Goapele

Although Goapele (pronounced Gwap-a-lay) first came to prominence with the gentle funk jam "Closer" at the start of this decade, the former Berklee music student is far from a one-hit wonder. In 2006, she returned to the charts with "First Love," a ballad so light you hardly expected it to...

By Shawn White

July 12, 2011

Audio By Carbonatix

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Although Goapele (pronounced Gwap-a-lay) first came to prominence with the gentle funk jam "Closer" at the start of this decade, the former Berklee music student is far from a one-hit wonder. In 2006, she returned to the charts with "First Love," a ballad so light you hardly expected it to become the fixture it was on the R&B charts that year. That single was taken from the singer's second LP, Change It All, which, like her first record, slipped into and out of genres without losing the singer's trademark sound. Both albums are like underground R&B hits compilations, full of songs like "Got It," "Romantic," "Crushed Out" and "You" that sound like retro-future soul classics. Still based in Oakland, where she owns her own record label and studio along with her brother, Goapele is currently at work on her third album. With folks like Raphael Saadiq and Drake jonesing to work with her, it shouldn't be short on star power or sleeper hits.

Shawn White

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