Great observation Nina, this is unrehearsed 1st try, on the fly performance while reading the lyrics. Alan Papier interviewed this guitarist, Ivan Mendez, & he explained how all their "home videos" are chosen minutes before they record a song & usually in only 1 take, unless he makes a mistake, because she never does. Her Norway guitarist, Egil Clausen, from when she was 8-12, said the same thing about their collaborations at her home. They are just off the cuff "jams." She just sings as she feels it.

Ivan, the guitarist, said in an interview, that it sometimes was hard keeping his concentration due to AJ's amazing singing. All these acustic covers with just her and a guitarist is not rehersed. A chat about what song to sing and then often "the magic" in first take !!! Greatings from an old Danish Dear and Angel 🌷🇩🇰❤️

Hi everyone! I thought watching some Angelina Jordan would be a great way to start the week 🙂 Let me know what else I should be watching!

Oh Nina, I was hoping you would someday react to this preteen Angelina marvel. I couldn't plug my earbuds in my head fast enough when I saw you were doing this song, it chokes me up every time. Angelina sings it superbly, and it's a first run through. You pointed out her phrasing which has always been an Angelina trademark. I think it comes from her fascination and reverence of the Jazz greats like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and even Amy Winehouse. I love the innocence of this video, her flannel shirt, the look of amazement on Ivan's face as he's watching brilliance and even Angelina looking over at the lyrics. Also her hand gestures are so telling of the great emotion she feeling as she sings. This performance by Angelina always puts a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. Thanks Nina, I always look forward to your reactions to Angelina Jordan. I'm an old dude who's seen many many great singers and bands, this little gal has touched me like no other.

Great reaction, and yes, this is an "impromptu" performance. This is a fan favorite for many and Ivan the guitarist said something to the effect that the last two verses were one of the most beautiful things he had ever heard. Just watch his facial reactions during the performance. Also, beautiful job on the "At Last" video with the other fans and reactors!

In a interview with the guitarist he said she would scroll in her tablet and pick a song ,he would try to play it then they do it in one take .this rendition of Stay is beautiful, really enjoyed your reaction

As soon as she sang the first few notes I started to hyperventilate, and I have experienced this video over and over again.

Ivan Mendez Watch as Ivan Mendez, Angelina's LA guitarist reacts to her voice, he is blown away by her storytelling vocals, and was working with her very often. This is a classic example of the fact that no matter how many times one has experienced AJ performances she has the ability to hypnotize you with those storytelling vocals. Once is a thousand years To do what Angelina Jordan does you would have to have a once in a thousand-year voice, and then you would need to be a genius to know how to use it. Her abilities are encompassed in her total being, and aura.

U would be thoroughly enchanted @ bewildered seeing Angelina jamming to Portrait of a Child.

Great analysis, Nina 👍 You know, since jazz is the genre she grew up on and first started singing, her playing with the phrasing and being slightly behind or ahead of the beat, are things that come very naturally for her. As far as music goes, Angelina is as prodigious as they come, and then some😅 Take care 😊 Much love from Norway 🇸🇯❤️❤❤

Another demonstration of our Angel's penchant for taking a visit outside the structure of an original song. Results: a beautiful lyrical re-imagined version that caresses the words, playing w/notes, & phrasing, creating an impromptu version that, IMO, was both playful, but the emotion of the lyrics remained honest. Angelina in her favorite place, just a relaxing "playtime" doing what she does best...visiting vibes, experimenting with her nuances, skills & accompanied by a trustful intuitive musician. Thnx for another wonderful reaction.. not every "reactor" takes the time to savor her interpretive magic. I SO appreciate your perspectives. . don't be a stranger...see you on the flipside in a new episode of "Nina's Angelina Notions"!!! PEACE!!!

