R&B chanteuse Chrisette Michele returns with her second album, Epiphany, hitting stores today.
It wasn’t long after the release of her great debut, I Am, in mid-2007, that she hit the studio to work on her follow-up. Although I Am garnered a couple of Grammy nominations, it was not a commercial success; none of its singles reached the Top 20 of the R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and the album itself barely hit the Top 30 of the Billboard 200.
It should come as no surprise, then, that Chrisette would take things in a new direction on her new album. She co-wrote each song on her debut but only three (“Blame It On Me”, “Fragile”, “Mr. Right”) on her latest. Ne-Yo wrote six and served as executive producer with contributions from Chuck Harmony and Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, among others. None of the writers or producers from her debut had a hand in Epiphany, and it shows.
The album opens with the first single, the Ne-Yo-penned title track which has become Chrisette’s most successful single yet. Chrisette says she had a realization about relationships that led her to name the album Epiphany:
“I heard the song that Ne-Yo had written titled “Epiphany”, and the word just stood out to me. It stood out to me because I’d been through a lot in my last relationship, and the word ‘epiphany’ exemplified exactly what happened in the end when I realized I didn’t have to put myself through it anymore.”
On “Notebook”, Chrisette spills her heart and puts it “on every page” about a crush she can’t find the strength to tell how she feels. The ballad would make a great follow-up single, but another option is “Blame It On Me”, one of her favorite tracks and one of the best vocal performances of the album.
Sultry “All I Ever Think About”, written by CL mentionable Jayms Madison, is another stand out on which Chrisette details the tug-of-war relationships can be. Radio-friendly and hip hop-flavored “Another One” is an ultimatum that either a significant other get their act together or Chrisette is moving on to “another one”.
The self-proclaimed daddy’s girl says the ballad, “On My Own”, reminds her of her father. “I’m very close to my dad, but recently I’ve learned how to handle situations on my own, without having him step in for me, and it took a lot of me to be able to do that.”
The album winds down with the uptempo “Fragile”, followed by the Ella Fitzgerald-esque “Mr. Right”. Chrisette shines on “Porcelain Doll”, stressing female empowerment and says goodbye to the listener and a relationship with “I’m Okay”.
Epiphany is a solid effort and avoids the dreaded sophomore slump. Chrisette sounds superb, naturally and effortlessly, throughout, and anyone going through a breakup can easily relate to the material. Whether one of Def Jam’s most promising talents becomes a commercial success or not remains to be seen, but she’s definitely a treasure to fans of good R&B music.
MY FAVES: “Epiphany”, “Notebook”, “Blame It On Me”, “All I Ever Think About”, “On My Own”, “Mr. Right”, “I’m Okay”
http://www.amazon.com/Epi...qid=1241562633&sr=8-1
$2.99 to download the whole CD on Amazon.com
Can’t really go wrong with that!
Buy this album! Buy it!
that pic must be photoshopped, she looks a lot thinner, cute lady though
I already copied the Chrisette Michele LP and it !!! loving it all the way @ #2 her shoes are baggin lol.
Love this girl. Not crazy about these singles. Her first album was GREAT! This CD doesn’t really sound like her. Love the title track and “All I Ever think About.”
Chrisette is the TRUTH for real the girl has a awesome voice first album all that and more will be picking this album up also. Could not wait. LOVE her new look loving that hair!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO CHRISETTE
Love her! I liked all the songs you posted, especiallly “What You Do”! I’m totally getting this album this weekend.
i luv her…..i think she’s sumthin new & fresh….i got tha cd yesterday(amazon.com exclusive) and i love it….epiphany & porcelain doll are my faves so far….
Epiphany is a great album!
yo the little tracks that im hearing now is FIRE i was gonna get the cd today so i can be a TRUE chrisette stan and support da 1st day but i dont get paid til thursday and aint got enough in my lil’ piggy bank 4 it lol so THURSDAY i will be supporting!!!
BUT until then i’m gonna download a few tracks to pass me by until then haha but yea this right here is REAL music and i ENCOURAGE all to go and get it and her first CD “I AM” as well because if you aint kno by now..chrisette be’s da SHIZNIT!!!! 
The Wardrobe Stylist for this shoot did their thang!
I’m loving the new direction of the album…I have I Am and didn’t listen to it much but it was ok…I’m getting this album tomorrow….I SOOO love her vocals on All I Ever Think About…I listen to Epiphany all the time….Get em Ms. Chrisette!
I just brought 3 cds. 2 of her new cd for me an my mom and her first cd for my mom as well. She has become a instant fan since she heard the single ephiphany! Finally some real music to listen too!
Okay I couldn’t wait…I downloaded it…BUT I am STILL gonna buy it tomorrow…This album is the bizness…I LOVE IT…TO ALL who were not a fan…then this album will make you one…IT’S SO DAMN HOT!!!!
Ne-yo helped produce this album that’s ALL I’m gonna say LOL….GOOD JOB Ne-yo and Chrisette
Mr. Right should be her next single!!!
My favs….Notebook, All I Ever Think About, & Porcelain Doll. This is a great album!
I have always been Chrisettes’ fan. Love her I am album still listen to it almost every day. I am sure I will love this one too…
I wish her all the best she surely deserves it.
I LOVE THIS CHIX! GOIN 2 GET THIS TODAY!
YES, WE REALLY NEED 2 SUPPORT HTE TRU TALENTED ARTIST! INSTEAD OF THE WANNABE ARTIST THAT SEEM TO GET ALL THE COVERAGE & MEDIA HYPE
I just got her first cd and that was great. I loved every song. It was sad that she didn’t have any commerical success because all of the songs were great. I wish I knew about her back then.
It didn’t seem to me that Def Jam was promoting her. They seem to be spending alot of promotion on Rihanna because unfortunately her album came out around the sametime as Rihanna’s. It’s really sad because I loved so many songs like Best of Me, Good Girl, Be Ok, Golden, Your Joy, I am and Let’s Rock. I wish her all the success with this next album.
I love epiphany and I dont usually buy albums but for 2.99! Now that’s what Im talking about!
Chrisette will always get my money and support. She’s a true vocal talent in a sea of wackass sameness. She’ll always get work cause she’s not a marketing gimmick.
NOTEBOOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111
Love chrissete!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 jeeeez!!!!!!!!!!!!!! can she sang!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i miss the original chrisette from the first album a little bit, but this one is stilll fire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
allow execs and fake rnb fans, this is music!!!! vocal talent!!! she dnt need to shave half a head to get attention, her voice jus does it!!!
none of this over compensated beats and snyths and auto-fuckin-tune!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111
4/5 stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got to agree with those who said this album is not as hot as the first. The sound of most of these tracks with the exception of the title track, Mr. Right, and Porcelain Doll seem to be more so like the mainstream R&B pop ballad sounds you hear today. I loved her sound of classic jazz, the Billie, Ella, and Sarah sound she brought to her first album. It was like nothing I had heard from contemporary R&B artists, and she has the voice for it unlike Amy Whinehouse. Each track on I Am was laced with that sound, and that’s what made the music so special. I can really see how she’s trying to appeal more to the mainstream. However, I wish that she would have kept the majority of the tracks on Epiphany with the classic sound and had a few tracks with the more mainstream sound, releasing maybe 2 or 3 of those tracks as singles in order to lure more people into getting to know her. That way, people would sample the rest of the album and really appreciate her real style. Overall, still a good album to pick up, more creative and original tunes unlike most artists today.