Priscilla Renea - Hello, My Apple Review
Posted by Rob Fierro on 07.20.2009
Finally releasing a traditional offering, Renea crafts an EP that is as catchy and fun as it is versatile. If you’re one of the musical zealots that she cultivated by performing and posting videos on her own YouTube channel, you probably already knew that.
Tracks
Hello, My Apple
I Fell in Love
Cry
Young, multitalented, Internet sensation Priscilla Renea is only 21, but the heart and emotion that she displays in her songs would make you think this singer-songwriter is far older. Finally releasing a traditional offering, Renea crafts an EP that is as catchy and fun as it is versatile. If you’re one of the musical zealots that she cultivated by performing and posting videos on her own YouTube channel, you probably already knew that. Her videos have racked up over a million views and her lyrics weave a delicate view of love and heartbreak, just like any singer-songwriter should.
A Navy-brat, Renea attended over 20 schools throughout her short life, which surely helps to infuse her writing with a very evident air of experience and maturity. While this may help with songwriting, the constant moving unfortunately didn’t aid Renea in forging friendships. According to her website, her family stood in as her first audiences:
"My mom always tells stories about how she would walk in the living room and think it was the TV singing, but realize it was me," Renea reveals. "I was two or three years old then!"
She continued honing her voice and love of performing by using theater arts programs as a creative outlet, as she dreamed of a future on Broadway. Later towards the end of high school, she saw the guitar (and piano) as a means to expand her creative abilities and the Internet provided a means to quite literally broadcast her talents to the world. Self taught on her instruments, she utilizes them as a means to infuse her songs with powerful emotion and interesting stories.
"When I write my songs they're always vivid stories, very quirky, and have a lot of personality and character in them," says Renea.
After being featured on MTV’s “Say What Karaoke,” she started her wildly popular YouTube channel in late 2006, as a hub for her musical performances. She also played around with fun, semi-experimental performances. The most popular of which is a four minute video entitled “The Dictionary: A Priscilla Renea Original... lol”, which features Priscilla singing words from the dictionary to the tune of Fergie’s “Glamorous.”
This video alone has been viewed over 800,000 times (as of July 2009) and demonstrates her unique sense of humor and her penchant for trying new things.
After signing with Capitol Records, the most popular of her songs were collected into a short EP titled Hello, My Apple. Released in March of this year, the EP contains the eponymous “Hello, My Apple,” the perfect track to introduce one to Renea as it showcases her lovely voice, as well as her talents at both the guitar and piano. The track is primarily driven by her guitar play, and piano accompaniment soon follows. She is later joined by bass and percussion to round out the lineup on the track. “Hello, My Apple” details a relationship that is very precarious. She is unsure of the status or where the subject stands on the relationship, as she writes, “There is no way to know where this is going but I’m ready/Can’t even officially say we’re going steady.” She is willing to see where it goes, and shows maturity that goes beyond her years as she is content to let it be: “So I pretend like it don’t bother me that it’s been ‘bout a week since your name was on my caller ID.”
Second on the EP is “I Fell in Love,” a faster and more produced track that features many elements of current pop music, including electronic percussion that adds a dance feel. A male backup singer adds accompaniment and Renea plays a heavier, electric lead guitar as a hook for the track. “I Fell in Love” details a devotional sort of love. Renea has accepted everything about her first love and generally sings about the positivity of the relationship.
The EP ends with the track “Cry.” The sound is more experimental and utilizes rain sound effects and heavy bass to accompany Renea’s vocals. This track features such elements to add to its pop feel. Renea’s lyrics outline a painful end to a relationship and unlike the other tracks, “Cry” demonstrates another aspect of Renea’s maturity—one that must deal with a first heartache.
The 411: Priscilla Renea crafts a fun brand of interesting pop music. Her sound is very accessible, as evidenced by the many followers she has on YouTube. Even though she is a product of the Internet, the songs (and videos provided) are expertly written and offer an interesting look into her songwriting. A full-length album is expected later this year so whet your appetite for some female singer-songwriter with the Hello, My Apple EP.
