Read about WHITE LIE: CAROLYN’S STORY
SONGWEB.NET 2/5/26 *** Chris Oledude Unveils a Darkly Honest Rock Journey in ‘White Lie: Carolyn’s Story’:
Chris “Oledude” Owens returns for his second appearance on SongWeb after the emotional and vibrant “Rainbow Soul.” Today, he takes us on another engaging journey into the human mind with “White Lie: Carolyn’s Story,” a song he released in July 2025.
Right from the start, the track grabs your attention. A frantic phone call opens the song, with Carolyn shouting, “Answer that phone! Come on! Hi, Selma! It’s Carolyn! I don’t know what to do.” This urgent spoken-word intro sets the tone for the tension and moral conflict that runs through the song, inviting us into a personal and socially charged story.
Musically, the song is rooted in rock. It features driving electric guitars, a tight rhythm section, and careful vocal layering. Geoffrey Owens, Chris’ brother and an actor known as “Elvin” on The Cosby Show, delivers a textured electric guitar performance that adds grit and melodic strength. Chris Oledude’s arrangement ensures that every instrumental and vocal moment serves the story, balancing clarity and raw energy. The recording at Steve Addabbo’s Shelter Island Studio in Manhattan benefits from Ray Aldaco’s engineering, while Mark Dann’s mix at Woodstock gives the track a polished yet emotionally engaging feel.
Vocally, the track showcases a masterclass in character-driven performance. Dr. Wendy A. Ward leads with commanding and expressive vocals. Lindsey Wilson and Chris Oledude provide layered backup and ad-libs that support the narrative without overshadowing the lead. Lines like, “You built this house for me, but little credit goes to you. You service all my needs. Your dreams, deferred, become mine, too,” balances accusation, regret, and social commentary, while Oledude’s ad-libs beautifully highlight moments of tension.
Thematically, “White Lie: Carolyn’s Story” examines power, privilege, and the lies that shape human relationships and social hierarchies. The refrain, “WHITE LIE! I’m a little white lie! I’m a bigger white lie… I’m a big white lie!” captures the main tension, shifting between self-awareness and deflection. The first bridges with the lines, “I live trapped by convention, in need of invention. Living with the pain of hiding from the world’s tensions,” offer introspection, elevating the track beyond a simple narrative into a meditation on morality and self-deception.
The track’s structure is adventurous and easily moves through verses, refrains, bridges, and even a rap section, reflecting the complexity of the story it tells. The ad-libs toward the end, “Woe… What did you want from me? It’s war! Dream deferred! Truth be told, it’s time to spread the word!” bursts with emotional release, offering catharsis while emphasizing the song’s urgent message.
Chris Oledude has a talent for exploring complex emotional landscapes through his music. “White Lie: Carolyn’s Story” shows his growth as a storyteller and producer. He takes us deep into human conflict, moral ambiguity, and the consequences of deceit, all while maintaining a compelling rock sensibility. This track is an experience and a narrative-driven rock journey that stays long after the last chord fades. Oledude confirms once again that his music is meant to be felt, thought about, and lived alongside.
Full review at https://www.songweb.net/chris-oledude-unveils-a-darkly-honest-rock-journey-in-white-lie-carolyns-story/
THE MUSIC ASYLUM 2/8/26 *** Chris Oledude – White Lie: Carolyn’s Story:
For today’s review we are going ot be looking at incredible track by Chris Oledude, that was released last year, and this one is, “White Lie: Carolyn’s Story”.
This track is quite an important one, focusing on the story where a woman lied and got a man killed during a racial battle. It acknowledges the battle of equality and further reaches out for truth and freedom.
Featuring, Wendy A. Ward and Lindsey Wilson, this track will have you engrossed both musically and lyrically. It is quite a lengthy track, lasting nearly 6 minutes long, however there is not s second of it that is enjoyable.
Kicking off with a spoken-word intro, where we are told about the information of the track, we are instantly engrossed. The vocals throughout are amazing, with a mixture of singing, and spoken word you will be kept captivated. The vocalists are undeniably talented, and they tell their story exceptionally well.
In terms of music, it is amazing. It is intense and builds up to a fast-paced and almost unrollable climax. It keeps you in with its tone and rhythm changes, which adds further intensity.