Very interesting reaction that explains the whole thing excellently from a vocal perspective. 👍 When it comes to soulful ballads sung by Angelina, this is my second favorite, surpassed only by "Every time we say Goodbye" (which would be good stuff for another reaction). You described very well the techniques she used to achieve this emotional effect, which is very different from the original. Slowing the whole thing down extremely is one of her favorite stylistic devices. And IFAIK, being slightly behind or ahead of the beat is an essential part of a jazz singer's toolbox and seeing it executed beautifully by a 12 year old is amazing. And it's very unusual for today's world of music that such a young girl has access to the complete tool set (even if she's just jamming around with a friend). Alan Papier's interview with guitarist Ivan Mendez is very insightful in this regard. The fact that this is an "arrangement on the fly" is actually unbelievable (there was no rehearsal at all).

One of the best

You're such a lovely human Nina.. love your warmth and positivity ❤ Angelina, for me with this song, at 11/12 years old, is simply beautiful!

Another one I love of this “duet” is her cover of A Million Years Ago.

GREETINGS EARTH WOMAN: I always enjoy the bliss on the guitarist's face. Nice vid.

Yep this song lassoed me into Angelina’s sound. Luv at 1st song.

To me this song is all about her tone .. It stops me dead in my tracks

Hi Nina 👋. Love your professional and educated analysis of Angelina. The nerdier the better 😁. She was,12 here. When you see Ivan Mendez as her guitarist you now she's 12 and in LA California. She does these songs on the fly spur of the moment. Can't wait for you to react, breakdown and analysis of her covering Adele's song "Million years ago". What she does at the end is cute, like when she sang How great thou art. It's mind blowing 🤯 as she can read the lyrics on a 1st time sing through and nail it on the 1st try. Her musicality is off the charts. God bless you Nina and your family too 🙏 ✝️❤ 🙂👍

Yes, they did one run through it, then recorded it. The guitarist Ivan Mendez said that angelina arranges all of the songs herself, a lot of the time slowing them right down. You can see in this video she is actually reading the lyrics off a screen to the side of her. Most of these sessions at home were done that way. Quite remarkable really.

Stay: The one, the only, Angelina Jordan at 12 years old. You can just imagine what Reanna thought when she experienced this performance, no wonder Stargate signed her. Angelina is on her way to the top. At 14 AJ signed with Stargate Production Co. (Beyonce, Rihanna, Sam Smith) and the largest recording company, Republic Records. Angelina at 17 is the MASTER of her universe, she is top priority for both Stargate, and Rob Christie Republic Records Studio Director at Universal Music Group Manhattan Beach, California. As of Dec 2021; her social media presence is equally impressive as she’s racked up over a billion KZfaq views, and 2.5 billion Facebook views, and has garnered praise from Time, CNN, BBC, and People. She has now done the song “Mercy” in the soundtrack of “Hating Game Movie” that just came out. We do not have to worry about Angelina's future with Republic Records as long as Rob Christie has her under his wing. Rob is a honest man and has been in the music industry for quite a while Thank you MR. Christie and take care.

Hi Nina, so great to see ur reaction to this wonderful cover. As commented here it's a very casual ocassion with Ivan, similar yo those she did with Egil back in Norway. Absolutely love these for that very reason, raw and showcases how musically gifted Angie is. There are many shorts on Insta and TikTok where some very lucky people have been present for her beautiful vocals, with no production❤

Thank you so much, Nina, for still including some Angelina on your channel. I attended her sold out concert in Portsmouth, NH a few days ago. I think there had been very little time for her to sync up with the band that was hired from the New England area because it was not a very good match. But she mostly shown above a band that had a tendency to showboat and gave the audience memorable performances.

You may be interested to see interview with Ivan Mendez about his work with Angelina. Btw I enjoyed to see you in "At Last Old Enough" video.

