There is no single road to massive success as a solo artist. And certainly no easy one. Just ask 18 year old, 4 11 Paris Bennett. She survived one of the toughest challenges of all, singing in front of an estimated 38 million weekly national TV audience as she delivered time and time again on the fifth season of American Idol. The Rockford, Illinois born singer was an early audience favorite, who placed 5th out of an outstanding American Idol class that graduated Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee, Chris Daughtry and Kellie Pickler.
But American Idol was just the latest musical step for Bennett as she prepares for the release of her debut solo album, "Princess P" on 306 Entertainment through TVT Distribution. Paris whole life has been immersed in music from the age of four, when she began singing in her grandfather s church in Fayetteville, Georgia. Indeed she had the best of teachers her mother Jamecia Bennett is a vocal instructor and her grandmother Ann Nesby was the lead vocalist in the '90s r&b/gospel phenomenon that was Sounds Of Blackness. Paris set the bar high is how Entertainment Weekly assessed her Idol performances, which included challenging songs from truly gifted singers like Prince and Mary J. Blige, the first time either artist granted the show clearance rights to their material.
Now comes Ordinary Love , the first single off of Princess P, which showcases her desire not to be pigeonholed. It s r&b flavored with touches of electric guitar and topped off by Paris retro, gut-driven vocals. The video of Ordinary Love features Bad Boy Recording Artist Dustin from B-5. The album deftly showcases the multiple personalities that comprise Bennett the singer, as she prepares to take her place amongst American Idol superstar alumni.Princess P, American Idol season five finalist Paris Bennett's debut, trots out 16 urban-flavored tracks that are sensationally sung and at times uplifting. But the disc's goofiest number is the one that'll grow on listeners quickest: "Let Me Rap," a seriously silly hip-hop joint that finds Bennett swapping rhymes with fellow season five alum Kevin Covais, a.k.a. Chicken Little, is innocent, affectionate, and not-bad sounding. At a minute and 37 seconds, it cements a friendship ("Kevin always got your back/Like your coat do," spits Covais) that sets the tone for the rest of this not quite grown-up but not easily dismissed album. While "Get Bizzy" gets playful, "Caught Up" and "Can't Control Myself" keep it light with hand claps and a freewheeling vibe. Two late tracks, "I Will" and "Best Friends," back up the good-girl graciousness TV audiences loved, effectively belying the notion that princesses have to be prima donnas. Here, Bennett takes her throne with a wink and a giggle. --Tammy La Gorce
