New Album Review: Jordin Sparks: RIght Here Right Now

So Jordin Sparks was on American Idol after I stopped caring. “No Air” was catchy and all over the radio, but I never fancied myself a fan of hers. “Battlefield” came out and I loved it, but I chalked it up to Ryan Tedder’s great writing. I still thought she was kind of boring. The only reason I actually listened to this album was because she’s signed to Salaam Remi, the producer who has works with legends like Amy Winehouse. The man worked on “Hotstepper” so he CLEARLY knows good music. If he saw something, I figured let me give her a listen. Ok Jordin, you have my ear, DON’T F THIS UP!



Work from Home: This song features B.o.B. and starts out all slow and sultry and then builds to a chorus with hand (I think ;) claps and it has a nice knock to it. Even though it’s a slower song, I could totally imagine a dancer at Magic City clapping along to it. (no hands)

1000- Her “Oh yeah” at the beginning made me think this song was gonna be lame as hell. The beat is actually kind of fun. Basically keeping it 100 is for the birds and Miss Sparks is now keeping it 1000. Girl, you’re so innovative! I am not quite sure who or what a J-Doe is, but he’s featured on this song. It’s not the worst rap, but it’s kind of forgettable to me. This song is the first glimpse of her speaking urban slang and it feels weird to me. I don’t take her as a girl that says “ain’t worried bout nuthin!”

Right Here Right Now: The beat once again has a nice knock to it and there is an overall airy and sexy vibe to the song. The chorus feels kind of a letdown given the beat for the verses. I think they could have done more with it, but a decent song nontheless.

Double Tap: I can’t wait for people to look back on this song and laugh the way people laugh about Britney’s “Email My Heart” It’s all about doing it for THE GRAM, which all the kids are loving these days. It’s a fun and silly song that teeny bopper girls (and me) will play when getting ready in front of the mirror. Funny side story: I had to explain to my boss what she was talking about. Yes, she’s talking about Instagram, but we see that it’s a jeu de mot on sex as well when 2 Chainz drops his verse. I love Jordin singing “Double tap that ho” It gets me every single time.

Boyz in the Hood: A piano driven track that wastes little time before dropping the clapping and drums that by this point has become standard for this album. I’m willing to bet good money that the choreography for this song will include a stripper kick or 12. Jordin is talking about wanting boyz from the hood. The guys that wear J’s and whatnot. Girl, I guess… Even though lyrically, it’s kind of trite, I actually like the piano on the track. It gives it a bit more soul

Silhouette: This song is a welcomed pause to all that upbeat trap-pop. It’s sexy and I like the lyrics. The track is perfect for setting the mood. It feels like Jordin is most comfortable in this lane and it feels natural for her

They Don’t Give: This is a song written by Babyface and definitely has a 90s R&B feel to it. It’s not vocally challenging, but Jordin delivers the song quite well and doesn’t try to do too much. I almost feel like I could see Tamia singing this song back in the day. This song is actually able to give throwback but still keep a modern feel to it.

Left, Right: I love how whoever wrote this song uses the play on words with “left, right” Jordin gives a convincing delivery of the lyrics. I don’t know how much of them come from her own experiences, but I’m believing her when she sings.

Casual Love: Apparently Shaggy isn’t dead! Let’s all take a moment and clap for that. I love the island vibe of the song. In the era of the flag waving side chick, it’s nice to hear a girl saying she doesn’t want to be just another girl or a casual love.
Unhappy: I like the pairing of her and Elijah Blake on this one. It sounds like a record Drake would make if he were to make R&B. Then at the end, they stop being restrained and both kind of just snap and give the kids out there a few runs to give them LIFE.

Tell Him I Love Him: a piano driven song that has Jordin talking to her man’s new chick. The subject is dramatic as hell, and lends itself to vocal stunts and shows. Jordin takes advantage of this when the chorus comes around. The last minute she delivers some powerhouse vocals that I honestly never knew she possessed. The first time i Heard it, she literally gave me chills.

