I am back with another blog entry. This is the first time, I am going to touch on a topic like this. I see this topic and have debated on it 500-11 times. People are going to prefer who they will and that's life. I have learned that you can give facts all day long but people are going to use their opinions to trump fact all the time. That's on them. But yet...I have to vent because some of the things I hear when it comes to discussions like this are unbelievable.
1. Christina fans using the Rolling Stone argument to support their position: It's the #1 pet peeve I have. For one, it's a subjective list made by journalists and people who work with Rolling Stone that used artists to praise their choices. Also, any list that don't have Barbra Streisand on it, and this is supposed to be the "Bible" of the music industry, isn't credible at all. Think about it: Mariah and Whitney are on the list[BTW, C-Tina is rated over Mariah on their list, that alone is pathetic.] and Babs influenced both of them. Yet, she's not on that list. There wouldn't be artists singing "power pop ballads" without Babs blazing that trail. Not to mention, she's one of the greatest technical female singers of all time. Her belts are free without any tension, her tone is one of the most resonant tones in all of modern mainstream music and her musicianship and interpreting of the music that she does is impeccible. She may not do all the adlibbing, melismatic phrasing, howling and wailing but her sincerity to her craft is undeniable. I would say the same thing if Bey was on the list and not C-Tina if Babs was omitted from it. For example, on a youtube video, though many Bey stans disagreed with me, I said that Bey is the bottom half of the top 50 to the top 75 range of female vocalists of modern mainstream music history(any genre, excluding opera/non-secular music). I would put Babs over Bey without hesitation. My fandom doesn't cloud my objectivity. Nor I am one who believe that contemporary artists are always inferior to old school artists. Fair is fair. C-Tina does not have the impact on artists or on the industry as a whole as Babs. To exclude Babs from that list, but have C-Tina on it is a criminal act and every objective music fan would agree with me.
2. "She's a White Girl with A black Girl voice": This argument in itself is pathetic on the whole. It's a sad day in music history that it has to be addressed. My 2nd fave female artists of all time is Teena Marie. She's one of the great soul singers of her time and she's white. Then there are other great white soul singers like, Michael McDonald, Janis Joplin(who was influenced by Bessie Smith, the Empress of Blues), Darryl Hall(Hall & Oates) and many others. I give cred to Adele in terms of contemporary soul artists. I don't feel that an artist has to growl and wail to have soul credibility, yet since C-Tina does these things, it adds to her soul credibility. Not to mention her skin-color. The Blue Eyed Soul dynamic is a long discussion in of itself and C-Tina gets those kind of comments. Here is one small problem: She's Latina not White. There are many soulful Latino/Latina artists and performers. Great in their lanes and have contributed to music and entertainment. Also, C-Tina is as pop as Bey is, in fact more so. When she tries to tackle "soul music", she fails. Why? Because she makes her voice and her ego bigger than the music. Take the James Brown cover at the Grammys. That whole performances was about how many runs she could do, and trying to prove that she's indeed a soul singer. She failed!!!! That high pitched howl that she did? Double Fail!!! James didn't even do that for the original composition and even when he did those things, they were within the frame work of the music. C-Tina seemed not to understand that. She just tried to mimic him instead, and even though the performance as a whole wasn't boring, her doing that took away from what the performance was about: Him. And don't use, "Well, Bey growls and wails too" argument. That fails also. Bey does it for interpretative purposes, and she don't always approach her belts that way. Also, Bey has done authentic and sincere compositions of funk inspired music. Bey and Funk(James Brown's genre) is a match made in heaven. Everyone knows this. C-Tina could never ever do what Bey did at the beginning of CIL on the I AM DVD, and Bey's voice was tired so her tone wasn't even as on point as it normally is. No matter how much wailing and growling she does. One last thing, C-Tina makes her tone sound bigger than what it really is. Her tone thins when she belts, for various reasons, and she makes her mid voice tone bigger to compensate for that so that she have that burly, gospelesqe tone but having that tone alone don't make a soul singer. Tammi Terrell has a light tone, but she had more understanding of soul music and executed way better than C-Tina would ever think to be able to.
3. It's accepted that C-Tina is "The Voice of This Generation in this industry: To me, this is one of the worst arguments of all. For one, about a decade ago when she was competing with the Britneys, the Jessicas, Mandy Moores, her label along with the media push this and so it's the perception that she is indeed, the Voice of this Generation. And yes, C-Tina does get praise for her voice. So does others in the industry, including Beyoncé. I saw on a site that C-Tina gets respect from her peers with her vocals that Beyoncé does not. I did this *blank stare* and *SMH*. Not that I need her peers opinion, Bey gets love across the board in the industry for what she does vocally. From Prince, Patti, Aretha, Smokie, Toni Braxton, Charlie Watts (from Rolling Stones, the group) to name a few from many artists, from numerous producers, critics, and etc, her vocals get numerous love. Not everyone in the industry thinks that C-Tina is the best vocalist of her age group, that's a subjective thing and something that's not stable because one minute you get praised and the next, that same artist might fall off. Both of them have gotten their props as singers/vocalists.
Okay, I know this is a long entry, but I had a lot to get off my chest today. I am a Bey fan and I love her vocals, but I am very objective toward certain things. I know that not everyone is going to like her and that's fine. I also understand her place in music history. Instead of C-Tina fans holding on to titles given a decade ago, they need to hold C-Tina to a higher standard than the music and vocal skills that she has produced especially in the last 5 years. She is squandering her potential, and hopefully her newest album not living up to expectation will allow her to see this. If she wants to truly prove her gift as a vocalist, she needs to go back to the drawing board and do whatever necessary apart from Auto-Tune to fulfill that potential.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
*Gasp* Bey says the N-Word....
Here's yet another entry. Two entries within week? Well, as I said a lot of interesting things have been happening and yet again, we have another "controversial" topic in which I felt compelled to blog on. As we all know, The Queen jumped on a collaboration with Kanye and we all know that in Hip Hop, the N word is very prevalent in the culture of it. So Kanye saying the word is pretty much nothing. However, Bey sings it as part of the hook on his song and all hell breaks loose especially in the blogosphere. *mock roll of the eyes*
One of the things I find is the double standard when it comes to R&B singers and Hip Hop Artists with anything. It's acceptable for Hip Hop Artists to "beef" with each other(no matter the gender) but it's unacceptable for R&B singers(no matter the gender) to do the same. I guess part of it is because Hip Hop Artists are expected to be hard, edgy and "hood" whereas R&B artists are expected to be soft, subtle and "classy" with the things that they sing. And back in the day, there was a distinct difference between hip hop artists and R&B until both genres merged and it is big part of music and entertainment today.
Not to mention, women in general are supposed to dainty, and "lady-like" as a whole whereas men are supposed to be hard as an example of their masculinity in society. Nevertheless, saying the N word with all it's connotation of the past is still a very controversial thing in our society and in music as a whole. BTW, Nigga and Nigger are actually two different connotations and reflect two different thoughts. I am from "The Hood", and I am 34 which means I grew up when Hip Hop wasn't even as commercial as it is now, and I grew up hearing Nigga for at least 2 decades and maybe a little before that. I, myself, don't use it but I don't get offended over it because as I said, I understand the difference because being called a Nigga and being called a Nigger.
