
YOUN SUN NAH is a jazz singer from South Korea. The Telegraph jazz critic called her “one of the finest jazz singers on the planet”; thus, we needed to investigate her upcoming album, ‘Elles’ which is a 10 track collection of songs made famous by iconic female artists including Björk, Sarah Vaughan, Grace Jones, Roberta Flack, Edith Piaf, Grace Slick and Maria João.
The album has been heralded by two singles – versions of Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’ and Roberta Flack’s ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’. Both are delivered in fresh, simple ways that shed new light on the familiar. To give you an idea of that simple yet innovative approach, ‘Killing Me’ is essentially vocal with nothing more than a vintage music box as accompaniment!
Each of the chosen songs is given a similar unique treatment and things like the spiritual ‘Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child’, Jefferson Airplane’s’ ‘White Rabbit’ and the standard ‘My Funny Valentine’ take on whole new meanings. It’s an intriguing listen.
Youn Sun Nah Elles is released via Warner Music Arts on January 26, 2024