5. "Soldier" - Beyonce Knowles: Beyonce does the Destiny's Child song on her own, providing another perspective of street cred, where the girls apparently "like them boys up top from the BK/Know how to flip that money three ways/Always ridin' big on the freeway" and the "Low-cut caesars with the deep waves" - an interesting image. The guest vocals chime in, noting that " cash, money is a army/I'm walkin' with Purple Hearts on me". Good beats
6. "Only You" - Ashanti: A tale of obsessive love, it features some strong bass and chords that would not be out of line in "Kill Bill: The Street Gang".
7. "Balla Baby" - Chingy: Quick, fast, rhyming featuring Bugs Bunny - "I know my err{ear} related to the wasky wabbit/Carrots{karets} all in it jazzy, it's a habit". This is another song rich in pimp cred - "I like em black, white, puerto rican or haitian/Japanese, chinese, or even asian/It don't matta what color on this occasion/Like smoke, take a hit of what I'm blazin/Instead of GOD it's me these girls praisin'./Meet me at about 6 at the Days Inn./5 of dem, 1 of me, I'm feelin' caged in."
8. "Used To Love You" - John Legend: Perhaps the best song on this compilation, John Legend revitalizes neo-soul and offers cool harmonies, as well as a wry look at choices - between love, bling-bling, and all else.(I reviewed this song at length earlier)
9. "Over And Over Again" - Nelly & Tim McGraw: An unusual collaboration between icons of hip-hop & country, this gentle piece about tmemories of loss, love and 'the last breath you took right in front of me' creates visual and aural images that linger. Nice.
10. "Obsession" - Frankie J: A song reminiscent of Enrique Ig., Ricky M, etc, this is not tongue-in-cheek, unlike others on the album. Romantic obsession seems to be de rigeur for the times.
11. "O (Clean Radio Edit)" - Omarion: The 'O' in the title is a reference to the singer, as well as the sound he wants to hear from his lady. Omarion puts in his bid to be 'the one' for the woman of his dreams, stressing that he is not self-serving, like all the other men who say "time and time again,/That they would rock your world and change ur life". He confesses he wants much the same thing, but from more altruistic motives - "Well im gone put my bid in 2 get at u. no disrespect/but i want it bad as they do. The only difference is they look out 4 themselves/but im doing it just 2 here u yell yea."
Article comments
1 - swingingpuss
Versatile and insightful review - one feels like listening to this CD attentively now :)
2 - Al Barger
I take it from this review that I'm considerably more jaded about pop music than you.
3 - Temple Stark
Stefani's song takes on a great meaning when you watch the video. There it's about writer's block and has an Alice in Wonderland like feel.
Writer's block brings tears to my eyes and the video does to. Weird huh.
That Frickin A's song you quote sounds great and I'm going to have to go find it. I am curious why Jessie's Girl. The original is really very good - from a soap star no less. Red, Hot and Blue Love was another of his hits.
We learn a bit more about the music here and a bit more about the reviewer with Al's post.
4 - Aaman
That's a compliment, I hope, Temple:)
5 - Temple Stark
yep.
have you watched the Stefani video?
6 - Aaman
not yet - will check on AOL
7 - Joe
I really love Gwen Stefani, but I wish she would go back to her roots and get back in the studio with the rest of No Doubt. The music that they produced together was a hell of a lot more enjoyable than the stuff she's doing on her own.