(August 27, 2023) When we first encountered the vocal prowess of Keke Wyatt on the timeless remake of René & Angela’s “My First Love,” a song she shared a duet with Avant, the music industry took note. The revived slow jam catapulted to the Top Ten on the R&B charts and even gave them both their first crossoverTop 40 hit. Several chart-topping albums later and with even more stardom unfolding with her stint on TV One’s R&B Divas, Wyatt remains a powerful presence wherever she goes, especially when touring and bringing her music to life on stage.
(August 27, 2023) When we first encountered the vocal prowess of Keke Wyatt on the timeless remake of René & Angela’s “My First Love,” a song she shared a duet with Avant, the music industry took note. The revived slow jam catapulted to the Top Ten on the R&B charts and even gave them both their first crossoverTop 40 hit. Several chart-topping albums later and with even more stardom unfolding with her stint on TV One’s R&B Divas, Wyatt remains a powerful presence wherever she goes, especially when touring and bringing her music to life on stage.
This summer, the Indianapolis native is dropping new material on our ears and preparing to release her first new album in over six years. She’s also returning to Shanachie Entertainment, the legendary label that released Wyatt’s 2010 studio LP, Who Knew? during a period when the label issued a trove of R&B, jazz and soul releases for a constellation of acts including Deniece Williams, Will Downing, Avery*Sunshine, Angie Stone, Leela James, Maysa Leak, Calvin Richardson and Phil Perry. “I really feel good about signing with Shanachie!” Keke shares. “I'm excited and finally ready. I feel like this time we will create magic together and make history.”
Her latest single, “Water to Wine,” is a modest mid-tempo groove that obviously hints at her spirituality while also remaining true to her prominence in the R&B world. She’s singing about the hardships of love and living up to unwarranted high expectations. “I can’t turn water to wine, sight to the blind/Baby I don’t specialize in making miracles,” Wyatt sings on the infectious chorus. With a dreamy blend of echoes and subliminal creative traces to Annie Lennox’s “No More ‘I Love Yous’,” Wyatt powers through the three-minute soulful offering. On the very back end of the song, she supplies a sweet nod to the stepping community with a few shuffling dance moves and grooves that’s bound to work up audiences at Wyatt’s concerts.
In preparation for the highly anticipated album (expected to drop later this year), check out the new single from this R&B diva and let us your thoughts on this musical blessing.
By J Matthew Cobb
KeKe Wyatt - "Water Into Wine"