that is spot on. i like parts of that album like say you will and locked inside (both very R&B tracks, and prob my two favourite songs on there, next to sir greendown), and i think the whole artifice is very deliberate, and actually refreshing (and of course what appeals to all the easy bait rock critics who love that stuff rather than someone who sounds like they mean what they sing, cos yknow, how could anyone mean the drivel that passes for r&b lyrics these days right?), but too much of the record is just anonymous sounding. her image and high concept are both fab but the music lacks much of that same identity. some of it is actually woefully generic at times, esp when she goes into rock mode. hopefully that will come with time. but she has a great voice and on stage shes a pretty special performer. just shame about a fair amount of the material.
but the thing about drawing the r&b vs fake or critical darling r&b battle lines is where is the great 'straight' R&B to put up against monae (not that her album is even half as good as critics seem to think) at the moment? i dont know. i know its not cassie or ciara. whos the standard bearer? R&B is basically pop these days and there is non pop stuff like jazmine sullivan that i like on principle but it doesnt quite come up to par imo. i shd prob pay more attention than i do though.
r kellys not feeling the love isnt bad. it was written for michael jackson apparently - you can tell. though i think mj would have spruced it up a bit.
theres a good r kelly interview by will oldham on interview magazines site btw. he says hes going to make his next album 12 play: night of the living dead. which could be a first for necro-R&B or something.
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