Kristin Fung confesses her feelings on the jazzy love letter “Straight to the Heart of It”

“This is a love letter but it might not be for you.” So starts Toronto/Vancouver-based songstress Kristin Fung on “Straight to the Heart of It,” a swooning, direct R&B love song perfect for Valentine’s Day. 

A vocalist, keyboardist, and composer, Fung started her career seven years ago with the release of her funky first project Massive Stride EP back in 2012. Since then, she hasn’t stopped performing in local festivals, museums, and showcases–she’s even occasionally played on mountaintops and in the middle of random lakes on her YouTube channel. Those years of getting comfortable on (and off) stage have seasoned Fung’s tenacity as a performer and a singer. In fact, “Straight to the Heart of It” was first performed four years ago, but Fung’s recent rendition of it shows off just far she’s grown since it was released.

Taking on a “gospel feel,” “Straight to the Heart of It” is the “perfect song for giving you that confidence boost to talk to your crush”–as Fung herself puts it. “It’s about having the courage to believe you deserve the best in love.”

“Straight to the Heart of It” is near seven minutes of improvisational-like jazzy joy, led by Fung’s acrobatic voice. Even though she’s being backed by a choir of backup singers and a seven-piece band, Fung’s amazingly controlled vocals still naturally shine through. Conveying such strong feelings in a song isn’t easy, but Fung manages to do it with soulful grace–self-proclaimed “baggage” and all. Think of every climactic moment in every rom-com that you’ve seen: “Straight to the Heart of It” is the song that wins the protagonist the love of their life. 

If you need that extra rush of confidence this Valentine’s Day, worry not–Fung has got your back.

Artist pages: Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube

Header photo by Melanie Godecki.