Paloma Faith Hard at Work on Album 3; Hits the Studio with Pharrell, Raphael Saadiq, Diane Warren and Others

Still from "Just Be" video PHOTO CREDIT: Paloma Faith's Official Instagram

My adoration for soulful British chanteuse, Paloma Faith is well documented, and like many of her fans, we're left eagerly anticipating word on album #3. While we await official word on the new record, I've gone through her vast, colorful Instagram account and extensive Twitter feed and compiled some bits and bobs, including evidence of collaborations that we HOPEFULLY will hear on the new album. Keep in mind, this is all speculative. Nothing has been confirmed yet. I'm just going off of what Paloma has said through her social media channels.

Following the end of her first U.S. tour, select U.S. TV promotional appearances (i.e. Rachael Ray, The Today Show, Chelsea Lately, etc.) as well as a massive and far more extensive UK tour; Faith has been hard at work on album #3, writing and recording new tunes in New York, Los Angeles and London with a host of impressive collaborators.  Included in the talent mix Grammy-winning songwriter/instrumentalist/producer Cottonbelly (AKA Stuart Matthewman) who along with Paul Denman, Andrew Hale and vocalist Sade Adu formed the band Sade in the mid 1980s.  Matthewman, who lives in Manhattan with his own studio, has also composted music for several motion pictures and produced music for R&B singer Maxwell, Santessa and Esthero.

(L-R: Raphael Saadiq, John Legend, Diane Warren, Cottonbelly) PHOTO CREDIT: Paloma Faith's Official Instagram

Also (presumably) working on her new record is a familiar face, English singer/songwriter/producer Chris Braide, who co-wrote the second Fall To Grace single, "30 Minute Love Affair" with Faith.  The Ivor Novello/ASCAP and Billboard award-winning songwriter has worked with a bevvy of talented artists including Christina Aguilera, David Guetta/Sia Furler, Lana Del Rey, Marc Almond (of "Tainted Love"'s Soft Cell), Pharrell Williams, not to mention producing and writing songs for The Great Gatsby soundtrack and Malaysian singer/songwriter Yuna's debut U.S. album.  Additional collaborators include the immensely talented Grammy and Academy Award-winning songwriter Diane Warren (Cher, Celine Dion and recently divorced Toni Braxton), LA-based producer/songwriter and bonafide hitmaker Toby Gad (Alicia Keys, Natasha Bedingfield, Kelly Clarkson), British singer/songwriter and Jay-Z/Kanye collaborator Mr. Hudson (Josh Kumra, Wretch 32, Eliza Doolittle), and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter John Legend.  With this impressive list of collaborators by her side, I think it's safe to say Paloma Faith is going for gold with her next album.

In addition to these talents, Faith has also been in the studio working hard alongside accomplished R&B singer/songwriter Raphael Saadiq, who, in addition to releasing his own music, has worked with everyone from The Roots and D'Angelo to Tony! Toni! Toné, Babyface and The Bee Gees.  Most recently, Faith also Instagrammed photos of herself in the studio with the one and only N*E*R*D frontman, Pharrell Williams (Pitbull, Robin Thicke, Adam Lambert), who currently appears on Daft Punk's Billboard Top 5 hit single, "Get Lucky," as well as on their reported followup single, "Lose Yourself to Dance."

(L-R: Chris Braide, Mr. Hudson, Toby Gad, Pharrell Williams) PHOTO CREDIT: Paloma Faith's Official Instagram

As exciting as all of these collaborations are, I need to reiterate again, nothing has been confirmed yet about plans for album #3. Everything in this post is speculative at best. Speculative but exciting nonetheless.  Also...for the record, as exciting as this news all is, I firmly believe in Paloma Faith as an artist in her own right.  Do I think she needs to team up with big name collaborators to prove that she's talented? Absolutely not.  Will these big names complement her sound and help bring out the best in her sound? Quite possibly, yes.  Faith has already proven, with the release of her first two albums, to be a prolific songwriter and a supremely talented vocalist.  These popular collaborators will only aide in making Faith relevant for today's radio play and help give her an international crossover hit.  Faith has legions of fans in the UK, and thanks to a fabulous album and some great promotion from Epic Records, a growing U.S. fanbase.  I think she has what it takes to make her third album her best yet and can't wait to hear the results.

In the meantime, check out Faith's "Picking Up The Pieces" remix by Dave Audé.

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