The end of Classical Music

... for Charlotte Church, anyway

Frankly, it was to be expected. There were her live and studio excursions into modern versions of "Carmen" and "Bridge over troubled water". There were several announcements that she was looking for her own little niche in the music market. And then, of course, there's a career that has left her at 19 with the achievments few manage in a whole life. Obviously, it was time for a change and that change has now come with the arrival of Charlotte Church's new album "Tissues and Issues".

With every new record, the Welsh singer has taken a step further away from a purely Classical approach and into a new territory which is firmly her own. Cynics in the public and in the press have interpreted this as a clever move by the marketing department, aimed at directing her into "golden Pop territory". Which is a bit ridiculous, if you think about it: There's hardly a more faithful audience than the Classical one and why would anyone risk changing a winning formula, when the Pop market was falling into shambles about everywhere in the world? That's why we believe Church for claiming that she did indeed have a strong influence on the way her career would go. And that's why we even believe her when she says that she's "not an ambitious person". Because, frankly, "Tissues and Issues" might well flop.

Which has nothing to do with the music, which sounds excellent from what he have heard up to now and features a great Motwon pastiche ("Crazy Chick") as a first single. But with a remarkably wide stylistical spectrum and many different songwriters, it will be hard for listeners to find out who this girl actually is. The production, too, sounds decidedly unhip and will hardly appeal to those who danced to "Hollaback Girl" this summer. So maybe, that's not the point. And, lest we forget, "Pop" is much more than Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and "World Idol". In a way, the album is a summary of the last three years of Chralotte's life and both a beginning and an end. Its title refers to the hardships of being a teenager (which she is not anymore) and it doesn't see its protagonist compromise anymore - instead, this repertoire seems to say: "This is who I am!". Of course, that's another cliche from the book of Pop, but it's one you can (and should) buy into. One thing's for sure: There's no way back from here. Artists like Mark Anthony or Shakira have succesfully released in both Spanish and an English, but it's hard imagining Charlotte Church ever recording Classical pieces again.

That's why we are extremely excited to see where change will lead her. Charlotte Church has claimed not be ambitious, but of course she still craves for the world to love this album. The good news is that she seems as though she'll be able to manage no matter how things turn out in the end.

"Tissues and Issues" is out on July 11th. 2005

Homepage: Charlotte Church Offical Site
Homepage: Charlotte Church Fanpage
Source: CharlotteChurch.net