11 11: This has Jordin back in that Drake lane. That’s no shade, I actually like the chill vibe to the song.

100 Years: This song feels like one long interlude to me. It kind of overstays its welcome and becomes boring.

It Ain’t You: MUSTARD ON THE BEAT, HO! “Need a pack of gum doo doo breath” and “you ain’t an OG, you an OMG” make this song feel kind of lame. It feels like an update to “No Scrubs” but lyrically it just falls flat. The beat sounds like all other generic Mustard beats.


Overall, once I got used to Jordin having a more “urban: swagger to her, the first half of the album became a lot easier for me to get into. She’s a young girl and I’m sure she wants to make music she can hear in the club. Plus who wants to be pigeonholed into “No Air” and “Battlefield” territory. Well then again, those were her two biggest hits, but I get that people mature and change. She gained my attention with the hood-pop (I’m really trying to make this term stick) but kept it when she got to the R&B. This album aims to please both the ratchet and the rhythmic. Overall, I’d say it’s pretty damned successful.

Album Review: Rihanna- "Unapologetic"

For those of you without a calendar, it’s November. What does that mean? Tons of men growing tragic moustaches, Thanksgiving, and for the past four years, a Rihanna album. Anyone that knows me know that I have been looking forward to this. I really enjoyed “Tal k That Talk” and was kind of surprised that it didn’t do better/spawn more singles. Then again, it produced the wildly successful “We Found Love” and “Where Have You Been” so I guess she’s doing better than many other artists. I was just happy that she continued on the up tempo streak she hinted at with “Loud” and gave me some music that made me want to dance. It’d totally be a logical step to continue with her successful trend for her next project, right? Well, as RIhanna would say “#Phuckyologic”

The lead single for “Unapologetic” is “Diamonds” It was penned by music’s it girl, Sia and was a definite departure from “Talk That Talk” I’ll be honest: I didn’t like the song at all when I first heard it. After listening to the lyrics and that damn “shine bright like a diamond” hook , I fell in love with it. I was ready for more music and was totally amped for the new project. I then played the CD start to finish without skipping anything. First impression: no impression. Nothing stuck. No tracks stood out to me as singles, there wasn’t anything that stayed with me hours afterwards (ie SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND!) Needless to say I was disappointed. I know Rihanna is unapologetic, but I felt like I deserved an apology. The CD felt completely vibed out on some Frank Ocean shit and I just didn’t feel like I was high enough to really appreciate it. Quick run down:

Phresh Off the Runway: RIh comes out with her guns blazing. Guetta gives us a track that doesn’t sound like anything I’ve heard him do, which is refreshing. The sample of “phresh off the runway” is a bit repetitive and the lyrics just pretty much have Rihanna talking about how dope she is. A good track to run to.

Diamonds: If you don’t know this song, you are dumb. GO away.

Numb: A laid back track that makes me want to curl up and eat pizza rolls and watch Sponge Bob. The chorus is just her “I’m going numb” repeated about 234423 times. I think the highlight of this song is Eminem’s verse. His wordplay and the effects they used on him are pretty dope.

Pour It Up: This could MAYBE bang in strip clubs if it was a tad bit faster. Rihanna is rich and likes strippers. Got it? Good.

Loveeeeee Song: A slow jam featuring Future. The track kind of lags to me and doesn’t really seem to go anywhere.

Jump: Did Rihanna really sample “Pony” by Ginuwine? It’s a cute song, but I think I give it more points because of that sample. She adds a dubstep breakdown to it, to update it for these children who don’t know that the original was cold as hell on its own.

Right Now: Another Guetta track, but this is a bit more classic Guetta. Ester Dean writes on this one so it feels a little more familiar as Ester has penned most of Rihanna’s biggest hits. This one doesn’t top their “Whose that Chick” collaboration.

What Now: After a blip of energy, Rihanna slows it down. This song is pretty cool and reminds me of “Too Close” by Alex Clare. It starts out slow and ballad like and then the chorus gets all gritty. I likes it gritty.

