Gifted is a gift in itself. You feeling down? Listen to Gifted. You feeling alone? Listen to Gifted. You feeling disconnected from who you truly are? Listen to Gifted. Phoenix Versityle’s latest release is a triumphant assertion of self-love and self-acceptance reached through understanding your divine purpose. If Drake boasts material accomplishments, Phoenix Versityle talks about the real bottom that ever mattered in human history: “Started from the bottom you a real one/ And that’s something that no one can take away from you/ You are such a winner you’re a champion/ I get inspiration with everything you do.”
The inductive heavily-layered harmonies added on top of the soulful organ pair neatly with the singer’s lead vocal track. Barely a couple of seconds in and the record already feels welcoming, pleasant, and soothing to the ears. Spot the airy bells that play an illuminating role in Gifted‘s sweetness. The woman knew what she was doing. And yes, Phoenix Versityle is the sole composer, writer, singer, producer, engineer of the song. If you should only read this far, the one thing to take away from this article is that Phoenix Versityle is a quintuple threat to all competing artists out there.
This genius of a woman kicked off Gifted with what we love hearing off the bat in all independent acts: the very juice, the very essence, the one and only, the hook! “I know that you are gifted/ It’s written in the stars/ And don’t you get it twisted/ No one can define who you are,” goes the central theme of Gifted‘s narrative. We admire how Phoenix Versityle lustrously blended the supporting vocals in a dialogue-like fashion with her solo parts.
The first verse is proof of the singer’s excellent command of the instrumental, with her flow speeding up then abruptly slowing down right before the lines end: “‘Cause everyone’s trying to make it/ And sometimes those stumbling blocks can get in our way/ But I know that you so strong you can take it/ Endure for a night and I promise you’ll see the day.” The soft drums and the subtle percussion sounds offer the audience a bonding acoustic experience with Mother Nature. There’s something about percussion instruments and the African undertones that convey the feeling of an unquestionably organic song and an authentic message. And right before the hook kicks in, we get the opportunity to hear the singer’s suavely raspy voice: “Every gift we have comes from above/ Don’t be discouraged it’s gonna be worth it/ Just follow your purpose.” Beautifully done Serita!
The second verse is where encouragement turns into acknowledgement. Acknowledgement of greatness and higher guidance throughout one’s existence in the form of spoken word, or as we agreed here at Blue Rhymez Entertainment, cool rap with purpose: “Poem/ I know you/ By the gifts that you wear/ And the fruit that you bear/ You bring hope/ Inspiration for our people/ You breathe nations while you’re speaking/ From God’s mouth into your nose/ Perfectly crafted from head to toe.”
Conclusively, Gifted entails being blessed from birth, blessing others through following your own God-given mission, opening yourself up to incoming blessings, and realizing that you, in your existence, are a gift to humanity. We just might use this record as our daily mantra for a while. Thank you Phoenix Versityle!
Song Credits: Serita Campbell (Phoenix Versityle) – Songwriter, Producer, Sound Engineer.
Make sure you add Gifted to your playlists on Amazon HERE, on YouTube Music HERE, on Apple Music HERE, on Deezer HERE, on Tidal HERE, and on Spotify below:
Written by Mariana Berdianu
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