SoulTrackers have been showing love to our girl Sy Smith for a few years, and now the rest of the world is finally catching on to what we already knew. Here’s a new story about Sy hitting the national US charts with her new song, "Fly Away." Oh, and by the way, check out Sy’s cool new video, "Spies," by clicking here.
AMERICAN IDOL BACK-UP SINGER BREAKS TOP 40
Sy Smith sings back-up on American Idol, but in the realm of independent soul music she’s well-known for standing front and center of her own musical movement. With the release of her third solo effort entitled Conflict (Psyko! Records/MDI Distribution), she once again declares the need for music without machines – that is, music without the corporate giants that regulate the markets, determine radio playlists, and control what gets heard (and what doesn�t).
To this effort, Sy’s first single from Conflict, "Fly Away With Me," hit the radio airwaves just a few weeks ago and has already garnered more than 100 spins per week. This week she entered the Top 40 Hot Adult R&B Singles Airplay Chart (Radio & Records) at #38, a rarity for independent labels, especially in Urban music! Sy, who penned the lyrics, says the track (produced by Ty Macklin) immediately "spoke to her," moving her to write a floaty, feel-good mid-tempo number. I wanted this song to feel like love in the springtime. That’s what the music felt like to me the first time I heard it, remarks Sy after presenting a vocal workshop with high school students for Grammy Career Day at USC.
On Conflict, Sy enlisted A-list producers such as Ant Bell (Jill Scott, Kindred). An accomplished musician herself, Sy did much of her own production too, playing keyboards, arranging vocals, and over-seeing the whole project – a beautifully-presented digipak that’s sure to become a collectors’ item. Sy Smith solidified her place in the genre known as underground soul (or indie-soul) with her 2005 critically-acclaimed debut The Syberspace Social (named in the top ten CDs of 2005 by The Boston Globe, Spotlight Albums in Billboard Magazine) which features production from Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest, Lucy Pearl), James Poyser (Common, Lauryn Hill, Al Green) and a duet with Anthony Hamilton. She gained further popularity with her 2007 release Psykosoul Plus displaying her expertise at arranging and songwriting. Sy’s live DVD "Worship At The Temple" (2007 Bel-Herald Pictures) presents her prowess on stage and easy-going nature off stage.
Her voice is well-known as not only one of the three backing vocalists on American Idol for the past four seasons, but also for her duet with Al Green on the popular TV series Soul Food, her role as Aisha on the THQ video game Saint’s Row (she was Aisha’s singing and speaking voice) and several nation-wide jingles. As an Emmy-nominated song writer, she has written for many other artists including Carlos Santana, Macy Gray and Me�shell N’degeocello.
After she completes season 8 of American Idol, Sy plans to continue performing live concerts with jazz trumpeter (and heart-throb to many) Chris Botti, with whom she has been a featured soloist since 2006. Upcoming live performances include March 27 (The Mint, Los Angeles).
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