Lady grinning soul

Laura Izibor is 18 years old, but does not always like to be reminded of this.
“Because of my age, journalists tend to ask me really dumb questions – such as, do I fancy boys,” sighs the Dublin ingénue.
So weary has Izibor grown of this line of questioning, she seems almost absurdly grateful that, for once, someone wishes to talk to her about her music.
There is much to discuss. Izibor, who plays piano and possesses a fragile croon, has been christened the future queen of the weeping ballad.
Her songs move with a swagger that has prompted comparisons with Alicia Keyes – of which she approves. Often, however, she is mentioned in the same breath as Norah Jones, an artist she disdains as peddling musical gloop.
“I would like to think I’m a little edgier than that. Okay, there’s the piano thing. From a certain piont of view the comparison makes sense. But I don’t want to be an easy listening singer,” says Izibor, on a break from recording sessions in Los Angeles for her debut album (due early next year).
Izibor first came to general attention at age 15, when she won a national song contest on 2FM. Most of the entrants traded in overblown balladry and hollow rock postures; Izibor crouched over her ivories and sang as though the lyrics were seared on her soul.
Within a year, she was opening for artists such as Jamie Cullum and James Brown and, in 2004, became the only unsigned performer to receive a Meteor Award nomination (for best newcomer).
Soon afterwards, Izibor signed a record deal with Jive Records, über-glammy home to Britney, Justin Timberlake and R.Kelly.
Jive hooked her up with Sade producer Stuart Matthewman and soul- daddy Maxwell and, for the past two years, she has been quietly assembling her debut in LA.
The record, she promises, will be a multi-faceted thing, possessing a misty-eyed soul and a hip-hop groove. Sure, there will be yearning ballads but also slinky floor-shakers.
“It’s all happened so quickly – I didn’t really have a chance to be swept off my feet,” says Izibor, who appears to find the prospect of global celebrity almost banal.
Disconcertingly grounded for her years, she says being a young singer can be a chore but also brings unexpected advantages.
“It’s certainly helped me stand out,” Izibor explains. “Because I’m 18, people pay more attention to my music. My age gets me noticed and I’ve no problem with that.”