Stay: Another slow song. She premiered this on SNL last week. The lyrics are really deep. It’s pretty much just her and a piano, which is ballsy for someone who isn’t really known for her vocal prowess. It works for her though.

Nobody’s Business: This features Chris Brown and it samples Michael Jackson. I thought that for a couple of kids who are sick of people all up in their faces, they would have come with a harder track, but this is a sweet, breezy track. They don’t even cuss. This track reminds me of Bobby and Whit’s “Something in Common” Take that however you please.

Love without Tragedy/Mother Mary: this reminds me of the beginning of MJ’s “Dirty Diana” It’s an interesting track that also makes me think of the Police. I know that’s a random reference, but whatever, I’m random. Rih asks “what’s a love without tragedy?” I say “FUNCTIONAL”

Get it Over with: This has a Frank Ocean vibe to it, but not as good. This feels like a long, drawn out, interlude.

No Love Allowed: Rihanna goes back to the islands for this one. It’s a simple reggae beat and there isn’t much to the song, but I like it. It feels like a follow up to “Man Down” It’s not as good, but I like it.

Lost in Paradise: This song grew on me. It feels like stadium music. Like I could see Coldplay playing this at the O2 arena for the masses. Maybe Rihanna picked up some pointers while recording “Princess of China”

Half of Me: I love this song. Once again the production is stripped down and you can focus on her voice and the lyrics. Basically she’s talking about how we only see half of her story. Oddly enough this is one of the most relatable songs on here. I just like how in this introspective song she finds a way to say “I’m the type to not give a fuck” hahaha Oh Rihanna, behave!


Overall I’d have to give this a C-. It’s not only due to the fact that I really don’t like slow music, (I LOVED Rated R) but also the fact that nothing on here really feels special. Then again, someone who puts out 7 albums in 7 years is probably used to feeding us filler. I’m just not used to seeing THIS much filler on an album. Thankfully, she will probably be recording a follow up while she’s on promo for this. I know people were saying that this 7th album would be lucky and give Rihanna her first number one CD, but at this point I think people will be more apt to buy a Kelly Clarkson Greatest Hits or even Nicki Minaj’s reissue over this.

Let me end this positively. The cover is really cool. The artwork on the inside looks like Rihanna's stoner friends on instagram made her a collage, but it's cohesive. Furthermore, I am less and less disappointed with each listen. So maybe I won't be looking for that apology come February 2013. We'll just have to wait and see!

Album Review: Christina Aguilera- "Lotus"

When RIhanna was still in Barbados and free of tattoos, Christina Aguilera was showing America what being fresh out of fucks to give looked like. I’m talking about her “Stripped” Era. This is when she stopped being lumped together with all the other pop princesses of the time (Britney, Jessica Simpson, Mandy Moore) and really came into her own as a pussy popping, leather chap wearing diva. She followed that up with “Back to Basics” four years later which somehow got radio play. I’m not saying that album was bad, it was just so different than anything else on the radio. She another four year hiatus and put out Bionic. Things in the music world changed greatly in that time. Britney was now back in the game and somewhat lucid. The world was introduced to Lady Gaga and people’s tastes and attention spans had changed. This time around Xtina wasn’t so lucky. People accused her of biting Gaga’s style and the album flopped. Truthfully it wasn’t a bad album at all, but she stopped promoting it and kind of ran away with her tail tucked betwixt her curvy thighs.

Ok, so two years have gone by and Xtina is on TV with The Voice and was part of “Moves Like Jagger” which was a smash. Sounds like a great time to put an album out and reclaim your position as a pop diva! A few months back her single for “Your Body” leaked. It instantly had people talking as the chorus included the F bomb. I didn’t like it, but by the time I heard the mastered song I was hooked. I was really excited for her to return to musical relevance. Max Martin is a Swedish genius who was behind the catchiest song of all time, Since U Been Gone. It seemed like Xtina was ready to break the top 10 again. Sadly no one else seemed to be on board like me and it didn’t break the top 10.

