10/5/2008

Welsh soul singer Duffy has been dubbed the Princess of Wails by leading US newspaper the Wall Street Journal.

The paper says Duffy's concert at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem next Monday is part of the American debut of the 23-year-old, whose take on the Motown sound has made her a hit in Britain and across Europe.

"Duffy is part of a trend in pop music: the retooling of classic American soul by young British women. In that category the unrivaled champion is Amy Winehouse, whose multiplatinum album, Back to Black, spawned five Grammys and was critically hailed for its hip, horn-stabbed sound. But even as Ms. Winehouse has been showered with awards for her work, her career has been sullied by personal and legal troubles.

"As for the comparisons to Ms. Winehouse, Duffy's representatives are confident they will fade as Duffy's profile rises on the radio and with TV appearances next week on Live With Regis & Kelly, Ellen and Late Night With Conan O'Brien. "