Anna Taylor
Features Editor

Most of my favorite singers are females. I love listening to soulful solo artists, especially the underrated, non-mainstream ones.

The first time I heard Mozella was when I was watching an episode of “One Tree Hill” back during the cast’s high school years. Her cover of Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So” was playing during what seemed like one of many jail scenes on the show.

I immediately searched for an MP3 of the cover song until I finally found it. Her version was slow and different; I loved it and still do.

The moral of the story is after I hear a song that I like of an artist’s, I generally look up their songs and often find I like them. This was the case with Mozella.

I downloaded her album “I Will,” became a fan on Facebook and followed her Twitter account where I soon learned she would retweet any tweet of mine that mentioned her music.

Now and then, on occassion, Mozella has LiveStream videos where she performs some of her songs from her bed or hotel room that her fans have requested.

Two years ago, Mozella also had a YouTube series appropriately called “Under The Covers.” Mozella would sing her cover of a well-known song in her hotel bed and post it on YouTube. Most of the songs she covered were from older artists such as The Beatles.

The Detroit-bred singer might only be known to some from her song “Magic (Oh Oh Oh)” which was featured in the Verizon Droid commercial or her cover “Get Ready” that could be heard in the promo for “The Closer” back in the summer and early fall of this past year.

(This is why I love Mozella. I hear her in the most unexpected places.)

The pilot for “Pretty Little Liars” featured her song “More of You.” Maybe that is why I continue to watch the guilty pleasure show, although if it was up to me, I would have used the song in a different scene for the show because the Ezra/Aria makeout sesh just didn’t seem right with the song choice.

With two full albums and three EPs under her musical belt, one could argue that Mozella has arrived.

The singer’s raspy vocals in her soul/jazz/pop music make her stand out in the indie crowd.

Mozella has also previously toured with the Dave Matthews Band, Michelle Branch, Five For Fighting, Tyler Hilton and Colbie Caillat.

Though Mozella has been compared to Nelly Furtado, Macy Gray, Norah Jones and Jack Johnson, I can’t say I agree. While her voice might sound like that of Jones’, the comparisons for the other artists are not quite accurate.

I would compare her to Michelle Featherstone, Meiko and even Ben’s Brother.­ She has the same musical style as these artists and has a similar voice.

Songs you should give a listen to: “Can’t Stop,” “Killing Time” and “Thank You.”

If the la-la-las from “Thank You” don’t get stuck in your head, you’re doing something wrong.