Concert Review: Yael Naim Is Stunning In “Highline Ballroom”
Warning: I am completely biased in this review because I really like Yael Naim. She has personality, rich vocals, and distinct sounds and lyrics that can only be associated with her artistry. I always admire someone that is unmatchable in their pure essence. She may not have the megastardom we define as success like, Beyoncé or Rihanna. Yet, she has crossed international waters and gained stardom strictly based on her mystical creativity. In her concert at Highline Ballroom, she showed that you can be internationally renowned through the simplicity of being you.
//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.jsAlthough I ADORE Rihanna and can bounce to Beyoncé like the best of them, their fame and acclaim is made for them through teams of wonderful people that know how to bring out their “inner queen”, but for Yael Naim there is something incredibly grounded to her regality. You know you are getting “her”, and everything she has made for herself in her life’s journey as a mind, body, and spirit. Her concert is more than an entertaining show; it is a a heartfelt, humble analysis on her personal spiritual growth. Her songs are not about escapism, but the rare moments when you must be still in your own person. On stage Naim’s friendliness and mindfulness, falls upon viewers like a crisp waterfall you can put your hand through and feel. Frankly, Naim is one of the best pianists I have ever heard because she plays the piano with a human fervor that seems mythical. When she riffs on that piano she combines the elegance of a trained musician with the humanity of someone who simply loves music. It is weird to describe the distinction because it something that you see and feel without verbal expression. You know how to distinguish someone who plays music form their education and someone who plays from their soul. Luckily, Yael Naim has a soul educated in music, which allows her to transform even Britney Spears songs into lustful games.
//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.jsYael Naim, by far, has the best cover of “Toxic” ever, This track is not my favorite Britney Spears song, but Naim draws out the sickly passion of its lyrics with a twisted, jazz rendition that included a duet with a man whose voice could rival Louis Armstrong. By the end of her ode, everyone felt the toxicity of loving someone so powerfully. She did the same when she drew out the twinkling madness of Ceelo’s “Crazy” and made it a transfixing, xylophone infused track that countered the electro-funk of the original. For Naim, the simplicity of instrumentals will always thrive over the complexity of synthesizers, which for many music-lovers makes her a refreshing artist. Yet, for me, Naim shines because she captures internal turmoils and trappings of the human spirit.
//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.jsIn her songs, “Coward”, “Dream In My Head”, and “Walk Walk“, I felt like someone had given her God’s book on life. She has an uncanny way of summing the “pulled” feeling every person has at wondering whether they are “enough”. Am I doing enough? Am I seeing enough? Am I living enough? There is a nagging sense of guilt that can plague people when they feel as if they have not embodied their best self and their greatest dreams. Naim sings to those “pulling” sentiments that can drag you down and shroud your definitions of prosperity with perceived failure. This is why I say she is such a clearing songstress. Her compositions carry the soft, swaying somberness that can be seen in Grecian Odysseys, but because she writes for the eternal aspect of humanity, she makes life’s melancholy feel like a common aspect that must be overcome by everyone.
From stories of her mom to tales on being a mother, Naim’s maternal side is woven in her music. She has the voice and virtue of a person whose only wish is to hold listeners through their trials. The desire is noble, and explains her “grounded regality”, as previously mentioned. We all need a higher figure that compassionately carries us through our tribulations, and Yael Naim is that in concert and music. For More Information on Yael Naim and To Buy Her Latest Record Older Click Here.
