Search - Veronica :: Rise

ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS I OWN!

Tara | BRONX, NEW YORK | 01/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I NEVER KNEW WHO VERONICA WAS UNTIL THE END OF '97 WHEN SHE RELEASED "RISE" AND WAS DOING AN INTERVIEW FOR BET. WHEN THEY PLAYED HER VIDEO "RISE" I IMMEDIATELY LOVED IT! SO I WENT OUT AND GOT THE ALBUM. "RISE" HAS BEAUTIFUL SONGS AND CATCHY TUNES ON IT. I KNOW EVERY WORD TO EVERY SONG AND I TRIED TO FIND HER PREVIOUS ALBUM BEFORE THAT; "V... AS IN VERONICA" TO MY DISAPPOINTMENT I LEARNED THAT IT WAS NO LONGER MADE AND SINCE THEN I HAVE BEEN ON A QUEST TO FIND AT LEAST ONE COPY. I REALLY DO WISH THAT I COULD FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VERONICA AND HEAR SOME OF HER PREVIOUS RECORDINGS. MY ONLY WISH IS THAT THEY WOULD PLAY MORE OF HER MUSIC ON THE RADIO. "RISE" IS A MUST HAVE AND SHE IS DEFINITELY AN ARTIST WHO SHOULD BE HEARD MORE!"

A Review of Veronica

Unika | NYC, NY | 11/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Once again, Veronica has made a great album. I bought the first album in 1996 out of pure curiosity. I had read about her in a few magazines and I though she might be good. Let me tell you, the 2nd album is twice as good as the first. I know she had some problems with Mercury Records, so she switched over to HOLA. The 2nd company seemed more organized but I still can't believe for the second time in a row they failed to publicize her album. Although the publicity was pretty poor, this is truly a great album. I actually wrote Veronica a fan letter in early 1998 and was surprised when a few months later I got a response! I think Veronica does a good job of representing where she comes from (Soundview-Castle Hill, the Bronx) and representing the Latino community. Not as a putdown but I agree 100% with the reviewer who compared Veronica to the likes of Jennifer Lopez. Jennifer Lopez is good but comparing Jennifer to Veronica is like comparing the Beatles to the Backstreet Boys or Britney Spears to Mary J. Blige. She clearly is the more vocally talented of the two. Jennifer is an atress and Veronica, a singer. It's really a shame things did not turn out as planned for her. I was surprised and kind of angered when I read here that Mercury was actually even considering marketing Veronica as a light skinned Black. Not only would that be a lie and denying her heritage, but seriously...she is a light skinned Puerto Rican, who would they be fooling? I was sort of disgusted by that idea. It seems as though they definitely did not have her best interests in mind.So, to wrap things up, judging by her great vocal talents, unique style, and the fact that she cares about her fans enough to respond to a fan letter, I'd say she's not only talented but also genuine."

The best album of last year -- hands down.

Unika | 08/20/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Veronica's last two albums were the best albums I've heard in the last few years. Unfortunately, Hola, her label, doesn't have the resources to put her "out" like she needs to be -- or, maybe, they just aren't committed to her. Veronica's sultry, funky, soulful voice should bring her the kind of success female artist like Debra Cox enjoys, but someone is not giving this soulful mami the support she needs, and I'm astonished? Jennifer Lopez is enjoying a tremendous amount of success -- but those who have seen Veronica know, to be superficial, that she's more beautiful, and has a bigger "rump shaka" than Jennifer (imagine that). Part of the problem with Veronica, and many Latin artist, is the fact that so many label execs are racist and don't seem to know how to market a latin artist. Veronica has mentioned that before she went to Hola, her former label was going to market her as a light-skinned Black female. I happen to love her two album's -- "Veronica" and "Rise" -- refreshing latin/R&B mix, but, as I've said, Veronica's voice and beauty make her a "sure shot" for success. Hola needs to put everything behind her or let her go (but I will say that Jelly Bean Benitez, Hola's founder, did do a good production job). Once my businesses turn a bigger profit, I may be getting into the music business -- and I will definitely be looking up Veronica. Debra Cox, Shanice, and the rest of these R&B females can't touch Veronica's voice and beauty, and, yes, I'm a brotha. Hola, get your act together, and bring Veronica back for a third album, 'cause I'm comin'. Being a writer, author, and entreprenuer, I feel that I'm well-rounded enough to know when people, business, and talent can't all come together to get the job done, it's usually because the "system" -- or the music business -- isn't allowing things to get done. There's something very rotten with the music business when someone like this isn't more successful. If you can't fit into the music business mafia's categories, you can't get any airplay. We gotta shut 'em down."