Monique Blakey delivers a soulful knockout with "If I Don't Have You"

Minneapolis might be the city of lakes and snowy winters, but it's also where you'll find one of the most rousing voices in modern soul music, Monique Blakey. With her latest release, "If I Don't Have You" You, Monique is showing she's more than just another cute face; she's a force to be reckoned with, serving up nothing but truth.  "If I Don't Have You" You" is for anyone who's ever held on when the going got tough; it's a mirror. It is a soft cry in a loud world. And that's quite a statement coming from an artist who knows her voice and is not afraid to use it.

"If I Don't Have You" sounds like a lost classic unearthed. The live instrumentation envelops you in a warm coat on a cold Minnesota night. There's no filler, no overproduction, just real instruments and genuine emotion. That's what separates this track; It's not trying to be trendy, but it's trying to tell the truth. Monique's words are lived in, feeling like pages ripped from her home journal. You can hear the ache, the longing, and the hope, all of it woven together in her delivery with gut-wrenching clarity. This song isn't exactly about love, but it is a song about what it means to need love, to battle for it, and to know that we can't get along without it.

Monique Blakey is a welcome reminder that the soul is not dead and buried. Her command is deft, but it's the emotion behind each note that sucks you under. There's a lovely restraint to the arrangement, a quiet confidence that allows the emotion to guide rather than the production. The result is a piece of pop music that is not only satisfying to hear. In a world that could use more heart, Monique Blakey just gave us a beautiful one-act hold-on. This song is not only worth listening to, but it's also worth remembering.