Great insightful reaction as usual and thanks for participating in The Old Enough At Last song ❤

Love your reactions to Angelina, Nina! Almost every recording of a song by her is good, but this Stay really stands out for me. Magical at times. So tasteful. She recorded more with Ivan (as he said later they hardly rehearsed) and one other is a real gem. That is her ode to Avicii. He was a Swedish DJ/producer/songwriter who has worked with her a bit. He probably could't handle the pressure and fame and tragically took his life. Angelina used a song he wrote (very uptempo) Wake me up. She slowed it down, which gave the song much more meaning and made it very suitable for the way she wanted to dedicate it to his memory. It's simply beautiful and timeless good! You can hear the sadness in her voice, which makes it all the more impressive! I'm sure you will love it!

enjoyed the reaction, LOVED the performance

I have been listening to her since she was on the air…lovely voice…that crooning signature is just beautiful…she is gorgeous in her own right ❤❤❤

Great reaction to Angelina singing one of my favorite performances by her

Yes, that was spontaneously done.

Nina, way back when, when I was getting started listening to Angelina I heard this recording when she was 12 and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I was listening to a professional singer who would be destined for stardom. Nothing has changed and in fact I just came back from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA, where she had her first Concert in the States. The Music Hall was sold out and she was wonderful. Her band was a group of marvelous musicians BUT they played much too loudly and if they stay with her they will have to understand 'the show' is listening to Angelina's voice and everything she can do with it. But, overall it was a tremendous Concert and the LOVE in the building was overflowing the walls. Something that all of us who attended will never forget. Btw, I saw your little piece you did for 'Wrapped In A Warm Blanket' and I was so glad to see you because I know you really care and that was nice to see.

From her first performance I saw back in 2015 I think I connected to her inate ability to always have the most organic inflection throughout a song. It always sounds perfect, the way she inflects on every single lyric, the breath, the scale, the lift or depth are like water flowing down a stream😊 Let alone the master vocals from another friggin realm😊

😊

One of Angelina's most emotional interpretations. 2018, the year Angelina moved to LA from Norway, she made several recordings with Ivan Mendez, an avocational guitarist that had sent her samples of his music to Norway. Ivan's day job in business management allowed the two of them to have music sessions at Angelina's house after Ivan got off work, thus his work shirt in the video. Ivan would accompany Angelina's suggestions, sometimes without prior knowledge of the song. Their recordings were most often one take efforts after jamming. Alan Papier's interview of Ivan, on KZfaq, gives wonderful insight into both Ivan and Angelina as people and musicians.

Back for the fourth time!! 💗 Thank you so much for participating in the old enough at last project. You are truly a beautiful person, Nina!

When you speak of her navigating, Nina, I hear that as Angelina's dancing. And the way that she ends this dance is unforgettable. I just love to hear her dance!

Nice reaction. These homemade videos at ages 11 and 12 with just a guitarist (Egil in Norway and Ivan in LA) were always on the fly. No rehersal and usually one take. In an interview with Ivan he said that Angelina would call him to come over. She would look up songs. When she found a song she wanted to do she asked him if he knew it. If he didn’t, he would take a few minutes to learn it. If she wasn’t familiar with the lyrics she would download them. She would then discuss with him how she wanted to do the song and would then say “follow me” and they would record. He said that if they did more than one take it was because he messed up. I understand that it was the same process in Norway with Egil.

I've watched that video so many times and each time it gives me goosebumps. I think that her vibratos are sheer perfection.

I always liked Rihanna’s version, but Angelina brings so much more depth - in voice and interpretation. Without practice, which is ridiculous.

With her EP I stopped figuring it which song I like best. I just enjoy it every time :-) With Rihanna Stay is a beautiful song of love and hope and you sorta know it will end well. Angelina strips it down and adds a lot of melancholy. Due to that the message changes for me: she is asking the other to stay but already knows it won't happen.

When I watch this video I follow Angelina’s hands and smile as Ivan’s face expresses pure elation as he listens to pure perfection!

Just incredible what Angelina can do without any effort, simply beautiful. Great choice and reaction.

