Melanie Fiona The Bridge

When you impress someone like Kanye West without ever having released an album, your career is probably off to a good start. Melanie Fiona, a Canadian R&B singer/songwriter, opened up for Kanye on the European leg of his tour in 2008 on the basis of only a few songs and has ridden a steady stream of buzz ever since. Her music is an eclectic, glossy mix of tributes to the past and contemporary R&B. The first single, "Give It To Me Right," perfectly showcases the need to link two different eras by sampling The Zombies' "Time of the Season" and the reggae-flavored "Ay Yo" also shows that Fiona knows her way around a strong pop hook as well.

Abstract by Ivan Mitchell