While Nicki The Ninja Lewinsky Harajuku Barbie Minaj may be getting all the glory as Young Money‘s reigning first lady, there’s another woman in the crew slowly preparing to have her turn at bat: Meet Shanell.
+ Shanell is a singer/songwriter under Young Money, and quite a good and versatile one at that.
+ She is the sister of former Danity Kane member D. Woods, high school friend of Bangladesh, and former back-up dancer for Real Housewives of Atlanta‘s Kandi Burruss. There is so much amazing in that sentence that I don’t even know where to begin. (SOURCE)
+ Her upcoming single (which I assume to be her official debut) is called “Substitute Lover,” off of her debut mixtape, Shut Up & Listen. She recently shot a video for the song.
+ “Substitute Lover” is an INCREDIBLE ’80’s-tinged dance-rock jam filled with spacey synthesizers and electro-deliciousness. While the bridge is already fantastic (“I guess I was his part time, some time / Meantime, in between time”), the chorus is an A-MAZING moment of shout-y brilliance that basically makes you want to jump and flail dance ALL OVER THE GODDAMN PLACE. I actually cannot get enough of this cut. (LISTEN)
+ She has written songs for many a pop act cherished ’round these parts, including Danity Kane (“Key To My Heart”) and 3LW (“Throwback”). She is also responsible for the irresponsibly good “Aww Shit” off of Kelis‘ 2006 record, Kelis Was Here.
+ Shanell is currently preparing her second mixtape in the studio, entitled Nobody’s Bitch. She’s also working on a debut album and is in final negotiations for a Spring 2011 tour with “a marquee pop artist.” Hmm.
+ The singer also goes by the nickname of “SnL,” which I imagine will prove entirely confusing if/when she ever does perform on the stage of Saturday Night Live (SNL). Not sure how I feel about it.
+ Aside from singing songs, Shanell also enjoys attaching metal things betwixt her nose and her ear in her spare time. This hasn’t been confirmed in a press release or anything–I’m merely making an assessment based on photographs and videos alone.
+ Here is a full song from her for your streaming/downloading enjoyment, entitled “Other Side.” The song features Lil’ Wayne and Ne-Yo, and is produced by one of the top pop producers of 2010, David Guetta.
As you can hear, “Other Side” is a throbbing, melodic dance floor haunt. I approve.
In conclusion: Shanell is chock full of potential, and I’m very excited to hear something from her in the upcoming year. In the meantime, I’ll be loving up her first mixtape. (LISTEN)
For more on Shanell (SNL), check out her official website or send her a tweet or two.
