GRAMMY® Award nominated, Gospel Music Association’s Dove Award and Stellar Award winner Trin-itee 5:7 has been the Best Selling Female Gospel Trio in music history. After more than a decade on the music scene, the New Orleans natives and original group members, Chanelle Haynes and Angel Taylor have transitioned Trin-i-tee 5:7 from a trio to a duo. They will debut their new sound in a new project titled Angel and Chanelle, scheduled for release May 31, 2011 on Mathew Knowles’ Music World Gospel.
The Angel and Chanelle CD marks their seventh recording to date.
This CD is about accepting and embracing each other’s differences, and many of the songs speak to those issues, said Angel and Chanelle. “Our message is that God will bring you to a place of acceptance and love, and there is so much power and freedom in that,” said Chanelle. “Throughout our career we were always trying to please everyone, we wanted people to like us and accept what we were trying to do,” added Angel. “We have gone through so much and fought so hard to get to the place where we love who we are and know that God made us who we are. We are no longer trying to conform to someone else’s idea about who we should be. We believe that is reflected in the music on our new CD.”
The CD will be released in two versions—a 12 song standard version and a deluxe version with five additional tracks. “Over and Over,” the first single from the CD, is a soul-stirring, mid-tempo song, produced by GRAMMY® Award, Dove Award and Stellar Award winner P.J. Morton (India.Arie, Men of Standard, DeWayne Wood). Angel and Chanelle believe fans will fall in love with this song because each time they hear it they will be reminded of how God continues to bless us in our lives. “Heaven Hear My Heart,” is the second single from the CD. With its driving drum beat, contemporary feel and infectious chorus of “Je vous aime,” which means “I love you” in French, the single has landed on top of the Urban Adult Contemporary radio charts. The song speaks to how people seek acceptance from others, when all they really need is acceptance from God about who they are and what they are doing.
The album also features “God’s Grace Remix,” which is a fresh take on a timeless message. Produced by Surefire Music Group (Ne-Yo), the recording is a remake of “God’s Grace.” Written and originally
produced by R. Kelly, it was a hit song from their debut CD, Trin-i-tee 5:7, which is named one of the 30 Best Selling Gospel Albums of All Time by Billboard magazine. The production team of Surefire Music Group produced other titles including “Let It Go.” Both the message and the “in your face” energy of this song compel the listener to let go and let God. The group also wrote “I Need You Now,” a hopeful expression of our need for God’s help to make our lives what they should be. The hand-clapping, upbeat “I Don’t Need A Reason,” is Surefire Music Group’s third contribution to the CD project. This fun song hearkens back to the chants and rhymes of our childhood and reinforced the message that the best way to love God is the way children love their parents—with whole and happy hearts. Award-winning producer Stan Jones (Marvin Sapp, Brian Courtney Wilson, The William Brothers) produced two tracks, including “I’m Still Holding On,” a song with a more traditional gospel feel, and “I Worship Your Name,” a simple but powerful worship song that congregations will find memorable and will love to sing.
GRAMMY® award-winning super producer Rockwilder penned “Blessing Me,” a feel good song with an urban contemporary beat and vibe that makes you want to start singing as soon as you hear the first notes. He also produced “Just Remember,” which Chanelle and Angel co-wrote with Mathew Knowles.
The finger-snapping pop beat and the message that we should love each other and not judge each other, will certainly make this a song to remember.
The standard CD also includes “Some Kind of Amazing,” a love-song to God that is likely to be as at home on the pop charts as on the gospel charts, which was produced by Andrew “Druski” Scott. “Bring Your Praise,” rounds out the dozen tracks on the CD. Produced by Fred “Uncle Freddie” Jerkins III and Imani “IZy” Pressley, this song will get the praise party going with its urban contemporary beats, hip-hop vibe and hard hitting message about praising God.
The five additional tracks on the deluxe CD include some not-to-be-missed songs. Acclaimed producer Tito Ali contributed “New Day.” The first song they recorded for this album, it is an anthem celebrating their evolution to where they are today and all that God has done for them. “The Cross,” which was produced by the Surefire Music Group, was written and originally recorded by Prince and has the funky rock vibe that we would expect from that musical icon. Also produced by the Surefire team is “I am Not Alone,” which features a pop style and tight harmonies. The hauntingly beautiful melody of “Psalm 139,” produced by David Mullen, provides a showcase for the power and range of the voices of Angel and Chanelle. Finally, the intimate combination of keyboard and voices focuses the listener’s attention on the compelling lyrics of “Drops of Rain,” which remind us that even in our toughest times and darkest days, God’s mercy will sooth us like drops of rain. The song was also produced by David Mullen.
