Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: Deborah Cox

Sunday Diva/Three From The Hip: 

Deborah Cox

In my own personal big gay church, there is a wing dedicated to what can only be described as...The True Divas. These are ones who may do many things in life, but from the moment they opened their mouths to sing they became the one thing they were meant to become: a true diva.

One such beauty?

Deborah Cox

What makes a diva? Is it having multiple gold and platinum albums? 

Is it having a record-breaking 13 Billboard Dance Club #1 hits? 

Is it being a star in a Broadway show? Or is it being the recipient of multiple Juno awards and Grammy nominations?

 When it comes to this diva, while all that is true... what's really earned her that spot is her appreciation of her fans.

She knows who we are. And she's got our back.

The lady has a heart as big and generous as her voice. 

And thanks to a plethora of remixes, she's forever causing a stampede to the dance floor.

For three decades, she's been throwing it down. 

And lifting us up.

The gospel according to her?

Well, here are three from the hip, dropping from her lips.

The topic? The Remix

"I remembered hearing the song (Nobody's Supposed To Be Here) for the first time and completely feeling like that song was going to be one that changed the game and changed my life. It was one of those songs that really resonated -- the way it was written, the style. I felt like if I gave it the right vocal performance it was going to be one of those songs that stood the test of time."

"Then we talked about doing the remix for the song. At that point I had to remain open-minded. If you remember, there were still a few hits that led up to that point. There was Things Just Ain't The Same and Who Do U Love preceding that. So it was important that we lived up to the expectations of what the dance community wanted." 

"When Hex Hector played the track, we were all in LA at the time, we felt really good about it. Once I went in and started to sing it and give it this 'new life.' it took on a life of its own. So that version really became its own stand-alone version along with the ballad version. There are people who only know the dance version and had discovered that there was a ballad version. That's how strong the dance version was and how much that song anchored worldwide success for me, putting me in a different lane. I feel so blessed by it because it allowed me to be taken seriously as one who could do both, sing in all styles."

"He (Hex Hector) doesn't make it so complicated but just really allows the lyric to come through even though there's a lot of production going on. I think that's the key and that's the magic, it's making sure that people could still connect with the lyrics while they're on the dance floor."

"I think differently, I think it's about reaching everybody on every different plane and every different level, and if I could remix the song and do a dance remix, that's great. If I could do a classical version, that'll be great too. It's all just about expression."

"My opinion is that music is music. As long as you approach doing a remix with truth, I don't see the dance remixes being any different than an hip-hop remix- it's really a different version of the song."

"I think it's his perception of knowing how to make a record build, keeping the integrity of the song in the music and really adding a lot of musical elements to compliment my voice and to compliment the song."

Nobody's Supposed To Be Here - Deborah Cox

Beautiful U R - Deborah Cox

Jody Den Broeder Radio Edit

Let The World Be Ours Tonight - Deborah Cox

(Soulshaker Original Radio Edit)

And one last parting shot...

"The LGBTQ+ community has become part of my fight and my mission, which is to continue to drive the message of equality, and you should love who you want to love. I really appreciate growing up in Canada, because I think we’re very progressive in that sense. We respect people for who they are, authentically. Dance music really connected me to the gay community; my gay fans are the ones who were adamant about me having remixes every time I recorded a song. And I’m thankful for that connection. It became a personal thing to me when I started to see a lot of my friends pass away and struggle with their identity."