After garnering attention as a finalist on the season 2 of FOX’s The Four, singer-songwriter Leah Jenea is ready to take the music industry by storm. For her debut EP, the 18-year-old Jersey native boldly takes on the work of the High Priestess of Soul herself, Miss Nina Simone. Aptly entitled, Leah Meets Nina, the six-track project is an ode to the legendary artist and features numerous samples of her body of work. Leah says each record “embodies strength and realism” and her fight to “keep (Nina’s) story alive, while also keeping the new age sound and feel” is apparent as she seamlessly transitions between precise and powerful vocals and trap-style cadences.
Following the release of the project’s lead single "Stick to the Promises," she recently dropped a second track entitled “Gold Ring.” The mid-tempo bop expresses Leah’s resiliency and commitment to chasing her dreams and features a sample from the Nina Simone classic “Plain Gold Ring.” For the Jay Rodriguez-directed visual, we watch Leah perform amidst a variety of backdrops, including a stark room of living mannequins and a ruby-hued setting with background dancers. An apparent contrast to her Acoustic Sessions with Leah Jenea series on YouTube, this latest offering gives viewers a glimpse at another, more edgy and unapologetic side of Leah.
Watch Leah Jenea’s “Gold Ring” video below, and be sure to add her EP Leah Meets Nina to your collection from your favorite digital platform. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and Tri-State SoulBouncers can catch her next month at SoFar Sounds Live in New York City and the North Jersey PrideFest in Maplewood, New Jersey.
