Israeli folk-pop, singer-songwriter Yael Naim's catchy single New Soul"" swooped into the United States early this year and gained immediate popularity via a Macbook Air commercial. Featuring a piano and horn-driven groove with an upbeat and ethereal melody ""New Soul"" reigned No. 1 on iTunes and peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 2008 - right after its debut in the Mac ad.
""We're completely lucky that people could get to know our work through this commercial. It's a great chance,"" Naim said.
Her delicate, edgy voice and dark, emotional ballads on this album, however, merit their own recognition. Naim wrote the more melancholy material during the four years she lived in Paris, which she called a ""confusing period"" in her life. She wrote ""New Soul"" in a ""very happy period"" later while recording of the album.
With ""New Soul's"" success, Naim's album became the first top 10 hit by an Israeli solo artist in the United States.
""[The milestone] gave us a lesson to take the time ... and not to rush ... and just to sit down calmly and do what you love,"" she said.
Born in France, Naim grew up in Israel, beginning classical piano lessons when she was nine years old. At around the same time, she started writing ""little naive songs,"" drawing influence from The Beatles, Joni Mitchell and Aretha Franklin. After singing in the Israel Air Force Orchestra, then 21-year-old Naim was signed by EMI Records, and for a year she recorded her first solo album, In a Man's Womb, released in 2001, which received only small success.
""I think I got a bit lost and was not really mature yet,"" she said. ""I thought that I was an old soul and that I knew life ... and after living through the experience of life, I understood that I have to be more modest and ... after all this, it's my first time on earth,"" she said, adding that she's now a ""new soul"" and has ""everything to learn.""
Just look how far that new soul has taken her.
A fusion of jazz and folk influences - including Keith Jarrett, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Joni Mitchell - and of French, English and Hebrew lyrics, Naim's music attracts a diverse audience. Yael Naim showcases her talent as a jazz and classical pianist on the track ""Pachad,"" while her melodies in ""New Soul"" and ""Endless Song of Happiness"" are most inventive and uplifting. A fresh, almost seductive accent on some tracks complements the French and Hebrew on others, giving way for a unique sound that distinguishes Naim from contemporaries like Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson.
""I started writing in Hebrew, and after nine years of life in Paris, I felt maybe I can sing in French. It's not really easy because it's a really hard language for writing,"" Naim said.
It was David Donatien, Naim's percussionist and co-producer, who pushed her to experiment with different languages who helped Naim find her ""true voice.""
""David had the vision to tell me that we can be who we are - we don't have to choose one language or style of music,"" Naim said.
Naim looks forward to a ""calm"" future in which she can work on several projects she has in mind and continue composing and playing.
""If I can just continue to do a lot of music for the rest of my life and have a lot of my family and friends around me - it's perfect,"" Naim said. ""I don't ask for more.""
