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Two of the biggest factors in having a successful career in any field are timing and opportunity. There are instances where praise and appreciation is not given to the most talented or even deserving person in a particular position, but the person who may have been in the right place at the right time to receive that opportunity. Whether in business or every day personal life, the difference in journeys often comes down to what people do what their respective opportunities when they’re presented.
Elle Varner may be a familiar name to many R&B fans. The singer/songwriter was one of the most popular young artists of the early 2010’s. Her debut album Perfectly Imperfect felt like the work of a seasoned veteran, not surprising given her family ties and pedigree in the music business. Her writing prowess was evident throughout the 2012 project and her vocals inspired comparisons to various soul/R&B mainstays including Macy Gray. Her hit songs Only Wanna Give It To You and Refill still remain some of the best R&B songs of the decade; the later was even nominated for Best R&B Song at the Grammy Awards in 2013. And while the evident success of her debut would have one think that Elle was on the fast track to mainstream success, her career would take a much more unexpected path.
With a plan for a follow up album in the works with RCA Records, the singer and her label could not find a common ground on the framework to release her sophomore effort. The push back would last several years, with the two parties eventually parting ways. That did not stop Elle from using her skillful writing in order to push her career forward. From working with the likes of Miguel, Wale, Joey Bada$$, A$AP Ferg and 50 Cent as a songwriter and feature respectively, to securing a Grammy win as a songwriter on the 2017 Best Rap Album Coloring Book by Chance The Rapper, there was no doubting Elle’s status as one of the more respected artists around. That would show in a demand for her music from fans despite it being 5-plus years removed from her debut. She continued to mold her craft and stay close to her soulful R&B roots, waiting for the right opppiritntiy to present itself. In the summer of 2019, she’d return to the mainstream forefront.
On July 12, 2019, Elle Varner released her much anticipated sophomore album, Ellevation via a new label in Entertainment One U.S.. With only nine songs, two features and 36 minutes in run time, one could get the impression this album was important for the Brooklyn native. And seven years removed from her last time in the mainstream spotlight, it would be natural to expect rough spots or the possibility or sounding outdated given the current climate or R&B. Elle removes that doubt by the time the opening track ends.
The intro track Coffe On the Roof is a true tone setter for the album, a throwback to the original neo-soul/traditional R&B artists who highlighted a golden age of R&B in the late 90’s through the 2000’s. A mid-tempoed, mellow track simply about the process of falling for someone and the often dangerous game of managing one’s emotions and expectations. She finds herself contemplating everything from potential dates to meeting her parents. It’s the plight of the modern romantic told through Elle’s soothing voice. The track is hopeful, honest and heartfelt, things that love should be. Throughout the album, she sings about love from different stages and viewpoints in relationships.
Pour Me (Think bout u) is a standout track that reflects on a lost opportunity with a potential partner. Piano and drums give the a track a live band element as Elle bellows on the benefits her lost love could have with her compared to the woman he’s currently with. Drinking and dancing the thoughts away, she takes a refreshing approach to the idea of losing out on someone special. While many songs reflect the social norm of automatically moving on to “better things”, she proposes that maybe the best thing for her is what she missed out on. She receives an assist from one of hip-hop’s most poetic MC’s in Wale, who gives a love try with a woman who has everything he wants, a step away from rap’s current culture that preaches heartbreak over love. Wishing Well is an emotional and mature take on moving on from a relationship that took a major toll. Instead of speaking down or insulting her now ex-significant other, she searches for growth and strength, and shows that by genuinely wanting the best for them as they both move forward. She adds another Grammy nominated artist collaboration to her resumè, this time teaming up with one or the best MC’s today in Rapsody. The veteran trades in her typically hard hitting bars for a strong and confident verse exposing sensitivity for someone she truly cared about, highlighting one of the best moments on the album. The range of emotions from song to song as far as experiencing love, heartbreak and healing stages truly sets the album apart from many of its modern day contemporaries. Number One Song plays to the idea of having a serious crush on someone who has no idea how you feel and how to possibly communicate that feeling in hopes that it will be reciprocated. Loving U Blind is a guitar-laden take on the “better safe than sorry” approach to a relationship, with Elle delivering some of her strongest vocals in singing about not jumping in head first to love and taking the time to get it right. Casanova is the only song of its kind on the project, as she sings to a disloyal man in her life who took advantage of her trust and loyalty. She charges it to the man not being ready for her as a woman, and promised that she can have bigger and better things when she’s ready to. It’s a confident track that speaks to the mentality of many women who are mistreated, and is a transition from the rest of the album that preaches simply moving forward without much push back. Once again, she keeps the song honest and relatable, keys for any good R&B track.
When deciding on the best song on a project with several gems, look no further than the outstanding 1 To 10, a mature, sensual song that takes a very straightforward approach to easing the tension in a failing relationship. Elle beautifully sings from the perspective of a woman has made her share of mistakes in communication to her significant other, and hopes that intimate time will draw them closer. She ignores putting on a front for social media or her loved ones in order to simply appear strong, and shows vulnerability for the person she wants to be in here life going forward. It is a song for mature people who live and love and without fear of potentially weak or dependent, and is undoubtedly one of the best R&B songs of the year so far. The album closes out with the uplifting Be Encouraged, a breath of fresh air for the listener, urging one to enjoy their life and to embrace the difficult times in life with a positive attitude and love in their heart. For anyone who struggles, anyone who may feel insignificant at times, it’s a track that can help uplift and make a day or even a moment that much better. It’s a quality ending to an impressive return for one or the best singers and writers in music.
Life is all about time and opportunity. Rarely, if ever, does life go exactly as someone plans it to. No matter what the upbringing, support system and mentality a particular person grows up with, there are moments that test the mettle of every person. And how one responds often determines how successful they are professionally, and just in life period. For the sensational talent Elle Varner, It has not been the easiest path to prosperity in her career. She had to pick her spots and wait for the right time to have the potentially great career she seemed once destined to have. With the release of this sophomore effort Ellevation, she has given herself a chance, due in part to a project full of life and love, all her own, on her in terms.
Top 5 Songs:
1. 1 To 10
2. Coffee On the Roof
3.Wishing Well
4. Pour Me
5. Be Encouraged