Karyn White Heats Up the Palace With Energy

With her wild mane of hair and barely there mini-dress, hot newcomer Karyn White headlined the Palace Friday and exhibited the offhand sexiness and unharnessed energy of Chaka Khan back in her Rufus days. White’s 45-minute show had its rough edges, but her raw, energetic approach was refreshing in a time when so many entertainers are polished to high-gloss sterility.

The petite singer, whose debut album has just passed the million-sales mark, opened with “The Facts of Love,” the Jeff Lorber hit that introduced her to pop audiences. White engaged in a lot of Janet Jackson-esque choreography that drew heated response from her male fans, but id was her impassioned vocals on such numbers as “Superwoman” and “Love Saw It” (a duet with singer-producer Babyface) that really rocked the room. While as adept at dance hits as Jackson and Jody Watley, White is a far superior vocalist. She has a touch of Khan’s earthy soul, and even Whitney Houston’s authority. And a bright future.