Rapper, singer, and poet Christinna O is back with her new anthemic single "SHINE," her first track since the brief but impressive EP from this summer Girl in Passing. A dynamic celebration of black excellence, "SHINE" elegantly showcases the vocal versatility of Christinna O as the young artist's precise rapping and lush singing are found equally sharp through the confident and mindful lyrics. It indicates steady growth since her previous releases with no signs that she is running out of either ideas or drive.
The track opens with the hook featuring ambitious vocal runs from Christinna O who rejoices, "My mama said we 'gon shine, my cousin said we 'gon shine." These mountaintop cries are met with lush strings and thumping 808's that quickly take a backseat so that the wise songstress can deliver her meditative verses. Here she raps about her own struggle as well as black struggles, referencing reparations and Gil Scott-Heron's "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised." As the shimmering chorus is a proud celebration of individuality and accomplishment, the verses use the same rich piano chords to instead reflect and discuss. Though seemingly differing in theme, these two are in actuality two sides of the same coin and are meshed cohesively with the jazzy bridge. Christinna O's wide range of talent is the star of this track, as she proves her ability to rap, sing, and write, all with ease and excellence. This arsenal of vocal performance is what gives the track depth and believability as Christinna's words of confidence never feel like a stretch.
"SHINE" is a fitting track for a young talent as prolific as Christinna O who provides a proud yet self awareness that will surely be a joy to watch develop. The question now is not if this artist will shine, but when. You can check out the promising new track as well as her most recent EP now.
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