Face the Fire explained

Face the Fire
Type:album
Artist:Michelle Chamuel
Cover:Face-the-fire-michelle-chamuel-album-cover.jpg
Released:February 10, 2015
Recorded:2014
Genre:Pop
Label:The End, Marquis(Canada)[1]
Producer:Michelle Chamuel, Tyler Duncan, Theo Katzman
Prev Title:The Drift EP
Prev Year:2014
Next Title:Feel It EP
Next Year:2016

Face the Fire is the debut studio album by singer-songwriter Michelle Chamuel. The album was released on February 10, 2015.[2] All songs were written and produced by Chamuel and collaborators Tyler Duncan and Theo Katzman.[3] [4] This was Chamuel's first pop album following her performances on The Voice.[5] The songs are based on the two themes of "universal love" and "authenticity".[6] The album debuted at number 21 on the U.S. Independent Albums chart.[7]

Background

Chamuel said as a teenager she was obsessed with Max Martin's pop hits on Top 40 radio, and in this album she wanted to produce fun, honest, well-crafted pop music. In February 2014 she got together with former bandmates Duncan and Katzman, and over a three weeks period they wrote the songs from musical nuggets they each had written in advance.[8] The songs were then recorded, mixed and produced by the three artists along with engineer Devin Kerr, with Chamuel as the executive and vocal producer.[9] The album's fourth track "Made for Me" was originally written for Valentine's Day 2014. The song was later revised and reproduced for the album.[10] [11]

Chamuel said "facing the fire" is a metaphor for doing what you believe in, having the strength to be yourself, and facing the challenges and rewards that come with it. She said the metaphor also applies to her role in the production of this album as she took full responsibility for its production and sound.

Singles

The album's first single and title track, "Face the Fire", was released on October 7, 2014.[12] The song is about the consuming desire to accomplish, one that can be either destructive or a positive guide.[13] The album's second single, "Lottery", premiered on Billboard on December 1, 2014. The song is about taking a chance on love knowing the uncertainty involved. "Golden", the album's third track premiered on Chamuel's official YouTube channel on January 9, 2015.[14] [15] In an interview with She Magazine, Chamuel singled out "Golden" as the song that she always wanted to write.[16]

Release and promotion

The album was released through Brooklyn-based The End Records.[17] Chamuel showcased the album's music during her Turn It Up tour in late 2014.[18] The seventeen city U.S. tour included Seattle, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. In interviews leading to the album's release Chamuel described her songwriting process, as well as her learning process on The Voice. She said the show taught her to remove the barriers between her as a performer and the audience and acknowledged Usher's contribution in making her see the entirety of a performance. She called the pop focus in this album a continuation of that.[19] She said her goal is to make music "that people can resonate with" and "feel at home", and in an interview with Michigan Radio she added she wants the listener "to process their own stories through the lyrics."[20] On March 4, 2015, Chamuel performed "Face the Fire" on CTV's Canada AM morning show.[21] On March 17, she performed "Golden" on VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live show.[22]

Reception

David Jeffries of AllMusic had a positive view. He noted the music has "a pop edge that's post-mashup, post-Internet, and maybe even post-genre" and called the album "a thoughtful gift" for Chamuel's Voice fans, and added her producer persona remains tamed in the background. Jeffries called the singing "powerful" and the songwriting "sincere". In an article for Digital Trends, Mike Mettler characterized the music as a "fusing [of] dancestyle pop with elements of rock, jazz, electronic, soul, and punk." He noted a melodic house influence in "Weight of the World" and a reggae influence in "Money". In describing the musical style, New University's Sana Aljilani wrote the album "draws inspiration from music [of] the late 1990s and early 2000s, yet Chamuel manages to put a modern twist on the album."[23]

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic and Bandcamp.[24]

