shining 'soulstar'

past: Kelis, Tasty
present: Musiq, 'soulstar'
future: Jamiroquai , Amel Larrieaux

The third CD from Musiq is a continuation of his soulful exchange, with some very subtle distinctions coming front and center, namely his production capabilities, both behind the boards and in the executive suite.

soulstar featuring DJ Aktiv and Carol Riddick in her spendor, graces the track with their voices, sliding into youloveme, which explores the two-sidedness of love:

I know you love me baby
'Cause I love you too
So tell me why is it I'm having doubts about you?

womanopoly slides on into forthenight which is the current release - a release that has a solid touch of 70s music revamped into this millenium. Along with being graced with AAries, it's a strong cut to start off with. infatueighties teaches us how to mack Musiq style:

We went from a spark to a raging fire
Down like a car with 4 flat tires
She my superstar, I'd be the shine behind her (ya mean)

whoknows is a very solid cut itself, complete with horns and a crescendo in the middle which, in this reviewer's opinion, would be a good choice for the second release. babymother accentuates whoknows, stating his ownership of a child on their way, sliding into The Rolling Stone's enhanced missyou. Mick Jagger should be proud.

momentinlife is an outstanding cut showcasing the talents of Cee-Lo and Kindred the Family Soul. thereason slides us into the groove of dontstop graced by the vocals of Bilal, yet another solid cut. When both vocalists are crooning to droppin' clothes, it's funky.

Dipping into the sdness of breakup, whereareyougoing gives us a thoughtful pause with good vocals, which is more expansive than his normal vocals. We are then pulled back into romancipation, a strong ending.*

This CD shows that Musiq has indeed expanded, yet he hasn't reinvented himself. It's still solid, and solid is good. Fans of Musiq will remain fans, and there will more than likely be more fans acquired. Has he stretched? A bit, but it's more on a positive vibe.

My take? 7/10.

Express yourself. eXponent. It's a good thing.

Hey, ooh, when im singing im sharing
Or rhyming I'm shining my light
And although the love is so blinding I still end up finding my wife
All I can do is reminisce cause there is no rewinding my life
But the future's so bright it's almost blinding my sight
- momentinlife

* There are two hidden tracks on the CD. In particular, leaveamessage which is very solid, replete with answering machine messages, making me replay the song continuosly. Very, very solid.