New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Singer/songwriter Acantha Lang has swiftly become one of modern soul music's best kept secrets. Now, the Robert Randolph-collaborator and rising soul talent has released her debut album 'Beautiful Dreams' following praise from BBC who has distinguished her as a "brilliant.. independent artist destined for world domination," TheatreLife UK who named her the "next big thing in soul music," and Echoes Magazine who named 'Beautiful Dreams' their soul album of the month in a glowing five-star review.
Relix says 'Beautiful Dreams' "…showcases her ability to blend Stax-inspired funk with Southern blues, delivering head-on lyrical vignettes that takes on a mix of contemporary topics," and Soul Bag Magazine has declared "there are traces [of] Aretha Franklin, the young Mavis Staples, even Nina Simone, but the whole thing belongs only to her"
Earlier this year Lang made her national TV debut, delivering a dazzling performance on CBS Saturday Morning, which included three tracks - "He Said / She Said," "It's Gonna Be Alright" and "Sugar Woman." Channeling past luminaries Sharon Jones and Gladys Knight and equally incorporating elements of contemporary soul giants such as Durand Jones & the Indications, Lang's momentous television debut signaled a momentous summer to come including an opening slot with Daptone Records' Lee Fields on July 5th at the legendary Jazz Cafe in London.
Lang's rise has not come without a dedicated legion of fans online though who champion her "Standing On The Shoulders Of…" Soul series (currently zeroing in on 10 million cumulative views across IG, YT & TikTok). Her exceptional take on the song, "I Wish I Knew How I Would Feel To Be Free," ultimately landed her a recent McDonald's TV spotin Europe, too, proving she's the perfect
Nina Simone vocal stand-in. Acantha is undoubtedly one-to-watch with over 1 million streams and counting.
Fresh off her extensive 23-date UK tour with Roachford earlier this year, Lang was also hailed a rising star by NPR's KCRW who named single "Ride This Train" a Today's Top Tune, and she has been playlisted on top Spotify year-end playlists two years in a row, including a spot on Spotify's Best Retro Songs of 2021 and Best Funk Songs of 2022 playlist all without releasing her debut studio album.
In 2022 she won 'New Artist of the Year Award' (Soul Tracks Readers' Choice Awards) and 'Blues Artist of the Year Award' presented by
Jools Holland (Boisdale
Music Awards). Last year, she was accepted into the Recording Academy's 2022 member class and her single "It's Gonna Be Alright" was on the first round ballots in three categories "to be considered" for Grammy nominations.
