Floor Jansen – Fire

If we consider the recognition she has, her success and even her reach on many different platforms on the internet, Floor Jansen is probably the most popular female vocalist in all of Metal at the moment. And when you consider her amazing vocal range and a body of work that covers many different projects such as After Forever, ReVamp, Nightwish, Star One and many more, there is a very good argument for that position.

So, all of that makes it even more impressive that Floor has never had a solo career. And when you think about it, it seems like a very logical progression after so many years in the industry, especially considering her ever growing profile. But when the Dutch singer announced her first solo song, Fire, a few weeks ago, there was a lot of logical excitement–she was finally breaking away on her own and there were expectations to see what she could do as a solo artist.

Miss Jansen had previewed that this song had nothing to do with past work, and that meant that Fire wasn’t Rock or Metal music. And that’s fine, it’s her solo work and she should be able to do whatever she wants to do. But what was interesting were her comments that this was meant to be Pop music.

If this is Floor’s interpretation of what Pop music is, then I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised. Not because I was expecting less of her (on the contrary), but rather because it is the kind of Pop music that is no longer so accessible for people these days: it is musical, elegant and with a very organic feel that really sits well with you when you are listening to it.

One of my favorite aspects of a vocalist going solo is that they usually know how to get the best out of their voices. I have often argued that Bruce Dickinson did some of his best vocal work as a solo artist in the nineties after leaving Iron Maiden, for example. And while I don’t want to criticize Nightwish because their music is quite different to what is on display here with Fire, but it’s great to hear Floor’s voice taking main stage and doing her thing… which is singing pretty damn well.

Much like the title of the song suggests, her voice here sounds with a lot of warmth and humanity, almost like a bonfire keeping you warm during a snowstorm. You can listen to her using her wide vocal range almost with ease, like it was nothing, and it tears you apart with every vocal line as the piano carries on playing.

In terms of structure, it is a simple piano ballad with some keyboards thrown in there to give it a more majestic feeling, but of course, the selling point is Floor’s vocal performance and it lives up to the hype. The song is very easy to digest and then it goes in a massive crescendo that allows Floor to go even higher with her vocal range.

I’m definitely more of a Rock and Metal guy and most of my work in MusikHolics proves that, but I’m in favor of any music style that has some substance and musicality, which is exactly what Fire is: a nice, enjoyable and extremely pleasant ballad that shows why Floor Jansen is one of the most talented vocalists of her generation.

Listen to it. Listen to Floor.