Portland’s own Shelly Rudolph is back with her latest single release, “I Love LOVE”.

This soulful and funky track celebrates the universal power of love. Shelly teamed up with jazz-soul artist Charlie Hunter, trumpeter Cyrus Naibipoor, and drummer Reinhardt Wolfgang Melz, to deliver a rich, layered sound that’s sure to make you groove.

“I Love LOVE” started as a poem before transforming into a song, capturing the playful and sweet essence of love in all its forms.

Hunter’s groove-driven guitar/bass hybrid sets a compelling foundation, while Rudolph’s sultry vocals twist and shimmy over it, creating an infectious and heartfelt anthem. Following her drum-less, chamber jazz album “The Way We Love,” this new track marks a departure in sound but not in spirit, maintaining her core mantra of celebrating love always.

1. Tell us the story of this song. Why did you choose to visualize it specifically in this way?

”I Love LOVE” began as a poem, as many of my songs do, but when I stepped up to the mic I started singing! Thus, a song was born. 

Lyrically, it is playful and sweet but the message is deep: love in any/every flavor, in any/every combination is to be savored and celebrated.  

As a follow up to my album “The Way We Love” this unabashedly sassy number has a decidedly different sound but my mantra and life mission remain the same: LOVE always, always. That’s all we are here for.  

I wanted the video to express this feeling of joyful flow, freedom of expression and unabashed celebration, which I think the ecstatic-dance element captures. The multi-layer effects represent the myriad “flavors” of love being expressed and celebrated, all at once. 

2. What inspired this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?

The iconic videos by Desrée – “You Gotta Be” -and D’Angelo – “How Does It Feel? – were the initial inspiration for this video. I love the way their solo presence invites the audience in, invoking an experience of immediacy, intimacy, vulnerability and power; all qualities that love demands and inspires. 

The color-palette was inspired by night-blooming flowers and late night dancing… vibrant and dark, embracing and sensual.  

3. What was the process of making this video?

I collaborated with the wonderful Derich Hartfeil of Fortem Films on this project.

A few ago he created an amazing, ethereal aerial dance video for my song “Butterfly Heart,”, and I knew I wanted to work with him again. We seemed to be on the same page artistically and easily. After sharing the music, lyrics and mood-conveying images with him we met up at a cool studio in industrial Portland for the shoot. It was a bit nerve-wracking at first to dance around by myself with a flurry of cameras around me but soon enough I swept away with the fun of it all and I love how Derich edited the footage to convey this sense getting swept away in the swirling dance of love. 

“I Love LOVE” was recorded by Sacha Muller, mixed by Bob Stark and mastered by Nick Moon.

Vocals and songwriting by Shelly Rudolph, Charlie Hunter on hybrid guitar, Reinhardt Wolfgang Melz on drums and the trumpet arrangement and performance by Cyrus Nabipoor.

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With a music career spanning over two decades, Shelly Rudolph has become a firm fixture in Portland’s music scene, with a devoted following who enjoy her dynamic performances and soul-stirring vocals.

Her influence has also grown internationally, with placements on Spotify and Pandora, and airplay on jazz radio stations across Europe, Japan, Indonesia, as well as the Middle East!

Don’t miss out on this fresh, soulful take on the timeless theme of love — listen to “I Love LOVE” now on Spotify

Keep up to date with Shelly Rudolph on her Website.

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Music can be streamed on Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Music and YouTube Music.