This rendition is definitely a mixture of Billie Holiday & Amy Winehouse. This vocal area is where Jordan really shines. BTW- She refuses to wear shoes when performing in order to bring awareness to all the children around the world who have no shoes.
I understand your reaction completely. And here’s a prediction-now that you’ve heard this very different take on Billie Jean, you will love it more every time you hear it. When it starts, as you said, you’re looking for the beat and you get surprised by her phrasing, but she always returns to parts where you’re hearing and feeling the original. When she hits that jazzy chorus of “Billie Jean is not my lover…”, you know she’s paying tribute to Michael, and you can relax because you get what she’s doing. And it’s beautiful.
I had to listen to it more than once, but now I love it more and more every time I hear it. The youngster truly is a musical prodigy and Jazz is in good hands for the immediate future.
It's hard to translate an iconic song like Billie Jean into a laid back, smokey, jazz lounge version and just love it right away. It's just so different. But when Angie sings a cover, it becomes a completely different song. So, you can't really compare it to Billie Jean by Michael Jackson. It's a completely different song. When you can get yourself into that sort of mindset, you'll find you will come to love this song that just happens to have the same name as a Michael Jackson song. Just remember, It's not even the same song! Loved your reaction!!!
Every time I listen to this jazzy version the better it sounds. To take a fast, pop song, that everyone danced to and slow it down and Jazz it up, was genius. I actually listened to the words for the first time.
She does what any good jazz musician does, she deconstructs and then reassembles. And she did it to an iconic pop song..l know she will get a lot flack from idiots, but who cares, she's a GENIUS without an EGO. When she is in the Red Room and says" Take my strong ADVICEEEE", my heart stopped..I could live in her voice.
It is unbelievable what Angelina can do with just her voice and a piano or guitar accompanying!! Perfect jazzy masterpiece for a huge pop hit!! Go Angie!!!!
With Angelina you really have to listen with new ears.Sounds like that's what you were trying to do.Expect the unexpected and listen multiple times.Thanks for your reaction.
The coolest version I have ever heard of this famous song. She does the same thing as her version of Bohemian rhapsody, rearrange the original to a new Angelina style. She is not only a special voice, she is a genius Arranger. Now you are able to understand the story behind the song without moving your body, you are moving your mind. It's a fun to listen it again and again and find out the details she is doing
Its not the first song from MJ she covered, far from it. "I'll be there" at age 8 and recently "Heal the world" which felt like an unreal throughback in time to me, so emotional.
I liked this. This was smooth and her vocals were excellent. Just as I was getting into the groove of the song Jamel has to pause to talk about getting into the groove of the song.
Jamel thanks for coming back to Angelina’s world and reacting to the BAREFOOT ANGEL with this amazing performance. She always respects the original song, but renders her own colorful rendition with originality. The legend Michael Jackson (RIP) would have appreciated this rendition of his iconic song. The reason that Angelina is a brave and exceptional music prodigy and is supported by the most cultured Angels (Fans) in the entire world is expressed in the following poem by Robert Frost: Two roads diverged in a wood and I [ANGELINA], I [ANGELINA] took the one less traveled by [JAZZ/BLUES/SOUL], And that has made all the difference. IMO, Angelina single-handedly will restore interest in Jazz all over the world; also, most likely, she will include other music genres in her repertoire.
This is probably my favorite performance by Miss Angelina. I love that 'jazzy-Angelina' style, what can I say. Then, on top of it she sings a great song like this. Hat's off. I'm all in. ... Stay cool, Jam(aeiou)l.
💗 ***Only Angelina Jordan, can take an amazing iconic song, like Billie Jean, from a phenomenal artist, like Michael Jackson & make it her own*** 💗 ***She truly is a gift, with the rare ability, to reinvent masterpieces, that wake us up, & pay attention, to every note, every word, & every emotion*** 💗
I had the same problem. I was tuned in to the original MJ version. Once I got that out of my head, I could appreciate Angelina's version. The more I hear it, the better it gets. You can clearly hear the lyrics and the emotion she conveys. I love the jazzy style.
Jamal, sir, something to smile, here is a story: One night, in her dream, Angelina was sitting together with Michael Jackson on his cloud. MJ asks: Darling after singing "heal the world" how about taking on my "Billie Jean"? Ella Fitzgerald passing by, grins and says "but make it jazzy". MJ looks thoughtful and says "Hey great idea, don´t rewrite it, tell it like a story". AJ smiles "Wow great idea, Thanks Michael and Ella".
When she sings jazz style she sounds similar to Amy Winehouse, with Christine Aguilera style runs, and the music has a Dave Brubeck vibe and it's fresh and very cool. MJ would've loved it.
