Very
rarely do we encounter artists who have it all. In a superficial society, an
artist’s look is just as important, if not more important, as their talent,
especially for female artists. Teyana can sing, dance, and, to top it all off, she’s
a cute young woman. Her debut album VII, though not commercially successful,
was a great introductory project. However, like many of her contemporaries, she
lacks focus and drive. First, it took her forever to release her first project,
and then four years to release the next one. Teyana has become more known for
covering her idols’ music at VH1 shows and getting involved in celebrity drama
that doesn’t concern her than for her artistic abilities; this is a shame
because Teyana is super talented. Unfortunately, many people are unwilling to
give her chance because of her past antics.
Word to the wise – if you’re an aspiring artist,
please be mindful of what you say and do on social media and in interviews.
Also, please have an unwavering devotion to your craft. Don’t get a deal and a
little bit of money then start wanting to hang with, and defend, celebrities
because this will cause people to perceive you as a socialite, not an artist.
Moving
forward, I like Teyana. I gave her a pass for her past antics because she was
young; however, now, as a grown woman with a family, she can’t afford to play
around. She needs to solely focus on music, no workout videos, movies unless
it’s guaranteed to be the next Black
Panther, or TV shows unless it’s the next Insecure. Instead of centering her reality show on her and her
husband, she should center it all around her music. She should distance herself
from Kanye because he’s alienated so much of his core audience. His remaining
supporters aren’t the ones who will be purchasing her albums. He can still
produce her records, but do so quietly.
Let’s get
into the album review:
·
Album
Faves:
o
“Gonna
Love Me” – Good choice with The
Delfonics “I Gave to You” sample. Nostalgia, whether real or perceived, is in, and Teyana has the vocal prowess to
incorporate these old school samples into her work and kill it. This is my
favorite song on the album. It reminds me of Anita Baker. She better make an
Anita inspired video for this with a short 90’s haircut.
o
“Rose
in Harlem” – Second favorite song on the album. It’s relatable content. We can
all call out people in our lives, who’ve doubted and wronged us. This should’ve
been the first track on the album because she’s reintroducing herself and
responding to the critics.
o
“Issues/Hold
On” – Love this for exactly the same reason as I like the previous songs – A+
sample choice and relatable content.
o
“No
Manners” – it’s a seductive vibe. We all love a track with a woman confidently
asserting herself and her situation.
o
“Never
Would Have Made It” – I like this song, but there’s some missing elements
sonically. I appreciate the inward focus of the song.
o
“WTP”-
This song is OKAY, but I don’t like the repetition of WTP for the entire first
minute of the song, its overkill. Like the previous track, there’s something
missing with this song. I needed more attitude and grandiosity. There’s still
room for her to give those things in a dramatic music video
·
Problematic:
o
You
can tell that there wasn’t much input from women, in terms of song concepts and
writing, because some of the songs (“No Manners”, “Issues/Hold On”, “3Way”) on
the album place too much emphasis on having a man and keeping him no matter
what he does. It perpetuates this
age-old idea that black women should, and are willing, to put up with anything
from men because we are STRONG. The aforementioned is problematic, but, at the
same time, she’s speaking from her personal perspective so I don’t think we
should hold that against her.
·
Overall
Thoughts:
o
For
a 4-year wait, this album is too short. It seems more like an EP than an album.
It has 8 songs, but many of them are short and less than 2 minutes. I don’t
like long albums; however, I do expect an album to have at least 10 full length,
3 minute songs. It’s a good album that could’ve been great with more time,
full-length songs and female input. I’m interested in hearing the rerelease. Also,
where was Lauryn Hill, the one who was supposedly responsible for the album’s
late release?
Comment
below with your thoughts on the album.
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