Quinn Christopherson, 'Celine'

There's nothing like getting compared to your idols. "Celine," from Quinn Christopherson's forthcoming debut album, is a song about measuring up to your heroes — but rather than a tribute to the beloved Canadian diva, the track is actually a touching ode to Christopherson's mother. In particular, "Celine" is about one especially memorable karaoke experience she had. "You came back so proud," Christopherson sings, then quotes his mom after she'd received the ultimate compliment on her performance: "'They said I sounded just like Celine.'"

Many of Christopherson's best songs focus on tiny, shared moments with his family, and he describes them with an impressive depth of tenderness and care. Here, he's watching his mom do her makeup in the mirror before she heads out; even if she's going to a "little hole in the wall," as he describes it, you get the sense that this matters to her, and so it matters to Christopherson, too. As he lists these details in the verses over minimal production, his voice is delicate and restrained — but once he invokes Celine at the chorus, his singing radiates joy. There are layers to that happiness: more than just being proud of his mom, you can hear him showing off that he, too, has learned how good it feels to give it your all behind the mic. He learned it from the best.

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