Amy Winehouse, wasted potential.

Unfortunately, the death of Amy Winehouse was not a surprise to most people. The singer definitely had some serious issues to say the least. Her bouts with drugs and alcohol were displayed all over the tabloids; showcasing the destructive nature of substance abuse and dependence. She was a train wreck in slow motion and quickly became the punch line of comedian’s jokes.

 It was sad to see that her boozing and binging overshadowed her music, I found her be an incredible artist that was beginning to scratch the surface. Talent wise, Amy Winehouse was on par with current great contemporary female R&B singers such as Sharon Jones and Erykah Badu. Her voice and unapologetic lyrics were quite revealing and they contained an emotional vulnerability not common among female mainstream singers.

“Back to Black” her second album was an important record to me during my early years of college. It was a very enjoyable record that opened up my ears to music from the past from which it greatly derives from. The vintage quality of “Back to Black” echoed the sound of the early 60s girl groups that were produced by Phil Spector such as The Ronnettes and The Crystals as well as some classic Motown groups. Mark Ronson’s production on “Back to Black” was impeccable and instantly turned him into a household name overnight. It was a fully realized album that embraced earnest and blunt delivery, “Back to Black” felt real, polished, raw and honest.

 It was quite an accomplishment for such a young singer that even the Grammys (as much as they are out of touch) took note. This of course led to a crop of major label backed imitators; blue eyed soul female vocalists (Adele, Duffy) from Britain instantly became a hot commodity but they still paled in comparison to Amy Winehouse.

The worst part about her death is that we all know what it coming next. Record labels will exploit her death, turning her into some kind of musical martyr. In no time we will see all her albums reissued as “deluxe editions”, and some greatest hits compilation will be quickly thrown together as a way of squeezing out a few more dollars out of this loss. Before you know it, there will be some biopic about her coming to your theatres near you. For me, she will remain a symbol of unfulfilled potential that did not last long enough to turn it around. She managed to deny herself a massive comeback that plenty of people were hoping for. At the end of the day people love a redemption story, too bad her story did not turn out to be one of those. 

The Songs of the Day will be "Love is a Losing Game" and "Wake Up Alone", enjoy.