I cannot put into words how incredible, and informative this track is. Head over to Spotify and check out, “White Lie: Carolyn’s Story” by Chris Oledude now!
Full review at https://themusicasylum.co.uk/2026/02/08/chris-oledude-white-lie-carolyns-story/
SISTRA 2/9/26 *** White Lie: Carolyn’s Story by Chris Oledude:
There is an undeniable strength to Chris Oledude’s ‘White Lie: Carolyn’s Story’. A blazing and manic anthem from the aware mind of socially active musical veteran Chris Oledude, ‘White Lie..’ is a listen that challenges the norms, and comes on top with a strong message and an even stronger presentation.
Based in New York, Chris Oledude, formerly Chris Owens, is a Puerto Rican artist with a lifelong dedication to speaking exactly what is on his mind, and for ‘White Lie: Carolyn’s Story’, what he has in mind is the unspeakable social injustice faced by black communities in the United States, and the collective inability to address those issues. Oledude chooses to tackle this with a rhythmically dense, danceable anthem with a litany of tolling bells, battering drums, and synth horns.
Adding up, and taking into account the song’s near 6-minutes runtime, we end up with a rather intense and challenging listen that is amazingly executed. Simple in composition, but complex in intent and delivery, the song features the fantastic lead vocals of Wendy A. Ward, and Lindsey Wilson, together delivering the main vocal motif that defines the majority of the song’s calculated mayhem.
With his mission of blending pop, funk, and RnB, with modern electronic hastiness, Chris Oledude’s ‘White Lie..’ is right on point with its massive synth bass, ominous bells, and doom-calling vocals. A deliciously full meal.
Full review at https://sistra.me/white-lie-carolyns-story-chris-oledude/
MUSICARENAGH & VIVIPLAY 2/5/26 (Christian) *** Sweet Soul, Bitter Truth: Chris Oledude Presents “White Lie”:
Chris Oledude presents “White Lie: Carolyn’s Story”, a single that initially feels like slipping into a warm bath before you realize the water is slowly turning to ice. If you let your attention drift, the track masquerades perfectly as a vintage soft rock ballad or a slice of polished, satirical blue-eyed soul. There is a bouncing low-end pulse and shimmering, glossy high notes that usually signal a romance on the rocks or a drive down the coast.
But the ear candy is a trap. Oledude, an artist with deep political lineage who treats music as an extension of civic duty, isn’t offering comfort. He has deployed Dr. Wendy A. Ward on lead vocals supported by Lindsey Wilson, Elijah Dixon Owens, and Geoffrey Owens to narrate the devastating perspective of Carolyn Bryant. By wrapping the story of the lie that sparked the lynching of Emmett Till in such seductive R&B packaging, the track creates a wild, nausea-inducing cognitive dissonance.
The juxtaposition is the point. The music mimics the “safety” of the status quo the way privilege constructs a comfortable reality to hide the violence required to maintain it. It is glossy, melodic, and terrifyingly cynical. Listening to it feels like being manipulated, which is precisely how historical revisionism works: it smoothes over the jagged edges of atrocity until they feel palatable. It forces you to confront a deeply uncomfortable question: how many horrors have we blindly hummed along to just because the melody was catchy?
Full review at https://www.musicarenagh.com/sweet-soul-bitter-truth-chris-oledude-presents-white-lie/
AKTMUSIC.COM 2/3/26 *** Chris Oledude Faces America’s Hard Truths on “WHITE LIE: CAROLYN'S STORY”:
Chris Oledude’s “WHITE LIE: CAROLYN'S STORY” is not just a song; it is a confrontation with history. Inspired by the 1955 murder of Emmett Till, the track revisits one of America’s most painful racial injustices through an unexpected lens: the imagined perspective of Carolyn Bryant, the woman whose false accusation set the tragedy in motion.
Rather than delivering a simple protest anthem, Oledude chooses a more challenging path. The song explores how fear, prejudice, and silence can combine to destroy innocent lives. It does not excuse Bryant’s actions; instead, it examines the mindset that allowed them to happen. That creative decision lends the track emotional weight and compels listeners to grapple with uncomfortable questions about responsibility and truth.
