The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Writer

acadet@tribunemedia.net

She has always been a worshipper at heart, so it was only natural for Frankelle Outten to choose the genre of gospel when she decided to become a singer.

“My inspiration, it comes directly from God,” she said. “Many of my songs are born through my quiet time with God and/or through my personal experiences.”

Frankelle has just released her first single, “Talitha Koum”, inspired by an Aramaic phrase spoken by Jesus.

While this is also the first song she has written on her own to sing, Frankelle said she doesn’t considere herself a songwriter.

“I always say, ‘I don’t write songs, I hear Heaven’, and that’s my aim – to translate heavenly sounds to earth that will touch the hearts of those who hear them,” she said.

Coming from a family of talented singers and musicians, Frankelle grew up singing in church from a young age, and her earliest memory of singing in front of an audience is with her mother, singing a rendition of “Blessed Assurance” by CeCe Winans.

“I have always had a keen interest in music and the intricate sounds associated with it like harmonies and melodies. I do not play the piano proficiently, but from a young age, I would spend hours replicating notes I would hear in a song and play it on the piano,” she said.

“Excitingly, ‘Talitha Koum’ is my first released single and the first project of my own that I’ve worked on, but I’ve sung on tracks for a few other artists over the years. As God continues to use me as His vessel, I know that ‘Talitha Koum’ is the first of many songs that I will release.”

The inspiration behind the new song, Frankelle said, came to her when was invited to minister at a conference called “Galentine Vibes” - an annual Christian women's conference hosted by the Wife HER! Ministry. As the theme of the conference was "Talitha Koum: Arise, Daughters of God", leading up to the event, there was much time spent in prayer for Frankelle. During one of those prayer times, God revealed to her that she would sing an original song over the women in the room in attendance. A few months later, the song “Talitha Koum” was born.

“Everything about the song was directed by God through His Holy Spirit, and that is especially true for the lyrics. The phrase ‘Talitha Koum’ comes from the Biblical story in Mark 5:41 where a young girl became very ill and eventually died. At the time, Jesus was performing miracles nearby, so the girl's father desperately brought Him to his daughter's bedside. When Jesus arrived, He took her by the hand and uttered the words ‘Talitha Koum’, which in Aramaic means ‘Little girl, arise’, and immediately she arose from the dead. This story speaks of the resurrection power that is found in Jesus, and how that same resurrection power can apply to any area of our lives. The lyric ‘not every death deserves a tomb, speaks to this truth most profoundly,” Frankelle explained.

She said the feedback and support for new song has been phenomenal and humbling.

“I’ve cried, smiled, and pinched myself many times as I take it all in. So many people have told me how the song has inspired them, how they feel free, and how they feel loved by God just listening to it. Most people have said that they have the song on repeat in their cars, at their jobs, all day on their phones, and more. I'm truly honoured to know that God used me for such a great body of work and I'm blessed to know that it inspired even just one person,” she said..

Frankelle is inspired by individuals like her mother, Kelly Outten, who was her first musical influence. To this day, they still sing together, and Frankelle credits her mom with teaching her how to harmonise and educating her on the beauty and importance of the gift that God blessed them with.

“My mother kept me grounded with my gift and made sure that I used my voice in church and anything faith-related. She was a children's and youth choir director for many years, and to this day many know and love her for this. Another musical influence that I will mention is CeCe Winans. A major part of her influence on me is credited to my parents. My mother loved the song ‘Blessed Assurance’ and it was the song that we would receive standing ovations for in church, through our melodic mother-daughter duets,” she said.

“The way CeCe Winans put her own jazzy spin on the song was so intriguing to my mom that she would play it on repeat. Her love for it made me love it too.”

She said CeCe Winans' musical influence on her music was further solidified when her father, Franklyn Outten, played the 1999 album “Alabaster Box” on repeat.

“Known as the ‘Ice Cream Man’ in our community, he had an ice cream truck that he would drive throughout the neighbourhoods and anywhere he went you could hear songs from the album like ‘Fill My Cup’, ‘Comforter’, and ‘It Wasn't Easy’ blasting at the highest volume. I would accompany him on many of those trips and very soon I knew the words and melodies of her songs,” she said.

“Although I loved to sing, I did not aspire to be a recording artist like her, but I was moved and impacted by the authenticity and purity of her sound. Furthermore, the storytelling style of her song

‘Alabaster Box’ captivated me and fed into my love for literature and meaningful lyrics.’

At present, Frankelle’s music goals are very simple: to continue to seek God for the next project and follow His will for her career, and ultimately her journey as a recording artist.

“I do not have any immediate plans to release more music this year, but when I am inspired by God to do so, I definitely will. For now, I am grateful that ‘Talitha Koum’ is reaching the masses and I am excited to see the impact that it will further have on those who will listen.”

Frankelle’s music can be found on all streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.

“Most of the time I can be found singing in church, or on my social media platforms, which I use as an outlet to minister through song. I can be found on Instagram and TikTok at @frankelleoutten, and on my YouTube channel at Frankly Frankie,” she said.

Frankelle is also the owner of a business called Nexus Advantage Connect, a billboard advertising company in Grand Bahama. She serves in ministry as a worship leader and is as a full-time student.