Selah Sue, the Belgian singer and songwriter, performing at Nosturi in Helsinki on Saturday April 30 2016. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today
Selah Sue – the Belgian singer of soul, funk and reggae – pulled off one of the year’s best performances at Nosturi in Helsinki on Saturday, May Day Eve.
After Sue released her eponymous debut album in 2011, a fusion of eclectic styles, she became a household name on the listeners’ lips. Songs like “This World” and “Crazy Sufferin Style” became massive hits, the album sold over a million copies, and both songs belonged among the highlights in Helsinki, where Sue’s voice vibrated with energy, and her live band showcased incredible talent during the songs and solos.
Sue has called herself lazy but in Nosturi she was a ball of energy. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today
At gigs, Sue is also known of playing covers of artists who have inspired her. Early in her set, she gave Lauryn Hill’s “Lost One’s,” a fresh interpretation, which sounded as good or even better than the original.
Sue, who is only 27, sounds calmer and more laid back on her albums. When on stage, she sparks alive, becomes the queen of pizazz; she danced in her black dress while her fluffy blonde hair tousled crazily. Her performance roused even the most stiff-legged listeners.
Sue opened for Prince in 2010 and after the gig asked advice from him. Prince advised Sue to not take any music lessons. Sue has followed the advice of the late multi-talented singer and retained her feel and spontaneity. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today
Sue came out with her second album Reason in March 2015, a diverse mix of genres with a strong sense of pop sounds. One of the highlights from her sophomore album was “I Won’t Go For More,” an intimate song about heartbreak, earning well-deserved cheers.
Even though Selah Sue wrote her second album ‘Reason’ in four months, she had to wait a year and a half to actually record it due to the busy schedule of her producers. That’s why she called the album ‘Reason.’: thanks to her rationale, she was able to cope with the waiting, instead of quitting. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today
After about 80 minutes of play, Sue ended her set with “Crazy Vibes,” one of the songs that sent her to fame and thus to the stage of Nosturi, where the audience still demanded more.
The shoulder-to-shoulder crowd simply wanted more. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today
More about Selah Sue and Prince can be read here.
