Aijuswannaseing

Amazon.co.uk Review
Has "neo-soul" been around long enough for it to have throwbacks already? The ostentatiously named Musiq Soulchild seems to think so. The vibe on his debut album, Aijuswanaseing, feels an awful lot like the one D'Angelo first got folks all hot and sweaty with waaaaayyy back in 1995, with the now-classic Brown Sugar. Musiq even liberally interprets "Brown Sugar" on "L Is Gone", when the newcomer croons, "Skin caramel complexion/Lips chocolate brown" (D's version went "Skin is caramel with those cocoa eyes"). The 23-year-old Musiq is smart enough to have a couple of his musical predecessor's partners in his crew, like producer James Poyser and bassist Pino Palladino. They get some nice, laid-back grooves going on for "Girl Next Door", the sassy opening track, and "Speechless" with its sly, funky Stevie-Wonder-style bounce. In spite of their best intentions, however, the 23-year-old Philly native never manages to generate any real heat. Despite his perfectly adequate croon (part Stevie, part Eric Benet, and of course, part D'Angelo), it's his lack of lyrical prowess that does him in. Tossing off verbal gems like "So I could be like Michael Jackson and enjoy myself/Cause what I want to do is make a tuna melt" and "Your body's banging like a 400SE" with complete sincerity, Musiq sabotages the sensitive-ladies-man image he's obviously trying to cultivate by letting his ulterior motives show. He leaves us hoping that next time, he'll let someone else write the words for him. --Sylvia W. Chan

Description
The confusingly constructed title of the debut album by Musiq translates to "I just want to sing", and that intention is borne out impressively throughout this recording. The album's placement on Def Jam's Def Soul imprint is not insignificant, as Musiq is a true R&B/hip-hop hybrid. The arrangements aren't just R&B tracks with hip-hop beats grafted on, they're a true fusion of the two. It's also clear that Musiq stretches the boundaries in terms of his influences, as touchesof everyone from Stevie Wonder to Bobby McFerrin can be heard in his delivery. Like any classic R&B singer, though, Musiq presents himself as a love man of the first degree, and the album's focus is decidedly centred on the ins and outs ofromance.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews   For Musiq u feel from Soul 2 sole - BUY THIS!!, 11 Feb 2001 By A Customer What da blood...?! Why are you wasting precious listening time - go and buy this album...IMMEDIATELY! Musiq totally and utterly KILLED it with 'Aijuswannaseing'. From the wordplay of 143 (#means I Love You numerically#), to the booty-shaking, mind-boggling beat and candance of "Poparatzi" to the luscious ballads of songs like Settle For My Love and the heart-wrenching confusion of Mary-go-Round, this album is sooo...whole. You can tell Musiq really out his heart on the line with this album and any artist that exposes the soul like that can only receive genuine love.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you?