Any female that achieves a great deal of success is going to be compared to Madonna (Beyonce, Rihanna, Gaga come to mind too), and it showcases how much disrespect the mainstream has towards Madonna's legacy. It seems like they've just devolved her career achievements into "successful person with vagina," as if any of the above women have done anything remotely aligned with Madonna's career shifts, let alone come CLOSE to replicating Madonna's genius and sustained success.
Madonna is her own beast, and no one has EVER or WILL ever come close to playing the game like she has. Britney's self-inflicted career suicide like... 5 years after her debut is enough to suggest that she's not in Madonna's league. Beyonce is the only one (so far) who has sustained a successful career for over a decade, but she's done so with safer career choices, and hardly any visual transformations. She's safe and likable enough to stay on mainstream's good side all these years, and she's held on to her winnings the whole way through to become the juggernaut she is now. Rihanna shares Madonna's old affinity for self-transformation, though Rihanna's never come close to capturing the zeitgeist like Madonna has done time and time again. I suppose Gaga's taken the same "hard choices" that Madonna's taken but not really in a challenging, provocative way that's pissed people off... but more like adding to what she's done before and annoying the public with the excess. Very different reaction. We'll see how Gaga builds and sustains her career before comparing her to Madonna, but until then, there will only be one. And nothing's more disrespectful to Madonna than having the nerve to suggest that Britney Fucking Spears is at her caliber.
Musically? She's always a few months ahead of the curve. She and her team have a lock on the pulse of youth culture and it keeps her relevant album after album after album. Even early in her career, something like SOS was not the current sound, it was from the future. It's very Madonna. Beyoncé can be super-current when she wants to, but never game-changing sonically. That's the Rihanna difference.
Janet was about 3 years ahead with Control. Your fave could never.
Musically? She's always a few months ahead of the curve. She and her team have a lock on the pulse of youth culture and it keeps her relevant album after album after album. Even early in her career, something like SOS was not the current sound, it was from the future. It's very Madonna. Beyoncé can be super-current when she wants to, but never game-changing sonically. That's the Rihanna difference.
Janet was about 3 years ahead with Control. Your fave could never.
True, though it seems like all of those trends would have happened anyway with or without her releases. That's not really setting trends as it is catching an upcoming trend and jumping on it. Probably why she's never had an astronomical career high ala Madonna or Gaga. She's never shaken up the matrix herself.
I would possibly argue that Janet provided a much more different kind of sound than her contemporaries did, at least that's what I got from listening to The Velvet Rope.
True, she had more of an R&B niche to her but she was still very much in the conversation. That was a three-horse race for a long time and it's obviously because people like to compare women to other women.
Janet Jackson has had a longer, more fruitful career, plus Britney never had the inconvenience of competing head-to-head with Madonna and Mariah Carey for a decade-plus. The early 2000s was a pretty open field in the "pop diva" space.
Another single? Damn. I thought Birthday was just now starting to build momentum. That song's a grower. This Is How We Do is some debut era Ke$ha nonsense to me though.
Another single? Damn. I thought Birthday was just now starting to build momentum. That song's a grower. This Is How We Do is some debut era Ke$ha nonsense to me though.
I can say I like some of her bops, too. I have a lot of her stuff on my iPod, and I can respect how long she's lasted in the industry. She's been like the dark horse >:3
Now babies, me and my husband (Lenny Kravitz) are been estranged. Seewhathadhappenedwas, in 1996 (I was 20, FAAAR younger than the good sis Mumei is now,) and this man said to me, "Gonna take you in the room suga'. Lock you up and love for days. We gonna be rockin, baby. Till the cops come knockin." And I was like, oh indeed. I saw his visage and was in lust. Boo was fine as hell. He had this big fluffy afro. Ch... Sex appeal was off the charts, and to top it off, boo had vocals for days. His first album was my [E V E R Y T H I N G]. Now, Lenny was still my man and all, cause it doesn't hurt to look. But let me tell you, album number two... I had to go call the police, and go call the governor. Boo was bringing the trouble y'all. I HAD to let Lenny go.
This sophomore album is the thing of LEGENDS and I was here for it. Lock, stock, and barrel. I know y'all aren't here for men.
(cuz ain't nobody hittin it right, yet)
But, IMHO, there is nothing better in THIS world than a man who can croon you out of your pants. Maxwell and Stuart Matthewman (from the band Sade) put together this here album, and they did the damn thing.
Roy will concur
(but don't let his endorsement push you away)
that Embrya, is the business, and you probably are, in fact, not ready.
Boys, I present to you, Maxwell.
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1996 also gave me my second favorite album today. Me'shell Ndegeocello came to my attention through a little song called, "Dred Loc." "Dred Loc" slayed and because she was signed to Madonna's label, I kept an ear out for her. By the time her second album was about to drop she released her "controversial" first single entitled "Leviticus: Faggot" and needless to say I was perched.
I remember when the album was released our car was broken, so me and moms hopped on the bus and went to the record store. After it was purchased we went to chill at the park and listened to the album courtesy of my discman with a headphone splitter. The album slayed. We went back to the record store and she got a copy too and the rest is history.
Me'shell is a multi-instrumentalist, but her primary weapon is the bass. She's a singer and songwriter. She is a Prince stan.
Ugh, that man just takes me to another dimension when he sings. The neo-soul that drips from his tongue gets me high. He is so amazing truly. My sister is hell bent on seeing him live as well so we're trying to find some tickets. But yes yes yes! This Me'Shell chick is ok, but I don't know if I like her whole nubian urban black freedom poetry type style. Maybe her voice throws me off a bit but she's usable. I have to listen to a couple more songs to get it.
Which brings me to prefer another nubian soul artist that is..
Ladies and gents: Erykah Badu slays. You should already know this. If you haven't heard Mama's Gun.... I weep for you. Its everything. Do yourself a solid and get into it.
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Also a slayer is Jill Scott. But I'm not telling you anything you don't know. Her debut was the business. Her live album was the business. Her second album is the business. Her third album was... different. lol. And her fourth was ... interesting. But her debut is what I'm here to celebrate.
Eryka Badu is everything. So far I've listened up to her third album and haven't finished with her but baduism is naturally her best. Bop after bop after bop. Jill Scott is my mom's favorite artist. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten to listen to her full discography but I definitely will with this post. I love those neo soul women like her, Angie Stone, Floetry, Marsha Ambrosius, Indie Arie, Etc.
I can say I like some of her bops, too. I have a lot of her stuff on my iPod, and I can respect how long she's lasted in the industry. She's been like the dark horse >:3
This is how we do is already getting played more in the UK than Birthday did
It's grown on me so much I hate myself. I'd like it a lot more if it wasnt for that cringey breadown though
It's true. Honestly, I can say her songs tend to resonate with me at most times (there have been a few that I'm not super fond of). I also know a few people who saw her live here. She's got an amazing voice, which as a singer I can also really appreciate :O!
