Search - Kelly Rowland :: Ms Kelly

A Strong "Comeback" (3.5 Stars)

firefairyangel | Canada | 04/01/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Coming off a broken engagement as well the official breakup of Destiny's Child, Kelly Rowland's sophomore album certainly came at a time laden with inspiration for material. Despite all her success as part of Destiny's Child as well as her own solo debut, Kelly is one of those artists who consistently flys under the radar. For a time, it was doubtful this album would even see the light of day given numerous pushbacks. Many listeners complained that after playing second fiddle to Beyonce for so many years, they never really had a strong sense of who Kelly was as a person or as an artist, although few denied her vocal ability. Her debut, although a solid album in itself, did little to establish her as an individual. However, along with her history with Destiny's Child, her debut built Kelly a decent fanbase, many of whom considered her the underdog of the group and the one to watch. Her rich tone and clarity certainly attest to this. This album was a long time in the making, to the point where many were ready to give up on it. In its original incarnation, it was criticized for being "too slow" and ballad-heavy, prompting Kelly and her team to go back to the drawing board and add a few tracks. The final result yields another solid, arguably more consistent album, that truly showcases Kelly's skills.



Lead single "Like This" is actually one of the weaker offerings, making it a poor choice to start the album. While it is by no means a bad song, it is far from what Kelly is capable of both vocally and lyrically. This was acutally one of the last songs added to the album, which may explain why it does not seem to fit as well as some of the others. It also seems to allude to both her personal life and her past success, referencing letting go of "the ring". "The girl that they used to know done changed", Kelly proclaims, asserting herself as a sassy, more independent artist than one might expect. The verse from Eve is a nice touch, but doesn't really add all that much either. The track is decent, but comes across more as an obligatory "I'm different than you expected" song. "Comeback" is much stronger, and would have made a better choice for the first single. The track shows Kelly with more confidence and swagger, and also shows off her vocals much better than the previous track. Although the lyrics of the chorus leaves a little to be desired, the bridge more than makes up for it. The darker kind of sound to this track suits Kelly's voice impeccably. "Ghetto" features Snoop Dogg, making for a rather odd combination that for the most part works. The track highlights the softness of Kelly's vocals, and she has identified it as a personal favourite. It has more of a summer-y feel to it. As one of the more laidback tracks, it is not all that memorable but makes for an enjoyable listen nonetheless.



"Work" is another song that brings Kelly back to her strengths, showcasing a sassy delivery and strong vocals. The up-tempo track easily demonstrates that Kelly is more than capable of handling more fast-paced material. This track quickly became a fan favourite, and an unexpected album gem, especially as it contrasts the slower pace of the rest of the album. The song thus is a very welcome change of pace, talking about a guy needing to make the most of his opportunity to win her over. Once again, the bridge is a particularly strong point. "Flashback" is one of a few tracks that leaked long before the release of the final album, as it was originally meant for inclusion on the first version. Nonetheless, it remains an excellent addition as it marks the beginning of a group of songs which seem to be more personal to Kelly. Here Kelly sings about having flashbacks of her relationship, realizing that the mistakes that were made weren't that bad. The song becomes a little droning at times, mostly due to the beat, but it remains enjoyable. "Every Thought is You" is one that most fans are torn about, seeing it either as an album highlight, or else extremely boring. Like the previous song, its sound is more mellow, leaving the focus primarily on the lyrics. Fortunately, even with their simplicity, they are strong enough to keep the song afloat. Kelly really shines on the adlibs toward the end, showing the strength and clarity of her voice.



"The Show" is another track which received mixed reactions from the fans. The track is a sleek duet between Kelly and Tank, who complement each other incredibly. It is another of those tracks which most will likely not remember, but makes for an enjoyable surprise when they listen to it. Kelly truly shines on her verse, showcasing the power of her voice without ever falling into the trap of oversinging. The harmonies toward the end are excellent, truly pointing out how well the two artists work together. "Interlude" is a stripped-down intro, featuring just Kelly and a piano leading nicely into the next track. The style of it actually suits both Kelly and the track impeccably, making one wonder how it would have sounded if this sound were used for the full track. "Still In Love With My Ex" is a true album highlight as well as a fan-favourite. This track seems to have Kelly drawing from her real-life experience with her ex-fiance. Here, she sings about how she began to doubt a seemingly perfect relationship, only to figure out that she wasn't truly ready for it. The lyrics are simple yet stunning in their sincerity. The lighter production allows her ample room to show off her vocals, and more importantly, the emotion behind the track. Songs like this definitely counter the criticism Kelly faced about being too ballad-heavy, as this is the type of track that suits her best.



"Love" is easily another highlight, co-written by Solange Knowles, further attesting to the strength of their musical partnership, as Solange's contributions to her debut also tended to be the highlights. This track shows Kelly at her best, with strong, passionate vocals and sincere lyrics. Here Kelly sings about an ex who misses what he had with her, but how his time has passed. The song shows true artistry, both in the vocals and the lyrics as it tells the rather cliched story in a fresh way. In the end, Kelly thanks this man for showing her that he's not the only one in the world, bringing the track to an excellent close. "Better Without You" is another more laidback track that many fans consider a highlight, while others tend to find it droning. The song seems to be something of an acquired taste, largely due to the repetitive nature of the chorus. However, the verses are quite strong, making it a good song although not the best the album has to offer. The repetition especially becomes irritating toward the end, which is really a shame as the verses hint at the potential for what this track could have been. Luckily, the album ends off with yet another highlight, "This Is Love". Again, this track shows Kelly in her element, showcasing beautiful vocals over laidback production. The acoustic sound allows Kelly's passionate delivery to shine, giving her plenty of room to bring emotion to the lyrics. The second verse in particular is incredible.



Overall Mark: 3.5/5



If listeners were expecting Kelly to establish herself as a superstar with this album, they may end up rather disappointed. However, she has arguably established herself as a confident and independent woman, although certainly one who is not immune from all the normal issues following a break-up. Kelly has once again offered a consistent album that certainly showcases her strengths. There is not a single truly terrible song to be found here, making it an enjoyable listen as a whole. However, the main problem is that very little of it really grabs and holds the listeners attention immediately; much of the material tends to slip by but grow on you over time. The criticism of the album being too slow may be true, however, this is also puzzling as the slow tracks tend to be where Kelly shines best ("Work" being the only true exception). Another problem may be that at only 11 tracks (plus an interlude) the album is quite short, meaning there is less strong material to overshadow the few weaker points. It seems as if Kelly has found two possible niches which highlight her abilities, although it may have helped to balance the two styles more throughout the album. As a side note, is is also puzzling how the excellent "Gotsta Go" got left off the album, as it was actually a strong choice for a lead single, that unfortunately did not do well. Compared to her debut, Kelly's voice seems to have grown considerably, yet she retains her sincerity and passion that she seems to bring to every track. Despite being widely criticized, Ms. Kelly is a solid and enjoyable album that suffers most from a slight lack of variety. For fans of slower-paced material, this may not be a bad thing, although those who prefer Kelly's upbeat material will be highly disappointed. Nonetheless, Kelly has once again demonstrates that her greatest asset is the emotion she brings to each track, establishing herself as an artist to watch."