christinapomoni

It was probably a great idea on my behalf to listen to the emotional tracks of Duffy for the first time at 8:30 in the morning. The arousing roller-coaster of melancholy of the talented Welsh singer / songwriter swept me away like I needed a strong southern drink. And then, track after track, woe after woe, I realized that what makes Duffy’s music so alluring is not just the fact that she highly trickles the cool delight of Amy Winehouse or the nostalgic sadness of Dusty Springfield, but she performs a stunningly modern take on a music genre that over the last years is demeaned by aspiring, yet not talented, country singers.

No surprises then that her debut album “Rockferry” became the highest selling album of 2008, selling more than 1.6 millions copies in the U.K. and over 4 million copies worldwide, while the massive hit “Mercy” dominated both the U.K. singles and album charts for many weeks according to the Official U.K. Charts Company.

Joining forces with Suede’s ex-guitar player Bernard Butler and his associate David McAlmont, Duffy was introduced to soul music roughly in 2004. Butler downloaded smash hits of Al Green, Phil Spector, Scott Walker, Doris Duke and others to Duffy’s iPod so that she could listen to them while traveling back and forth from London to Wales. Also, he co-wrote several songs with her and together they created a new retro sound. After hiring a number of qualified musicians and contracting with A&M Records in 2007, Duffy released “Rockferry” with almost four years delay mostly due to setbacks in writing and recording in cheap and tiny studios. Upon the album’s release, the big hits, “Mercy” and “Stepping Stone” reached immediately top 40.

Many of the soul industry experts consider that Duffy’s great, sensual voice puts her in direct comparison to Dusty Springfield. Having performed several appearances on the BBC Two television program and having also performed with the soul legend Eddie Floyd have offered Duffy a publicity stunt, but most importantly the opportunity to emerge as a the highest-flying of the so-called “new Amys”, who lead the charge to be the next Winehouse along with Gabriella Cilmi and Adele.

Soul industry experts view Duffy as a natural-born artist with a shiny piece of classic pop craftsmanship. However, her talent is anchored by her immaculate personality and natural charm. Duffy experienced a major success rather quickly and media did not hesitate to compare her to the pop equivalent of mezzo soprano Katherine Jenkins. Yet, Duffy maintained a low profile, although the pressure put on her led her on the verge of a nervous breakdown in the late 2008.

Bearing the sound of a major emerging pop presence mingled with the quality of a talented and low profile songwriter, Duffy made it so well in 2008 by releasing a debut album with no truly weak track. Having already gathered material for her second album and working with several independent artists for a British independent film about the British northern soul of the 1970s, it remains to be seen if Duffy can pull it through 2009 as well.

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