Dream With Me
Jackie Evancho was first introduced to the world last year on America’s Got Talent, stunning audiences with her stunning, mature vocals despite only being 10 years old. She is the first American artist to be signed to the Simon Cowell-affiliated Syco label. She has already sold 1.5 million albums in American alone, and 31 million Youtube views. To say expectations were high for this would be an understatement. However, every expectation for a talented child were blown away from the first track. Evancho shows fantastic potential to become a noteworthy adult opera singer, allowing her soothing vocals to carry Dream With Me. In a press release, Jackie said the following: “I never really had a pop voice, but even if I had a pop voice, I would have gone with classical because it’s different from what many other children do, because with classical you’re able to show emotion in it.” On Dream With Me, there is constant emotion from a truly talented voice. People will always run down shows like America/Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor, but it does occasionally give artists like this a genuine chance at exposure and success. Slightly clichéd is the duet with Susan Boyle, who of course got her break on the UK version of the talent show. The contrast in the experience of the vocalist makes their version of ‘A Mother’s Prayer’ a beautiful track, albeit a predictable duet to include. Still, it’s testament to Evancho’s potential and talent as a vocalist that she gets to duet with Boyle and Barbara Streisand, more than holding her own. The tracks complement each other perfectly, resulting in an impressive, stunning debut that makes you wonder how, even at aged 10, Jackie Evancho could ever beat this. Female First - Alistair McGeorge