Paige Morgan will never change, but that doesn’t mean she won’t surprise you. Just the journey of making a record has surprised Paige herself. Ask her collaborators and they’ll tell you she’s a major talent and kind of a pop chameleon: intuitive, versatile, “genre-straddling.”

You can hear that gift in her vocals alone. On “Cutaway,” her croon is smooth, sensual. On “Never Change,” she’s a different character entirely, belting at full volume, charged with club-diva verve. Co-written by the Vancouver production team Heratix (indie-pop fans will know them as Dirty Radio); the track embodies a massive pop sound, a soaring but sweet voice and the Paige mission statement: “Never Change.”

As for the sound, Paige has always been an “R&B, soul kind of girl.” Etta James is a favourite. A pianist since childhood, she’ll obsess over a Stevie Wonder recording. But just listen to the record and you’ll understand she’s definitely a student of Top 40 pop. She loves Rihanna, Calvin Harris – and finds inspiration in how a few simple chords can conjure massive sound and feeling. For Paige, a single RiRi record contains a song for every situation imaginable.

That mix of moods is the template for her own pop disc. And to make it happen, she surrounded herself with co-writers and producers who have their own equally unique flavour. She raves about working with every last one – including Marten Tromm (Hawksley Workman), Ryan Stewart (Carly Rae Jepsen), and Kevvy (Fake Shark Real Zombie).

High Life

Paige Morgan

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