Not to say, I don't understand the offense of the word. As I said in my last entry, the very fact that we have a discussion about racism, means that racism will never be abolished or eradicated. About 50 years ago, this country had segregated schools, restaurants, and even water fountains!!! It takes time to heal from that and philosophies and the residual consequences from that don't fade away. We should always remember our history so that we can learn from it and hopefully, not repeat the things that our ancestors did before us that weren't right. Not to mention, as I said, in my last entry, there are still racists out there who will twist things to promote their agenda. All the time, you hear: "If Blacks can call each other Nigger, why can't we do it?" You also have misogynists trying to find justification in calling women, the B-Word because some women, call each other that in friendly greeting.
So it's a slippery slope, as far as society goes. Nevertheless, when it comes to performing, and music in terms of the entertainment industry some of the best music comes from reflecting what the culture, sub-culture and pop culture alike is. Not to say that anything should be recorded, but the day free speech is free speech at the end of the day. If the Klan can be allowed to march in neighborhoods daily, then an artist saying Nigga is not a big deal especially knowing that the word is not the same as calling someone a Nigger which is always used in a racial context. So with that in mind, I am sick of the media especially, trying to provoke things for ratings and ultimately money. For example, when Nas wanted to call his album Nigger(which he dropped eventually), the right thing to do would have been to ignore him because he was doing it for attention.
As long as the media is willing to do anything for attention, artists will be the same way. Not to say that Bey did that in this case. For one, Bey has said the word before. Irreplaceable comes to mind. In fact, she has even *gasp* cursed on record. And even though, I, myself, don't curse, I don't believe in censorship when it comes to this. In fact, there are times when a curse in order for a song to be fully expressed lyrically, works. I am not going to say that certain songs suck because there are curse words in it. Big Daddy Kane is my favorite MC/Rapper of all time, he cursed A LOT. His prime was during the late 80s and early 90s. He used Nigga also. It didn't stop me from listening to him and I was a teen then. He didn't influence me in the direction that I am now. Anything that I have done, I have taken responsibility for my actions. I will not blame environment, whether it is music or my "hood" for anything that I have done.
Secondly, the song is not even hers. Not to excuse it, but it is coming from Kanye's perspective and we all know that he, as well as many other rappers/MCs, use the word frequently. [Though Kanye himself said that SHE wrote the Hook while singing it, but Bey don't lyric write at all though. *Chuckles*] Even "conscious" rappers have used it. It's always about context when it comes to comprehending anything. There are people who twist Biblical teachings off of misinterpreting the context of the scriptures, like Slavery for example. Same principle here. Not to say that I agree with everything that she does, or I like everything that she does musically or performing. The breast jiggle thing that she did on the Video Phone Video and The Why You Don't Love Me video, I have to keep from cringing, though especially with the latter video, I even got why she did it[it was done right when with the line: I give you everything you want/Everything you need. It actually fits believe it or not].
I think people have a hard time with it, because Bey off stage carries herself different that she does sometimes on the stage. I feel part of the reason why she spoke on Sasha as being her alter-ego was to show that performing is a completely different dynamic for her as oppose to her everyday life. To set the record the straight when it comes to percieving her art and not trying to confuse her artistic expression with her as a person. Not to mention, to show that a woman can be sexy, even push the line for what society thinks is classy and lady-like and still be still be lady like and feminine. And let's face it, whether we like it or not, the N word is not going away anytime soon. No protests, laws, essays, or dissertations are going to make a dent in stopping it.
Music is a personal thing. You either respond to it or not. If the N-Word offends, it is okay but there are musicians who make a conscious effort not to use it. Bey don't say that word much at all. In fact, a lot of people complain about her being too safe. Also, for as much criticism as she gets for being "oversexualized", she don't sing that often about sex. VP is the only song where she even explicitly sings of sex on IA...SF("You want to see me naked") and even that was teasing, not like other singers and rappers who say whatever is provocative. Bey is not a Lil Kim clone. I am not attacking Kim by saying this, but there are two different artists. Bey can even sing about sex and not approach it the way Kim does.
Finally, I think the whole issue that I am speaking of is about authencity. Certain people have more cred in the things that they do than others. Let's say that Bey wanted to do a whole Country Album, some people would have a problem with this because they would think that she's trying to do something that's she not. I heard someone say this when she recorded Diva, and that the poster said that he/she(don't know the gender), like Ciara's cover better because Ciara is more "believable" in being "Hood". Not realizing that if it was not for Bey and DC bringing Urban Music to Pop/Mainstream Top 40 stations and influencing her, she probably wouldn't have been in the industry in the first place because labels wouldn't think that there was a market for her. Hell, Bey is even influencing rappers, like Trina. She's a big part of Urban Mainstream music, whether people like it or not.
One of the things I find is the double standard when it comes to R&B singers and Hip Hop Artists with anything. It's acceptable for Hip Hop Artists to "beef" with each other(no matter the gender) but it's unacceptable for R&B singers(no matter the gender) to do the same. I guess part of it is because Hip Hop Artists are expected to be hard, edgy and "hood" whereas R&B artists are expected to be soft, subtle and "classy" with the things that they sing. And back in the day, there was a distinct difference between hip hop artists and R&B until both genres merged and it is big part of music and entertainment today.
Not to mention, women in general are supposed to dainty, and "lady-like" as a whole whereas men are supposed to be hard as an example of their masculinity in society. Nevertheless, saying the N word with all it's connotation of the past is still a very controversial thing in our society and in music as a whole. BTW, Nigga and Nigger are actually two different connotations and reflect two different thoughts. I am from "The Hood", and I am 34 which means I grew up when Hip Hop wasn't even as commercial as it is now, and I grew up hearing Nigga for at least 2 decades and maybe a little before that. I, myself, don't use it but I don't get offended over it because as I said, I understand the difference because being called a Nigga and being called a Nigger.
Not to say, I don't understand the offense of the word. As I said in my last entry, the very fact that we have a discussion about racism, means that racism will never be abolished or eradicated. About 50 years ago, this country had segregated schools, restaurants, and even water fountains!!! It takes time to heal from that and philosophies and the residual consequences from that don't fade away. We should always remember our history so that we can learn from it and hopefully, not repeat the things that our ancestors did before us that weren't right. Not to mention, as I said, in my last entry, there are still racists out there who will twist things to promote their agenda. All the time, you hear: "If Blacks can call each other Nigger, why can't we do it?" You also have misogynists trying to find justification in calling women, the B-Word because some women, call each other that in friendly greeting.
So it's a slippery slope, as far as society goes. Nevertheless, when it comes to performing, and music in terms of the entertainment industry some of the best music comes from reflecting what the culture, sub-culture and pop culture alike is. Not to say that anything should be recorded, but the day free speech is free speech at the end of the day. If the Klan can be allowed to march in neighborhoods daily, then an artist saying Nigga is not a big deal especially knowing that the word is not the same as calling someone a Nigger which is always used in a racial context. So with that in mind, I am sick of the media especially, trying to provoke things for ratings and ultimately money. For example, when Nas wanted to call his album Nigger(which he dropped eventually), the right thing to do would have been to ignore him because he was doing it for attention.
As long as the media is willing to do anything for attention, artists will be the same way. Not to say that Bey did that in this case. For one, Bey has said the word before. Irreplaceable comes to mind. In fact, she has even *gasp* cursed on record. And even though, I, myself, don't curse, I don't believe in censorship when it comes to this. In fact, there are times when a curse in order for a song to be fully expressed lyrically, works. I am not going to say that certain songs suck because there are curse words in it. Big Daddy Kane is my favorite MC/Rapper of all time, he cursed A LOT. His prime was during the late 80s and early 90s. He used Nigga also. It didn't stop me from listening to him and I was a teen then. He didn't influence me in the direction that I am now. Anything that I have done, I have taken responsibility for my actions. I will not blame environment, whether it is music or my "hood" for anything that I have done.
