Joy Comes in the Morning - Shanti Chapman (R&B) We’ve got a classic R&B/gospel hybrid here with Shanti Chapman’s “Joy Comes in the Morning”, a rousing ballad that feels just as fitting on retro R&B radio as it would belted by the gospel choir during Sunday service. The production is lush, with glistening rhodes sparkling in the background, a tight percussion arrangement and some heavenly backing choral vocals. But the star of this track is Shanti’s flawless vocal performance, a resonant baritone with strength, range and passion (and oh that belted adlib!!!). He also gives the song a unique sound in putting his voice in a prominent short verb/tight delay that helps to distinguish this track from its colleagues.

Best Lyric: “The clouds do pass in the morning. The sun will shine at the dawning of the day.”