Um Anyone Else Know that India.Arie has a new album out? I LOVE me some India, and I try to keep fairly up on what is going on with her...so imagine my surprise when I was at Best Buy and her new CD was on the new releases shelf. I had no idea she had anything out. Did they release a single at all?
Of course I had to get it. I have listened to it a couple of times through and I like it. It is more upbeat than the last album. She has some really good songs here. There is one or two I could do without, but if you have enjoyed India's past stuff then you will like this. I have to listen it to it more to know exactly where I would rank it with her other albums...definitely not as good as Acoustic Soul though.
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FYC-Album of the Year: Maxwell's BLACKsummers'night
INDIA.ARIE “Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics” (Soulbird Music/Universal Republic)
Love is both bliss and panacea, while politics is a test of fortitude, on India.Arie’s fourth studio album, “Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics.” One of the most determinedly virtuous songwriters in R&B or pop, India.Arie strives to make faith, goodness and positive thinking seductive, and on this album, working as her own co-producer (with Dru Castro), she’s endearing even when she’s preachy.
“Testimony: Vol. 1: Love & Relationship,” released in 2006, delved into the pain of a breakup, and in “Psalms 23” she hints at more strife: “I’ve been through a couple of litigations/through character assassination.” But on most of “Vol. 2” her equanimity has been restored. Her lover in the lilting “Chocolate High” (as portrayed by her duet partner and co-writer Musiq Soulchild) is an addictive treat. Elsewhere her man is an ever-understanding listener in the celebratory “Therapy” and the ballad “He Heals Me.”
As usual most of the songs feature India.Arie’s acoustic guitar and her forthright but still girlish voice, with its Stevie Wonder phrasing. Acoustic syncopation accompanies her global view of poverty and survival in the flamenco-tinged “Ghetto” and in “Pearls,” which features a singer from the Ivory Coast, Dobet Gnahore. But the music doesn’t stay folky. “Long Goodbye,” about a last tryst, grows into a power ballad akin to Prince’s “Purple Rain.” In “Better Way,”
India.Arie protests the response to Hurricane Katrina, the war in Iraq and prematurely sexualized children, matching bluesy vocals to Keb Mo’s electric guitar.
There’s a limit to how many self-help platitudes a song can bear, and it’s certainly exceeded in “A Beautiful Day,” with lines like, “There’s only one you/Just take a moment to give thanks for who you are.” But with a brisk, pulsating track and boundless anticipation in her voice, India.Arie comes close to making the truisms ring true.
FYC-Album of the Year: Maxwell's BLACKsummers'night
It's wierd jss0058 because I went to the CD store earlier this week to pick up Christina Aguilera's Greatest Hits and was surprised to see that India had a new CD out. I just don't recall any promo for it. Strange. But I immediately grabbed India's CD up as well to buy.
Most interesting is her mention in the CD liner notes about learning to deal with the politics in the music industry. Everything that she wrote about in the liner notes was so insightful. I'm a fan for life of India's.
I'm really digging Pearls right now.
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Originally posted by jss0058: ...There is one or two I could do without, but if you have enjoyed India's past stuff then you will like this. I have to listen it to it more to know exactly where I would rank it with her other albums...definitely not as good as Acoustic Soul though.
That's my take on it so far too. I think I need to listen through it a bit more though to rank it.
I saw online this morning that she has been nominated for 16 Grammy Awards (winning two). I didn't realize that she has been nominated that many times. Yeah, she'll get some additional Grammy nominations, without any wins.
And I saw somewhere recently that Jill Scott is the biggest loser for the Female R&B Vocal Performance - she has been nominated 6 or 7 times, losing every time. Interesting.
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India.Arie might pull in a win or two. It's too early to tell. They have no problem nominating her, though. It's time for Jill's overdue Grammy in Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
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Originally posted by musicluva123: India.Arie might pull in a win or two. It's too early to tell. They have no problem nominating her, though. It's time for Jill's overdue Grammy in Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
I definately agree about Jill Scott - I don't know if she will ever get that award, but she is certainly overdue!!! And yeah, voters love to nominate India. We'll see how she does. I absolutely LOVE her single "Chocolate High."
I just don't see Beyonce winning unless she has a monster year commercially. "Single Ladies" is ineligible and I can't see a song like "Diva" winning R&B Female.
