This month’s new release is going to focus on English R&B recording artist, Estelle and her third album, All of Me, released on February 28th, 2012. This is Estelle’s 1st album in 4 years (since 2008’s Shine)- a practice that rarely happens in today’s music industry, where music has to be cranked out in “real time.” However, it seems as though those 4 years were very much needed in order to craft what has become Estelle’s most personal album to date. As a whole, this album is fairly enjoyable with a pretty good mix of upbeat, dance tunes and jazzy, breezy tunes. Most of the songs on this album are perhaps favorable because of their catchy melodies, as well as infectious beats- the same thing that made Estelle such an international star in the 1st place…..and the fact that London imports have a solid history of becoming overnight sensations in the US doesn’t hurt either. Collaborating with several of today’s top artists such as Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Rick Ross, and Janelle Monae, All of Me is simply the next chapter in Estelle trying carving out a specific sound for herself.
It is in this writer’s opinion that through this album, we are beginning to get a sense of who Estelle is, and who her influences are. Some songs like “Thank You” and “Speak Ya Mind” are very reminiscent of a young Mary J. Blige or Lauryn Hill, in the sense she is trying to pass on to the listeners some of the lessons that she, herself has learned over time. In the obviously Akon-penned “Thank You,” she is portraying herself as the survivor of a bad relationship. She is basically thanking her “ex” for letting her go, because now she has realized that it will make her stronger. All that she went through in the relationship, she is now chalking up as a learning experience, now that she is moving on with her life. In “Speak Ya Mind” and “The Life” she shows her “street cred” by switching back and forth between rapping and singing throughout the verses. What many don’t know is that Estelle actually started off as a rapper when she was back in the UK; so this is not new territory for her. The self-affirming, “Speak Ya Mind” is her way of telling her naysayers that she is proud of the person that she has become, and is not going to change for anyone. Further expanding on her “street cred” is the song “Break My Heart,” which is a breezy, mid-tempo song that has a surprising appearance by Southern rapper, Rick Ross. Even listening to the beginning of the song, you’re wondering, “How in the world is Rick Ross fitting in on this track- it’s much too airy for his style.” Well you just have to listen to it to see, cause somehow they make it work, and it doesn’t sound forced.
What is truly surprising is that there are no slow songs on this album. There are mostly either breezy, upbeat tunes or just hard, upbeat tunes. It would be nice to see a song that showcases Estelle’s vulnerable side for a change. That is something that listeners respond to. For instance, “Love the Way We Used To,” which starts off very jazzy, even almost reminiscent of Chrisette Michelle, is an enjoyable tune; and the old-school 80’s Hip-Hop vibe of “Cold Crush” is bound to be popular with radio stations. However for a song to be a success, it needs to have its own personality, which is where “International (Serious)” feat Chris Brown and Trey Songz is sorely lacking. First of all, you really can’t tell Chris Brown’s voice from Trey Songz because their sound is pretty much cut from the same mold. It actually seemed pretty redundant featuring them on the same album; nonetheless the same song. Then there are “okay” tunes like “Wonderful Life” and “Back to Love,” which strike me as being album filler just to fill up space. Once again, they lack enough personality to even be considered as “radio worthy.”
All in all, it’s obvious that the talent is there with Estelle, and that she can in fact, “sing”- which puts her a step above some artists in today’s industry. However, we need to see more of what her vocal range is; the depths that she can go to as a singer in order to deliver her message. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking her delivery or anything, but a song like “American Boy,” was such a smash hit because of its light, upbeat “catchiness.” That’s great for a one-hit wonder; however not enough to carry longevity in the music industry. I think that once Estelle begins to carve out her own sound, and once people begin to identify her with that sound, the buying public will be able to connect with her on a much deeper level......
Until Next Time......