Each Measure Feature: Angelica Barrera

FEATURE

Angelica Barrera doesn’t hold back with her first ever release, Lincoln Place The new pop R&B single delivers glowing, synthy beats with soaring, stadium-worthy vocals by singer and lyricist Angelica herself. Dancer turned musician, she splashes onto the music scene with a sound that is sure to make some ripples. 

Born in Colombia, Angelica Barrera moved to the USA at age 11 and currently resides in New York City, where she starts her journey as a musician. Her bold shift into music was inspired by a colorful history in the arts, both as a dancer and with a family full of musicians. Music was a constant companion through the challenges of moving to a new country and now offers her a platform to tell her own story with all the life and energy she radiates. 

As a first song, Lincoln Place is a fearless splash onto the scene. The skeleton of the song is toned down, clearing the stage to showcase a melody of betrayal and heartbreak with fierce vocal talent. Barrera’s vocal range is impressive. She starts the song with a warm murmur that steadily grows to a dramatic ramping chorus (I would suspect some musical theater experience?), and the effect is tremendous. There’s a promising versatility in Angelica’s voice that makes me curious to follow her journey, hopeful for a few soft, mournful tunes as well as more heart-swelling ballads. 

In terms of technicalities, what can I say? While the recording might not be as up to scratch as a lot of the squeaky clean tracks nowadays, it’s effectively simple in creating a swelling sound from few ingredients.  The melodies of synth and voice dance around each other with minimal percussive elements, creating that classic grounding R&B flair as a contrast to Barrera’s soaring emotive voice.

With such a trove of talent, I expect that the exciting journey ahead could bring all sorts of things for Angelica: collaborations, acoustic sets, maybe some dance music videos? Whatever it is, she makes loud and clear the intention to stay true to herself through all that is to come.

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