Secondly, the song is not even hers. Not to excuse it, but it is coming from Kanye's perspective and we all know that he, as well as many other rappers/MCs, use the word frequently. [Though Kanye himself said that SHE wrote the Hook while singing it, but Bey don't lyric write at all though. *Chuckles*] Even "conscious" rappers have used it. It's always about context when it comes to comprehending anything. There are people who twist Biblical teachings off of misinterpreting the context of the scriptures, like Slavery for example. Same principle here. Not to say that I agree with everything that she does, or I like everything that she does musically or performing. The breast jiggle thing that she did on the Video Phone Video and The Why You Don't Love Me video, I have to keep from cringing, though especially with the latter video, I even got why she did it[it was done right when with the line: I give you everything you want/Everything you need. It actually fits believe it or not].
I think people have a hard time with it, because Bey off stage carries herself different that she does sometimes on the stage. I feel part of the reason why she spoke on Sasha as being her alter-ego was to show that performing is a completely different dynamic for her as oppose to her everyday life. To set the record the straight when it comes to percieving her art and not trying to confuse her artistic expression with her as a person. Not to mention, to show that a woman can be sexy, even push the line for what society thinks is classy and lady-like and still be still be lady like and feminine. And let's face it, whether we like it or not, the N word is not going away anytime soon. No protests, laws, essays, or dissertations are going to make a dent in stopping it.
Music is a personal thing. You either respond to it or not. If the N-Word offends, it is okay but there are musicians who make a conscious effort not to use it. Bey don't say that word much at all. In fact, a lot of people complain about her being too safe. Also, for as much criticism as she gets for being "oversexualized", she don't sing that often about sex. VP is the only song where she even explicitly sings of sex on IA...SF("You want to see me naked") and even that was teasing, not like other singers and rappers who say whatever is provocative. Bey is not a Lil Kim clone. I am not attacking Kim by saying this, but there are two different artists. Bey can even sing about sex and not approach it the way Kim does.
Finally, I think the whole issue that I am speaking of is about authencity. Certain people have more cred in the things that they do than others. Let's say that Bey wanted to do a whole Country Album, some people would have a problem with this because they would think that she's trying to do something that's she not. I heard someone say this when she recorded Diva, and that the poster said that he/she(don't know the gender), like Ciara's cover better because Ciara is more "believable" in being "Hood". Not realizing that if it was not for Bey and DC bringing Urban Music to Pop/Mainstream Top 40 stations and influencing her, she probably wouldn't have been in the industry in the first place because labels wouldn't think that there was a market for her. Hell, Bey is even influencing rappers, like Trina. She's a big part of Urban Mainstream music, whether people like it or not.
People can't have it both ways. You(general you) can't say Bey is not authentic and allow her to sing about what she wants. People can't complain about the expression of her sexuality, but ignore other facets of her performing. As a fan, I don't have to like everything she does, but I can give her the freedom to be what she wants to project as an artist and not take it personal because she don't always do what I might like or say the things that I don't relate to, or express it the way I would if I was singing the same song. This is how I feel, others don't have to agree but hopefully we can all reason together on this because at the end of the day, it's music and our love of music, Bey's music is why most of us are fans.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
My response to Professor Cashmore....
Hello, everyone. It's been a while since I've done another entry and I have to say that a lot of things have happened-interesting things-since then. Lately, there have been a variety of positive blog posts concerning "The Queen" and it goes to show that she's missed and that her name rings bells even when she's on her slumber. Today, I want to respond an article that I came across on a blog. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/08/prweb4360434.htm
It was also posted on Bwboard.net and I am surprised there weren't a lot of pages concerning the topic. Let me say, it's a good article. It gives her due as a force in her craft and in popular society. I do get his overall point, though I feel feel that it takes it a bit too far and provokes discussions that drift off the point that he is making. I will speak on that in this entry.
I am a "stan", especially concerning her music, but I grasp that she's more than her music and performing. All pop stars are. Yet in that dynamic, it's amazing how well-respected Beyoncé across the board in the industry. Though her musical audience is in the 18-30 year old range, she has fans of all ages, genders, sexual preferences, religions, cultures, and etc. Being a black female pop star and having that kind of impact on pop culture is a wonderful thing to see. Yet one of the things that I believe that articles like his lack is expressing how hard it is to be in that position.
For one, at times, her artistic credibility and integrity get called into question. Not from her peers who know the blood, sweat and tears that she pours into what she does. I'm speaking of those who think it's cool or profitable to attack her, to play off those who get their kicks out of negativity and criticism. In the blog that I was in, the author of it and numerous other posters spent over 100 comments(in a 200 comment thread) criticizing and debating her looks and her "using" them to appeal to a broader audience than artists whose looks can't access that appeal.
Yes, image is important in mainstream entertainment and mon-mainstream as well, and it's paramount to note that, yes Beyoncé's image does appeal to pop culture. However, note that this is only one part of the appeal that makes Beyoncé, Beyoncé. The thing that allows her to have the enduring power that she has is her talent and her passion for her work. Not to mention, for a pop star, she makes a conscious effort to the put the focus on her work. To be professional in everything that she does. Across the board, that's what we hear when others speak on her in the industry. To "Buy into Beyoncé", is appreciate this about her. Without that, she's another disposable face who has little to no impact on the industry or pop culture.
Also, he said that with her success, it opens the door for racist to use her as an example to give the impression that racism is over. The fact that this is a discussion shows that racism will always be an issue and no celeb or powerful figure in society will change or abolish it. I do see his point, especially considering that she comes from an upper middle class family with both of her parents actively raising her, even helping her be successful in her craft. Make no mistake, this is inspirational and relatable. Yet, that doesn't exclude her from backlash and many times, vile hatred toward her. Far from it.
From whites and blacks alike. Some whites hate because they want their own to rule the pop world and will not acknowledge the dynamics of racism in the mainstream media. Some blacks hate because they want her to fully respresent them and since many black families are fractured so she's not relatable to some of them. Now I am not one to call everything racism or to dwell on it, truthfully speaking, she is more polarizing in colorism and sexism than racism.
I spoke of the debate of the blogger and the posters about her looks. It was vile. Discussions of plastic surgery on her nose(Rihanna was brought up also) to make her look "European"(not all Europeans have small noses btw). Attacks on her wearing blonde hair, especially the weaves(it's 2010, people!!!) and even her getting tans to give off "The Tanned White Woman" look. *blank-stare*. It's usually black women who go there. Not to say all black women hate on her. Far from it. But when these discussions take place, it is coming from that place and it reveals their insecurities because in their mind, the media "prop" her up on this pedastal, as the ideal of "The Beautiful Black Woman", and it's because she's light-skinned. Colorism at its finest. Then you have those who loves to criticize her stage image, complaining about how she uses sexuality as a crutch because that's all she has to offer as an artist and performer. Sexism at its finest. Convient sexism at that, forgetting countless performances that showcase nothing but her voice and her music.
Now to be fair, I loved how Professor Cashmore used one of her iconic moments of her career, a performance that showcased her vocal talents to show her impact on pop culture. It's great to see the academics recognize all that she brings to the table. That talent endures further any dream that Professor Cashmore speaks of as Beyoncé's enduring appeal. With casual fans, they might focus on her image and "relatability", and as a pop star, that's the reality and lane that has to be navigated. However, with her major fans which are legion in number, appreciate her gift; her God-given talent combined with hard work, the only real thing that a great entertainer needs.