The piece blends soul, storytelling, and urgent vocal expression. Lead vocals by Dr. Wendy A. Ward carry conviction and sorrow, while Lindsey Wilson’s harmonies add depth. Oledude’s arrangement keeps the focus on the lyrics, allowing the message to land with full impact. Contributions from guitarist Geoffrey Owens further ground the song in raw, human emotion.
Oledude has long used music as a tool for social awareness, and this release continues that mission with honesty and courage. “WHITE LIE: CAROLYN'S STORY” reminds us that the past still echoes in the present and that confronting truth is the first step toward healing. It is intense, thought-provoking, and necessary, a piece of art that refuses to look away from reality.
Full review at https://www.aktmusic.com/2026/02/chris-oledude-faces-america-s-hard-truths-on-white-lie-carolyn-s-story.html
APOLLO'S HARP 2/10/26 *** Alt Rock Song Review/ Alt Rock : Chris Oledude’s ‘White Lie : Carolyn’s Story’:
Chris Oledude’s latest release ‘White Lie : Carolyn’s Story’ is a festive piece of music. It presents the story of a person with such a rich and full soundscape. The instrumentals are dynamic and diverse. With vocals that perform and paint a picture, the story comes alive, out of the song into the listener’s sphere.
Chris Oledude is known for his alternative explorations, especially his love for funk infused rock, gospel, and pop. In this track, you’ll see it all. Along with electronic features and grooves that bring the whole thing to new life. There is not a moment of staticity in the song. It is everchanging, entertaining and elastic in style and charisma. Definitely not something you hear often. New, novel, and full of surprises.
Listen Now! Full review at https://www.apollosharp.in/blog/song-review/-alt-rock-chris-oledudes-white-lie-carolyns-story
OS GAROTOS DE LIVERPOOL 1/29/26 *** Chris Oledude dá voz para o Mês da História Negra nos Estados Unidos com 'White Lie: Carolyn's Story':
Nascido em Porto Rico e morando em NY, Estados Unidos, esse é um nome conhecido pelos leitores do site e que aparece por aqui novamente, agora com um trabalho revelado nas plataformas de streaming há algum tempo, mas que conhecemos hoje e iremos falar mais sobre abaixo.
Lançada em Julho do ano passado, 'White Lie: Carolyn’s Story' é uma faixa que entrega para os ouvintes uma linha vocal marcante, característica do soul e que se conecta com maestria em sua instrumentação versátil, com sinos, elementos de sopro, riffs de guitarra e uma atmosfera única ao trafegar por ritmos vocais do rap, batidas do hip-hop, mas também elementos do funk tradicional, dark wave, entre outros.
Divulgada no Mês da História Negra nos Estados Unidos, a faixa mostra um pouco sobre como o racismo e a violência moldaram os EUA, contando a história de uma mulher branca que mentiu sobre um adolescente negro, Emmett Till, e contribuiu para seu assassinato em 1955.
Tendo um videoclipe ainda não lançado e considerado pelo artista como "devastador" (no qual o artista espera lançar um dia acompanhado de orquestra), a faixa pode ser ouvida abaixo:
Full review at https://www.osgarotosdeliverpool.com.br/2026/01/chris-oledude-da-voz-para-o-mes-da.html
FREQUENZE MUSICALI 2/1/26 *** La menzogna che ha scosso la storia: Chris OleDude e il grido viscerale di “White Lie: Carolyn’s Story”:
Esistono canzoni che nascono per intrattenere ed esistono canzoni che nascono per scavare solchi profondi nella coscienza collettiva. Chris OleDude, artista da sempre attento alla narrazione sociale e storica, torna con un singolo che è un pugno allo stomaco: “White Lie: Carolyn’s Story”.
Il brano non è solo un esercizio di stile, ma un coraggioso scavo archeologico nel dolore americano. OleDude affronta di petto uno dei capitoli più oscuri e infami della storia dei diritti civili: la menzogna di Carolyn Bryant, la donna le cui false accuse portarono al brutale linciaggio del quattordicenne Emmett Till nel 1955.
Un arrangiamento che trasuda tensione
Musicalmente, “White Lie” è una magistrale fusione di Soul, Pop e sfumature Gospel-Rock. La produzione è carica di una tensione crescente: il ritmo martellante sembra scandire il tempo inesorabile del destino, mentre la voce di OleDude si muove tra l’indignazione e la sofferenza.