❤❤❤❤❤💥👋👋👋👋👋

Really enjoyed your analysis Nina. Angelina has an exquisite approach to how she improve. The soulful sound give that emotional feel and her timing so on point whether it's behind or ahead, falls in place and it sounds so good. Thank you so much for this.

I can hear the holy ghost of music in her voice !!!

AJ has close to 150 covers to see on YT. She has been called the barefoot princess with 1,000 voices. She does her own arrangements and for this and her musicality from such a young age, I call her the Mozart of the Voice.

GENIUS ABSOLUTELY!!1 MAGICAL VOICE!!!

They are in fact "vibing" it here, Nina. There's an excellent interview with guitarist Ivan Mendez you should check out. And BTW, thanks for your usual excellent analysis.

Most of these early sessions with Angelina were spur of the moment performance. Let's do this song and basically for most of them one take.

Beautiful performance to this song

Angelina aged 6 first time in a recording studio, I who have nothing, incredible 😊

I really enjoyed your thoughts and comments on the recent "At Last" podcast. It's always good to hear from someone who knows what is going on with the choices made by singers.

I so appreciate the way you make Angelina the 'star' of your reaction... it seems to me that sometimes reactors try to show off what they know about singing and then demonstrate how it's done.

I have always thought that because Angelina started singing at one and a half, music is her first language, Norweigan her second Farsi and English her joint third. Given she was writing a diary at 6 I suspect her family is like mine who start reading between 2 and 3. We know she was searching for music on the Internet on the Ipad at 2. Her grandma was also a child prodigy a poet and artist. Writing and performing her own poetry on her country's radio in pre school.. we saw Angelinas first studio session at 6 where she is reading lyrics in English. I think most people miss how bright she is. I think it is that combined with her emotional intelligence that allows her to interpret music so well.

This was Angelina at the age where I was quietly hoping that she would grow into her big hands......God was listening.

Thank you for an exciting reaction. Yeah, Angelina makes it enticing to listen to her. One song you haven't reacted to that I often return to is Every Time We Say Goodbye with the 10-year-old Angelina. The Norwegian presenter says they are happy to hear her before Angelina travels to the US. That context gives this song extra depth. It was filmed by Norwegian Television on a rooftop in Oslo. You can find it here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gbiDfJt50rqsenU.html

This is a stunning beautiful version by Angelina! I listen to this every day. Angelina has always been a master of storytelling, emotional approach. And that vibrato!!!!!!!!👌💎 Thank you for a great reaction and the lovely At Last! ❤️🙏💫

I've watched this video over 50 times, just for the pleasure of reviewing her mastery of vibrato to add emotion to a song or watching videos of reactors, and I had never noticed, until you mentioned it, the non-verbal communication between them at 3:24. Just her looking at him and him nodding his head to say yes. I'm learning so many little things that my lack of knowledge of singing eludes me but that the reactors who know the art of singing notice.

Nina, Yes, regarding the EP. Just like you. Your assumption about the informal, unrehearsed quality of this performance is correct. She often applies a rather jazz approach to her rhythms/timing. Great insights to this informal "playtime" session. Grandma Ellen, glad to catch this and hear you again.

MISSED YOU at her Portsmouth concert, last c week !!!

Well, she is the best.

Thank u so much for always support putri

For all these home performances Angelina is using her device to read the lyrics .

I ABSOLUTELY love your reactions Nina! Your trained ear points out so many things to the untrained ear! Your wit is a bonus ❤

You're right, she doesn't know the songs, she goes to look at a few songs with Ivan, then she asks him if he knows the songs, she gives him a moment to practice a little and then they start, usually in just one take. You can always see how she reads the lyrics while singing because she doesn't know the songs either. She has absolute pitch and knows how the song should be sung correctly

😀😀😀😀😀

Fantastic insights on this one, Nina! Angelina really has a feeling for Rihanna's songs. That melisma on the next-to-last Stay, though! It's so dark and ambivalent. My understanding is that this was slapped together as part of a singing session with hired guitarist Ivan Mendez. His enjoyment is obvious, and who can blame him? Angelina's cover of Love On The Brain is incredible. Here's a link to a live version from Summer 2022: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eamEmJqixrTYfXk.html

Ivan's face expressions while he play guitar, are great. You can mute the video and looking Ivan you can identify most of the vocal wonders Angelina do.

