Description
Following the breakthrough success of her sophomore classic Ingénue and her subsequent coming out, k.d. lang occupied a curious corner of music’s psyche throughout the ’90s and leading into the new millennium. lang was a regular nominee at the Grammys , but radio didn’t know what to do with her. Too queer for country, too country for pop, lang’s musical expression was obscured in plain view, but at the same time, she was cultivating a devoted fan base, along with an adoring following in the underground dance community, too.
The mezzo-soprano voice of k.d. lang is a subtle, cloying force of nature. Given even decent material to work with, that voice can carry a song and make it more than it is, with minimal assistance needed from the arrangement. Makeover, lang’s new release of old material in celebration of Pride Month (which begins June 1), takes several of her best-known songs and presents them in dance remix editions—some of them in two newly released versions. Some of these remixes couch that amazing voice in more complimentary settings than on the original recordings, while others do little to build on the originals. This isn’t exactly a greatest hits package. There’s no “Constant Craving,” “Crying” or “Hallelujah.” But most of the eight songs that are here, with six of them in two versions, are fairly well-known and beloved by k.d. lang fans. The originals and the remixes presented on makeover were made between 1992 and 2000.
