Celeste – Not Your Muse
You can have Taylor and Adele. I will take Celeste. A woman who combines the greatness of Billie Holiday and Adele in her voice. I think people slept on this because it got lost in post pandemic releases after she had been gaining momentum in the UK and TV/Film right before the pandemic hit.
You might have heard her on select TV Shows or Movies. Here are a few.
“Strange”in Outer Banks. (Spoilers here, in case you haven’t watched it)
“Strange” in Ted Lasso in one of the most emotional scenes of the series (spoilers here)
“Stop This Flame” in Sex Life
“Hear My Voice” in The Trial of the Chicago 7
She has also been featured on And Just Like That, Good Trouble, The Resident, Grey’s Anatomy (the beach scene with Meredith and George), and other episodes of Sex Life.
When this album did come out it topped the UK charts. It’s been a slower climb here, but I think she has the stuff to be a household name if she keeps making masterpieces like this one. Every song tends to stand on its own. Funky or quiet or jazz lounge it all is beautiful.
More times than not I find myself feeling like this is the record Billie Holiday would make today. There is no throwaway songs on this album and the Deluxe version looks like the only one available to stream now. Which is perfect. You love pop? This will do it for you. You love soul? This will do it for you. You love jazz singers? This will do it for you. You love vocal prowess? This will do it for you. It comes across like an artist that has been around for decades. Technically sound in ways that usually only comes from experience. Just brilliant.
Dive in.