We could see another first-time winner in that category. Jill Scott is certainly overdue to win that category. She should've won in 2002 for "He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)."
I haven't heard India's new album yet, but I heard "Chocolate High" and "Therapy" and was bored. It's a shame India has yet to make an album as good as Acoustic Soul.
Originally posted by UPitt: And I saw somewhere recently that Jill Scott is the biggest loser for the Female R&B Vocal Performance - she has been nominated 6 or 7 times, losing every time. Interesting.
Jill Scott has been nominated five times:
2000 --- "Gettin' In the Way" 2001 --- "A Long Walk" 2002 --- "He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)" 2004 --- "Whatever" 2007 --- "Hate On Me"
How ironic that this morning on Good Morning America India Arie is on speaking about her new album and performing a song that she made with GMA anchor Robin Roberts. I am pretty sure it deals with Robin Roberts and her recent cancer battle.
After a few listens I have to say that the first four tracks (Therapy, Ghetto, Chocolate Highe, He Heals Me) are WONDERFUL songs. I also am really feeling Long Goodbye. Right now I think I would have nixed Pearls & The Cure from the album...everything else, IMO, works extremely well here. It is so nice to have music from Arie back...I wish more artists/popular music had such a passion for creating good, positive messages.
FYC-Album of the Year: Maxwell's BLACKsummers'night
Originally posted by UPitt: I saw online this morning that she has been nominated for 16 Grammy Awards (winning two). I didn't realize that she has been nominated that many times. Yeah, she'll get some additional Grammy nominations, without any wins.
And I saw somewhere recently that Jill Scott is the biggest loser for the Female R&B Vocal Performance - she has been nominated 6 or 7 times, losing every time. Interesting.
Janet Jackson lost in the following years:
1986 for the Control Album (lost to Anita Baker) 1989 for the Miss You Much single (lost to Anita Baker) 1990 for the Alright single (lost to Anita Baker) 1993 for the That's The Way Love Goes single (lost to Toni Braxton) 1998 for the I Get So Lonely single (lost to Lauryn Hill) 2004 for a single that I do not remember the name (lost to Alicia Keys)
Posts: 1376 | Location: Chicago | Registered: September 08, 2004
Originally posted by DoubleD: I haven't heard India's new album yet, but I heard "Chocolate High" and "Therapy" and was bored. It's a shame India has yet to make an album as good as Acoustic Soul.
LOL. India does have the tendency to put out some pretty arid material. I think it's just a result of her attempts to be an artist. She tries so hard to separate herself from the mainstream and the end result is usually rather tedious.
It's unfortunate, too, because I think India is talented. She's just...boring.
Originally posted by UPitt: I saw online this morning that she has been nominated for 16 Grammy Awards (winning two). I didn't realize that she has been nominated that many times. Yeah, she'll get some additional Grammy nominations, without any wins.
And I saw somewhere recently that Jill Scott is the biggest loser for the Female R&B Vocal Performance - she has been nominated 6 or 7 times, losing every time. Interesting.
Janet Jackson lost in the following years:
1986 for the Control Album (lost to Anita Baker) 1989 for the Miss You Much single (lost to Anita Baker) 1990 for the Alright single (lost to Anita Baker) 1993 for the That's The Way Love Goes single (lost to Toni Braxton) 1998 for the I Get So Lonely single (lost to Lauryn Hill) 2004 for a single that I do not remember the name (lost to Alicia Keys)
Janet Jackson was nominated for "I Want You" in R&B Female in 2004.
Janet Jackson is the biggest loser in Best Female R&B Vocal Performance with 6 losses.
Heard some good songs on the album. India.Arie ceases to amaze me with her voice. In one part of "Long Goodbye," she hits a rather unexpected high note (well unexpected for me at least lol). Her material ain't so bad either.
I knew it was out, and I started to buy it the other day. My problem is that I haven't been REALLY impressed with India.Arie's music since Acoustic Soul. Unlike Erykah Baud, Jill Scott or Alicia Keys, I don't think she's lived up to the hype that her debut inspired.
Her last few albums have been pretty lackluster, IMO. She's a very talented artist, but she just hasn't released anything great since her first album.
And honestly, she didn't deserve either of the Grammys that she won, IMO. They were just makeup wins to satisfy for the fact that she lost for her first album, which she should've won at least two awards for.
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