Camiele: A Life in Music

1991:

Diamonds and Pearls (Prince & The New Power Generation), Low End Theory (A Tribe Called Quest)
When I grew up and understood more why Prince’s Diamonds and Pearls was such an incredible album, it only cemented my love and respect for the man that much more. And as if that weren’t enough… assless. pants. DONE [1]! As for A Tribe Called Quest… well, they were my first introduction into the deeper meaning of sound, though I probably didn’t know it back then.

1992:

It’s About Time (SWV)
The first memory I have of singing, actually, was when me and a group of older girls, whom I identified as cousins when I was younger, decided we were going to be the next big girl group. SWV’s Weak was our theme song [MV]. It was one of the most incredible pieces of music to come out of the 90s simply because of its simplicity and the crispness of the vocals.

1993:

janet. (Janet Jackson), Emergency on Planet Earth (Jamiroquai), Debut (Björk), I’m Ready (Tevin Campbell)
Please don’t make me choose!!!

Although the album would be known as her most sexual at that time, janet. was the album that woke my brother and me up in the morning to get ready for school. It helps that the opening track crept into my waking mind like sunrise breaks over a mountain top.

I vaguely remember sneaking a peak at MTV when I was younger (it was strictly forbidden in my household until I was about 15), but I remember a video with a man in a big hat and a very red background. When I got older, I identified the video and song as Too Young to Die [MV]. Jamiroquai’s debut album pretty much cemented them as my favorite band of all time. Again, my sneaky MTV watching introduced me to the pixie woman-child known as Björk. Just… there are no words. Human Behavior, Venus as a Boy, Big Time Sensuality… are you kidding me?! One of the most perfect debuts of all time [MV]!

And then, there’s sweet voiced Tevin. Literally, I thought I was gonna marry this kid [MV]. His voice, the songs… everything about him screamed, “HEY! YOU WANT ME? I WANT YOU!” (two points for anyone who can get that reference.)

1994:

Seal II (Seal), Age Ain’t Nothin but a Number (Aaliyah), Grace (Jeff Buckley), Return of the Space Cowboy (Jamiroquai)
And this is precisely why the 90s were so integral to my understanding of music.

Seal II pretty much ruled my household in 1994, especially with the ever gorgeous Kiss from a Rose as the leading track [MV]. Aaliyah’s debut album? Back and Forth was pretty much the party anthem for kids back in the day.

Return of the Space Cowboy is easily my favorite Jamiroquai album — although pretty much all of their albums inspire me (and is why you’ll see them on this list three times). It’s one of their most complete pieces of work, every track being dynamic, incredibly composed, and gorgeously structured [MV].

Then… there’s Grace sigh This album. This man. THAT. VOICE! Jeff Buckley came to me later in my life. However, the impact this album had on me was similar to a cosmic boom. Every single track on that album is a masterpiece, a poet’s treasure trove. Drastically underrated — especially with Nirvana being the proverbial pied piper for all troubled teens — Jeff Buckley gave the so-called “grunge” scene scope, depth, and maturity that it was lacking [MV].

1995:

Post (Björk), Robyn is Here (Robyn)
This could possibly be the most incredible sophomore effort from any artist ever. The soundscape is lush, the lyrics playful yet incredibly inviting. It also spawned some of the most twisted music videos of the 90s — I mean, the MV for I Miss You was produced by the same dude who created Ren & Stimpy, for crying out loud!

And then… another fangirl moment. I officially gave my heart to Robyn when I heard the first tightly packed harmonization of Do You Know What it Takes. This is the first time I actively knew that White girls could SANG [MV]!