Muusers, meet Tatiana (Okupnik).
With a stunning, full-bodied set of pipes that place her somewhere snugly in between Shirley Bassey and Amy Winehouse (thanks for the spot-on comparisons, press release!), the powerhouse Polka–who sort of resembles a Polish Amelle Berrabah–has already achieved household name status in her native Poland as the lead singer of band Blue Café, as well as in her own right as a solo artist with her 2007 debut, On My Own.
In 2010, Tatiana relocated to England in an attempt to begin expanding her fan base internationally. “It’s all very well being famous in Europe, but I have enormous respect for the culture of UK pop, and to establish myself professionally in the UK is my absolute goal,” she says.
Her quest began with the release of her debut international single “Spider Web,” penned by Tim Hutton (of Groove Armada/Mutya Buena‘s “Song 4 Mutya (Out Of Control)” fame), leading up to the release of her debut international LP of the same name (Spider Web) released on May 1.
Now the singer is gearing up for the release of her second single from Spider Web: “Been A Fool,” due out on August 22. “‘Been A Fool’ is a track that’s all about emotion,” Tatiana explains in the song’s press release. “Massive beats, Shirley Bassey-esque vocals and a big vocal make this the absolute key single from the album for me.”
The song is one of the finest moments of jazz-tinged sorrow since Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good”–an instant classic, from start to finish. “Please make an example of me or do you want to be alone?” howls with a chilling conviction above the song’s jazzy, tripping beat.
So what could make the song even better? Why, a remix of course!
Click here to enjoy a full stream of the Seamus Haji radio mix, courtesy of Upside Records/Sony. The remix, which will be serviced to clubs in the UK, gives the already soul-filled single some added life with an extra oomph for the dance floor.
I’m absolutely obsessed!
“Been A Fool” will be released on August 22. (iTunes)
Spider Web was released on May 1. (iTunes)