We Speak Music

Candace Woodson: The Queen of Sophisticated Soul Bringing Heart, Resilience, and Timeless Sound

Published

1 month ago

March 13, 2026

In an era when music often chases trends, Candace Woodson stands apart as an artist dedicated to preserving the emotional depth and authenticity of classic soul and jazz. Known by fans as the “Queen of Sophisticated Soul,”Woodson has built a career rooted in resilience, powerful storytelling, and a voice that effortlessly blends vintage soul with contemporary elegance.

Woodson’s music carries the warmth and sincerity reminiscent of the golden era of R&B, while still feeling fresh and modern. Her vocal style is smooth yet commanding, delivering melodies that resonate with listeners who crave substance and feeling in their music. At the heart of her artistic mission is a simple but powerful goal: to inspire and encourage others to achieve a balanced life and pursue their dreams through the power of music.

Her journey to international recognition has been marked by impressive milestones. Woodson is an Indie Soul Grammy recipient and achieved major success on the UK Soul Charts, where her single “Midas Touch (Ooh Ooh)” reached the #1 spot in 2021. Her music has also earned accolades such as Billboard’s Smooth Jazz “Most Added” honor in 2019and Best International Artist at the Bright Star Awards the same year.

Her 2019 album “Desire” introduced audiences worldwide to Woodson’s signature blend of soul, jazz, and sophisticated R&B. The album includes fan favorites such as “Free,” “Never Let Go,” “Don’t Think I Want To,” and the empowering anthem “The Answer Is No,” which climbed to #1 on the UK Soul Chart Top 30 and continues to receive significant radio play.

Behind the accolades lies a story of determination. Woodson’s personal experiences with adversity have deeply influenced her songwriting. Her uplifting track “Free” was written during a challenging time in her life and reflects a message of hope, positivity, and perseverance. The song resonated with audiences, rising to #12 on the UK Soul Chart and establishing her as an artist capable of transforming personal trials into universal inspiration.

Another standout moment in her catalog came with “(Trying To Be) Perfect,” a soulful jazz track written by legendary songwriter Valerie Simpson of Ashford & Simpson. The song addresses the pressures of unrealistic expectations and the emotional toll of striving for perfection in relationships and life. Woodson’s heartfelt interpretation of the song earned widespread praise and ultimately won Song of the Year at the 2023 Pop Awards.

Beyond the recording studio, Woodson’s stage presence has captivated audiences across the globe. During the Giants of Soul Tour, she opened shows with a powerful set that included “Midas Touch,” “Trying to Be Perfect,” and tributes to soul legend Phyllis Hyman, earning enthusiastic applause and recognition from both critics and fans.

Despite her growing list of accolades, Candace Woodson remains grounded in her core belief that music should uplift and connect people. Her artistry reflects a lifetime of dedication to soulful expression and authenticity. As she continues to release new music and perform internationally, Woodson remains a vibrant force in modern soul—an artist whose voice carries both timeless elegance and deeply personal truth.

With every note she sings, Candace Woodson reminds listeners that music is more than entertainment—it’s a pathway to healing, resilience, and the courage to keep moving forward.

We Speak Music

Michele Ducci teases new album with uplifting indie single ‘Woman Like You’

Published

16 hours ago

April 17, 2026

Don Reed

Michele Ducci has unveiled the second single, ‘Woman Like You’, from his forthcoming album and animated film ‘Snail in the Clouds’.

‘Woman Like You’ pairs bright distorted electric guitar with an electronic drumbeat, adding in Ducci’s soulful vocals and a catchy uplifting chorus with Letizia Mandoleisi’s sweet vocal harmonies. A vintage organ pedalboard operated by Ducci simultaneously generates chords, bass and rhythm, like a one-man band. Shane Kennedy (Girl in the Year Above) joins in on guitar. Simon Milner (Is Tropical, Ysing) recorded and produced the track at his 4am Studios in London.

The album and film tell the story of a planet called ‘Snail’, inhabited by hybrids – primarily a mixture between scorpions, snails and humans – who lead a life according to the style of Pythagoras, devoted to music. There is also a cloud man named Agostos, a writer of musical operettas, who together with a talking smoke machine called Doctor Subtilis, begins to kill all hybrids, targeting in particular the hybrid musician Diodoros and his band, in an effort to steal the ark of melodies, an ancient ship that allows the whole planet to survive with music and joy.

The video for the single, created and animated by Ducci and Mandoleisi, delves further into the realm of planet ‘Snail’:

Says Ducci, “The ark of melodies, after various attempts, finally starts to work and fly in the planet Snail, while the shady Doc. Sub. and Agostos, with their platoon of soldiers made of foggy smoke, spy the miracle, planning to steal the ark for their evil and tyrannical purposes.”

About the track, Michele says, “I wrote this song for my love Letizia. Love seen from the mind is the sound we make. Sound is the love of matter.

We used a Technics synthesizer organ from a flea market. I tried to find a mood that was right for the song and I started using the bass of the pedal board together with the synth and the drums, and it was magical to hear the song reveal itself all coming from a single instrument. Leti was singing with me and we recorded everything live in one shot. Then we made Shane do the guitar flight, as if he came out of the window. The idea was to maintain disproportions, guitar thrust and synth drum thinness a la Haroumi Hosono, so as to create an estrangement, but naturally: it’s about how I listen, with close up something that captures me in its nuance as element of a larger orchestra somewhere. I’m glad we decided in the studio with Simon to use the layers of arrangement as the close-ups in the cinema; they look like strange enlargements that perch on parts of a mutated orchestra. I’m happy to come back with this love song at a time when everything seems to opt, even my labor in managing the flows of selfishness that have poured out on me while doing this album, for the sound of war. I’m here happy to be able to say that the sound of love always wins as did for me. Snail in the clouds is one of the most important works in my life and I am glad to start from pure love for this album that is my son.”

The album and full-length film will be released on the 5^th of June on Monotreme Records.

Michele and Letizia’s previous musical short film, ‘The Great Book of Nature’, is an official selection for the 2026 Venice Shorts Film Festival.