Nicole Chambers’ latest release is a sickeningly smooth mix of sultry vocals, chilled percussion and gliding piano chords, all coming together to bring back the very best of classic R&B.

‘I’m Fine’ is such a musically unique offering. On one hand, Nicole’s vocal tone is reminiscent of old-school Jazz singers like Sarah Vaughn and Billie Holiday, yet her lyrics remind me of the honest, introspective and relatable musings of contemporary R&B artists like Mahalia and Nao.

“I’m Fine’ is about me suppressing my emotions. I walk around telling everybody that I’m fine, in a high pitched voice followed with a huge grin on my face when in reality I am not. The inspiration came from my group of friends as I started noticing they were doing it too. We are so-called pros at pretending that we are handling everything so well when we clearly aren’t.

Yes, our emotions are heavy and messy but without them, we wouldn’t be able to clear so many blocks. I feel my generation is slowly realizing that it’s okay to not be okay, it’s okay to suffer from anxiety and depression, but it’s not ok to suppress your thoughts and feelings.”

The Toronto-based singer names artists such as Erykah Badu and Jill Scott as her influences, as well as her upbringing in the church and around gospel music, which is evident in her soulful riffs and effortless runs.

Nicole Chambers’ next project is her debut LP, Voice of a Virgo which will be released on September 17th.

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