Jamel thank you for reacting to Angelina Jordan again. I love your hoodie and it's message as it fits perfectly with Angelina's message. Would be awesome if you showed her some love by requesting your viewers to subscribe to her official RU-vid channels. There are so many viewers who have no idea how important it is to subscribe to your channel along with the channel(s) for the artist you react to. Record companies pay attention to all the data on RU-vid and if all reactors made a point to show support to the artist, they just may ease up on their copyright claims.
Yep. Amy Winehouse & Billie Holiday. You should hear her sing Holiday on Norway's Talent show when she was 4 or 5 years old; it will knock your socks off.
When I first heard her do Mamas and Papas "California Dreaming" I thought it was good but I'd never get used to it. Now I think it's at least the equal of the original. Just different. Give it another dozen or so hearings and see if it doesn't grow on you. Back when Joni Mitchell was putting out new albums, I never liked a new album as well as the earlier ones until I'd played it several times. Eventually, I realized that she was moving on to something else, absolutely as creative, but I didn't want her to move on quite so fast. My brain needed time to catch up. The same thing now sometimes happens with Angelina, but this time I know I'll soon love it.
I see the rooms as a reflection of what AJ does to all music she touches...She recolors everything. We recognize the rooms, but they are no longer the same, slightly alien first, but soon we fit right in and are very comfortable in our new space. AJ magic really, that other singers will be measured against, no doubt. We have the privilege to watch her march towards diva-dom in real time.
I loved 🥰 it the first time I heard it I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve listened to it I think it was a master piece and the video was a brilliant brilliant touch Love 💕 from Denise in Yorkshire England 🏴👼👸🏻💕👏👏👏🥰👋.
Loved your reaction and comments Jamal. Lets face it, anyone and there are 100's can do a "cover" of the song and try to be like Michael. Only this super creative young music genius would attempt to make a jazz/blues masterpiece from the Iconic MJ song. Enjoyed your reaction and keeping an open mind. Pretty sure the many many MJ fans think this is way out of the park but if you really listen she is paying homage to MJ and recreating a new song . Have to love music I guess to appreciate what she has done here.
Jamal, sir, AJ knows the Jackson family, Omer Bhatti, the protege of Michael Jackson, is her friend since NGT 2014. MJs children see Omer as their older brother. You can bet on it, AJ asked them, and I presume showed them the video, before releasing it. After "Heal the world" live on TV, for the whole nation to see and hear, how can they not be thankful to her. She brings back the songs of great artists. Stay safe and sound. German greetings.
Hi jamel, in this song, jelly bean, he he! I hear 3 different persons. First, angi as the narrator, than billie's mischievous claims, finally Michael 's denials. Although there might be significance to the colours i think angi is having fun, setting this song apart from other format & influenced by her manager/ uncle who had a hand in the production.
My second favorite of the new crop of young ladies. Thanks for doing this song. I’ve been holding out for one of the best reactors to share my first listen with. You got me. And I really like what she did with this song. Hopefully you’ll give a listen to Faouzia. Whereas Angelina is an upright base, in the best possible way, Faouzia is a much more brassy. Both ladies can sing dramatically and emotionally. Wishing them both all success.
I never heard of Faouzia before. Thanks for recommending her to us. You know what struck me immediately... singers who accompany themselves on the piano deliver vocal performances that are very different from those who just sing or play guitar. She puts me in mind of Alicia Keys & Norah Jones. Their performances give off a totally different vibe.
won Norway got talent when she was 7. Was allways gonna be somebody. It's just about having the right people around her. Norway is not allways good at that. We have wasted some talents, but often the most talented, move. Like Rolf Løvland who wrote You Raise Me up (moved to Irland), or AHA who very early moved to the UK.
Reminds me a little of how Chris Cornell did a striped back version. I really do love her tone, she not afraid to play with her voice. Your voice is an instrument use it as such
I hated this cover most of the way through my first listen. But it's really grown on me since then. Strange, because I never minded her jazzy spin on Bohemian rhapsody. For an accurate MJ rendition checkout Heal the World. She really captured his tone.
Amazing voice, thanks...Jamel can you please revisit Morgan James now? "Oh Me Oh My" ( an Aretha Franklin cover). She will blow you away just like she did on the other songs you reacted to. It might be her best song. Thank you!
Great song. Not sure what happened to the sound on you reaction, but there was definitely some weird noise in the song that wasn't there on the linked video. Just something to watch for when you edit. Maybe the audio level was too high, not sure what the issue was exactly.
It sounds like she's having fun with the vocal perfomance, but it's not my cup of tea. I get it though - I used to not like country singing, but now I love it.
She has an amazing voice, however, MJ is the only that can do real justice to Billie Jean. Now, I think she'd knock out Joss Stones' Super Duper Love outta the water.
