Dionne Bromfield is a promising young talent from across the pond that I’ve been championing for some time now. She’s only 15 years old but the talent that emanates from this girl is astounding. On her debut album, Introducing Dionne Bromfield, this young star sang her heart out on Motown classics like “Tell Him,” “Mama Said,” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” sounding like a singer straight out of the Motown era. With a voice as distinctive as Bromfield’s, when I heard she was doing an album of original material for her sophomore release, I was both excited and nervous at the same time. Her voice seems tailor made for old soul songs like the ones found on her debut…how was she going to morph and change that sound to appear more relevant and current without sacrificing her individuality? It sounded like a gamble to me. Luckily, it was a gamble that paid off.
In February, Dionne Bromfield released “Yeah Right,” and offered fans the first tidbit from her new album, Good For The Soul. Any doubt I had quickly faded away. The song mixed old with new, maintaining some of those classic Motown elements that defined Bromfield’s debut, adding in the fresh sounds of up & coming U.S. rapper Diggy Simmons. While the song wasn’t a bonafide hit, peaking at #36 on the UK Singles Chart, it did best Bromfield’s last charting single, “Mama Said,” which only managed a #43 spot on the charts.
Due out on June 20th via Lioness/Island Records, Dionne Bromfield‘s new single, “Foolin‘” features another rising U.S. hip-hop talent, Lil Wayne protege and fellow Young Money Millionaire Lil Twist. The stunning video for “Foolin‘” features Bromfield playing three different characters, each decked out in a different look, all of them playing off the whole retro, vintage look that has defined her career thus far. The super fun video features Chris and Wes, winners of the UK version of So You Think You Can Dance, though Lil Twist appears to be missing.
Dionne Bromfield‘s sophomore album, Good For The Soul, is scheduled for release on June 27th via her God Mother, Amy Winehouse‘s label, Lioness Records, distributed through Island Records. In writing the album, Bromfield flew to L.A. and worked with hitmakers including Toby Gad (Rihanna, Beyonce). In addition to a new sound, Bromfield also found her voice as a writer on Good For The Soul, co-writing with Gad as well as with John Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick, Duffy collaborator Steve Booker and Dusty Springfield/Amy Winehouse collaborator Paul O’Duffy. Together with the help of these industry professionals, Bromfield is ready to share with the world her new and very different album. According to the press release:
“‘Good For The Soul‘ is absolutely the birth of Dionne Bromfield: the artist. ‘To be honest, it couldn’t feel further away from the first one, which I love and I loved making. But this is next level and it had to be.’ It is a sound that fits perfectly into the catalogue of a new British soul tradition, of artists like Plan B and Paloma Faith that have contemporised their Motown leanings, freshly minting them for a brand new generation.”
Well said. Check out the stunning video for “Foolin‘” below and get ready to download the single on iTunes starting on June 20th. Look out for remixes from Bellatrax and Seamus Haji. Good For The Soul is out June 27th.