Angie Stone, O-O-H Child | COVERS

In the sixth edition of COVERS (2025), Angie Stone delivers a compelling rendition of “O-O-H Child” originally performed by Five Stairsteps.

[otw_shortcode_dropcap label=”A” size=”large” border_color_class=”otw-no-border-color” shadow=”shadow” square=”square”]h, it’s time to get cozy and cover up! In COVERS, we highlight a musician or band covering songs by another musician (likely a popular musician). COVERS focuses solely on the musician who covers.  It is open to established musicians and musicians who may not be as well-known. In the sixth edition of COVERS (2025), Angie Stone delivers a compelling rendition of “O-O-H Child”, originally performed by Five Stairsteps.[/otw_shortcode_dropcap]

On March 1, 2025, the music world lost a marvelous singer/songwriter. Angie Stone, 63 years old, was tragically killed in an automobile accident 😢.  When I read the news, as a longtime fan, I was devastated. Despite being painfully underrated, Stone was a big proponent in the neo-soul movement of the late 1990s into the 2000s.  In 2016, she quietly released a covers album, Covered in Soul via Cleopatra.  Among the classics that Stone lent her smoky, sultry alto voice to is “O-O-H Child”.  The Five Stairsteps originally recorded “O-o-h Child” earning the collective their sole hit on the pop charts.  As always, Stone ‘puts her foot’ into her vocal performance.

“Ooh-oo child

Things are gonna be easier

Ooh-oo child

Things’ll get be brighter.”

Ooh, indeed! “O-O-H Child” gets an ‘updated’ production compared to the original. Keyboards, synthesized strings, and percussion are key parts of the sound palette.  Even with acoustic instrumentation supplanted by programming and a ‘cheaper sounding’ musical backdrop (particularly compared to her major label days), the soulful sensibilities and vibes remain intact. This is still soul music.  This is Angie’s lane, PERIOD.  As always, Stone delivers classy, refined, and smooth vocals. She is commanding and nuanced yet sounds as if she barely breaks a sweat.  Her cool, calm, and collected approach to soul is something that she’s always excelled at. She delivers the encouraging, uplifting vibes without a hitch. What more is there to say? The music speaks for itself. “O-O-H Child” in the hands of our dearly departed neo-soul icon, is incredibly sweet.

Angie Stone // Covered in Soul // Cleopatra // 2016

Angie Stone, O-O-H Child: Covers No. 6 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner /The Musical Hype; Cleopatra; Alan Cordero, Wolf Art from Pexels; AcatXIo, Enrique, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]