The rest of the CD has a bunch of different sounds. Oddly enough it still feels a bit more cohesive than Bionic. It’s a step in the right direction, but at this point in the game she needs to be leaping and not stepping. There aren’t many tracks that standout as surefire smashes to me so I’m curious to see what she picks for singles. This CD will be a tough sell as I don’t think Xtina really has her own lane. Britney gives us dance/pop music. Brandy went back to her R&B roots and is finding success there. Xtina has always liked to dabble in different genres and try new things, which is admirable, but can also be confusing. Who is her demographic?

To end this on a positive note, I will say that I actually like the album. I have missed all of the melismas and powerhouse vocals that Xtina brings. Here’s a breakdown track by track:





Lotus Intro: Has an interesting start and the track sounds like it’s building up to be something epic. Then it stops before we get to that point. The song feels like Xtina is basically telling us that she is sick of being seen as some has been and is ready for some serious rebirth. Sounds like SOMEONE has been paying attention at yoga class! She sounds surprisingly restrained in the vocal delivery.

Army of Me: This promises to be an anthem in the same vein as “Fighter” The chorus seems like it’d be fun to sing along drunkenly. It’s kind of dance-y but it doesn’t go far enough in my opinion. I think a good remix could really take this song to the next level.

Red Hot Kind of Love: Upbeat song, but the production is a bit too cluttered for my liking. There is so much going on that I kind of don’t know where to focus. The vibe makes me think of a jam band having fun in someone’s garage.

Make the World Move: This also has a jam band feel to it. This features Cee Lo. It’s decent, but for two talented musicians it is kind of overwhelming. I really hope Cee Lo brings out his white cat for the video.

Your Body: Ok so this song what I needed from Xtina. It has her in the same pocket where she was for “Moves Like Jagger” and I really don’t mind that at all. This is a great pop record that sticks with you. The chorus is fun to belt out, but beware; I think I have done permanent damage to my vocal chords. So worth it.

Let There Be Love: This song is backed by a throbbing beat and is a fun dance song. It’s probably the first track on here that is truly a dance song. Army of Me kinda pussyfoots in fist pump territory, but this song actually just goes all the way. Once again Max Martin does it for me.

Sing for Me: Xtina slows it down and gets really introspective with her lyrics. It allows her to not only gush about how much she loves singing, but allows her to belt and showcase her pipes through a bunch of runs and melismas.

Blank Page: The production here is quite stripped. It’s just Xtina and a piano. She sounds good here. Another nice song by Sia, who apparently is having the best year ever.

Cease Fire: I don’t know what it is about this track, but it sounds so BIG and dramatic that I can’t help but love it. It goes along with that whole notion that love is a battlefield.

Around the World: It’s pretty much Xtina talking about getting freaky all over the world. At times she has a bit of an island feel to her delivery.

Circles: This song has Xtina telling folks to sit on her middle finger and spin in circles. DEEP. Once again she is giving me some RIhanna vibes with her delivery. For me, the chorus is such a disconnect from the rest of the song that it kinda just messes it up.

Best of Me: Total empowerment song. Her vocals soar over a track that starts out really sparse and then builds to a big, dramatic end.

Just a Fool: Blake Shelton is on this song and surprisingly enough, I love the country vibe of it. The two sound great together Blake proves that he is able to keep up with Xtina’s powerhouse vocals.

Light Up the Sky: Decent song with a pretty chorus and an uplifting message.

Empty Words: I actually really like the lyrics in this song.

Shut Up: Dirrty Xtina is back and as foul mouthed as ever! “Shut up, just the fuck up” is pretty much the chorus of the song. Well the bleep out the “Fuck” but we all know what she is saying. And as a tribute to the late, great Whitney Houston, Xtina even says “Kiss my Ass!” I can’t decide whether bleeping out most of the expletives is genius or annoying.

Your Body Remix: No. Why mess with a great pop gem only to do some tired ass remix?

