LSI PLAYER- R. Kelly
- LetsSingIt Music Player
- play all songs
- Fans
- 87, 0 of your friends
add to favorites
- Moderator
- Cdd310
- More R. Kelly news
28/12/2010 R. Kelly 'Love Letter' Review 20/09/2009 R. Kelly Set to Release New Album 'Untitled' 27/08/2008 R. Kelly's new single 10/05/2008 R. Kelly currently judged 23/03/2008 R. Kelly Child-Pornography Trial To Begin May 9 
More artist news
R. Kelly - News
| R. Kelly 'Love Letter' Review |
| 28-12-2010 10:35 | 0 comment(s) |
 Wearing a suit and bow tie, his head thrown back in sepia-toned ecstasy, R. Kelly evokes an old-school soul man on the cover of his 10th studio album, "Love Letter" (Jive).
It's an unlikely look for Kelly, who has spent the last two decades churning out libido-on-overdrive odes to his twin muses: the bump and the grind. That tunnel vision has served him well, a quadruple threat singer-songwriter-producer-performer who has racked up 34 million sales. Though he has also dabbled in self-empowerment anthems ("I Believe I Can Fly") and his childhood love of Chicago-style dusties soul ("Step in the Name of Love"), "Love Letter" marks the first time he's gone nearly an entire album sounding almost chaste. This is Kelly at his most earnest, reimagining the music that dominated his household while growing up on Chicago's South Side in the '70s and '80s. "I wanna bring the love songs back to the radio," he sings on "Lost in Your Love," and serves up a series of tributes to heroes past, a personal tour of soul history. He invokes Sade in the sensual sway of "Number One Hit"; channels Michael Jackson's keening cries on "Not Feelin' the Love"; the doo-wop of the Dells and Spaniels on "Radio Message," right down to its a cappella finale; a Motown-style co-ed duet with K. Michelle on "Love Is"; Sam Cooke's bring-it-on-home-to-me empathy on "How Do I Tell Her"; and the pleading desperation of Percy Sledge on "When A Woman Loves." He nods to the Marvin Gaye of "Let's Get it On" as an obvious carnal influence in "Just Can't Get Enough," and veers into Kelly freak mode on "Taxi." But for the most part Kelly forgoes the sing-songy minimalism that made him rich in favor of more developed melodies, fully orchestrated arrangements and lyrics that are as much spiritual as sexual. Some listeners may question Kelly's sincerity. His career has been built on over-the-top outrageousness, so how to buy Kelly as a suave soul crooner? The singer is nearly as well known for his legal troubles (he was acquitted of child pornography in 2008) as for his music. Yet "Love Letter" is perhaps the most personal work of his career. These are the type of songs he'd sing when performing for pocket change on Chicago street corners and L platforms before he had a record deal. This style of music also meant everything to his late mother, whose record collection set Kelly on his path. "Love Letter" is as much an homage to her as it to the classic soul tracks she loved. |
| 0 comments |
| Comments | |
|---|---|
| Be the first one to comment » |