music is to blame.: ‘Back To Black (The 20th Anniversary Edition)’ Is A Bittersweet Celebration Of A Generational Talent

Producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi were able to put so much heart into the record that, coupled with Winehouse’s cadence and vocals, it became even more infectious. Yet, when listening to the record, it’s almost like you can see all the moving parts as well – that’s down to the beautiful contributions from the Brooklyn-based funk and soul band, Dap Kings; their flair encouraged Winehouse’s playful approach to the project, and that’s especially felt on tracks like ‘You Know I’m No Good’ with its pop and earworming instrumental call and response. However, the rare B-side version featuring Wu-Tang-Clan’s very own Ghostface Killah hasn’t always been placed so front and centre; it’s refreshing to hear this version – with Killah’s verse riding the instrumental with so much finesse and grit. Collaborations like this encourage the project to feel like one big party. 

One thing that made Winehouse so singular was her ability to provide a new version of her songs with almost any live version she did – trying to follow or sing along to a live recording is almost impossible, as she earnestly set out to apply a different riff, flow, or cadence to any performance she gave. That’s never more evident than on this anniversary record: her joy in performing is so apparent in every creative choice she made that it’s truly authentic and shows just how much she loved it. One track that really reflects this is ‘He Can Only Hold Her/ Doo Wop (That Thing)’, a recorded performance from her show in Amsterdam where she melded one of her tracks with ‘Doo Wop (That Thing)’ by Lauryn Hill – one of the most influential rap and neo-soul artists ever. This rendition places Winehouse’s musical inspiration at the forefront – neo-soul is used as a reference point in so much of Winehouse’s music, even referring to more neo-soul royalty, Erykah Badu, on her 2003 song, ‘You Sent Me Flying,’ when she sings, “lent you Outsidaz and my new Badu”. Winehouse showed respect for her biggest inspirations through her music, which adds a richer sense of authenticity to the performances.