New Video: Ciara "Got Me Good"

Ok, so Ciara is back to making music. After selling 37k in the first week for her last effort, she is starting to get the fact that this is do or die. Three back to back flops? Unheard of. I don't know who she is dating or if she has dirt on L.A. Reid, but this girl has been given a lot more chances than most. Her first single was "Sorry" for which I actually like the song and video. This next single (or single 1b if you ask her hardcore Stans) "Got Me Good" returns Ciara to music to which she can dance and twerk around. Afterall, isn't that why we all fell for her the first go round? It wasn't her voice. And lord knows she had to grow into her looks...

Anyway, this song has a retro vibe to it. I think people were assuming she would go the full female Usher route and get us all fist pumping and twirling our glow sticks, but she went left. If that was a good decisions remains to be seen.

The video is BEAUTIFULLY shot in the desert. Ciara looks great in the white outfit. SHe is dancing throughout and dancing HARD. I really enjoy watching her dance. Say what you want to about her singing/acting/ and everything else, but the boy can dance! The choreo has a ton of footwork and looks even cooler against a desert backdrop. It reminds me of her "Work" video and her video with Missy for "Lose Control" I doubt this song will really impact pop or even R&B radio, but I sure hope it does. I think Ciara is talented and I just want to see her be successful in her own lane. Peep the clip:

New Video: Stupid Ho

OK,
so Nicki went ahead and made a video for this song. I am really surprised as it seems like something off a mixtape. I don't see it getting played on the radio since it's pretty raunchy. I will say that I'm not really LOVING the singles I have been hearing from her. I feel like she can and needs to do a little better. I will say that the video is interesting. I was shocked I made it through it without having a seizure, but I attribute to being so distracted by Nicki's donk. Her makeup looks really good (shoutout to the MAC endorsement) and her wig collection is on point. I hope all of those bald headed women who sacrificed their hair know that it has been fried and dyed and now lays on Nicki's side, what an honour!

I must say that at this point, I feel that Nicki and Kim BOTH need to stop with the swipes at one another. It's just tired. Like Nicki is getting money, fame and is hanging with Madonna. And Kim, well she's dropping mixtapes that CRASH PayPal. Both of them are bad bitches. As a bad bitch, getting involved in petty squabbles is beneath you. You let them other hoes fight. That's been pretty much the saying that has kept me out of trouble and my mug in tact. I really would like Nicki to show me something beyond "Kim, why you mad?!" She always has such fun verses when she is a guest but then she kinda leaves me saying "eh.." on her own shit.

As for Hype Williams.. I just can't anymore. I mean, he was such an innovator and I feel like this would be good for someone else, but not Hype. It's decent. Maybe I need to just lower my expectations from him. I will say that bug eyed doll look was creepy and kind of cool. See, I am going to end this on a positive note.

New Music: Glory

So in the vein of so many artists before him, new father (well he is actually claiming this one) Jay Z has penned and recorded a song to celebrate the birth of his daughter, Blue Ivy. The song is a classic Jay track and I love it. I actually enjoy hearing him brag and boast, but it's nice to get a break and hear him being real. He opens up about the miscarriage the couple apparently endured. That is DEEP. It's actually just a beautiful thing to her him gush about this baby that he has only known for a couple days. My cold cold heart melted when I heard the realness of his delivery and his lyrics. I think this goes up there right next to Lauryn Hill's "Zion" which I think is an awesome song for a baby. Even though I am loving this song, I'm hoping that Jay doesn't trade "Money Cash Hoes" for "Diapers, Bottles and Binkies"


Is it weird that I really want to write a song or poem and have my mom perform it as her own. I really don't feel special that my birth didn't warrant some expression of art. Like come on now! I think my mom tells it that after giving birth to me she was all "time to get my tubes tied!" THat story doesn't really send the message of "I just birthed a gift from above. World prepare to be amazed!" I think I'll get to crafting that song right now! Well, first I'm going to nap and make a snack then I'll get right on it!

New Video: You Da One

So this is one of the standout tracks for me on "Talk That Talk" I love the airy, fun vibe this song and I was glad she chose this as a single. It's nice to get a break from heartache and heart break (and getting beat up by Chris Brown--I won't let that go, I don't care how many hot songs he puts out) and talk about being in love for a minute.

