Concert Review: Selah Sue Elevates Soul Into Spirit At Bowery Ballroom
Selah Sue more like Selah SOUL! And that will be my last corny joke for this article. Yet, I cannot underestimate nor deny that I felt super “cheesy” during Selah’s concert at Bowery Ballroom on September 19. Why? Because when you witness an incredible, creative talent that is magnetic on stage, you start to contemplate your life’s decisions.
Selah is a songstress that will leave viewers in love with her spirit and music, while also wondering why they could not have been born with such a gift. She is that particular artist whom is so special in what they musically and soulfully offer their listeners that you both want to follow and be her. Moreover, she is like a cosmic event on stage. While her latest album, Reason, will make you fall in love with her sound, her performance will make you want to marry her. It is as if the album makes you a follower of her music, but her live concert makes you a permanent fan. She is so rich in her presence that you will forever treasure her as a songstress, and will, definitely, walk out feeling as if you have seen one of the best performers of your life. NOT KIDDING!
Now I am not trying to ignite “potential stalkers”, I simply cannot stop admiring the wonders of Selah’s positive energy. Let’s be honest, the music world has a lot of talent, but not a lot of self-love. Thus, when Selah walked unto the stage she felt like a happy wind had entered the room. She smiled, waved, and thanked everyone as if we were the ones she had come to see. She encouraged everyone to sing along and harmonize as if she come to our tour. The humbling dynamic only added an extra sugar-coating to an audience that could not feel any sweeter for her. The crowd was magnificent and ready. After all, this Belgium singer-songwriter has been compared to the likes of Amy Winehouse and with good reason. There is an inherent vintage feel to Selah’s style of music and performance that is modernized by her youthful spirit. Both singers use subtle body gyrations and raw vocal riffs to turn what would be a “typical pop track” for another musician into a celestial poem on love and life’s wildness. Yet, what I treasure of Selah Sue, is the fact that, unlike Amy, Selah does not feel burdened by life or her talent. She approaches each aspect of her concert, the fans, the stage, and the songs, like they were blessings. Thus, her concert feels like an elevation of soul into full-on spirit.
Soul singers like Ms. Winehouse or Lauryn Hill, of whom Selah did a riveting cover of Lost Ones, tapped an energy of the human soul that was potent and painful. Watching them perform was like watching “heartbreak” itself pick up the microphone. Thus they always seemed to stay in soul, but not exactly elevate into spirit. This is not saying they were bad. On the contrary, they are some of the best musicians EVER! The difference between them and Selah Sue is that you walk out of her concert feeling good, and not wondering whether if she is going to walk out of her concert to cry or succumb to her hurt. Like these mentioned artists, Selah sings and writes words that are aimed strictly for the nuances of a being human. The difference is she wants to grow better and not stay sad. There is hopefulness to her performance that transitions her songs from being cathartic to therapeutic in their acknowledgment of life’s roughness. For Selah, yes life can be bad, society can be mad, and love could be sad, but you can be better.
Selah Sue captivates with her ability to make you see through her music your personal struggles. Yet, she is a pillar of fun and love by literally making you dance them away and not dwell on them. While other artists may capture pain, Selah releases it, which is what makes her, not a soul-singer, but a spirit one. For More Information On Selah Sue Click Here.
