Face the Fire

Chamuel said as a teenager she was obsessed with Max Martin's pop hits on Top 40 radio, and in this album she wanted to produce fun, honest, well-crafted pop music. In February 2014 she got together with former bandmates Duncan and Katzman, and over a three weeks period they wrote the songs from musical nuggets they each had written in advance.{{cite web|url=http://www.iconvsicon.com/2014/10/12/face-the-fire-michelle-chamuel-on-her-career-new-album-and-tour/|title=Face The Fire: Michelle Chamuel On Her Career, New Album And Upcoming Tour!|publisher=iconvsicon.com|date=October 12, 2014|access-date=December 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021064206/http://www.iconvsicon.com/2014/10/12/face-the-fire-michelle-chamuel-on-her-career-new-album-and-tour/|archive-date=October 21, 2014|url-status=live}} The songs were then recorded, mixed and produced by the three artists along with engineer Devin Kerr, with Chamuel as the executive and vocal producer.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitaltrends.com/music/michelle-chamuel-of-the-voice-on-her-album-face-the-fire/|title=After facing judges on The Voice, Michelle Chamuel faces the fire in the studio|author=Mike Mettler|publisher=Digital Trends|date=February 10, 2015|access-date=February 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630201110/http://www.digitaltrends.com/music/michelle-chamuel-of-the-voice-on-her-album-face-the-fire/|archive-date=June 30, 2015|url-status=live}} The album's fourth track "Made for Me" was originally written for Valentine's Day 2014. The song was later revised and reproduced for the album.{{cite web|url=https://michellechamuel.bandcamp.com/track/made-for-me-crunchy-v-day-version|title=Made For Me (crunchy v day version)|publisher=bandcamp.com|date=February 14, 2014|access-date=December 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113123905/https://michellechamuel.bandcamp.com/track/made-for-me-crunchy-v-day-version|archive-date=November 13, 2016|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/MichelleChamuel/photos/a.369716469826995.1073741828.190886647709979/424356831029625/?type=1&stream_ref=10|title=Michelle Chamuel - Facebook - February 10, 2014|publisher=facebook.com|date=February 10, 2014|access-date=December 9, 2014}}

Chamuel said "facing the fire" is a metaphor for doing what you believe in, having the strength to be yourself, and facing the challenges and rewards that come with it. She said the metaphor also applies to her role in the production of this album as she took full responsibility for its production and sound.

The album's first single and title track, "Face the Fire", was released on October 7, 2014.{{cite web|url=http://music-mix.ew.com/2014/10/06/michelle-chamuel-the-voice-face-the-fire/|title=The Voice's Michelle Chamuel returns with 'Face the Fire'|publisher=Entertainment Weekly|date=October 6, 2014|access-date=December 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150719081049/http://www.ew.com/article/2014/10/06/michelle-chamuel-the-voice-face-the-fire|archive-date=July 19, 2015|url-status=live}} The song is about the consuming desire to accomplish, one that can be either destructive or a positive guide.{{cite web|url=http://www.americansongwriter.com/2014/11/daily-discovery-michelle-chamuel-face-fire/|title=Daily Discovery: Michelle Chamuel, 'Face The Fire'|publisher=American Songwriter|date=November 13, 2014|access-date=January 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113053311/http://www.americansongwriter.com/2014/11/daily-discovery-michelle-chamuel-face-fire/|archive-date=January 13, 2015|url-status=live}} The album's second single, "Lottery", premiered on Billboard on December 1, 2014. The song is about taking a chance on love knowing the uncertainty involved. "Golden", the album's third track premiered on Chamuel's official YouTube channel on January 9, 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ190w1mCtg |title=Michelle Chamuel – Golden (official audio) |publisher=YouTube Channel mchamuelmusic |date=January 9, 2015 |access-date=January 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113012003/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ190w1mCtg |archive-date=January 13, 2015 |url-status=live }}{{cite web|url=http://www.celebeat.com/articles/16521/20150109/the-voice-michelle-chamuel-releases-new-song-golden-from-upcoming-album-2015-listen-here-video.htm|title='The Voice' Michelle Chamuel Releases New Song 'Golden' From Upcoming Album 2015|publisher=celebeat.com|date=January 9, 2015|access-date=January 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063354/http://www.celebeat.com/articles/16521/20150109/the-voice-michelle-chamuel-releases-new-song-golden-from-upcoming-album-2015-listen-here-video.htm|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=live}} In an interview with She Magazine, Chamuel singled out "Golden" as the song that she always wanted to write.{{cite journal|url=http://www.shemag.com/Feb15.html|title=Michelle Chmauel Getting Ready to Wow Us|author=Denise Warner|journal=She Magazine|date=February 2015|volume=17|issue=1|pages=16–17|access-date=February 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920210345/http://www.shemag.com/Feb15.html|archive-date=September 20, 2015|url-status=dead}}