At the end of the day, this is all that matters. Speaking for myself, all she needs her voice, great music and to perform heart out and I am a fan for life. In that sense, her talent goes beyond her gender, race, background, religion and etc. That's the Beyoncé, I "buy" into and I can safely say that there are millions who agree with me. Thank you for reading this entry and I hope all of you enjoyed it.
It was also posted on Bwboard.net and I am surprised there weren't a lot of pages concerning the topic. Let me say, it's a good article. It gives her due as a force in her craft and in popular society. I do get his overall point, though I feel feel that it takes it a bit too far and provokes discussions that drift off the point that he is making. I will speak on that in this entry.
I am a "stan", especially concerning her music, but I grasp that she's more than her music and performing. All pop stars are. Yet in that dynamic, it's amazing how well-respected Beyoncé across the board in the industry. Though her musical audience is in the 18-30 year old range, she has fans of all ages, genders, sexual preferences, religions, cultures, and etc. Being a black female pop star and having that kind of impact on pop culture is a wonderful thing to see. Yet one of the things that I believe that articles like his lack is expressing how hard it is to be in that position.
For one, at times, her artistic credibility and integrity get called into question. Not from her peers who know the blood, sweat and tears that she pours into what she does. I'm speaking of those who think it's cool or profitable to attack her, to play off those who get their kicks out of negativity and criticism. In the blog that I was in, the author of it and numerous other posters spent over 100 comments(in a 200 comment thread) criticizing and debating her looks and her "using" them to appeal to a broader audience than artists whose looks can't access that appeal.
Yes, image is important in mainstream entertainment and mon-mainstream as well, and it's paramount to note that, yes Beyoncé's image does appeal to pop culture. However, note that this is only one part of the appeal that makes Beyoncé, Beyoncé. The thing that allows her to have the enduring power that she has is her talent and her passion for her work. Not to mention, for a pop star, she makes a conscious effort to the put the focus on her work. To be professional in everything that she does. Across the board, that's what we hear when others speak on her in the industry. To "Buy into Beyoncé", is appreciate this about her. Without that, she's another disposable face who has little to no impact on the industry or pop culture.
Also, he said that with her success, it opens the door for racist to use her as an example to give the impression that racism is over. The fact that this is a discussion shows that racism will always be an issue and no celeb or powerful figure in society will change or abolish it. I do see his point, especially considering that she comes from an upper middle class family with both of her parents actively raising her, even helping her be successful in her craft. Make no mistake, this is inspirational and relatable. Yet, that doesn't exclude her from backlash and many times, vile hatred toward her. Far from it.
From whites and blacks alike. Some whites hate because they want their own to rule the pop world and will not acknowledge the dynamics of racism in the mainstream media. Some blacks hate because they want her to fully respresent them and since many black families are fractured so she's not relatable to some of them. Now I am not one to call everything racism or to dwell on it, truthfully speaking, she is more polarizing in colorism and sexism than racism.
I spoke of the debate of the blogger and the posters about her looks. It was vile. Discussions of plastic surgery on her nose(Rihanna was brought up also) to make her look "European"(not all Europeans have small noses btw). Attacks on her wearing blonde hair, especially the weaves(it's 2010, people!!!) and even her getting tans to give off "The Tanned White Woman" look. *blank-stare*. It's usually black women who go there. Not to say all black women hate on her. Far from it. But when these discussions take place, it is coming from that place and it reveals their insecurities because in their mind, the media "prop" her up on this pedastal, as the ideal of "The Beautiful Black Woman", and it's because she's light-skinned. Colorism at its finest. Then you have those who loves to criticize her stage image, complaining about how she uses sexuality as a crutch because that's all she has to offer as an artist and performer. Sexism at its finest. Convient sexism at that, forgetting countless performances that showcase nothing but her voice and her music.
Now to be fair, I loved how Professor Cashmore used one of her iconic moments of her career, a performance that showcased her vocal talents to show her impact on pop culture. It's great to see the academics recognize all that she brings to the table. That talent endures further any dream that Professor Cashmore speaks of as Beyoncé's enduring appeal. With casual fans, they might focus on her image and "relatability", and as a pop star, that's the reality and lane that has to be navigated. However, with her major fans which are legion in number, appreciate her gift; her God-given talent combined with hard work, the only real thing that a great entertainer needs.
At the end of the day, this is all that matters. Speaking for myself, all she needs her voice, great music and to perform heart out and I am a fan for life. In that sense, her talent goes beyond her gender, race, background, religion and etc. That's the Beyoncé, I "buy" into and I can safely say that there are millions who agree with me. Thank you for reading this entry and I hope all of you enjoyed it.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Are the Expectations too high?
Hello, everyone. I am going to make this entry as short as I can. I know I can be long-winded, but that's just the passion that I have for the phenom that is Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter. Anyways after participating in a couple of discussion, I decided on this topic to blog.
To give the short answer, I will say that pretty much it is too high. I will admit that at times, I can go too far in my expectations. Let me say that I appreciate what she has done as a performer and artist. I feel that she is one of the greats. No matter the debate of where she is placed, she has to be discussed as one of the greats and she's only 28. Still, being that she's 28, I am excited over the potential for more growth musicially and showmanship. There are so many directions and options for her to go and I don't want her to miss out of them because there are a lot of artists, past and present, who would love to be in her position.
So, yes, I do want her to take advantage and continue to mature as an artist. Yet, I find myself looking at posts with blank stares because of how high the bar is set with regards to critiquing her music. And I am not even talking just critics. I am talking about fans. It's mind-boggling to me that a 3 time contemporary R&B Album Grammy Winning Artist with all three of her officially released albums don't have one classic album in some of those fans' minds. *blank stare* Are we looking at the landscape of Contemporary R&B Music right now?
And worst, people want to compare her work to Albums like Thriller, Songs in the Key of Life and even The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Are people serious? To have discussion like, "Will Beyonce get her 'Thriller'?" is unbelievable. We are talking different eras of music. Even the 90s are different than what is going on now in the industry. It boggles my mind.
If I am looking from an objective pov, not just of my personal subjective pov then yes, Beyoncé has classic albums. All 3 of them are in their own way. They have made an impact, and have set the standard for her genre. It's why she's the Queen of Pop & Soul. That can't be taken away, no matter she does afterwards with her work and yes, I know that this is a society and age of, "What have you done for me lately?"
So with that being said, Beyoncé puts high expectation on her work. She is the same woman who said she recorded Deja Vu because she wanted something different than what she hears on the radio during that time. She's also the one who said that she hadn't done a classic album yet during the beginning of the IA..SF era and this is after putting out an album that I believe is the standard for Pop & Soul; B'day.
So from that pov, that excites me. She has the fortitude, the willingness to grow and not stay stagnant. She also has the pulse of her fans, for the most part, dig what she does and is willing to grow and mature with her and she has the backing from her label to do what she wants within the framework on the industry that she is navigating. I believe the best is yet to come. But while that is the case, hopefully people will appreciate what she has done in the framework of the age and genre that she is in while being open-minded enough to give her the freedom to grow as the artist that she desires to be. Thank you for reading this blog and I hoped that everyone had a great 4th of July.
