So, I love all types of music, I mean all types! Anyone who knows me can tell you that. But, my bread and butter is soul and r&b and sometimes I don't need complex arrangements and esoteric or just plain obscure references.lol. Sometimes I need good music and a great vocal and a slight message, cause that's what good r&b does. I think Fantasia accomplished this on this song. She went through a lot, with a very private heartbreak being blasted in the public, one of the unfortunate prices of fame sometimes. But, in this song, she extols the virtues of putting yourself first,not being the "ride or die chick", not accepting someones bad behavior and staying with them. Even in her song "Bittersweet" she admits she still loves him, but the video and the song show she is moving on. Yet, a pet peeve of mine in a lot of recent r&b songs,with singers who can either sing very well or at least pass, has been the need to sing about being treated terribly and staying in that terrible situation. What R&B does best is talk about, spotlight, offer solutions to our struggles. And while that is a real struggle some of us have, it is not a healthy one, it is not one that should be a trend in songwriting, especially when the primary audience is young girls and women of color. Dysfunction should never be normalized, as much as I might like the song.
New Fantasia Vid: Doing Me
http://www.youtube.com/user/FantasiaVEVO#p/a/u/0/n0YrpnpaWSY
Jasmine Sullivan: Circles
It's a great song, just wish their was light at the end of it's tunnel.lol
And my least fav.lol. Melanie Fiona
a writer at Clutch also talks about it here
http://clutchmagonline.com/lifeculture/feature/holdin%E2%80%99-you-down-the-circle-of-insanity/
