After almost three years away from the music game, Jennifer Hudson makes a stable return with her sophomore release I Remember Me. Keeping in mind that she experienced and unimaginable tragedy with the murders of her family not long after her debut release, in listening to her new album, one can’t help but feel a sense of pride, in her ability to remain strong— if nothing else. On I Remember Me, Hudson seems somewhat brand new, re-energized, and seemingly jovial despite her life tribulations. The opening track “No One Gonna Love You,” is less persistent than the title would suggest, but sets the album’s tone off in the right direction. Produced by Rich Harrison, who is known for bringing the go-go element to tracks for the likes of Beyonce and Amerie, the song finds Hudson stepping a little bit out of her comfort zone with a new spin on what could easily turn into a run-of-the-mill bad break up song, but thankfully takes a turn in a different direction.
When Adele first hit the scene with “Chasing Pavements” over three years ago, the comparisons quickly came between her and Amy Winehouse. Sure, they’re both English singers/songwriters; both won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist (Amy in 2008, Adele the following year); and their music has helped usher in a new soulful sound. But in a late 2008 interview, Adele was quick to point out, “We’re a gender, not a genre.”
Adele describes her musical style as “heartbroken soul”, which might seem a bit odd for someone approaching the ripe old age of 23, but listening to her debut, 19, is all the proof you need to see just how accurate that description is. Her second album, 21, hitting stores and online retailers in the U.S. and Canada today, follows suit.
The album opens with the bluesy lead single “Rolling in the Deep”, which was released late November and its video less than a week later prompting a countdown of sorts by yours truly. The track is the epitome of a lover scorned with powerful vocals and equally powerful lyrics (Throw your soul through every open door. Count your blessings to find what you look for. Turn my sorrow into treasured gold. You’ll pay me back in kind, and reap just what you’ve sown.) with Adele exclaiming, “We could have had it all!” Continue
Nearly fifteen years ago Ginuwine jumped on the scene with his first single, the overtly sexual “Pony”. Now, the 40-year-old who was once “So Anxious” is older and ready to show his fans the man he’s become on his namesake seventh album, Elgin, available today.
Ginuwine picks things up right where A Man’s Thoughts left off in that it expresses the same maturity…somewhat.
In an interview regarding the new album, Ginuwine explained that he wasn’t trying to get the younger crowd. “I realize where I am in my career, and I realize the age difference and everything. I’m just trying to keep the fans that once knew me back in the day, and I’m just trying to grow with them and have them grow with me.”
The latter may be true, but including the Trina-assisted “Batteries” (which happens to be the album’s only feature) says otherwise about attracting a younger crowd as it cries out as a cheapened attempt of recreating “Bottoms Up” and would be better suited for someone of both lesser caliber and age.
It seems almost as if Sade has taken to grace listeners with its smooth, signature sound about once a decade, and Soldier of Love is right on schedule, the group’s first studio album in exactly 9 years, 2 months and 26 days. Fans will understand the significance of mentioning the time passed as each album following 1988’s Stronger Than Pride has suffered a longer lapse of time than its predecessor.
If that truly is the case, it may be some time after 2020 before we hear from Sade again. But let’s not dwell on that unfortunate news; for the moment Sade and the guys are back!
Frontwoman and lead vocalist Helen Folasade Adu along with Stuart Matthewman on guitar and saxophone, Paul Spencer Denman on bass and Andrew Hale on keyboards have been together since 1982, and in a span of over 25 years, they’ve released six albums (including Soldier of Love) and sold over 50 million albums worldwide. Sade says, “I only make records when I feel I have something say. I’m not interested in releasing music just for the sake of selling something.”
Keeping in mind that she experienced and unimaginable tragedy with the murders of her family not long after her debut release, in listening to her new album, one can’t help but feel a sense of pride, in her ability to remain strong— if nothing else. On I Remember Me, Hudson seems somewhat brand new, re-energized, and seemingly jovial despite her life tribulations. The opening track “No One Gonna Love You,” is less persistent than the title would suggest, but sets the album’s tone off in the right direction. Produced by Rich Harrison, who is known for bringing the go-go element to tracks for the likes of Beyonce and Amerie, the song finds Hudson stepping a little bit out of her comfort zone with a new spin on what could easily turn into a run-of-the-mill bad break up song, but thankfully takes a turn in a different direction.