To give the short answer, I will say that pretty much it is too high. I will admit that at times, I can go too far in my expectations. Let me say that I appreciate what she has done as a performer and artist. I feel that she is one of the greats. No matter the debate of where she is placed, she has to be discussed as one of the greats and she's only 28. Still, being that she's 28, I am excited over the potential for more growth musicially and showmanship. There are so many directions and options for her to go and I don't want her to miss out of them because there are a lot of artists, past and present, who would love to be in her position.
So, yes, I do want her to take advantage and continue to mature as an artist. Yet, I find myself looking at posts with blank stares because of how high the bar is set with regards to critiquing her music. And I am not even talking just critics. I am talking about fans. It's mind-boggling to me that a 3 time contemporary R&B Album Grammy Winning Artist with all three of her officially released albums don't have one classic album in some of those fans' minds. *blank stare* Are we looking at the landscape of Contemporary R&B Music right now?
And worst, people want to compare her work to Albums like Thriller, Songs in the Key of Life and even The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Are people serious? To have discussion like, "Will Beyonce get her 'Thriller'?" is unbelievable. We are talking different eras of music. Even the 90s are different than what is going on now in the industry. It boggles my mind.
If I am looking from an objective pov, not just of my personal subjective pov then yes, Beyoncé has classic albums. All 3 of them are in their own way. They have made an impact, and have set the standard for her genre. It's why she's the Queen of Pop & Soul. That can't be taken away, no matter she does afterwards with her work and yes, I know that this is a society and age of, "What have you done for me lately?"
So with that being said, Beyoncé puts high expectation on her work. She is the same woman who said she recorded Deja Vu because she wanted something different than what she hears on the radio during that time. She's also the one who said that she hadn't done a classic album yet during the beginning of the IA..SF era and this is after putting out an album that I believe is the standard for Pop & Soul; B'day.
So from that pov, that excites me. She has the fortitude, the willingness to grow and not stay stagnant. She also has the pulse of her fans, for the most part, dig what she does and is willing to grow and mature with her and she has the backing from her label to do what she wants within the framework on the industry that she is navigating. I believe the best is yet to come. But while that is the case, hopefully people will appreciate what she has done in the framework of the age and genre that she is in while being open-minded enough to give her the freedom to grow as the artist that she desires to be. Thank you for reading this blog and I hoped that everyone had a great 4th of July.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Has Beyoncé outgrown Contemporary R&B?
Beyoncé: You know, I feel like the only way I can be around as long as I pray that I can be around is to always push the envelope. And it's really exciting that now people are allowing music to just be music... and R&B and hip-hop artists are collaborating with different types of artists. Hopefully we can just continue to grow and just step outside of hip-hop or rap or rock or whatever and it can all just be good music.
With this quote from the Queen of Pop & Soul, I begin this new entry. Also, we all know that Friday is the anniversary of a death that music and entertainment fans still feel: The King Of Pop. I was telling someone on Bwboard.net that it is still fresh in my mind and a hard thing to get over. He is truly missed in music and my prayer is that all of his family, loved ones as well as the fans(of which I am one) will continue to heal from this tragic. We miss you, MJ. Long live the King.
With that in mind, I think that if he was alive, and debuted in a similar to what Beyoncé has done in her career, people would ask him the same question. If looked at on the surface, you might say, Yes she has. One example is last year's BET Awards. Her performance of Avé Maria was the most distinctive performance of the night. In fact, Jamie Foxx and QuestLove from the Roots, after the performance spoke on how brave she was to even think to do such a performance. And of course, she got a lot of feedback from it. Some of it positive, a lot of it negative. I thought it was beautiful and sincere, and I especially enjoy her rendition of Schubert's Avé Maria.
However, as beautiful as the performance was, one of the complaints was that they wanted her perform a song that would have people shake her butt. It's a shame because it wasn't about her, it was about MJ. Still, on Bwboard.net, one of the questions was, Has she outgrown the BET Awards? That's an interesting question considering that the BET Awards is to Contemporary R&B what the Country Music Awards is to Country Music. The way she stood out performing and the way she conducted herself artistically in IA..SF era especially, would make you think on the surface that she has.
Then we have the interview of Kim Thompson, one of her drummers from her band. She said some interesting things considering Bey's growth in terms of musicianship and the overall growth that the music industry should have, especially with regards to Jazz being a big focal point for that growth. Here is the video: ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E29oE1jtQKE) Let me say that I learned in those few minutes about where Bey is progressing musically than I have in all the interviews that she has ever done. And she continues to grow musically and expand herself as she progresses in her career, it would seem that she is outgrowing the boundaries that Contemporary R&B has set for artists of that genre and would leave it altogether eventually. So we think.
But with Beyoncé, a lot of times things aren't always what it seems. Some people tend to look at surface stuff with regards to her music. As deep as try to be, they don't really think outside the box when it comes to her art. Perfect example, one of the things that critics said when reviewing IA...SF was that they wanted more of "Sasha Fierce" and less of "Beyoncé". Talk about typecasting and putting an artist inside a box. (BTW, even Sasha Fierce wasn't all uptempo "club bangers", which is probably the point of why the CD was arranged in that way). Another issue was that when critics reviewed DIL, an album that is considered one of the most influential albums from the Rock and Roll Hall Fame, they felt that there were too many ballads. Then music fans wonder why the industry is as stuck as it is. Forget quality of music, if it is not in the mindset of what the critic thinks of the artist they are reviewing, they run with that rather truly judging the music unbiasly.
Okay, I am digressing a little but it all comes back down to this: Has Beyoncé outgrown Contemporary R&B? I would say, No. To me, Contemporary R&B is to Beyoncé what milk is to a baby. Let me explain that. When a child is born, they are weaned on milk and baby food because they can't be fed anything else. They can't handle it. Then as they grow up, their culinary palate expands. Especially as adults, and obviously milk isn't the only thing that they drink but no one stop drinking milk because of this. They continue to drink as well as other things. It's the same way with Beyoncé as far as Contemporary R&B. My conviction is that Contemporary R&B IS Beyoncé and as she expands, the genre expands also and it opens the door for artists in that genre to expand their sound also and with that we get quality music and the industry as a whole gets better.
One of my favorite videos is the Halo Behind The Scenes. I think most of us have seen it, so I will get right to the point. One of the most interesting things that she said was that because of the Drums that she added to Halo that the song itself is a Hip Hop Song. Actually to quote her, a great mixture of R&B and Hip Hop. I would have never figured that song to be a hip hop but then again, if this song can be(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEUX-HYRtUA), then yes Halo can be too. The point is, as she said in the quote that I posted at the beginning, if an artist wants to grow, progress, mature and leave a legacy that will even outlive them, these are the things that an artist must be willing to do.
Don't get me wrong, there are artists who stay withn the framework of what their genre is and that's cool. But also, you have artists like Aretha doing Jazz and even substituting for Pavorotti at the Grammys, Diana Ross covering Billie Holiday, even Mary J. Blige doing an Jazz album. An artist will go out of their comfort zone sometimes, even away from what their fans think of them for progression and growth. Even though it is still early in Bey's career, she has 3 albums that are going to be looked in terms of the legacy of her genre. Contemporary R&B is a young genre, and the Grammys have been awarding it for only 8 years. Yet Bey is the only 3 time winning in that Grammy category.
I believe when looking back at those albums and the legacy that it has left for that genre, one of the things that historians are going to look at is how Beyoncé with those albums set the course for the genre and with it have not only influenced her peers but others after her. Contemporary R&B won't be bound by rigid structures of what the genre should be about, and that's a great thing. That's what the genre should be about. It's what MJ did, and as I said, he is one of the pioneers of this genre. Beyoncé is a product of his legacy, and one of his musical daughters. If people want to truly honor him, then we honor those who are carrying on his legacy musicially, such as she is doing.
