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Elle Varner’s Perfect Imperfections

Posted by :Peauxetic Expressions On : August 13, 2012
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I’ve been waiting on the release of Elle Varner’s debut album, Perfectly Imperfect for a while now (released on 8/7). For some reason, it wasn’t available at Target, but I did buy it on iTunes. Check out my review of the song of the week below, “Stop the Clock” from her CD. Make sure to check out the video too to get the full review and my thoughts on Perfectly Imperfect. I will definitely say that CD is worth the buy though if you like R & B music. She’s expected to make a #10 debut on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart this week (roughly 30,000 copies sold). Check it out and see for yourself what the hype is about.

Song of the Week: Stop The Clock (from Perfectly Imperfect)

This song has a 1990s feel to it and I’m hoping she eventually releases this one as a single. It’s an interesting twist to a common situation. Girl gets cheated on. Stays up and waits for guy to come home. Tells herself she will never go through this again. The production here has a thumping bass line and her voice is really strong and may remind you of Alicia Keys. The song starts off with Elle Varner being embarrassed about her current situation and feeling silly. But as the song progresses, she is fully aware of what’s going on as the chorus screams “I’ve been praying for a little bit of light/ Listening for your love all night/With nothing but the sound of the wrist watch/Stop the clock”. Complete with slow dragging horns and catchy layered music, this song is a sure win for Elle Varner and a great addition to her CD. Just a thought, if she ever does a remix, I could really hear Big Boi from OutKast on here.

What do you think of the song? Is it a hit or miss?

God Forgives, Pop Music Doesn’t

Posted by :Peauxetic Expressions On : August 13, 2012
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God Forgives, I Don’t. This is not a personal opinion or character trait of mine.  But this is the title of Rick Ross’s new CD. I’ve never been a big fan of his, but I must admit, I like a lot the music he’s done in the past couple years. I even downloaded his free mix tape, Rich Forever. But something about the title of his new CD just makes me not be able to go out and purchase it. I like a few of the songs on it, but does he really believe the mantra of the CD’s title? Don’t get me wrong. I probably couldn’t put my iPod on random in any setting and please everyone in the room. I like all types of music, and some isn’t as clean as it could or should be, but where is the line drawn?

During the first week of its release, God Forgives, I Don’t sold over 100,000 copies and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. Could this be partly attributed to pure talent, or pushing the envelope. But even take Madonna and Lady Gaga. Both artists (Lady Gaga more than likely following in the footsteps of Madonna) have pushed the image, interview, performance and sexual envelopes way past the normal acceptance mark. But has the element of shock value become the new norm? Rappers like Eminem were treading on somewhat unfamiliar territory with explicitly violent and disturbing lyrics that had everyone in a frenzy in the late 1990s. But now, would it have the same effect? Have we really just become desensitized over time. Even Nicki Minaj can probably feel less of the heat being directed at her, from not having to pave the way like artists before her did. When Lil Kim exploded on the music scene in 1996, she took music to a place it had never quite been before. But now we want more and more…..and thus artists like Nicki Minaj are created.

By no means is any of this a cut or slight at any current day artists that I have mentioned here. But it is facing the reality that many of the concepts artists are putting out are not necessarily new, they’re just multiplied to the next level. What people think is so taboo now fits for the time, but when will we see that we’re pushing things a little too far? The main goal I see in current popular music is to get you (the consumer) to buy it. No matter what it takes to get there, if we purchase it, the artist’s job is done. Even some of today’s gospel artists like Mary Mary, Kirk Franklin and Lecrae have somewhat capitalized on what the younger generations are listening to. “The God In Me” sounds just like Jamie Foxx’s massive hit “Blame It”, so the general public is already predisposed to liking it. It’s all about what will sell and what won’t.

What are your thoughts? Do you think popular music is unforgiving of certain morals, standards and values? Or are we too uptight and it’s just all in the name of good fun and entertainment? Does real artistry still exist and what percentage of it is the artist’s personal expression or a ploy for sales?

Bump It Or Dump It? Ladies Night…

Posted by :Peauxetic Expressions On : August 6, 2012
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Tweet: Day Dreaming


It’s been a while since we’ve heard any new material from the Southern Hummingbird, Tweet. Her last CD, It’s Me Again, was released in 2005 and much has change in the music industry since then. But, if you thought that Tweet was going to look over her to her left and hang up her microphone, think again. She’s prepping for a new CD and has leaked several new tracks recently on what she calls #TweetTuesdays. No word yet on what the CD will be called, but one of the songs she has released is “Day Dreaming”. You may remember the original version of this song by Aretha Franklin. It’s scary sometimes when current artists remake classics, but Tweet pulls this one off extremely well. She adds her own touch while tastefully not altering much of the original version. I’m curious to see if this song will make the final cut on her album.

Beyonce: Dance For You

It’s rare that an artist releases a song that creates a buzz from a CD that’s over a year old. But if anyone can do this, leave it to Beyonce. Although I think she is overrated at times, you can’t deny her talent. Lifted from her 4 CD (one of her best in my opinion), Beyonce released “Dance For You” late last year as a bonus song and video on her concert DVD. I can see why this song wasn’t included on the CD, but it has a timeless energy about it. Maybe because she’s talking about a strip tease of sorts? Lol. But I could easily hear this played in the 90s and today as well. Nevertheless, the song has gained a lot of radio airplay recently and just may be another hit for her.

Mariah Carey Featuring Meek Mill and Rick Ross: Triumphant (Get Em)

MiMi, Mariah Carey, or whoever she wants to be called is back. She recently signed an $18 million contract with American Idol, but she still has an itch to make new music. I think she has one of the best (if not the best) female voices in R & B, but some of her music in the past few years has been hit or miss for me. Ironically, “Triumphant” didn’t seal any victories with my eardrums. There’s a little too much going on here (inspirational message, mismatched production, and awkward guest appearances). I think this song would have been better with just her and Rick Ross (whose latest CD is called God Forgives, I Don’t. Blank stare….really???) She also released a remix to the song on her website, but I’m not too fond of that version either.

Antonique Smith: Speechless 

Remember the girl who played Faith Evans in Notorious (the movie about slain rap star, The Notorious B.I.G.)? Well she’s making her debut into the music world now. She’s been dubbed to be the next big thing and a mix of Adele, Barbara Streisand, and Beyonce. Wow…what a mix of artists. I can’t say I dislike her first single “Speechless”, but I’m not head over heels about it either. The production of the song is interesting though and it has a relaxing vibe. We may not be seeing Antonique on the big screen any time soon, but I’m interested to see what kind of noise she’ll make on the music scene once her album drops.