K. MICHELLE- JACK DANIEL'S
- Miss JLH
- Sep 10
- 3 min read
What’s Good Y’all! Do you still have your cowboy boots out? If not, please dust them off as we get ready for K. Michelle’s country era.
I was first introduced to K. Michelle via Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta. However, I know K. Michelle has been doing her thing since scoring her first record deal in 2009 with Jive Records. It would not be until her season with Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta that we get to see this seasoned artist journey back into the music industry. In 2013, K. Michelle released her long-overdue debut album, 'Rebellious Soul'. The debut album was properly titled, as K. navigates this new industry, she does it her way, staying as true to herself as she can be. She releases her next few projects, 'Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart?' (2014) and 'More Issues Than Vogue' (2016). I’m not gonna lie to y’all, it was after this album that I felt like Kimberly was done with R&B. While she hadn’t publicly announced it, she had made mentions of it on Love & Hip-Hop before her debut in 2023 and her official announcement in 2024, signing a recording contract with BBR Music Group and BMG Nashville.
Country music is in the very soul and depth of K. Michelle. Born and raised in Memphis, TN. K. learned to play piano and guitar and took voice lessons from Bob Westbrook, who also trained pop singers Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. She also scored a music scholarship to Florida A&M University (FAMU) by yodeling at her audition. She graduated from FAMU with honors and was accepted to several law schools, but opted to pursue music full-time. K. Michelle has mentioned that she initially wanted to begin her music career in country music and then move toward R&B, and what a great example of everything working out when it is supposed to.
I was excited and had been awaiting the debut of K. Michelle in country music. Being a huge fan of K., I feel she’s one of those underrated voices we do not talk about enough. I also feel K. Michelle is one of those artists who is super talented, she can write, sing, play instruments I mean, come on! On August 29th, K. released her first official country single, ‘Jack Daniel’s’. However, it was at the end of her 2023 ‘I’m The Problem’ album that we got a taste of what was to come with her Bonus Track ‘Tennessee’.
Now that we're back in Memphis, K. Michelle takes us down a classic country road. What I love so much about country music is that it truly can capture the true essence of blues music when you want a good, sad song. I’m not saying R&B doesn’t do that, but more times than often I find myself dancing to the pain when it’s R&B, and sometimes I just want to be sad and not dance lol if that makes any sense. In reality, while Country and R&B music are pretty similar, country music is more characterized by its folk lyrics, storytelling, and instrumentation of banjos and fiddles.
The great thing about K. Michelle in country music is, she has always been a great storyteller. Each R&B album she has released is constructed like a story and tells of the journey of a Black woman who is a mom, artist, lover, friend, entrepreneur, daughter, role model, and someone who is growing and learning from all the mistakes she makes along the way.
‘Jack Daniels’ checks all the boxes when it comes to a country music debut. It's a slower song but it perfectly showcases the powerhouse vocalist K. Michelle is. And do you hear those lyrics?! My girl is a songwriter who has learned from some of the best!
I'm excited about this new musical journey K. is on. I look forward to the new album, but in the meantime, while we wait...have you heard her latest single? Check it out below:
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