VanJess on Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” (2006)

Episode notes

When Amy Winehouse released her debut studio album Frank back in 2003, it made waves in her native UK, but it didn’t quite make it across the pond. Those who heard it, loved her contralto vocals, relatable lyrics, and blending of musical genres. A few years later, she would go on to release her second and final album, Back to Black, to both critical and commercial success, earning the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album and selling over 16 million copies worldwide. Unfortunately, the success was short-lived; Winehouse struggled with substance abuse and mental illness and died of alcohol poisoning in 2011, at just 27 years old.

R&B sister duo VanJess sits down with us to discuss Amy’s influence on artists today, blue-eyed soul, and what direction her next album would have gone if she were still here with us.

More on VanJess

• Check out VanJess’ new single Slow Down
• VanJess Are The Sister Two-Piece Cultivating Their Own Strand Of R&B (Vogue)
• Twitter | Instagram

More on Back to Black

• Salaam Remi on producing the album
• ‘Back To Black’: How Amy Winehouse Crossed The Atlantic (uDiscoverMusic)
• ‘Back to Black’: 10 Things You Didn’t Know (Rolling Stone)

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Back to Black unless otherwise indicated):

• Rehab
• VanJess: Touch the Floor
• Addicted
• Jazmine Sullivan: Round Midnight
• Amy Winehouse: In My Bed
• Tears Dry on Their Own
• Back to Black
• Tears Dry on Their Own
• Waking Up Alone
• Love Is A Losing Game
• Rehab
• Amy Winehouse: Valerie
• He Can Only Hold Her
• The Icemen: (My Girl) She’s  A Fox
• Love Is A Losing Game
• Just Friends
• Back To Black
• Amy Winehouse: Mr. Magic (Through the Smoke)
• Me and Mr. Jones
• Back to Black
• Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings: Let Them Knock
• Amy Winehouse: Amy, Amy, Amy
• Corinne Bailey Rae: Till It Happens to You
• Sade: Tar Baby
• Snoh Aalegra: Fool For You

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there.
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