Single Review: Rebecca Ferguson – ‘Get Happy’
2 min read
The X-Factor runner up from yesteryear (and one of the more talented ones) returns with something a bit different for us: A reinterpretation of classic Billie Holiday album Lady Sings the Blues. This is brave – much braver than a lot of other past contestants from the show have been, and with it shows us Rebecca isn’t afraid to take chances on the music she loves. New single Get Happy is the first material from the album, but does it manage to stand up to the much-loved legend that is Billie?
With Rebecca Ferguson we have someone whom can perfectly replicate the technical ability of Billie Holiday, and with Get Happy we get the right concoction of Jazz and pace to really show off the singers talent. It’s as if Ferguson has really found her calling here; gone is the shy and innocent girl from the X-Factor, and here to stay is the fiery and confident woman which her career has created. Jazz connotations immediately hit you between the eyes and the singer’s vocals slip and slide seductively over melodies of the well-known classic. There’s enough little touches floating around to bring something new to the track, and also allow the singers own personality to shine through.
The song’s fast pace is a benefit to Rebecca; it’s almost as if she doesn’t have time to think, so it just comes straight from the heart. This shows us the true professionalism and honest nature of the singer, with a song that’s hard to do well. Billie Holiday would enjoy this, and Rebecca should enjoy the fact she’s found something so akin to her voice that it’s actually freed her from any shackles that were lingering on her music career.
