Kendra Foster
Foster co-wrote eight of the twelve songs on D’Angelo’s comeback triumph Black Messiah, where her backing vocals melted into his in sinuous harmony. Solo, she draws from the jazzier strains of R&B that nurtured neo-soul heroines Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, though the woozy wending of her melodies also suggests the vocal style of her mentor George Clinton – Foster’s been a member of Parliament-Funkadelic for years. Foster’s music brings fresh nuances to the funk and soul of the Seventies – the rolling bass, wah-wah guitar and liquid synths of “Promise to Stay Here” burble with the ebullience of prime Stevie Wonder – and it’s an ideal match for the dreamily sensual longing she expresses on songs like “Fantasize” or “Far Away.” Sometimes she plays it too cool and her voice gets lost in the music, but she’s not just gutsy enough to lead with a song called “Respect,” she’s gifted enough to get away with it.