RIP Michael Joseph Jackson
(August 29 1959-June 25, 2009)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Why Beyonce is a soul singer.
It's a topic that I have wanted to speak on for a while. It's very controversial. Every time when I get into a discussion of her music, it's always, "She doesn't have a lot of depth to her music. We don't know her. She don't show her human side.". Now, it is true that she is a pop artist. No one will ever say anything else different. She's unapologetically commercial. But I think that people love to use her family background(like the fact that she hasn't lived the ghetto) and the fact that her sound, at least the perception of her sound, is all about club and party songs and nothing else.
It's the kind of statement that Sasha Frere Jones made about her(She is also a strange and brilliant musician. Young black female singers rarely get past the red rope and into the Genius Lounge—the moody, the male, and the dead crowd that room. http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2009/02/09/090209crmu_music_frerejones) that fuels the perception of her. And then finally, if a pop singer is black, then there is this venom against them from much of the black community. And seeing articles like these: http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/Beyonc_Embodies_Soulless_Starbucking_of_Music_Industry_7778.html
from bloggers who have nothing on their agenda but show how "deep" they are, I feel that it is time to post my mind on this.
First of all, Bey is influenced by many genres of music. She is as likely to have Shuggie Otis in her Ipod as she is to have Coldplay. She is as influenced by Aretha and Mary as she is by Barbra and Karen Carpenter. She is as likely to sing a club-banger as she is to sing a big band influenced musical. That's what she is and that is what makes her sincere and soulful. I say this because I hear too many times how certain artists are "real" because they put "hearts on their sleeves", and they allow us to enter in their "real lives". Reality shows are a way to get people to think like that. Look at how many celebs especially artists who have them. It makes their fans feel that they are apart of them and it makes feel their music. Or so they say.
It's all contrived. And if it isn't, do we need to know all of their personal lives and their problems? I say no. I personally feel that a musician makes music for the audience that they are trying to reach, not to "exercise their demons" on wax. Because at the end of the day, when an artist makes songs for that reason, those demons are still there. It will take more than music to do so. But not to mention, labels encourage artists to do this so that it will sell records. They know that an artist's fanbase need to find a connection to the artist in order to keep them interested.
Now what does I am saying have to do with Beyoncé being a soul-singer you ask: Everything. I am convinced people don't listen to her music catalogue. I saw a thread on Single Ladies on the net, complaining that it didn't have a melody and harmonies. And I just SMH. She's doing "Call and Respond"(that a technique that is Gospel influenced) harmonies with her voice in the beginning of the song. I ask myself when I hear some of these viewpoints are we listening to the same woman singing? It's like they listen to the beats and not to the voice or what the lyrics say.
What she does do, is what Michael Jackson did when he was at his best: Bring black culture to the mainstream. The woman is as likely to do a "Soul-Clap" as she is to do the Uh-oh dance(African Influenced btw). And though her vocal stylings has many influences, which is pop in nature, her timbre especially fits funk inspired songs. Look at what a blog said about Bey's greatness, concerning funk: There is a world of difference between being a good soul singer and a good funk singer. Mariah Carey, for example, is a good sweet soul singer, but if she were to suddenly start grunting into the mic and demanding snare kicks from the drummer, her people would rush the stage within seconds to drag her off to the mad house. Presumed breakdown. She hasn’t got the funk. Sadly, neither have many of today’s fine young singers, with the possible exceptions of Beth Ditto, Mary J, Beyonce and that’s about it. Even the greatest soul singer of them all, Aretha Franklin, doesn’t quite have the funk chops to be a BOLD SOUL SISTER. http://www.interestment.co.uk/2009/07/13/interestments-top-four-bold-soul-sisters/
Do you see this? And Bey is influenced by Aretha. Crazy in Love is one of her signature songs and that's funk inspired. Most of B'day brings the funk also. And Funk is a big part of Soul Music. James Brown would approve of what Bey does especially concerning that genre. You don't have to "sing the blues" to have soul. There are different interpretations and flavors of soul music. I don't need her to be "Tracy Chapman and/or Cris Williamson" to feel her passion in songs. She interprets very well with her voice and is a voice that has encouraged a LOT OF YOUNG WOMEN, especially with her music. Tell all of them she has no soul whatsoever. That's her audience and demographic. No offense to white men, but you're not her audience, and you're not going to fully grasp why people feel Bey's music.
Bey's vocal phrasing is VERY much influenced by Gospel. I told you about the "Call and Respond", she also does growls, squalls, wails, and especially her melismas. Some of it is opera influenced, but much(most of it really) of it is Gospel influence also. Because she has been exposed to different art forms of music, she phrasing vocally around the music that she does. Like for Baby Boy, because when she performs, she uses an Arabic sound, she will use melismatic phrasing that is Arabic Inspired.
So she understands "soul music" and like MJ did, brings it to them mainstream because soul music is a big part of what pop culture is all about. It is no coincidence that she recorded a song called Black Culture, sampling a Michael Jackson song. Hip Hop(black music) is as much a part of Bey's song as anything else in her music catalogue. If she has no soul, then Alicia Keys, who is just as commercial as Bey could ever be, has none either. Let's call a spade, a spade. So those who want Beyonce to be their definition of what a soul singer is, need to stop it. If you don't or won't like her music because she don't fit in your "soul-singers" box, then fine. But whether you like it or not, she's a big part of land-scape of soul music. Especially with regards to Urban Rhythmic music. In fact, I will leave you with this quote from Ann Powers who review Single Ladies when it first came out: Her new club banger, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," elaborates on "Irreplaceable's" theme of love as sport, if not war; sounding a lot like a Destiny's Child song, it has Beyoncé doing call-and-response with her backup singers over a rump-shaking beat provided by TheDream and Tricky Stewart. More than most female singers, Beyoncé understands the funky art of singing rhythmically, and this is a prime example.
All hail the Queen of Pop and Soul.
It's the kind of statement that Sasha Frere Jones made about her(She is also a strange and brilliant musician. Young black female singers rarely get past the red rope and into the Genius Lounge—the moody, the male, and the dead crowd that room. http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2009/02/09/090209crmu_music_frerejones) that fuels the perception of her. And then finally, if a pop singer is black, then there is this venom against them from much of the black community. And seeing articles like these: http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/Beyonc_Embodies_Soulless_Starbucking_of_Music_Industry_7778.html
from bloggers who have nothing on their agenda but show how "deep" they are, I feel that it is time to post my mind on this.
First of all, Bey is influenced by many genres of music. She is as likely to have Shuggie Otis in her Ipod as she is to have Coldplay. She is as influenced by Aretha and Mary as she is by Barbra and Karen Carpenter. She is as likely to sing a club-banger as she is to sing a big band influenced musical. That's what she is and that is what makes her sincere and soulful. I say this because I hear too many times how certain artists are "real" because they put "hearts on their sleeves", and they allow us to enter in their "real lives". Reality shows are a way to get people to think like that. Look at how many celebs especially artists who have them. It makes their fans feel that they are apart of them and it makes feel their music. Or so they say.
It's all contrived. And if it isn't, do we need to know all of their personal lives and their problems? I say no. I personally feel that a musician makes music for the audience that they are trying to reach, not to "exercise their demons" on wax. Because at the end of the day, when an artist makes songs for that reason, those demons are still there. It will take more than music to do so. But not to mention, labels encourage artists to do this so that it will sell records. They know that an artist's fanbase need to find a connection to the artist in order to keep them interested.
