UK publication The Guardian published a story yesterday entitled The Growing Cult of Cassie. Right, I had to do a double-take after reading that too. Though most of you know who she is, model/singer Cassie (Cassandra Ventura), has never received positive praise, even after she had a huge hit, with her breakthrough single “Me & U”. According to the editorial, Cassie is finally get some attention from “leftfield” artists.
It seems there is a growing group of indie DJ’s, producers and music fans that adore her. According to Tri Angle record label owner, Robin Carolan, “People like the xx and all these UK dance producers love her. For my artists, such as oOoOO and How to Dress Well – the idea of Cassie singing on their tracks is a dream. Others might view her as a has-been, but in this world she’s a legend. I genuinely view her as someone who in 20 years’ time will be re-evaluated. I’m stunned [that] she can be making such good songs but still be in complete limbo.”
“In her vocals there’s a lot of space; from a producer’s point of view that’s what you want, you can completely mash it up and reconstruct it,” Carolan says. But she is more than just a vehicle for producers wishing to showcase their own talents. “It sounds like she’s trapped in ice. There’s this stillness to [her voice]. Even though she’s not forcefully singing she still demands your attention.”
Caught between the club-banger bellowing of Kelly Rowland and Rihanna, the fearsome spitting of Nicki Minaj and the melismatic arsenal of Beyoncé, Cassie has fallen through the cracks, scorned by R&B fans who, according to Carolan, “can be snotty about [lack of] technical ability”. But her sad, sing-song vocals work on a different level, meaning that, despite not having the strongest vocal chords, she nevertheless has one of the strongest voices in pop. “There’s a melancholy quality to a lot of her music. Maybe because of that and the fact that her career has stalled, people like myself can’t help develop this vaguely tragic narrative around her,” Carolan says. “We all feel the world doesn’t deserve her.”
I found this very interesting. I can see from a production standpoint, for Dance and Electro music, her vocal could be perfect. I imagine this is also a similar thought her first mentor and producer Ryan Leslie saw in her. He was able to do so much with her voice, and it seems sad that she hasn’t been able to find that same level of understanding from other commercial producers.
Is Cassie’s proper place in the Euro Electro scene? If her shelved sophomore album title doesn’t say it all, I don’t know what would, maybe Cassie just needs some Electro Love! What do you think?
