Lalah Hathaway: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

July 25, 2018 | Felix Contreras -- Lalah Hathaway comes from royalty: Her late father Donny Hathaway’s voice was crucial for my generation, setting the bar for inspired, old-school soul singing. But living in that kind of shadow can also be a burden, robbing the offspring of an identity apart from that of the famous parent. The younger Hathaway’s appearance behind the Tiny Desk pulls back the curtain a bit for a close-up encounter with her powerfully expressive voice. The lower registers always draw me in, and in “Change Ya Life,“ Hathaway’s dusky contralto paints an exciting portrait of blissful cohabitation — but on her terms. “I’m going to teach you how to treat me like I deserve,“ she sings, adding, “I’ll give you the world.“ She draws on a tradition of romance and sensuality in the best soul music, but with a feminist twist that eschews old-school, male-centric lyrics and attitudes. Lyrics alone do not convey that kind of spirit. It’s in