Shea Couleé of RuPaul fame releases debut solo record ‘8’ and will perform at the Riviera – Chicago Tribune

Music was a natural evolution for Shea Couleé.

A renowned drag performer, model and actor, Cooley has received international acclaim for her distinctive and inspiring performance style. Most notably, she finished in the top 4 in season 9 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ and then won her 5th season of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race Her All Her Stars’ is. However, Couleé (Jaren Kyei Merrell’s real name) was initially hesitant about pursuing her music.

Cooley grew up in church (his mother was a pastor) and it was easy to play in a gospel choir. She then began acting in musicals throughout high school and college. However, despite her affinity for singing, she also attracted some detractors.

“One of the things I heard a lot from directors, instructors and teachers was that my voice was too different. “But it made me disgust with my voice, and I didn’t have the confidence to go out completely by myself and sing by myself.”

It wasn’t until the first season of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ that she recorded a ‘Funniest Jokes’ song named ‘Cocky’ that musical possibilities opened up. One day, Cooley recorded a song for her while hanging out in her living room. Her boyfriend then started playing it for her friends in her shadow. After receiving many inquiries about the release, Cooley eventually released the track to positive reviews.

“People are like, ‘I’ve never heard Lou Girl put out a song that slaps them so hard. . So after that, I was like, OK, I really, really wanted to start practicing and start doing songwriting and stuff like that,” she recalled.

Between that early release and the present, Couleé has released its first EP titled ‘Couleé-D’. But her debut solo record, 8, is a big step in her musical evolution. That included using her music as a platform, as her songwriter, to share her experiences with queer black artists, especially underground her drag culture. Before she became a superstar, she was a student at Columbia College in Chicago where she was a regular her performer on the city’s nightlife scene. Her music on “8” also expresses and celebrates her roots, her universality, and her ability to offer hope and redemption to her members of communities spanning generations.

“I wrote this album for the dance floor, of course. He wrote it from the closest connection to God he could find. It’s like getting lost in our own fantasies, and there’s something very magical about it.”

Couleée has collaborated with various performers and artists such as Sam Sparro, GESS, Mario Winans and Mica Gordon. The result is an eclectic record spanning genres ranging from drag he pop and house to he R&B and hip hop.

Most surprisingly, “8” also contains elements of the same gospel music she grew up listening to and playing as a child. For Couleé, there seems to be a great divide between her music and gospel, but the influence of the former genre continues to permeate her musical artistry to this day. Gospel performance is her one of the most powerful training grounds for a music artist. Cooley recognizes her experience through her trained ear and her keen ability to hear melodies and precise harmonies.

The result is a short (“8” is only 25 minutes) but a beautiful collection of pop music. A refreshing debut and a solid entry into the world of music. Cooley, who is currently touring with Australian musician Betty Who, will embark on his first headlining tour as a solo musician. More than five years after her musical aspirations first sparked, Couleé is now able to reap the fruits of her efforts with her growing fan base.

“I want people to listen to my music and feel good about themselves. It’s about making music all the time, and it’s hard,” she said. “One of the reasons I started drag was because I needed that fantasy. Music does the same. Anyway, I can encourage people to do so.

March 21, 7:30 p.m. Riviera Theater, 4746 N Racine Ave. Tickets for $32-$53 axs.com

Britt Julious is a freelance critic.