If you're going to jump on the contemporary soul music bandwagon, you might as well go with something tried and true. Nikka Costa's first single/video for the legendary Stax Records, "Stuck To You," echoes the sounds of that label's glory days so much that her name check of Otis Redding was probably unnecessary. The former child star's band members are rendered as silhouettes — including some sexy background singers, which are actually provided by Ms. Costa, whois capable of the kind of provocative dancing that can make her surroundings disappear. Although director Alma Har'el could have just turned on the cameras and left the Costa work herself up and down the microphone stand, but instead enhances her performance with inspired effects and a tapestry of multicolored branches that surround the singer and form a hill she ascends. If the public's appetite for the soul flavor holds, Costa can expect to reach greater heights. [review by Craig Belcher] --> watch "Stuck To You"
Nikka Costa "Stuck To You" (Stax/Concord)
Alma Har'el, director/editor | Rafael Marmor , producer | Partizan, production co | Andrew Shulkind, DP | Ghost Town Media and Encore Hollywood, post-production