Il ritornello, con il suo gioco di parole tra “little white lie” (una piccola bugia bianca) e “big white lie” (una grande bugia dei bianchi/sul potere bianco), è un lampo di genio poetico che sposta la narrazione dal piano individuale a quello sistemico. La “bugia” non è più solo il capriccio di una donna, ma il motore di una violenza collettiva che ha cambiato il corso della storia.
Carolyn: La prospettiva del rimorso (o del silenzio)
Quello che rende il brano di Chris OleDude unico è il focus sul personaggio di Carolyn. Attraverso un’interpretazione intensa, l’artista ci porta dentro la psicologia di chi sa che la propria parola ha scatenato l’inferno. Il testo riflette sulla rovina che travolge tutti — vittime e carnefici — quando la verità viene sacrificata sull’altare del pregiudizio. “Life will never be the same”, recita l’intro: una profezia che risuona come una condanna.
Il Verdetto
In un’epoca in cui la musica pop spesso rifugge il confronto con la realtà, Chris OleDude dimostra che l’arte è ancora lo strumento più potente per fare memoria. “White Lie: Carolyn’s Story” è un brano necessario, scomodo, ma profondamente necessario. È un invito a riflettere sul peso delle nostre parole e sulle ferite del passato che, se non affrontate, continuano a sanguinare nel presente.
OleDude non si limita a cantare; egli testimonia. E noi, come ascoltatori, non possiamo fare altro che fermarci e ascoltare questo grido di giustizia travestito da musica.
Full review at https://www.frequenzemusicali.it/la-menzogna-che-ha-scosso-la-storia-chris-oledude-e-il-grido-viscerale-di-white-lie-carolyns-story/
NUVAPULSE 2/1/26 *** When the Beat Hits and the Truth Cuts Deeper: Chris Oledude’s ‘White Lie’ Confronts America’s Unfinished History:
With “White Lie: Carolyn’s Story,” Chris Oledude delivers a song that refuses to fade quietly into the background. Built on a rhythm that feels immediately engaging, the track slowly reveals a far heavier purpose, one rooted in the tragic 1955 killing of Emmett Till and the lie that helped make it possible. Released during Black History Month, the song boldly ventures into morally uncomfortable territory, using music as a vehicle to explore guilt, denial, and the enduring damage of racial violence. It’s the kind of record that may hook you on the beat, but stays with you because it demands reflection long after the final note.
“White Lie” stands out especially because of the rhythm it carries through elements of pop, funk, and R&B, also the lyrics demand attention and repeat listens. Rather than offering simple answers, Oledude frames the narrative as a psychological reckoning—an exploration of denial, fear, and moral collapse within a racist system. The result is intense, unsettling, and deeply intentional, reinforcing the idea that truth, once spoken, refuses to disappear.
Chris Oledude’s life story gives this work added weight. A Puerto Rican–born artist raised in a home steeped in music, activism, and public service, Oledude has spent decades balancing cultural work with civic engagement. Encouraged early on by folk legend Pete Seeger, his songwriting has always leaned toward social justice. After personal loss and years away from the spotlight, his return to music in 2020 marked a renewed commitment to speaking directly to the urgency of the moment.
“White Lie” also stands out for its collaborative strength. Dr. Wendy A. Ward’s lead vocals deliver emotional gravity, supported by Lindsey Wilson’s lyrical contributions and Geoffrey Owens’ expressive guitar work. Like Oledude’s acclaimed visual projects, the accompanying video deepens the song’s impact. Ultimately, this single is less about revisiting history than confronting its echoes today. “White Lie” insists that remembrance is resistance and that truth, no matter how buried, cannot die.
Full review at https://nuvapulse.com/3308-2/
MUSE CHRONICLE 2/2/26 *** Chris Oledude Confronts America's Unhealed Wounds in "White Lie: Carolyn's Story":
Building a path in music that doesn’t shy away from America’s unhealed (or even unseen) injuries, this multi-genre artist, Chris Oledude, was inspired by the power of art to challenge, defy and transform. His work embodies his position in politics and portrays an artist committed to exposing society’s most agonizing realities. Oledude continues to defy and compel his audience to grapple with and respect how history bleeds into our present.
