Gabrielle's career to me peaked in the 90s, and although she went on to produce new music in the 00s, nothing ever really came close to recapturing the allure of her early work. Gabrielle has a voice that is distinctive, iconic, and for a time served as a mainstay in British Pop. The quasi title track of the album, 'Dreams' was her very first single originally released in 1993 it entered the charts at #2 and would go on to reach #1, this feat of reaching so high in the chart with a debut single had never been achieved by a female artist in UK charts prior to this. The lyrics to the song were prescient "Dreams can come true, Look at me, babe, I'm with you, You know you gotta have hope, You know you gotta be strong" - I grew up listening to this song, it spent 15 weeks in the chart and went on to be the foundation that Gabrielle's career would be built upon.
'Forget About The World' originally released in 1996 is a love song that tells a love story ostensibly assumed to reference a straight relationship the lyrics speak to an unnamed unidentified protagonist who fell in love with a girl despite the efforts of everyone around them trying to convince them not to pursue this love, "They tried to change your mind, Told you how to live your life, And they told stories, Stories that shouldn't be told, It was you against the world, But you chose to hold on to your girl" these lyrics although at face value talk simply about pursuing love in the face of others disdain, the lyrics to me speak of forbidden love, this belief led me to the assumption the protagonist is actually a woman, who fell in love with another woman, and that they pursue love set against a world that tried to convince them it was wrong. This was only reinforced by the lyrics "You had a stronger love, Outside forces weren't enough, Tried their best to tear apart, A love they hoped would never last" spoke of the typical response people give when they say your sexuality is a phase and that you'll grow out of it. My beliefs were entirely validated in 2015, when Gabrielle gave an interview with James Ingham for Attitude talking about RUComingOut an organisation that supports LGBT people through coming out, she was asked:
James: Is it true Forget About the World was originally written about a lesbian friend of yours?
Gabrielle: It certainly was. I don't think many people know that to be honest. But yes, it was me telling my friend not to worry about what the world or other people said but to worry about the girl she loved. You didn't really have many songs like that then.
Gabrielle: It certainly was. I don't think many people know that to be honest. But yes, it was me telling my friend not to worry about what the world or other people said but to worry about the girl she loved. You didn't really have many songs like that then.
This underlying message, lyrics that are written for those who are knowing, written with the confidence that those who need to hear them will hear the message is a theme that has been repeated across pop music. Gabrielle is an R&B artist part of a genre that can be intensely homophobic, it is entirely understandable that this was the way she had to send this message given the time, and the environment that existed.
One of Gabrielle's finest works however, was 'Rise' originally released in 2000. This song is an anthem that has spoken to many who have been broken by the world. The song has been used in TV shows, Movies, and referenced throughout pop culture whenever there is a moment of redemption or resurrection. The lyrics "Look at my life, Look at my heart, I have seen them fall apart, Now I'm ready to rise again, Just look at my hopes, Look at my dreams, I'm building bridges from these scenes, Now I'm ready to rise again" these words provide comfort and reassurance to those who have experienced this feeling and stand as inspiration and motivation to rise up and be the best that you can be.
I can't talk about Gabrielle without also talking about 'Out Of Reach' a song that despite being released the same year as the album still managed to get included because of its impact. The lyrics "Out of reach, so far, I never had your heart, Out of reach, couldn't see, We were never meant to be" speaks of the realisation that you loved someone more than they loved you and the reality that you have to let them go and move on, the lyrics go on "Catch myself from despair, I could drown if I stay here, Keeping busy every day, I know I will be okay" these words echo the feelings I have felt so many times, and the recognition that if I give in to the darkness in those moments it will consume me, I have to keep moving, to try and make it through; again this speaks to the forgotten coping mechanisms I once had, coping mechanisms that I didn't redevelop until my journey through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Gabrielle is an artist that contributed a lot to the music industry and I don't think she gets the recognition and the adoration she deserves for what she achieved, for what she represents, and for the hope and inspiration her music continues to provide. She is part of my music library that I cherish and still turn to whenever I feel wore down and need something that speaks not only to my heart but to my soul. Gabrielle's music is easy to listen to, relaxing, it isn't aggressive, and it conveys its message effortlessly. I believe part of the reason her contributions are overlooked are because of the backdrop that existed, there were so many artists and groups in the 90s that were worldwide successes and embodied personalities that were larger than life, it's easy to be overshadowed by all of this but now, decades later after most of those artists fell away and into obscurity, I still seek out Gabrielle's music, I still want to listen to it and it still carries with it meaning in every word just as it did when I first heard it.
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