Kelly Rowland featuring Lil’ Wayne “Motivation”/ Diplo Remix
In the years since Destiny’s Child’s formal disbandment back in 2006, Kelly Rowland has had a helluva time trying to forge a successful solo career in the States, from switching labels to trying out a few different musical styles within a slew of single releases in the hopes that something would stick and help dictate the best direction for her to venture down.
The dance-pop realm felt like a good fit for her, the confident disco diva Rowland offered on David Guetta collaborations “When Love Takes Over” and (last summer’s highly under-appreciated) “Commander” earning the singer rave reviews and plenty of overseas love, but they failed to make a strong mainstream impact State-side, curiously despite so many other acts dominating the U.S. Top 40 with songs of a similar vibe.
So what’s a woefully unlucky former Child of Destiny to do for her next desperate stab at American love? How about ditching the glow sticks and returning to her R&B roots for an over-sexed midtempo romp co-signed by Lil’ Wayne? That’s the premise for Kelly’s new single “Motivation”, a naughty little ditty that feels like it could be the tune to finally turn her fortunes around.
Demanding her lover to “go longer”, “last more rounds” and “make Momma proud” so that her legs would go numb when they’re all done, it’s a brow-raising move for Rowland, but a role she sounds utterly fantastic playing, especially with the way her kittenish vocal wind all serpentine-like throughout producer Jim Jonsin‘s titillating, “red-light special” dark synth grind, her pleas for him to “Make me rain” striking an even more erotic pose when filling up the beat’s minimalist pauses (Hell, even the full-on duds in another one of Weezy’s typical, half-hit/half-miss cameos ["When I'm done, she hold me like a conversation" being one of the major baddies] somehow manage to not seem so awful when set against Rowland’s steamy performance).
Feels like the smash hit that Rowland’s been waiting for for so long to us, but even if it somehow still flops, perhaps knowing that this single will definitely be the cause of hundreds of new pregnancies in 2011 will suffice as a good enough consolation prize for her.
BONUS DL: Kelly Rowland featuring Lil’ Wayne “Motivation (Diplo Remix)” (alt)
BONUS DL: Kelly Rowland “Commander (Acoustic Version)” (alt)
