23 year old Long Island girl, Chrisette Michele, walked past me to the elevator to the fourth floor in the San Francisco Virgin Megastore where she had been scheduled to perform a free set at 3 PM on Wednesday, September 12, 2007. I was browsing Pop Collections as she, her companion and a Virgin representative entered the elevator talking about a long flight from Chicago. I thought to myself, "I think that's Chrisette Michelle" and looked at my watch. 4:40 PM, and it would be another thirty minutes until the performance began. By then, the patient crowd of five had swelled to twenty-five, most of whom were familiar with Michele's Def Jam debut, "I Am," and were loudly enthusiastic and appreciative. By the end of the first song of her mercilessly brief three song set, "Like A`Dream," all present recognized we were in the presence of musical greatness. The next pop/jazz/r&b superstar has arrived, and a year from now Virgin won't be able to hold all her fans.
Chrisette Michele has it all: songwriting talent par excellence (every cut on her CD is flat-out superb), incredibly fluid and athletic voice with great range, looks, personality and ability to connect musically with an audience. "Let's Rock" was greeted with shouts and handclaps, and it was clear that what Antonio Reid and Babyface saw, and Nas et al were eager to have on their records, is ready for primetime.
She won't have long to wait.
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