The album was released through Brooklyn-based The End Records.{{cite web|url=http://theendrecords.com/michelle-chamuel-announces-debut-lp-face-the-fire-coming-february-2015/|title= Michelle Chamuel Announces Debut LP 'Face The Fire' Coming February 2015!|publisher=The End Records|date=September 2, 2014|access-date=February 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905095233/http://theendrecords.com/michelle-chamuel-announces-debut-lp-face-the-fire-coming-february-2015/|archive-date=September 5, 2015|url-status=dead}} Chamuel showcased the album's music during her Turn It Up tour in late 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/11/concert_review_michelle_chamue.html|title=Concert review: Michelle Chamuel debuts new music at Pearl Street |publisher=masslive.com|date=November 16, 2014|access-date=December 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025701/http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/11/concert_review_michelle_chamue.html|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=live}} The seventeen city U.S. tour included Seattle, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. In interviews leading to the album's release Chamuel described her songwriting process, as well as her learning process on The Voice. She said the show taught her to remove the barriers between her as a performer and the audience and acknowledged Usher's contribution in making her see the entirety of a performance. She called the pop focus in this album a continuation of that.{{cite web|url=http://www.ontaponline.com/2014/10/31/an-interview-with-michelle-chamuel|title=Michelle Chamuel at Howard Theatre Nov. 17|publisher=ontaponline.com|date=October 31, 2015|access-date=February 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218045721/http://www.ontaponline.com/2014/10/31/an-interview-with-michelle-chamuel|archive-date=February 18, 2015|url-status=dead}} She said her goal is to make music "that people can resonate with" and "feel at home", and in an interview with Michigan Radio she added she wants the listener "to process their own stories through the lyrics."{{cite web|url=http://michiganradio.org/post/michelle-chamuel-fuses-pop-influences-intimate-lyrics-new-album|title=Michelle Chamuel fuses pop influences with intimate lyrics on new album |publisher=Michigan Radio|date=February 10, 2015|access-date=February 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150731130946/http://michiganradio.org/post/michelle-chamuel-fuses-pop-influences-intimate-lyrics-new-album|archive-date=July 31, 2015|url-status=live}} On March 4, 2015, Chamuel performed "Face the Fire" on CTV's Canada AM morning show.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4504510/|title=IMDb: Canada AM - 4 March 2015|publisher=imdb.com|access-date=March 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212190248/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4504510/|archive-date=February 12, 2017|url-status=live}} On March 17, she performed "Golden" on VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live show.{{cite web|url=http://m.vh1.com/videos/1177188/|title=Golden (Big Morning Buzz Live)|publisher=VH1.com|date=March 17, 2015|access-date=May 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413001343/http://m.vh1.com/videos/1177188/|archive-date=April 13, 2015|url-status=dead}}

{{Music ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/face-the-fire-mw0002808591 |title=Allmusic: Face The Fire - Review |author=David Jeffries |publisher=Allmusic.com |access-date=February 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423050815/https://www.allmusic.com/album/face-the-fire-mw0002808591|archive-date=April 23, 2016|url-status=live}}

}}

David Jeffries of AllMusic had a positive view. He noted the music has "a pop edge that's post-mashup, post-Internet, and maybe even post-genre" and called the album "a thoughtful gift" for Chamuel's Voice fans, and added her producer persona remains tamed in the background. Jeffries called the singing "powerful" and the songwriting "sincere". In an article for Digital Trends, Mike Mettler characterized the music as a "fusing [of] dancestyle pop with elements of rock, jazz, electronic, soul, and punk." He noted a melodic house influence in "Weight of the World" and a reggae influence in "Money". In describing the musical style, New University's Sana Aljilani wrote the album "draws inspiration from music [of] the late 1990s and early 2000s, yet Chamuel manages to put a modern twist on the album."{{cite web|url=http://www.newuniversity.org/2015/02/entertainment/reality-tv-alum-capable-of-creating-fire/|title=Reality TV Alum Capable of Creating 'Fire'|author=Sana Aljilani|publisher=newuniversity.org|date=February 16, 2015|access-date=March 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410045629/http://www.newuniversity.org/2015/02/entertainment/reality-tv-alum-capable-of-creating-fire/|archive-date=April 10, 2015|url-status=live}}

{{track listing

| headline =

| all_writing =

| title1 = Face the Fire

| length1 = 3:17

| title2 = The Fall

| length2 = 3:36

| title3 = Golden

| length3 = 3:38

| title4 = Made for Me

| length4 = 3:41

| title5 = Lottery

| length5 = 3:38

| title6 = Weight of the World

| length6 = 3:54

| title7 = Rock It

| length7 = 3:06

| title8 = Wake Up

| length8 = 4:22

| title9 = Money

| length9 = 3:17

| title10 = Give You

| length10 = 3:40

}}

Credits adapted from AllMusic and Bandcamp.Credits:

• {{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/face-the-fire-mw0002808591/credits|title=Allmusic: Face The Fire – credits|publisher=allmusic.com|access-date=February 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225044133/http://www.allmusic.com/album/face-the-fire-mw0002808591/credits|archive-date=February 25, 2015|url-status=live}}
• {{cite web|url=https://michellechamuel.bandcamp.com/album/face-the-fire|title=Face The Fire - Michelle Chamuel album|publisher=bandcamp.com|date=February 10, 2015|access-date=February 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161112135546/https://michellechamuel.bandcamp.com/album/face-the-fire|archive-date=November 12, 2016|url-status=live}}

{{colbegin}}

• Michelle Chamuel – primary artist, composer, producer, engineer, executive producer, vocals, background vocals, vocal producer, additional keyboards/programming, design
• Tyler Duncan – composer, producer, head engineer, sound design, keyboards, programming, background vocals/guitar/percussion, mixing
• Theo Katzman – composer, producer, engineer, drums, guitar, bass, percussion, background vocals
• Devin Kerr – mastering, mixing
• Andrew C. Taylor – photography
• Robert Lux – graphic design
• Tom Stoepker – additional composition (track 9)
• Tomek Miernowski – additional composition (track 9)
• Background vocals – Mike Shea, Julian Allen, Joe Dart, Jack Stratton, Woody Goss

{{colend}}

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BAeRgtZ6ug Chamuel on "Golden" and songwriting] at Paste magazine

{{Michelle Chamuel}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2015 debut albums

Category:Michelle Chamuel albums

Category:The End Records albums