This video was shot by Melina who shot "Rude Boy" and "S&M" Melina makes good videos but often recycles and just flat out bites other people's style (see: S&M video and anything by David LaChapelle)THis time around she bites herself, as this feels like a rehash of "Rude Boy" I would have avoided any references to Rude Boy" as the song itself has the same island/ raggamuffin vibe, so you would probably want steer the video elsewhere (but that's just my not so humble opinion)Hell, she even does some of the same dances. And the styling is in the same vein as the Armani Ad Rihanna shot.

I know it sounds like I am hating on the video, but I'm not. It's a simple beauty video. Rihanna looks amazing and the video is well shot. Not every video is going to have an intense story like "We Found Love" and I accept that (side eye to Lady Gaga) Let the record show that I love how the smoke coming out of her mouth spells out lyrics. I fear that people will follow suit. I still see people trying to rock RiRi Red hair and it makes me cry inside. Now I'm going to see a bunch of chicks picking up Newports trying to smoke and be sexy. I propose that next video Rihanna picks up a book or a college degree! Ok, that's a lie. I like her best when she's being bad and inappropriate!

Thanks for the early Christmas gift, Rihanna! Sorry I didn't get you anything. But hey, I actually bought (yes paid for) your CD, so that should be good enough!

New Video: 25/8

Mary J Blige is back and ready to serve up a warm serving of raw emotion for her new single, 25/8. She took the time to explain the song which I thought was pretty damned self explanatory, but whatever. It's about needing more time to love someone. Cute. MJB looks really good and her performance scenes are filled with cunty dramacality. I know neither of those words exist, but if Mary can be talking about 25/8 then I feel free to make up my own shit. Boom.

Ok, so I have really been into this artist called Bridget Kelly. She just dropped an EP this week called "Every Girl" and I really like the outcome. She definitely has an Alicia Keys vibe to her, and got a lot of attention on Jay Z's tour singing Alicia's part on "Empire State of Mind" I like the songs "Seek and Destroy" "White Lies" and "Thinking About Forever" Get her EP for free at http://www.bridgetkelly.com

New Video: Love Lockdown

I am still unsure of why Kanye chose to premiere his new clip on Ellen. Now I'm hearing that Britney is releasing her new video on Dateline or 20/20 or some ish. What happened to the good old days of releasing music on music channels? I guess we don't have enough news to cover, so we look to pop music.
At any rate, the video is really cool. I like the white on white. In true 'ye style, he has upped the cunty/dramatic factor tenfold. BRAVA!!

New Music: Go Girl

I was watching BET for the first time in months and I saw the "Access Granted" for Ciara's new video "Go Girl" At first listen, I was not a huge fan of the song for a few reasons:

1.) It's midtempo
2.) It features T-Pain
3.) It features T Pain

After hearing the track, I was wondering what Ciara would do to inspire folks in the club. Luckily, she enlisted the director, Melina to direct the clip. It's pretty hot. There's no story and she's not giving us any raw emotions. She is simply dancing in various get ups and set ups. We see her first at work. She is rocking some librarian glasses and using a typewriter. If this is supposed to be futuristic, why rock granny glasses (with a chain) and use something as antiquated as a typewriter? Maybe cooler effects were too costly. Damn this recession!
The next setup is Robo CiCi, who looks like a first cousin to Beyonce's "Get Me Bodied" Robo B. Beyonce rocks the gold, while Ciara gives us the silver. Her body looks banging and we all know I'm a sucker for the phony pony.
The last Ciara is the street Ciara that we all know and kind of like. She looks really good in this video, I cannot even hate. This is a prime example of how a video can help me change my mind about a song. I hated it significantly less after her first Chinese split. The she did another split using a chair? She is raising the bar. How am I supposed to do that in the club? Dance floors are dirty. I have long, giraffe like legs. I hope for the next clip, Ciara picks a faster song and gives us a less aspirational dance. I'm thinking, slide to the left and clap. Slide to the right and clap. Just a suggestion...