Now what does I am saying have to do with Beyoncé being a soul-singer you ask: Everything. I am convinced people don't listen to her music catalogue. I saw a thread on Single Ladies on the net, complaining that it didn't have a melody and harmonies. And I just SMH. She's doing "Call and Respond"(that a technique that is Gospel influenced) harmonies with her voice in the beginning of the song. I ask myself when I hear some of these viewpoints are we listening to the same woman singing? It's like they listen to the beats and not to the voice or what the lyrics say.
What she does do, is what Michael Jackson did when he was at his best: Bring black culture to the mainstream. The woman is as likely to do a "Soul-Clap" as she is to do the Uh-oh dance(African Influenced btw). And though her vocal stylings has many influences, which is pop in nature, her timbre especially fits funk inspired songs. Look at what a blog said about Bey's greatness, concerning funk: There is a world of difference between being a good soul singer and a good funk singer. Mariah Carey, for example, is a good sweet soul singer, but if she were to suddenly start grunting into the mic and demanding snare kicks from the drummer, her people would rush the stage within seconds to drag her off to the mad house. Presumed breakdown. She hasn’t got the funk. Sadly, neither have many of today’s fine young singers, with the possible exceptions of Beth Ditto, Mary J, Beyonce and that’s about it. Even the greatest soul singer of them all, Aretha Franklin, doesn’t quite have the funk chops to be a BOLD SOUL SISTER. http://www.interestment.co.uk/2009/07/13/interestments-top-four-bold-soul-sisters/
Do you see this? And Bey is influenced by Aretha. Crazy in Love is one of her signature songs and that's funk inspired. Most of B'day brings the funk also. And Funk is a big part of Soul Music. James Brown would approve of what Bey does especially concerning that genre. You don't have to "sing the blues" to have soul. There are different interpretations and flavors of soul music. I don't need her to be "Tracy Chapman and/or Cris Williamson" to feel her passion in songs. She interprets very well with her voice and is a voice that has encouraged a LOT OF YOUNG WOMEN, especially with her music. Tell all of them she has no soul whatsoever. That's her audience and demographic. No offense to white men, but you're not her audience, and you're not going to fully grasp why people feel Bey's music.
Bey's vocal phrasing is VERY much influenced by Gospel. I told you about the "Call and Respond", she also does growls, squalls, wails, and especially her melismas. Some of it is opera influenced, but much(most of it really) of it is Gospel influence also. Because she has been exposed to different art forms of music, she phrasing vocally around the music that she does. Like for Baby Boy, because when she performs, she uses an Arabic sound, she will use melismatic phrasing that is Arabic Inspired.
So she understands "soul music" and like MJ did, brings it to them mainstream because soul music is a big part of what pop culture is all about. It is no coincidence that she recorded a song called Black Culture, sampling a Michael Jackson song. Hip Hop(black music) is as much a part of Bey's song as anything else in her music catalogue. If she has no soul, then Alicia Keys, who is just as commercial as Bey could ever be, has none either. Let's call a spade, a spade. So those who want Beyonce to be their definition of what a soul singer is, need to stop it. If you don't or won't like her music because she don't fit in your "soul-singers" box, then fine. But whether you like it or not, she's a big part of land-scape of soul music. Especially with regards to Urban Rhythmic music. In fact, I will leave you with this quote from Ann Powers who review Single Ladies when it first came out: Her new club banger, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," elaborates on "Irreplaceable's" theme of love as sport, if not war; sounding a lot like a Destiny's Child song, it has Beyoncé doing call-and-response with her backup singers over a rump-shaking beat provided by TheDream and Tricky Stewart. More than most female singers, Beyoncé understands the funky art of singing rhythmically, and this is a prime example.
All hail the Queen of Pop and Soul.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Beyoncé's Next Album Era: The Era that will set the tone for the 2010s
Instead of doing part 3, which will be sometime next week, this is my blog entry. The IA...SF era is still going strong(still on the charts though it is like it going to leave it...it's at #198 now). It's crazy when a video from a song that was already released(Why Don't You Love Me) and is almost 2 years old can still get this kind of buzz, especially from the bloggers. You have their "stans"(I put that in quotes because much of the time, they are just "rooting for the underdog" to take "replace" Bey), going mad and foaming at the mouth like they are possessed by a demon because they are afraid that the video will take shine away from the artist they are rooting for. *SMH at their tomfoolery*
All of this while the woman is on break. It confirms to me that the industry is ripe for Bey to take the industry into the next decade with the kind of music and showmanship that only she can bring. Looking at her musical catalogue, for her genre especially, she has been its standard-bearer as well as a pioneer. The freshness that Bey approaches with her music, sets herself miles apart from those who are supposedly her peers. In fact, they look up to her for inspiration and direction musicially and showmanship wise. Even if they don't want to admit it.
So what does that mean? It means that Bey will once again be the one who infuses energy and direction, just like she did with B'day at a time when Contemporary R&B especially was extremely formulaic(a couple of club-bangers to sell the album, one or two mid-tempos and the rest ballads because that's consider "real R&B") and even with Sasha Fierce with fusing different genres such as Folk Music, stripping down her vocal arrangements(On the I AM CD) into Contemporary R&B; Hip-Pop Soul as it's subgenre. A genre where vocal tracks are extremely important. That's quite a challenge and I believe she is up to it.
One of the things that I believe she will do is bring her fabulous band---Suga Mama---into the studio. Even Bibi, who is her band director, talked about how Bey in IA...SF used more guitars than on her two previous recordings: Totally! Her new album has more guitar on it but the previous album, that we did for the Experience tour, the B’Day album .. there is no guitar on that album. It’s all key-guitar, which was really cool for me because I got to come into the situation, write my own guitar parts and do what I wanted to do. She has never said she didn’t like it, so that was really cool. http://iwontstfu.com/index.php/bibi-mcgill-beyonces-musical-director-interview/
To me, that this is part of the natural progression of Bey's music that has been going on since she was in Destiny's Child. One of the first articles on her by Sasha Frere Jones said that from her own lips, she was listening(studying) Miles Davis(Horn) and Fela Kuti(Sax). DIL and B'day was horn heavy in sound, especially. But not as much as with IA..SF. So I can see her using SM, to fuse both the guitar sound that Bibi and Divinity bring so well and bringing back those horns along with the saxs and pretty giving even more of a big band sound to Hip Pop Soul.
Instrumentation has always been a big part of what Beyoncé is about and this is the genre that is ripe for what Bey brings to the table. More importantly, SM is ready and this little step will be the most bold step for Hip Pop Soul, especially. Now maybe she won't do that. Maybe she will take another baby step toward that. I don't know. But I can see the progression and I am very confident that whether it is the next era, or the era after that one, she will take that step. The industry is ripe for it, and she has a great understanding for what the industry needs at the time also. Just like with B'day and just like IA...SF. All by being herself as an artist.
Also, I see an appreciation from the indie label artists, the kind that would frown on any other artist who does the music that Bey does. For example, Kevin Barnes from Of Montreal, already said that he has a song for her even if she don't want it. *LOL* This opens the door for her to use new blood and gives her an opportunity to fuse even more things into the sound that she has already established. Bey has an electic and varied taste in music, so this is something that she would embrace. I could see her tackling Grunge Music(for example) and fusing into her Urban Rhythmic Sound.