His latest release, “White Lie: Carolyn’s Story,” arrives during Black History Month, and it tackles one of America’s forgotten yet painful chapters: the 1995 murder of Emmett Till. The song is a step inside the mind of Carolyn Bryant, the white woman whose false accusation led to Emmett’s brutal death. It reveals the twisted logic of white supremacy, the never-ending system of racism that transforms fear into violence (even now), and how ordinary people become mere instruments of terror. The production is minimalist, but it does grab you with driving beats paired with a touch of dark wave.
“White Lie: Carolyn’s Story” is a bold look at our role in lies that provides no comfort. It reveals the harsh reality that some lies cause harm, and their effects echo generation after generation.”
Give “White Lie: Carolyn’s Story” a listen now and educate those around you about it, too!
Full review at https://musechronicle.com/2026/02/02/chris-oledude-confronts-americas-unhealed-wounds-in-white-lie-carolyns-story/
HIT HARMONY HAVEN 2/2/26 *** “WHITE LIE: CAROLYN’S STORY” by Chris Oledude:
“WHITE LIE: CAROLYN’S STORY” seeks confrontation. Chris Oledude, Wendy A. Ward, and Lindsey Wilson craft a piece of music that feels more like a reckoning than a composition, using sound as a moral lens to examine one of America’s most haunting historical crimes: the murder of Emmett Till. Rather than retelling the event from the familiar angles of tragedy or martyrdom, the track does something far more unsettling — it imagines the internal landscape of Carolyn Bryant, the woman whose accusation helped ignite the violence that took Till’s life. This narrative decision alone makes the song profoundly uncomfortable, but also deeply necessary. By stepping into the psychological space of the accuser, the track exposes the machinery of racism as a human decision — a lie, a silence, a choice — and shows how one moment of falsehood can ripple outward into irreversible destruction.
Musically, “White Lie” moves with a restrained gravity that mirrors its subject matter. The arrangement avoids melodrama, instead favouring tension, atmosphere, and emotional pressure. The production feels intentional in its pacing — slow-burning, controlled, and heavy with implication. Wendy A. Ward’s lead vocals carry a haunting clarity, delivering the narrative with a voice that feels intimate and distant, as if the story itself is being confessed from a place of moral dissonance rather than emotional release. Lindsey Wilson’s contributions add layered depth, reinforcing the internal conflict and fractured psychology that the song seeks to portray. The backing vocals and ad-libs function not as embellishment, but as echoes — voices that feel like memory, guilt, and history colliding in the same sonic space. Geoffrey Owens’s electric guitar work adds texture rather than spectacle, grounding the track in an earthy, human realism that avoids romanticising the subject matter.
What makes the song especially powerful is its refusal to sanitise history. The narrative does not attempt redemption, justification, or moral neutrality. Instead, it exposes the psychological complexity of a lie rooted in racist ideology — a lie protected by power, silence, and social structures. The song becomes less about Carolyn Bryant as an individual and more about what she represents: a system where whiteness functioned as authority, accusation as verdict, and Black life as expendable. By drawing this line forward into contemporary America — with direct cultural resonance in the era of MAGA and modern racial extremism — the track asserts that this is not a closed chapter of history. It is an evolving pattern. The same attitudes that enabled Emmett Till’s murder still breathe inside institutions, rhetoric, and social behaviour today, making “White Lie” a modern warning.
There is also a profound emotional intelligence in how the song frames guilt and consequence. Rather than theatricalising violence, it focuses on the moral gravity of causality — how one untruth can generate a chain reaction of irreversible harm. The reference to Mamie Till’s strength and the galvanising impact of Emmett Till’s death anchors the track in historical reality, reminding listeners that this tragedy was not just a story, but a turning point that helped ignite the Civil Rights Movement. This gives the song a dual function, where it mourns the innocent, and it indicts the systems that made innocence irrelevant. The tree of liberty metaphor becomes brutally literal here — watered not by abstract ideals, but by real blood, real children, real lives stolen before they could begin.
Ultimately, “WHITE LIE: CAROLYN’S STORY” is neither designed for casual listening nor entertainment in the traditional sense. It is cultural testimony — a piece of sonic literature that uses art to interrogate history, power, and moral responsibility. Chris Oledude, Wendy A. Ward, and Lindsey Wilson have created a track that feels more like a memorial and a warning than a song. It challenges listeners to confront not only what happened in 1955, but what continues to happen now — through silence, distortion, denial, and inherited prejudice. In doing so, it transforms music into witness and sound into accountability. This is not a track you simply hear, but one you carry, because it forces you to remember that history is not distant, and injustice is never accidental.