Fearless

So I have been loving Jazmine Sullivan for a minute and her album finally came out last week. I snapped that ish up with a quickness and boy am I glad I did! She lived up to the hype and I would have gladly paid full price for her album. FULL PRICE, that is serious, given the current price of oil and the recession. Here's a breakdown:

1.) Bust Your Windows: As the title implies, it's about bustin someone's windows out after they messed with your heart. I have never really wanted to do something that drastic, but it's dramatic and I'm a sucker for a dramatic chick (see: Mariah) This is a bomb ass revenge song

2.)Need You Bad: The single that is blowing up. It has Pepa from Salt N Pepa. I like the reggae vibe. It's a sharp contrast to the opening number. This one is more like "damn, I should have never left you. you were the ish.."

3.) My Foolish Heart: I like the beat. It reminds me of A.D.I.D.A.S. by Killer Mike

4.) Lions, Tigers and Bears: I LOVE this song. It's about being afraid to fall in love. As someone who is dead inside, it's nice to know that there are other people out there who aren't so quick to fall in love.

5.) Call Me Guilty: This is a bit dramatic for me. It's about domestic abuse and whether or not she should catch a case over the mofo.

6.) One Night Stand: "Usually I'm the one that's in the control, i Be the freakum, leave him, move on to the next man" That's how the song starts out. I wish she would stop trying to steal my life! No I kid! kind of.. It's about catching feelings for a one night stand. Kind of a different take on the one night stand.

7.) After the Hurricane: This reminds me of Monica's "Shoulda Known Better" as far as the beat. It's another breakup song, but I don't mean that in a bad way. She sings it with so much raw emotion that you can't help go through it with her.

8.) Dream Big: I guess the album needed a pick-me-up to stop us all from jumping off buildings.

9.) Live a Lie: "if the truth is gonna make me cry, I'd rather just live a lie" Amen J, AMEN.

10.) Fear: She is talking about the many things of which she is afraid. It kind of makes me think of what I'm afraid of. I'm going to have to go with everything.

11.) In Love With Another Man: It's just her and a piano and she's telling her man that she's in love with someone else. It's not the vulgar "I'mma do who I want, what what?!" that people are always saying. This is sweeter and is just about the heart wanting what it wants.

12.) Switch: Kinda cheesy and I could have done without it.


Overall the album is awesome. I can relate to most of the songs on some level. Her voice and delivery make you feel every note and emotion. I know everyone is looking for the next Lauryn Hill (minus the crazy) and as much as I hate to put my faith in people this early on, she has potential. Now if I see her ass on the cover of KING bent over and sucking on a lollipop, I'm deleting this review and I'll refuse to admit to ever having faith in her as an artist.

New Music: Pocketbook

So my boy Max sent me an email putting me up on the new song by Jennifer Hudson called Pocketbook. I think it's produced by Timbaland. It's interesting because the beat is like someone beatboxing and her flow over it has a throwback feel to it. Ludacris appears and I really love him. The song is sassy for a few reasons:

1.) She repeatedly says "Don't make me hit you with my pocketbook!" Is that you granny? Maybe it's a southern thing, but I think people using the word pocketbook just sounds so 1940. I think I'mma use this as a threat for the next week

2.)"You ain't the only one trying to get under my skirt now"- girl you so nasty! You can't be showing your puakenikeni after you marry Punk. Does he have a real name? Is he always that glossy?

3.) "I've got my hair in a ponytail"-- I love ponytails! Now that's she's an official artist with an album and a second movie, I bet she's able to afford her own clip on ponytails. Say goodbye to the days when she'd pick up Beyonce's leftover jumbo silky #5 and make her own. That shit brings a tear to me eye. For real!

4.) "They say I stride like a model, got curves like a bottle"- She's embracing her thickness and being sexy as hell. Go on Effie, go on!!

You can listen to it here: (and by listen, I mean dL)

Pocketbook: http://www.zshare.net/audio/186680921152ed9d/