Not only does she have the musicianship to do it, but she also has the respect of the industry to make it work sincerely, without losing the foundation of who she is musically. That's the definition of progression and growth. It's not about completely changing your image, your sound to look as if you're re-inventing yourself, copying the Madonna playbook to show that you are growing artistically.
One of the problems with today's Contemporary R&B, especially Hip Pop, is that you have too many producers feeling themselves. Look at the Dream crying because people aren't appreciating his CDs like he thinks they should and he says he is no longer recording. *Waves GoodBye happily* Look how egotistical Timbaland is. He had the nerve to say that he was going to do Bey's whole album (the album that we now know as Sasha Fierce). Forget that Beyoncé always work with various producers so that you don't bog her down with a specific producer who has their signature sound where she can put her stamp on her songs. LOL. So definitely didn't sound like something that Bey would do(having a producer do her whole album). Especially with something as stale and trendy as his sound.
And I am not going to get into Ryan Tedder's antics with the whole Halo/Already Gone mess. *SMH* These "hit-makers" love themselves too much to realize that when you write/compose/produce a song for an artist, it's about the artist, not you. I am not saying that she shouldn't work with producers. Absolutely not. Bey works well with producers and with demos add the missing ingredient that the songs need. In fact, there are producers like Rodney Jerkins who said that he has song specifically for her. I approve because his ego is not big like theirs. I also have no problem with Amanda Ghost, either for example. They work well together. But I see her, especially with the love that she is getting from producers who aren't mainstream, fusing their sound with theirs and with them combined with Suga Mama in the studio creating something that will shock the ears of everyone who hears the CD.
Not that I need her to do those things. LOL!!!! But as the trend setter that she is, I believe this is the direction she is going. I had a feeling that when she did Irreplaceable, that she would kind of go in the direction that she did with what is eventually IA...SF, though I didn't expect Folk. That was a shock and something that my ears had to get used to with regards to Bey doing it. IMO, this is something that every Beyoncé fan should look forward to.
Yes, this has been one hell of an decade for her. Billboard Female Artist of the Decade. All of the Grammys and accolades that she has recieve. But she's coming into her prime as a vocalist, a performer and more importantly, as a musician. With this in mind, there is another gear that Bey will reach and as a fan, I am ready. I believe just as with last decade, Bey will do another project that in time, will define the decade. Are you ready?
All of this while the woman is on break. It confirms to me that the industry is ripe for Bey to take the industry into the next decade with the kind of music and showmanship that only she can bring. Looking at her musical catalogue, for her genre especially, she has been its standard-bearer as well as a pioneer. The freshness that Bey approaches with her music, sets herself miles apart from those who are supposedly her peers. In fact, they look up to her for inspiration and direction musicially and showmanship wise. Even if they don't want to admit it.
So what does that mean? It means that Bey will once again be the one who infuses energy and direction, just like she did with B'day at a time when Contemporary R&B especially was extremely formulaic(a couple of club-bangers to sell the album, one or two mid-tempos and the rest ballads because that's consider "real R&B") and even with Sasha Fierce with fusing different genres such as Folk Music, stripping down her vocal arrangements(On the I AM CD) into Contemporary R&B; Hip-Pop Soul as it's subgenre. A genre where vocal tracks are extremely important. That's quite a challenge and I believe she is up to it.
One of the things that I believe she will do is bring her fabulous band---Suga Mama---into the studio. Even Bibi, who is her band director, talked about how Bey in IA...SF used more guitars than on her two previous recordings: Totally! Her new album has more guitar on it but the previous album, that we did for the Experience tour, the B’Day album .. there is no guitar on that album. It’s all key-guitar, which was really cool for me because I got to come into the situation, write my own guitar parts and do what I wanted to do. She has never said she didn’t like it, so that was really cool. http://iwontstfu.com/index.php/bibi-mcgill-beyonces-musical-director-interview/
To me, that this is part of the natural progression of Bey's music that has been going on since she was in Destiny's Child. One of the first articles on her by Sasha Frere Jones said that from her own lips, she was listening(studying) Miles Davis(Horn) and Fela Kuti(Sax). DIL and B'day was horn heavy in sound, especially. But not as much as with IA..SF. So I can see her using SM, to fuse both the guitar sound that Bibi and Divinity bring so well and bringing back those horns along with the saxs and pretty giving even more of a big band sound to Hip Pop Soul.
Instrumentation has always been a big part of what Beyoncé is about and this is the genre that is ripe for what Bey brings to the table. More importantly, SM is ready and this little step will be the most bold step for Hip Pop Soul, especially. Now maybe she won't do that. Maybe she will take another baby step toward that. I don't know. But I can see the progression and I am very confident that whether it is the next era, or the era after that one, she will take that step. The industry is ripe for it, and she has a great understanding for what the industry needs at the time also. Just like with B'day and just like IA...SF. All by being herself as an artist.
Also, I see an appreciation from the indie label artists, the kind that would frown on any other artist who does the music that Bey does. For example, Kevin Barnes from Of Montreal, already said that he has a song for her even if she don't want it. *LOL* This opens the door for her to use new blood and gives her an opportunity to fuse even more things into the sound that she has already established. Bey has an electic and varied taste in music, so this is something that she would embrace. I could see her tackling Grunge Music(for example) and fusing into her Urban Rhythmic Sound.
Not only does she have the musicianship to do it, but she also has the respect of the industry to make it work sincerely, without losing the foundation of who she is musically. That's the definition of progression and growth. It's not about completely changing your image, your sound to look as if you're re-inventing yourself, copying the Madonna playbook to show that you are growing artistically.
One of the problems with today's Contemporary R&B, especially Hip Pop, is that you have too many producers feeling themselves. Look at the Dream crying because people aren't appreciating his CDs like he thinks they should and he says he is no longer recording. *Waves GoodBye happily* Look how egotistical Timbaland is. He had the nerve to say that he was going to do Bey's whole album (the album that we now know as Sasha Fierce). Forget that Beyoncé always work with various producers so that you don't bog her down with a specific producer who has their signature sound where she can put her stamp on her songs. LOL. So definitely didn't sound like something that Bey would do(having a producer do her whole album). Especially with something as stale and trendy as his sound.
And I am not going to get into Ryan Tedder's antics with the whole Halo/Already Gone mess. *SMH* These "hit-makers" love themselves too much to realize that when you write/compose/produce a song for an artist, it's about the artist, not you. I am not saying that she shouldn't work with producers. Absolutely not. Bey works well with producers and with demos add the missing ingredient that the songs need. In fact, there are producers like Rodney Jerkins who said that he has song specifically for her. I approve because his ego is not big like theirs. I also have no problem with Amanda Ghost, either for example. They work well together. But I see her, especially with the love that she is getting from producers who aren't mainstream, fusing their sound with theirs and with them combined with Suga Mama in the studio creating something that will shock the ears of everyone who hears the CD.
Not that I need her to do those things. LOL!!!! But as the trend setter that she is, I believe this is the direction she is going. I had a feeling that when she did Irreplaceable, that she would kind of go in the direction that she did with what is eventually IA...SF, though I didn't expect Folk. That was a shock and something that my ears had to get used to with regards to Bey doing it. IMO, this is something that every Beyoncé fan should look forward to.
Yes, this has been one hell of an decade for her. Billboard Female Artist of the Decade. All of the Grammys and accolades that she has recieve. But she's coming into her prime as a vocalist, a performer and more importantly, as a musician. With this in mind, there is another gear that Bey will reach and as a fan, I am ready. I believe just as with last decade, Bey will do another project that in time, will define the decade. Are you ready?
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