Mica Paris

Mica Paris scored her biggest hit as a teenager with the Top Ten U.K. single "My One Temptation," but the maturity and versatility of her church-honed voice, showcased throughout her platinum debut album So Good (1988), has proven to be more indicative of her longevity than her pop success. Whether working with pop-oriented R&B, hip-hop soul, house, quiet storm, or traditional gospel material, Paris' full-flavored alto has remained unwavering through a three-decade career. Since her trilogy of charting '90s albums, Contribution (1990), Whisper a Prayer (1993), and Black Angel (1998), Paris has changed direction for each successive release with natural finesse. Among these disparate projects are Soul Classics (2005), on which she interprets '60s and '70s favorites; Born Again (2009), with sources ranging from George & Ira Gershwin to Keyshia Cole, and Gospel (2020), an affirmation of her church roots, issued the year she was appointed MBE. ~ Andy Kellman