When Columbia dropped Vivian Green four years ago, it was a relief for the singer.
Despite dropping the smash hit “Emotional Rollercoaster” in 2002, Green was on her own emotional roller coaster. Her young son Jordan suffered from an undiagnosed syndrome that stunted his growth required numerous surgeries and threatened his life.
“It was a whole lot of stress,” said Green in a telephone interview with My92.7. “No one could tell us what was going to happen.”
Four years later, Jordan is developing well and so is Green’s career. She is now signed to E1 Music, an independent label. She releases her third album, “Beautiful,” Tuesday (April 6). Green performs at Dharma Lounge in Charlotte on Thursday, and then heads to New York for an album release show.
“I’m looking forward to the next week,” said the Philadelphia native. “It feels cool. It feels good.”
It should.
Jordan celebrated his sixth birthday on Tuesday, and the title track “Beautiful” is climbing the R&B charts. Green is excited about the new album. She co-wrote several songs with her 22-year-old brother Solomon. The album deals with the familiar terrain of love, but with less emphasis on heartbreak. Although the title song is about the loss of love, Green said the single offers advice to men.
Musically the new album blends live instrumentation with R&B pop. When Green first emerged, she was classified as neo-soul.
It’s easy to understand why. She was a backup singer with Jill Scott, and she performed with live bands during the neo-soul era. Still, Green said neo-soul wasn’t her style.
“I love soul music. I love pop music,” she said. “This is a mixture between both.”
