video: Melanie Fiona Shows Love to Sam Cooke’s “Cupid”
Sam Cooke’s classics won’t grow stale as long as there is a great voice to keep his legacy alive. Thanks to Melanie Fiona’s latest cover of “Cupid” recorded for Billboard’s Mashup Monday special, she sounds smitten with the similar endearment of Cooke’s original from the 1960s. We come full circle today with her latest rendition of “Cupid” just a year after she banded together with ?uestlove for their Illadelphonics version on their Live Remix Jam Session of The Bridge. After the jump Melanie talks about the impact of Sam Cooke on her life, then watch her Billboard performance.
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Video: Melanie Fiona “Ay Yo”
In case R&B goes into a comatose state where hate songs replace love songs, then Melanie Fiona can exercise her super hero powers to change its fate. Underneath the link to her website and her location which is set to an omnipresent state—”everywhere you are”—she checks the supergirl box on her Twitter bio. It’s cute to think that she could answer the batphone in case of music’s emergency. People need saving too, a task she takes on, bailing out soon-to-be evicted tenants in the video for “Ay Yo.”
When in dire straits, these modern times require real forces that can’t be reckoned with—the almighty dollar. It’s Melanie’s smart idea to throw a party and charge folks for entry which saves the day. She’s super in her own right. Shaking down the landlord by the use of some other-worldly powers, isn’t exactly how “Ay Yo” would play out in the comics either. Silk Spectre from The Watchmen rescued folks from a collapsing building just by being in the right place at the right time. Watch Melanie’s similar quick thinking save the day below.
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Video: Melanie Fiona vs. Jamie Foxx
No big deal, just TWO AMAZING VOICES SINGING “It Kills Me” TO EACH OTHER. SANGIN! (via Soulculture)
Melanie Fiona, “It Kills Me”
Melanie Fiona can’t deal with her Corvette-driving dude and has him drop her off on the side of a desert road, but her pain is so convincing she dredges up an entire orchestra to help her convey her relationship confusion. And what does one woman do when it’s clearly not working, but her love remains so tough, so strong and so steadfast that she just can’t yet leave? If you’re Ms. Fiona, clearly all you’ve got to do is SANG.
Exclusive: Melanie Fiona Interview, “Give It To Me Right” Live from Suite903 HQ
The lovely Canadian singer / songwriter Melanie Fiona stopped by the Suite903 office to give us the details on her past, present and future… and of course her upcoming debut album. She also performed her sweltering, Zombies-sampling summer single, “Give It To Me Right” with virtually no prep and as you will see, she BODIED it.
Melanie Fiona x ?uestlove Mixtape Collabo
To preview her debut album (dropping in August—too far from now) Toronto powerhourse Melanie Fiona enlisted the help of ?uestlove and The Illadelphonics to release a mixtape filled with live remix acoustic versions of album cuts and covers (jam session style!) along with one on one interviews with The Legendary Roots Crew drummer. The interviews provide great insight into the life, background and making of her late summer release The Bridge. I’m a huge fan of the covers… a reggae twist on Kanye West’s “Heartless” and a great rendition of Sam Cooke’s “Cupid” shows Fiona’s great range and natural talent. The mixtape is a great taste of what she has to come and what fans have to look forward to! Gwan Mel! Tracklist after the jump.
Melanie Fiona’s New Video Pulls No Punches
Photo by Brad Walsh
Getting familiar with the next big superstar is really most convenient if he or she has two first names like Melanie and Fiona. Going under your unique government beats the hell out of a lame handle, that rips off a sci-fi character.
Don’t get it twisted though, there are no two ways about Mel Fiona. She reps for independent women—those strong-minded types. Just try saying no to Mel who is easy on the eyes, and more syrupy than the Maple Leafs. The Guyanese stallion, by way of Toronto won over Steve Rifkind to release her debut album The Bridge this year. Smarten up and view Mel’s potential below.
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=57024788
