Through the ages, traditional gospel music has been largely defined by a small handful of female singers who can match unrivaled on-stage enthusiasm with an equally unrivaled voice.

Chicago Mass Choir's Lemmie Battles is quickly establishing herself as one of those singers. In the tradition of Shirley Caesar, Aretha Franklin and Albertina Walker, Battles' driving stage presence and powerful vocal performances make her one of the rising stars of Gospel music. With a style that somehow manages to be both contemporary and traditional at the same time, Battles' voice cuts through the "me too" of Gospel music in a way that few singers ever do.