Solange "I Decided"
It seems that every female R&B singer unfortunate enough to have close ties to Beyonce Knowles suffers from the same fate: they’re okay talents, but even with their strongest efforts, will always seem to succumb to the quickly dismissive reaction of “Be would of done this a million times better”. Like former-Destiny Children-gone-solo Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams and Letoya Luckett, Beyonce’s younger, look-a-like sibling, Solange, drops a likable record with some cool ideas, but struggles to make it spark the way her sister could do with such ease if she happened to attempt it.
Successful in it’s aim for a retro Motown/ heyday-Aretha vibe, The Neptunes-assisted “I Decided” takes some Supremes’ stomps and jovial piano touches, plants puppy love lyrics on top of it and pulls off a cutesy charmer that actually carries some winning potential. “Your mind is like a prism/ For God’s light to shine through,” the lesser Knowles compliments in prancing melodies, extremely delighted that she seems to have finally found what the chorus awkwardly notes as “the him” to her.
So what’s wrong with a record that’s endlessly fascinating in it’s super-girlish dynamism and well-achieved throwback gaze? Unfortunately, the problem lies with Solange herself. It’s understandable why she would want to hit listeners off with a performance that’s memorable enough to distance her from Mrs. Hova (especially since they bear similar tones), but she goes about it in the wrong way, trying to convey grit with a beyond-her-range singing style that ends up annoyingly screechy, like she’s just woken up from some lengthy slumber or spent the entire evening prior screaming her lungs out at a Chris Brown concert. The always up-to-par Beyonce would’ve never let something as unattractive-sounding as this ever reach the public ear.
To her credit, though, “I Decided” doesn’t seem totally finished, coming across more like a rough draft to set the blueprint for the song. If that’s true, and “I Decided” gets the polishing it begs for, than Solange could actually be the one to officially break the lethal, Beyonce-associated curse that’s hindered the careers of others.
DL: “I Decided” (YFH)
I actually think this song would have been perfect for Kelly. In fact, this “cutesy” image would have been a better look for her solo project rather than the confused “sexy ghetto what?” vibe.
Hell, she might as well go for an entire Motown girl-group sound and call her album “Ms. Florence Ballard”. ::sigh:: If only…
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Agreed on the annoying screechiness and awkward “the him” line. I’m not a fan of Beyonce, but now I can definitely see how her songs are more polished, since she and Solange have almost the same voice.
She hit those high notes perfectly. She needs to sing in a higher key more, even if she comes off sounding a little like beyonce, but its understandable that she would try to switch her voice up so as to not be compared to her sister.
I actually just finished listening to the remix for this record.
The songs fault is in the lack of production.
Pharrell dint execute the records feel to the full potential.
When you hear the new one..
(which is circulating through the camp as of no)
It will more than likely be released as a single.. )
The vibe is more tangible… The new instrumentation gives her the room to do the singing that she does.
Before there was no Dynamic.. Now its rediculous.