Could British Singer Rumer Be the Next Norah Jones?

Her sleepy, dispassionate voice has been compared to that of the late Karen Carpenter, and none other than Burt Bacharach has endorsed her. So how has new singer-songwriter Rumer charged the UK pop charts in a time when pop tarts like Gaga and Rihanna rule?

Rumer’s first single, the melancholy ’70s throwback “Slow,” debuted at No. 16 on the UK pop chart this week, one spot below a cheeky boy band romp (The Wanted‘s “All Time Low”) and right above a Europop single from a Romanian techno princess (INNA‘s “Amazing”). Rumer may appear out-of-place on pop radio that values grooves, beats, and Auto-Tune over ballads these days, but her voice locks you right in. I suspect, if marketed properly in the States, she could become a Norah Jones-level phenomenon here. Have a listen. (Thanks to my friend Frank for posting this on his Facebook profile.)