Tomorrow, Renee Blair drops her debut album – Seventeen – the culmination of over a decade of grafting in Nashville, fusing her influences from Shania Twain to Nelly in an immensely polished, current record. Here, we review the record.
Given that she has found support in Shane McAnally and Walker Hayes, it is clear that Renee Blair is no small talent in Nashville. Since she arrived in the town more than a decade ago, she has been crafting out a path for her unique sound, artistry and lyricism, fusing together different genres and influences in a smoothly, polished way. Tomorrow, she will release her debut album Seventeen that features many fan favourite tracks, including a swathe of new releases, documenting the different experiences she has had over her life – from heartbreak, to falling in love and everything in between. Seventeen is the work of an artist in full command of her own artistic vision, whilst bearing her fans in mind throughout it all.
Seventeen is a slick project, produced by Jordan Schmidt (Blair’s fiancee), Shane McAnally, Matt Alderman, Matt McGinn and Josh Ronan, moving between muted ballads and party tracks, narrating the journey from heartbreak to falling in love. The project kicks off with ‘Gotta Quit Drinkin’ – a slow, lingering grooving track about regrets after a night out and returning to an ex. ‘I gotta quit drinkin’ / ‘Cause every time, every time that I do / I do somethin’ that I swore I wouldn’t do again / Like hit you up and start it up with you again.’ From the off, there is more than a small tinge of the 90s, from Gwen Stefani to Christina Aguilera in Blair’s vocal delivery that makes it immensely propulsive. The idea of the track is one that Blair returns to on later track ‘Stronger Than Me’, a vulnerable song about being unable to resist an ex, after one drink – ‘Right now, right now / I’m sinking in the past / The proof is in the glass / I take one sip and two steps back /As strong as I am, as strong as I been / That ain’t what I’m ’bout to be / ‘Cause right now, right now / This drink is stronger than me’ – and on the heftier pop-synth infused ‘Heart’s In Your Head,’ where she sings about being led by her heart rather than her head. ‘When you know what you should do / But you do the other thing instead / You put your hand on a flame / When your heart’s in your head.’ The country lap steel backing is a delightful tinge to fill out the track to accompany the slick poppier hook. Blair showcases heartbreak in all its forms on the record, from ‘Soon as I’m Happy’ – a swirling and swaying, RnB-tinged track about the inevitability of an ex coming back – to ‘Better Off,’ a vulnerable, swaying melody about being better off apart to ‘Wearin’ It Well,’ where Blair hides her heartbreak on a night out with friends, ‘I’ve got my Covergirl coverin’ up the tears that I cried / I’ve got a stranger dancin’ with his hands on your favorite Levi’s / I’ve got a heart still broken, I’ve been going through hell / But tonight, I’m going out / And I’m wearin’ it, wearin’ it well.’ Heartbreak in all its forms is here, couched in different moods and flavours.
Blair pivots from heartbreak to falling in love and all its complications too. ‘Girlfriend’ is a swaggering melody that showcases Blair’s ability to seamlessly fuse genres, melding dripping lines of dialogue over slick pop, country-tinged beats. ‘Why you gotta have a girlfriend / Why you gotta be taken / Why you gotta be breaking my heart before we even start / Why you gotta be perfect.’ There’s a similar vibe on the definitive RnB swaying track ‘Handsome’ – an ode to her fiancee Jordan Schmidt. ‘Yeah he really does it for me, and then some / He’s so handsome’ – and the delightfully vulnerable track ‘You Did’ that showcases the culmination of the journey away from picking ‘bad boys.’ ‘I didn’t think my heart could love again / I swore I’d fall out if I ever fell back in / Didn’t believe in for worse or better / That someone could want me forever / But you did.’ It’s the most transcendent vocal moment on the record, elevating the entirety of the record with the quality of Blair’s vocal (as does ‘Here I Am’ and ‘Get the Girl’), a stunning song about finally falling for the right guy that makes it an easy stand-out on the record.
Still, Blair appears in her element on the delightfully summery, beat-heavy tracks on the record, including ‘Heatin’ Up My Summer,’ ‘Turn Up The Night’ and ‘Downtowned Up’ that offer tripping, swirling melodies that draws the listener in, complete with slick, thumping beats and dripping lyricism. More than anything, Seventeen showcases the diversity of both Blair’s lyricism and sonic phrasing – moving easily between summery anthems and vulnerable RnB-infused ballads. It’s a delightful record that shows the graft of an artist who has more than earned her place in the Nashville sonic landscape.
