mixtape maestro (2.0)

Mary J Blige’s triumphant 2005 smash “Be Without You” may have ended up being the biggest record of her career (earning two Grammy Awards, crossover adoration, and a fifteen-week reign atop the R&B singles chart), but it initially didn’t at all feel like a perfect mesh with her usually grittier street-diva style, sounding more like a Mariah Carey power ballad than anything else.

On first listen to the Queen of Hip Hop-Soul’s recently leaked “Stronger”, a slightly pop-slickened Polow Da Don-produced number featuring Chris Brown (!!) on background vocals, that same feeling of “we like it, but not necessarily for Mary” comes forth again (though trade in Mariah for someone like Keri Hilson or the Pussycat Dolls Nicole S. and her oft-muted backup crew).

Maybe it’s just that we still haven’t gotten used to the positive slant of Blige’s art, despite the fact that she’s remained aligned with this inspirational vibe for a majority of the past decade, or that we’re simply yearning for a reconnection to the hard urban-dance bop of previous smashes “Real Love” or “Family Affair”, but while “Stronger” ultimately proves to be a powerful cut that will undoubtedly end up a cherished anthem for many lovers (the rawness of her vocal certainly adds a reality-drenched weight to cliche love song lyrics like “We’ve been through the storm” and “We climbed all the mountains”), we can’t easily shake away the fact that we’re left feeling a little…um, underwhelmed by it as a Mary J Blige record.

Are we crazy or does anyone else feel the same way? At least, initially?

DL: “Stronger” (alt)

After her last single, the underwhelming T-Pain assist “Go Girl”, failed to really go anywhere, Ciara pretty much understood that a re-launch of her Fantasy Ride era was needed. Unfortunately, rather than drop a club-shattering crunk & b ditty that plays to her floor-working strengths, replacement jump-off “Never Ever” opts to venture down a more mid-tempo ballad route; a major mistake since, save for the kitty-kat slink-fest that was “Promise”, Ciara really doesn’t do slow jams much justice.

Coming across like a less flashy “Love In This Club”, “Never Ever” plants Ciara in a predictable unrequited love situation, with her coming to grips with the fact that her man will never quite love her the way she wants so it’s best for her to move on. Her vocal contribution ends up just as stale as the thematic set-up reads, her lack of a broad range unable to give the flat lyrics the overblown spice that a Mariah or Keyshia could’ve offered. Even the all-too-important hook ends up feeling deflated, at first raising hopes with an interesting melody jack from “If You Don’t Know Be My Now”, than quickly snatching those same hopes away by senselessly dismissing the throwback reference only a short line later.

Some rescue does come forth with the far more exciting happenings that exist on the track’s bookends (Polow Da Don’s now-familiar hypeman seasonings and it’s later echoing in the hard-thumping bridge; a nice, breeze-by cameo from Jeezy) and “Great legs and elastic choreography”-showcasing video, but not even those bits can ultimately save “Never Ever” from being Fantasy Ride‘s second consecutive forgettable first single.

Bets are on that yet another official single will drop before the already pushed-back Ride makes it to it’s April release.

With her lean, athletic build and pure tone, Kelly Rowland managed to build an audience of her own in Destiny’s Child’s later years even though she repeatedly came up distant runner up when Beyonce was in close proximity. But now that she’s going back down the solo route, why is she having such a hard time breaking out of her shell, like she can’t shuffle the background role?

Avoiding the alt-soul accents that riddled her mostly ignored debut, Kelly attempts a more accessible urban guise on it’s important follow-up Miss Kelly, insuring herself good fortune with a surrounding of the hip hop bankable. Lead single “Like This” features sudden top gun Polow Da Don in the producer’s chair and a recently returned Eve offering their support on a semi-charming anthemic record that re-defines the singer as a smoldering, sassy diva.

Tossing off weak-kneed boyfriends with the ease of the independent woman she once claimed to be (“The ring/ Let it go bout three months ago”), Rowland orders a ladies night out to celebrate sisterhood while the boys ogle on from the sidelines too afraid to dare interrupt them. Rocking an understated cool, she knowingly winks at those who underestimated her on a laidback hook (“Y’all didn’t think that I could bump like this”), but the inner fire she seems to hint at never comes to fruition. Only a sharp one-word outburst during the delightfully, jangly portions of the chorus find Rowland acting like she’s paid her dues and is ready to shine.

The rest of the track makes her feel hidden, stuck behind the curtain like if she truly goes for her all, Beyonce will erupt out of nowhere and trump her with some over-embellished note and sizzling booty shake. She even takes a backseat to Eve who brings a nondescript verse to the table she could’ve wrote in her sleep.

“Like This” still has the potential to be a modest hit, it’s wayward groove carrying a nice crunk-lite feel, but Rowland annoyingly doesn’t announce herself the way she had on DC smashes like “Soldier” and “Lose My Breath” or on the sexy “Like This” video clip. It’s true, she might not have as convincing a larger-than-life presence as her DC sister, but having a guarded up presence a la lesser singers Cassie and Lumidee isn’t a befitting move either. If Kelly wants to have a notable career away from the group, it’s time she drop the coy act and really bring it, or she’ll see her window of people actually giving a damn close indefinitely.