Thank you SOooo much for your insights. Yes they were vibing it. Often Aj does one take pieces .I'm learning So much thru your annalizing her vocal ability. I know You will Absolutely Love (A song for A) AJ is just the perfect voice behind this lyrical Masterpiece. #AngelinaJordanASongforA (4:10) It's MEZERIZING ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.

Always look forward to your AJ reactions and you never fail to point out things most miss. Please, please react to her cover of You Make Me Feel So Young! You won’t be disappointed! The painting behind her in that cover is done by her Grandma Mery; an acclaimed Iranian artist.

Ivan said in an interview that pretty much all their performances were casual and not rehearsed. They hung out, talked about songs, went for it.

👍👍😍😍👍👍

I think she is reading the lyrics on the fly

🌟

Epic, check out, "Million Years Ago", God Bless!

AJ drives us all crazy but I’m getting used to it. Outstanding analysis & reaction.

Your smile meke me ..very diviculty sleepy...oh Nina please .say my name

I thoroughly enjoy your reviews & I think you'd be blown away if u review Angelina jamming with her band to Portrait of a Child, she's 8 ! This was a Screamin Jay Hawkins song.😅

When you watch the video you see her looking left to see the lyrics as she's singing the song

😊🤩

Nina was that your picture in the chorus at the concert of Angelina's.

All of these little performances with just her and guitarists are "giving it a go". Usually 1 take, 2 on a bad day. lol Most of these you see her reading the lyrics so I assume she is not overly familiar with the songs.

Meglio dell'originale.Angelina for Everest.

I stay in mountain in bali....only me in mountain Nina...if came here..Bali mountain very beautiful like you

You spoke of Angelina apparently looking at notes. She may well have been. The guitarist has commented.At some point that many of the videos he recorded with her were one take - no practice. Such is Angelina's quality.

1 Take, Live

If you want to hear a different voice from AJ listen to ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ (12)(on a blue sofa)

You can often tell when Angelina barely knows a song. Second line in, she reads "headed" like "pleaded" instead of "breaded", which is perfectly understandable given English is not her first language but it shows she hasn't paid much attention to Rihanna's rendition. I used to get the feeling she intentionally won't listen to songs she plans to cover to avoid being influenced to sing it the same way.

Nina, Angelina never Rehearsed for those one and one sit downs. Mostly it’s a 2 tries situation. As long as the musician knows the song. It’s a go. Her rule is . ( just follow her) That’s why she is alway on her phone or Tablet

Hello Nina There is a 15 year old named Emma Kok. She sang on the stage with Andre Reui She sang Voila. She is very special Grab a tissue you will need it Thanks

Sterio voice

This is another on take wonder,,,, and when they went threw a long list of songs they decided on this he took about 10 minutes to learn the cords and when he was ready she looked up the words on her I pad and started singing when it's done they started talking about other songs ,

Rhianna's professionally produced original of this song, which I'm sure required more than 'one take', can't come close with regard to emotion laden penetration that Angelina produces in this 'at home' session with her friend Ivan on guitar. Neither were fully familiar with it, so Ivan just follows Angelina's lead as she looks to her side to a tablet for the lyrics and comes forth with an 'on the fly' arrangement that is simply superior to Rhianna's original. A top exec at Stargate said that he knew of only three artists that could produce a production ready product in one take and they were Beyonce, Sam Smith........and Angelina.

I confess I prefer the pre-teen Angela to the current grown up version.

nothing on the mic,nothing in the livingroom, iets just record it,,,lol