Full review at https://www.hitharmonyhaven.com/white-lie-carolyns-story-by-chris-oledude/
IGGY 2/2/26 *** Chris Oledude, la mémoire en tension dans White Lie: Carolyn’s Story:
Avec White Lie: Carolyn’s Story, Chris Oledude signe une chronique musicale aussi dérangeante que nécessaire. Sorti récemment, ce titre soul aux accents R&B s’attaque à l’un des traumatismes fondateurs de l’histoire américaine : l’assassinat d’Emmett Till en 1955. Plutôt que de raconter une fois de plus le point de vue des victimes, le musicien fait un choix risqué et audacieux : imaginer la voix intérieure de Carolyn Bryant, la femme blanche dont le mensonge a scellé le destin du jeune adolescent noir.
La chanson s’inscrit symboliquement dans le contexte du Black History Month, période où la mémoire afro-américaine se confronte à une actualité politique toujours marquée par la négation du racisme systémique. Sur une production dense et hypnotique, White Lie oblige l’auditeur à écouter attentivement, à dépasser le simple plaisir du groove pour affronter des paroles lourdes de culpabilité, de peur et de déni.
Le morceau est né d’un poème d’ami, écrit « en vagues violentes » selon Oledude. Les voix principales de Dr. Wendy A. Ward et Lindsey Wilson apportent une tension émotionnelle palpable, tandis que la guitare électrique de Geoffrey Owens, frère de l’artiste, renforce la dramaturgie du titre.
Au-delà de la performance musicale, White Lie rappelle que le meurtre d’Emmett Till, rendu visible par la force de sa mère Mamie Till-Mobley, a contribué à déclencher le mouvement des droits civiques. Soixante-dix ans plus tard, cette chanson agit comme un miroir : inconfortable, nécessaire, et profondément politique. Une œuvre qui refuse l’oubli et provoque écoute responsable.
Full review at https://www.iggymagazine.com/chris-oledude-la-memoire-en-tension-dans-white-lie-carolyns-story/
TEETH SOUND 2/2/26 *** Chris Oledude Examines Historical Guilt With "WHITE LIE: CAROLYN'S STORY" Single In Unflinching Detail:
“WHITE LIE: CAROLYN'S STORY” stands as one of Chris Oledude’s most courageous and intellectually demanding works, confronting a painful chapter of American history through emotional inquiry rather than simplification. The song revisits the 1955 murder of Emmett Till by exploring the internal conflict of Carolyn Bryant, whose false accusation played a central role in the tragedy. Instead of presenting easy conclusions, Oledude invites listeners into a space of moral tension, memory, and accountability.
The origins of the song reflect the intensity of its subject. Inspired by a friend’s poem, Oledude wrote the piece in powerful creative surges, shaped by decades of civic engagement and artistic reflection. His background in activism and protest music informs every decision here, giving the work depth that extends beyond performance. The song functions as both historical meditation and personal reckoning.
Recorded with longtime collaborators, the project benefits from disciplined collective effort. Lead vocalist Wendy A. Ward delivers a performance marked by restraint and emotional weight, supported by Lindsey Wilson and Elijah Dixon Owens. Geoffrey Owens’ guitar lines provide subtle urgency without overshadowing the narrative. The recording and mixing process preserves texture and clarity, ensuring that emotion remains present rather than polished away.
What distinguishes “WHITE LIE: CAROLYN'S STORY” is its refusal to treat history as distant. The song connects past injustice to contemporary social fractures, emphasizing how unresolved prejudice continues to shape public life. WHITE LIE: CAROLYN'S STORY becomes a framework for examining how individual fear and social pressure can produce irreversible harm.
Oledude does not seek sympathy for wrongdoing, nor does he reduce complex realities to slogans. Instead, he presents contradiction, regret, and silence as forces that demand confrontation. The listener is encouraged to engage repeatedly, uncovering new layers of meaning with each return.
