Having already tasted success with his 2008 No. 1 adult R&B single, “The River,” singer Noel Gourdin is well aware of what it takes to make it. But as an associate producer on his new project, “[fresh] the definition,” he wanted to ensure that he took extra care to get his soulful sound just right.
“It’s a beautiful thing to see everything come together and realize your vision from top to bottom,” he says. “The live instrumentation I implemented this time is a big difference between this album and the last.”
The Brockton native says his soulful R&B vision grew from summers spent in his family’s home in Pachuta, Mississippi, listening to greats like Marvin Gaye, Johnnie Taylor and Sam Cooke.
“It was that music and feeling that it gave me that made me know what I wanted to do when I got older,” he says.
It seems like he may have been right about his choice of job, as USA Today, Vibe Magazine, BET and Essence Magazine have all spotlighted his first single, “Beautiful.” The song is a loving pledge to properly address his woman, and it’s quickly climbing the charts. Gourdin says that it’s the positive message that is connecting with people in such a big way.
“As people hear it, the ladies have just been saying, ‘Thank you for saying this.’” he says. “I say it’s high time. The ladies are so much more deserving of something uplifting.”
