In my last blog, I was quite proud of myself for stumbling upon a "new/indie artist", Elias, thanks to one of the TV series that I was watching. So I thought to myself, what better way to find new artists and discover different music styles and genres than through my hobby, which is binge-watching American TV series? Actually, during the past year, I've been discovering a few artists through the TV series and movies that I've watched. For instance, I came across Naughty Boy's "No One's Here to Sleep" during an episode of "How to Get Away with Murder". I heard the creepiest rendition of “Creep” by Michelle Branch, thanks to the TV series “Stalker”. And just recently, I found out about the song “Cloud” by the amazingly talented Elias because of "The 100".
So, I was binge-watching episodes of the 3rd season of "The Originals", when another song "caught my ear". It was Natalie Taylor's "Come to this". The despondent and haunting sound of the piano reverberated throughout the song as Natalie Taylor's sweet and husky voice belted out the touching lyrics. This song was sort of reminiscent of Elias's "Cloud" for me. It has the same effect. I could totally imagine "Come to this" being played during Lincoln's execution in that episode of "The 100" and it would still evoke the same heart wrenching feelings as "Cloud".
Natalie Taylor's voice has a certain melancholic quality to it. It's the kind of voice that I could imagine singing only miserable, tragic, and even grim songs. It's not the bubbly and animated voice that you would often hear in pop and dance songs. Even before listening to her other songs, I reckon she would sing mostly ballads and soulful songs. I could never imagine this kind of voice singing something like "All about That Bass". I feel like listening to her album would probably make me feel even more depressed, heartbroken, empty and upset. Don't get me wrong. I would love to listen to her songs on a rainy day or whenever I'm not in the mood. The melody of the song "Come to this", coupled with Natalie Taylor's expressive voice, made it even more hauntingly beautiful. It amazes the hell out of you and tears you up into tiny little pieces at the same time.
Like Elias, Natalie Taylor is also a hard woman to find. Of course, I googled her and I only found tidbits of information about her. So according to reverbnation.com: "Natalie Taylor is a true musical paradox. As a young girl in Birmingham, Alabama, Natalie began singing the songs made famous by Americana legend, Patty Griffin, while simultaneously learning every riff sung by 90's R&B artists, Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child, and Boyz II Men - and some things never change."
When it comes to her "genre", she said that she "has never paid much attention to genres and doesn't care to. The result is a beautiful blend of sing-able melodies, huge hooks, impressive vocal ability, and true sincerity." Indeed, her songs are full of sincere emotions. You can feel the love, anger, sadness, happiness, etc. with every line and every word.”
So I was kind of wrong about her. She doesn't stick to ballad and soul songs. She does have some upbeat and pop songs, which were very enjoyable to listen to. So far, my favorite tracks by Natalie Taylor are "Run Away", "It's OK" and "No One Knows". As I listened to her songs, she reminded me of three artists. I racked my brain and thought hard. Then it hit me. Her songs and singing style are like a combination of Marie Digby, Colbie Caillat and a bit of Alessia Cara. However, I think her style and musicality are closer to Colbie Caillat.
Unlike Elias, Natalie Taylor's songs are much closer to "my jam". I'm definitely looking forward to this girl's rise to stardom. I'm pretty sure she's on her way there, what with her songs being featured in various television shows and films. According to reverbnation.com: "Natalie has achieved success in one of the most sought after, yet rarely actualized goals in music, to be featured in film and TV shows. She’s been featured in over six national networks. Not only is her music successful in film and TV, it’s carried into the world of advertising with big name brands such as BareMinerals and Xbox." I'm guessing she's not merely climbing up the ladder of fame; she's almost at the top now. All she needs is a solid fan base, more exposure in mainstream media and, of course, an offer from a record company.
credit: reverbnation.com
