Crystal Aikin is a former registered nurse turned anointed singer. Her powerhouse voice gained national notoriety as the first to win Black Entertainment Television's first all gospel talent show Sunday Best. The church girl from the Pacific Northwest beat out some of the country's best gospel singers to become the 2008 BET Sunday Best Winner.
Hailing from Tacoma, Washington, Crystal's gospel journey began as a child singing with the Memorial Church of God In Christ's Sunshine Band. Counting Gospel artists Yolanda Adams, Lisa Page Brooks (of Witness), The Clark Sisters and The Winans among her musical influences, Crystal had become a seasoned gospel singer by her twenties with a group called Soul. Crystal's kind hearted nature and love for helping people is what drew her into nursing. Her desire to lead people to Christ through her music ministry is what keeps her singing gospel music.
"I am a worship conductor and singing for me has so much purpose: I don't play around with it. I believe that God has put a spiritual anointing on my voice to awaken the spiritually asleep and for deliverance and healing."
Crystal returns to the forefront of both traditional and contemporary urban gospel music with her upcoming album All I Need. When asked to describe her album's music, Crystal says, "It's a potpourri of musical sounds." And what is Crystal's hope for her God inspired release? She proclaims, "My desire for my album is that people will be inspired to bless God and worship God. I want people to get the Crystal artistry, but have the God experience."
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Soulful Start to 2015| Posted February 07, 2015
Let me start off by saying, I would not consider myself an active listener of modern R&B & Gospel music. It's very rare that I go and seek out new soulful Gospel music on my own, and so it is with fresh ears that I sat down to listen to Crystal Aikin's All I Need.
It's been just over seven years now since Aikin won BET's singing competition, Sunday Best, and six years since her last full release. Needless to say it's been a long wait for fans. Well I can tell you, after I heard Aikin's voice for the first time, I can be counted among those fans.
All I Need is a worshipful experience that glorifies God in a powerful way. The R&B expressions on this album are filled with enough soul to make the lowest of spirits filled with joy and adoration.
The lead single "So Amazing" and the unique smooth jazz voicings on "So Good" are pure songs of praise and thanksgiving. The former is highlighted by a vocal performance that will give you chills. Aikin seems to hit this place where her voice is so commanding and in control of the song, and yet is completely submitted to God, allowing Him to work through the song. I definitely felt God working and speaking through this collection of songs, whether it was the funky "I Won't Let You Go" or the prayerful "Mighty To Save." The lyrics are strong and focused directly on the Lord.
Another highlight of the album is Aikin's smooth rendition of the hymn "When We All Get To Heaven." Starting off simply with her voice and fingerstyle acoustic guitar, the song crescendos into a gospel choir climax that stirs up everything in me to worship my creator.
Closing Thoughts:
As an outsider to the Soul/Gospel genre, I truly enjoyed this album and have listened to it multiple times. The lyrics are strong, but stronger yet is Crystal Aikin's vocal power and control and her ability to lead listeners into the musical worship of our God. There were a few points of production issues in spots of the album (i.e. a bit of unnecessary overuse of auto-tune tools), but they really didn't distract from the soulful worship that Crystal Aikin will help lead many listeners into.
Song To Download Now:
"Mighty To Save" (Get it on iTunes here.)
Good| Posted August 13, 2018
This was a great post thanks for sharing this. It's been simply over seven years currently since Aikin won BET's singing competition, Sunday clothes, and 6 years since her last full unleash. unnecessary to mention it has been a protracted watch for fans. Well, I will tell you, once I detected Aikin's voice for the primary time, I am counted among those fans. 192.168.1.1 Admin Login
to add lyrics if not listed.
