Evolution of Media Review (US)

Victoria White's story starts off like countless other aspiring singer/songwriters in their beginnings. Growing up in New Jersey, she loved music and began composing her own material which blended her love of jazz, R&B, folk, and rock music. But unlike some who find that the independent artist route is a hard one, she never backed down, taking matters into her own hands and recorded music on her own. All of that work culminated into her latest album, The Upside.

With an interesting mix of genres, this album reflects the tastes that White has immersed herself in over the years. Combined with White's voice, a delicate but poised vocal, she rustles through songs about love, devotion, and determination with a slow ease. There's this interesting edge in her voice, which sometimes crosses between the sweetness of Jordin Sparks (throughout the whole record) or the roughness that Brandy can sometimes possess ("My Apology"). On what could be an autobiographical take on her own story, she tells fellow dreamers on "Keep On Going" to stay strong and never stop doing what they do best.

And it's a good thing that Victoria White never let anything stop her. The Upside shows that with enough resources, talent, and drive you can do almost anything. It's neo-soul at its best.

Written By: Caroline Leonardo