“We want listeners to know that there is nothing you can do that would change God’s love for you,” said Chanelle. “We want them to be encouraged to live life to the fullest because they know that God’s got their back, no matter what.” It’s a message, said Angel, which they especially want to share with young people. “We want them to realize that God created each of us in a unique way. We are all different and we don’t need to conform to what everyone else is saying and doing or to what others expect of us. We need to please God and to own our decisions—both our mistakes and our victories.”
In many ways, the new CD takes Angel and Chanelle back to where their relationship began. It was a shared love of music that brought these two together in their freshman year in High School. “From the moment we met, all we wanted to do was get together and listen to music,” said Angel. “We would sit in the gym at school and Chanelle would share her gospel music with me and I would share my R&B with her. That was the beginning of our friendship.”
The two budding singers supported each other as they each pursued their love of music, but eventually they went head to head in a high school talent show. Chanelle came in first place and Angel second, but they both felt like winners. “It never felt like a competition,” said Angel. “Competition is something that you see within groups all the time. The cool thing about us is that there’s never been that competitive spirit in our group. That’s one thing I’m really proud of.” Trin-i-tee 5:7 was born when Chanelle was told by her manager that a leading gospel label was looking to sign a female gospel group. He asked Chanelle if she knew anyone who could sing with her and she immediately thought of Angel. “We met at my house and sang ‘Amazing Grace’ together,” said Chanelle.
“It was magic. There were sparks and everybody in the room just looked at each other because we knew it was a special moment. And we’re still together, making beautiful music that we believe in and that we are passionate about.”
Angel and Chanelle each started singing in church as a young girl. Chanelle, the daughter of a Pentecostal preacher, sang in her father’s church, where she later directed the youth choir. From the time she was six years old she was singing at events around the city. At 12, she was one of seven children selected out of 1,2oo who auditioned to participate in a pilot for a television program produced by Quincy Jones, which featured talented kids in New Orleans. The pilot was not picked up, but Jones later recommended Chanelle for Star Search, and at 15 she was selected to participate on the show.
Angel had her first singing experience at the Baptist church her family attended in New Orleans. As a child, she sang at weddings, church programs and talent shows. One of the highlights of her teenage years was when she performed in the WILD (98 FM) Radio talent show. “I was pretty excited. It was a city-wide event and one of the biggest productions in the city,” she said. She came in second place but says that her family was so supportive that she still felt like a winner.
Family is very important to both Chanelle and Angel. Chanelle has five siblings—there are three boys and three girls. Angel has three brothers. She’s the oldest, but says her brothers don’t treat her like she is. Chanelle and Angel are close to their families but consider themselves family too. Both women have left New Orleans. Chanelle lives in Santa Monica, California and Angel recently moved to Atlanta, Georgia. They see much of each other when they are recording and touring, but say that even when they are apart, they talk to each other every day. Their closeness is evident whether they are discussing their music or their homes, or their families. They often finish each other’s sentences. “When we are together, I don’t even know when work ends and when it begins,” says Angel. “After a studio session we might go back to one of our rooms and watch TV and eat apple pie and ice cream. It feels like we’re in high school again.”
In their new project, Angel and Chanelle are doing what they have always done—singing songs that they feel passionate about. “We feel passionate about God and we feel passionate about the life He has given us,” said Chanelle. “If it’s called gospel, that’s great. If it’s called inspiration, that’s great. We try not to box ourselves into a particular genre. We believe that if God isn’t in a box then His children shouldn’t be in a box either. I think we should express His love through our music the way he gives it to us.”
In 2010, Trin-i-tee 5:7 received the Gospel Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in London.
Despite the fast-track successes of the award-winning group, Chanelle and Angel remain grounded in God. “Awards don’t determine or define those timeless things like friendship, your relationship with God and the impact that your music has on people’s lives,” said Chanelle. “So we stay focused on that because that’s what keeps us going.”
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