Release history

CountryDateLabelFormat
United StatesFebruary 10, 2015The End Records[25]
Canada[26]
United Kingdom[27]
Germany[28]
WorldwideDigital download[29] [30] [31]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Michelle Chamuel Set To Release Hotly Anticipated Solo Debut Face The Fire On February 10th. fritzmedia.ca. January 14, 2015. January 18, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150118202138/http://fritzmedia.ca/michelle-chamuel-set-release-hotly-anticipated-solo-debut-face-fire-february-10th/. January 18, 2015. dead.
  2. Web site: Face the Fire – Michelle Chamuel album. iTunes Store. December 9, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20150721115901/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/face-the-fire/id938755326. July 21, 2015. live.
  3. Web site: Michelle Chamuel faces the fire with new album. CBS News. November 14, 2014. December 9, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141129005630/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/michelle-chamuel-faces-the-fire-with-new-album/. November 29, 2014. live.
  4. Web site: Exclusive Premiere: Michelle Chamuel Battles the Odds in 'Lottery'. Billboard Magazine. December 1, 2014. December 9, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20150725063919/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6334666/michelle-chamuel-lottery-exclusive. July 25, 2015. live.
  5. Web site: Michelle Chamuel Hits Milestone on 'Face the Fire' (Exclusive Album Premiere). The Wall Street Journal - Speakeasy. February 3, 2015. February 4, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150906123009/https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2015/02/03/michelle-chamuel-hits-milestone-on-face-the-fire-exclusive-album-premiere/. September 6, 2015. live.
  6. Web site: 'Voice' Runner-Up Michelle Chamuel Talks Reality TV Arcs and Usher's Best Lessons. Billboard Magazine. February 2, 2015. February 4, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150910092701/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6458221/voice-runner-up-michelle-chamuel-talks-reality-tv-arcs-and-ushers. September 10, 2015. live.
  7. Web site: Independent Albums Chart - February 28, 2015. Billboard Magazine. February 24, 2015. February 24, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150908064343/http://www.billboard.com/charts/independent-albums/2015-02-28. September 8, 2015. live.
  8. Web site: Face The Fire: Michelle Chamuel On Her Career, New Album And Upcoming Tour!. iconvsicon.com. October 12, 2014. December 12, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141021064206/http://www.iconvsicon.com/2014/10/12/face-the-fire-michelle-chamuel-on-her-career-new-album-and-tour/. October 21, 2014. live.
  9. Web site: After facing judges on The Voice, Michelle Chamuel faces the fire in the studio. Mike Mettler. Digital Trends. February 10, 2015. February 16, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150630201110/http://www.digitaltrends.com/music/michelle-chamuel-of-the-voice-on-her-album-face-the-fire/. June 30, 2015. live.
  10. Web site: Made For Me (crunchy v day version). bandcamp.com. February 14, 2014. December 12, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20161113123905/https://michellechamuel.bandcamp.com/track/made-for-me-crunchy-v-day-version. November 13, 2016. live.
  11. Web site: Michelle Chamuel - Facebook - February 10, 2014. facebook.com. February 10, 2014. December 9, 2014.
  12. Web site: The Voice's Michelle Chamuel returns with 'Face the Fire'. Entertainment Weekly. October 6, 2014. December 9, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20150719081049/http://www.ew.com/article/2014/10/06/michelle-chamuel-the-voice-face-the-fire. July 19, 2015. live.
  13. Web site: Daily Discovery: Michelle Chamuel, 'Face The Fire'. American Songwriter. November 13, 2014. January 12, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150113053311/http://www.americansongwriter.com/2014/11/daily-discovery-michelle-chamuel-face-fire/. January 13, 2015. live.
  14. Web site: Michelle Chamuel – Golden (official audio) . YouTube Channel mchamuelmusic . January 9, 2015 . January 12, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150113012003/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ190w1mCtg . January 13, 2015 . live .
  15. Web site: 'The Voice' Michelle Chamuel Releases New Song 'Golden' From Upcoming Album 2015. celebeat.com. January 9, 2015. January 12, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063354/http://www.celebeat.com/articles/16521/20150109/the-voice-michelle-chamuel-releases-new-song-golden-from-upcoming-album-2015-listen-here-video.htm. March 4, 2016. live.
  16. Michelle Chmauel Getting Ready to Wow Us. Denise Warner. She Magazine. February 2015. 17. 1. 16–17. February 16, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150920210345/http://www.shemag.com/Feb15.html. September 20, 2015. dead.
  17. Web site: Michelle Chamuel Announces Debut LP 'Face The Fire' Coming February 2015!. The End Records. September 2, 2014. February 17, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150905095233/http://theendrecords.com/michelle-chamuel-announces-debut-lp-face-the-fire-coming-february-2015/. September 5, 2015. dead.
  18. Web site: Concert review: Michelle Chamuel debuts new music at Pearl Street . masslive.com. November 16, 2014. December 12, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025701/http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/11/concert_review_michelle_chamue.html. March 4, 2016. live.
  19. Web site: Michelle Chamuel at Howard Theatre Nov. 17. ontaponline.com. October 31, 2015. February 17, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150218045721/http://www.ontaponline.com/2014/10/31/an-interview-with-michelle-chamuel. February 18, 2015. dead.
  20. Web site: Michelle Chamuel fuses pop influences with intimate lyrics on new album . Michigan Radio. February 10, 2015. February 17, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150731130946/http://michiganradio.org/post/michelle-chamuel-fuses-pop-influences-intimate-lyrics-new-album. July 31, 2015. live.
  21. Web site: IMDb: Canada AM - 4 March 2015. imdb.com. March 7, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20170212190248/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4504510/. February 12, 2017. live.
  22. Web site: Golden (Big Morning Buzz Live). VH1.com. March 17, 2015. May 10, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20150413001343/http://m.vh1.com/videos/1177188/. April 13, 2015. dead.
  23. Web site: Reality TV Alum Capable of Creating 'Fire'. Sana Aljilani. newuniversity.org. February 16, 2015. March 7, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150410045629/http://www.newuniversity.org/2015/02/entertainment/reality-tv-alum-capable-of-creating-fire/. April 10, 2015. live.
  24. Credits:
    • Web site: Allmusic: Face The Fire – credits. allmusic.com. February 10, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150225044133/http://www.allmusic.com/album/face-the-fire-mw0002808591/credits. February 25, 2015. live.
    • Web site: Face The Fire - Michelle Chamuel album. bandcamp.com. February 10, 2015. February 10, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20161112135546/https://michellechamuel.bandcamp.com/album/face-the-fire. November 12, 2016. live.
  25. Web site: Face The Fire (Vinyl, CD, download). Amazon.com (US). February 19, 2015.
  26. Web site: Face The Fire (Vinyl). Amazon.com (Canada). February 19, 2015.
  27. Web site: Face The Fire (Vinyl). Amazon.com (UK). February 19, 2015.
  28. Web site: Face The Fire (Vinyl). Amazon.com (DE). February 19, 2015.
  29. Web site: Face The Fire (digital download) . iTunes Store (Hong Kong) . February 19, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150225035531/https://itunes.apple.com/hk/album/face-the-fire/id963817371 . February 25, 2015 .
  30. Web site: Face The Fire (digital download). iTunes Store (Brazil). February 19, 2015.
  31. Web site: Face The Fire (digital download). iTunes Store (Russia). February 19, 2015.

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