Epiphany (Chrisette Michele song)
Encyclopedia
"Epiphany" is the first single from American soul
-R&B
singer-songwriter
Chrisette Michele
's second studio album of the same name
, released for airplay on January 27, 2009. It was a R&B top 20 hit and became her most successful single to date. It also marks her first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, where it peaked at #89.
Magazine says "Epiphany (I'm Leaving)" signals a more hip, funky approach for the Long Island native, melding Michele's fresh jazz tone with a trippy bassline and girl group backup vocals." The Koalition comments on how "Michele breezes through the pastoral-influenced production, crooning “I’m leaving” to a cheating lover that she feels has deprived her living her life." Mark Edward Nero of About.com
comments that the mid-tempo song is Michele's declaration of independence.
, shown in between. During the bridge, Chrisette performs on top of the apartment building at daybreak, followed by scenes of her packing her boyfriend's things and throwing them out during the final chorus.
BET
placed the video at #46 on its Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2009 countdown.
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
-R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Chrisette Michele
Chrisette Michele
Chrisette Michele Payne , known professionally as Chrisette Michele, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter....
's second studio album of the same name
Epiphany (Chrisette Michele album)
Epiphany is the second studio album by American R&B and soul singer–songwriter Chrisette Michele, released May 5, 2009 on Def Jam Recordings in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2008 to 2009...
, released for airplay on January 27, 2009. It was a R&B top 20 hit and became her most successful single to date. It also marks her first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, where it peaked at #89.
Background
"Epiphany" is about relationship experiences. "I heard the song that Ne-Yo had written titled "Epiphany", and the word just stood out to me," Michele tells Billboard.com. "It stood out to me because I'd been through a lot in my last relationship, and the word 'epiphany' exemplified exactly what happened in the end when I realized I didn't have to put myself through it anymore." Michele refers to the relationship with her former manager, Douglas "Biggs" Ellison, who Michele sued for embezzlement and harassment last year.Critical reception
Michael Menachem of BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Magazine says "Epiphany (I'm Leaving)" signals a more hip, funky approach for the Long Island native, melding Michele's fresh jazz tone with a trippy bassline and girl group backup vocals." The Koalition comments on how "Michele breezes through the pastoral-influenced production, crooning “I’m leaving” to a cheating lover that she feels has deprived her living her life." Mark Edward Nero of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
comments that the mid-tempo song is Michele's declaration of independence.
Music video
The video features Chrisette singing in her apartment with clips of her and her boyfriend, played by Canadian rapper DrakeDrake (entertainer)
Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
, shown in between. During the bridge, Chrisette performs on top of the apartment building at daybreak, followed by scenes of her packing her boyfriend's things and throwing them out during the final chorus.
Reception
Maiya Norton of Vibe comments on the video by saying that "she exudes a little bit of diva as her bold new look complements her new attitude. With a chopped haircut and smoldering eyes, she kicks rapper Drake to the curb proclaiming, “I think I’m just about over being your girlfriend. I’m leaving.” And she’s downright convincing as she tosses his clothes into the dumpster. It’s as though personal experience has caused a light bulb to flicker in her mind, and that wisdom echoes throughout Epiphany."BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
placed the video at #46 on its Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2009 countdown.
Charts
| Charts | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
89 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
14 |
| US Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
40 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
January 27, 2009 (Airplay) February 24, 2009 (Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... ) |
Def Jam | Airplay, Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |