“Through It All,” the latest single from Nicole Wray—a.k.a. Lady Wray—finds the perfect distillation of soulful, laid back hip-hop production and the wistful romanticism of ’60s girl groups. Wray details a relationship that’s survived amidst turbulence and doubt. Her vocals take two different routes: one a warped, funky reworking during the chorus courtesy of producer Leon Michels, and then, during the verses, we get to hear her full melismatic brilliance.
You might recognize Wray from her appearance on Missy Elliott’s Supa Dupa Fly or Cam’ron’s Purple Haze, or you might remember her from her 1998 debut album Make It Hot. Over the decades, Wray’s vocals have traversed different sounds within hip-hop and R&B, but always maintained their own shining charisma. “Through It All” is an example of Wray pulling from various decades of classic sound.
The song is off Wray’s forthcoming album Piece of Me that’s out January 28 on Big Crown Records. “My goal is always to help and to heal people with singing,” she said of the upcoming LP. “Part of that is to try and bring back real music, real singing, so people can feel something again.”
Listen to “Through It All” below and pre-order her album here.