This release reflects an artist committed to truth, memory, and ethical awareness. “WHITE LIE: CAROLYN'S STORY” is not designed for passive listening. It stands as a demanding, thoughtful work that uses music as a vehicle for reflection, justice, and collective responsibility.
RADIO ANOS ARMAZEM 2/6/26 *** Chris Oledude e a anatomia do silêncio na visceral "White Lie: Carolyn's Story":
Em um momento em que a história dos Estados Unidos se torna um campo de batalha ideológico, Chris Oledude emerge não apenas como músico, mas como um cronista da consciência ferida. Seu novo single, "White Lie: Carolyn's Story", lançado oportunamente no Black History Month, é um exercício audacioso de perspectiva e reparação histórica através da arte.
Natural de Nova York e herdeiro de uma linhagem de ativismo e erudição, Oledude, persona artística de Chris Owens, utiliza sua maturidade musical para revisitar o trauma de 1955: o assassinato brutal do jovem Emmett Till. No entanto, a lente aqui é provocativa. A canção explora o abismo psíquico de Carolyn Bryant, a mulher cuja mentira selou o destino de Till. Não se trata de uma elegia de perdão, mas de uma autópsia sonora sobre como o racismo estrutural se infiltra na narrativa pessoal.
Musicalmente, a faixa é uma tapeçaria rica. A batida sedutora convida o ouvinte para uma armadilha necessária; é preciso ouvir repetidamente para que a crueza das letras, potencializada pela interpretação vocal devastadora da Dra. Wendy A. Ward e Lindsey Wilson, revele sua profundidade. A guitarra elétrica de Geoffrey Owens pontua a tensão com precisão cirúrgica, enquanto a produção de Mark Dann garante que a urgência da mensagem não se perca na sofisticação do arranjo.
Oledude, encorajado no passado pelo ícone Pete Seeger, prova que a música de protesto contemporânea não precisa ser monocromática. Ela pode ser um groove pesado que carrega o peso de uma tragédia de 70 anos, conectando os pontos entre a segregação do Mississippi e as tensões políticas atuais. "White Lie" é um lembrete desconfortável e magistral de que, embora mentiras possam silenciar vozes, a verdade possui uma frequência que nunca deixa de vibrar.
ENGLISH
At a time when the history of the United States has become an ideological battleground, Chris Oledude emerges not only as a musician, but as a chronicler of wounded conscience. His new single, "White Lie: Carolyn's Story," released opportunely during Black History Month, is a bold exercise in perspective and historical reparation through art.
A native of New York and heir to a lineage of activism and scholarship, Oledude, the artistic persona of Chris Owens, uses his musical maturity to revisit the trauma of 1955: the brutal murder of young Emmett Till. However, the lens here is provocative. The song explores the psychic abyss of Carolyn Bryant, the woman whose lie sealed Till's fate. It is not an elegy of forgiveness, but a sonic autopsy on how structural racism infiltrates personal narrative.
Musically, the track is a rich tapestry. The seductive beat invites the listener into a necessary trap; It takes repeated listening for the rawness of the lyrics, amplified by the devastating vocal performances of Dr. Wendy A. Ward and Lindsey Wilson, to reveal its depth. Geoffrey Owens' electric guitar punctuates the tension with surgical precision, while Mark Dann's production ensures that the urgency of the message is not lost in the sophistication of the arrangement.
Oledude, encouraged in the past by the icon Pete Seeger, proves that contemporary protest music doesn't have to be monochromatic. It can be a heavy groove that carries the weight of a 70-year-old tragedy, connecting the dots between Mississippi's segregation and current political tensions. "
Full review at https://radioarmazem.net/noticia/129788/chris-oledude-e-a-anatomia-do-silencio-na-visceral-white-lie-carolyns-story
CAROUSEL 2/10/26 *** TRESILLO SEMANA 10/02: 1. WHITE LIE: CAROLYN'S STORY:
CHRIS OLEDUDE: Desde el ingenio de Chris Oledude nace la elaborada “White Lie: Carolyn’s story”, y que no te engañe su funky beat y pegajoso gancho, pues carga entre sus lúgubres campanas y entusiasta delivery una pesada narrativa desde la perspectiva de Carolyn Bryant Donham y su rol en el destino del joven afroamericano Emmet Till.
Full review at https://www.carouselrevista.com/tresillo/tresillo-10-02