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Rating:
Joss Stone is one of the few singers today with an undeniable talent.
By the age of 19, she had sold almost 8 million records worldwide, performed on stage alongside the likes of James Brown, Rolling Stones & Stevie Wonder, and was compared by many to Aretha Franklin, who is considered her predecessor. Yet, despite all this, she didn't feel complete, she felt like she hadn't been able to express her true self, something she believes she only managed to do with her third work, "Introducing Joss Stone".
The title itself says it all, as Joss has often declared: "Introducing Joss because this album fully represents me, this is who I am as an artist, these are my words."
The album's sound is clearly inspired by the soul of the '60s & '70s with a sprinkle of hip-hop and jazz sounds as a backdrop. The producer is Raphael Saadiq, who assisted Joss throughout the entire recording period; he plays bass on the record and also leads the jazz live band that plays on the album, so much of the album's sound, if not its entirety, is owed to him.
The album, released in March 2007 in England and then in the rest of the world, was entirely written by Joss with the collaboration of Raphael for the sounds. Stone resonates with The Supremes (Girl, They Won't Believe It) which talks about finding happiness with music, echoes Motown (In The Arms Of My Baby), and also pays homage to classic soul with "What Were We Thinking" a song full of strings. There is also some funky in the album (Tell Me ‘Bout It) and in this full-immersion into black music, hip-hop could not be missing; in "Music Joss" she sings alongside Fugees' singer Lauryn Hill who raps a verse. In the dreamy and rhythmic "Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now" she hosts rapper Common, one from the '90s school who still plays more than decent songs today, whose verse elevates the song, making it one of the best on the album.
Unfortunately, there are also tracks that are too predictable such as "Proper Nice & Bruised But Not Broken" but it was a risk since at just 19 years Joss worked almost entirely alone on the album. Nice instead is the outro titled "Music" where the finale also hosts Raphael himself in a duet with Stone.
With this album, Joss has reset everything, started over from scratch and begun to chart the musical path she will likely follow in the future. All in all, it is a good work, although "The Soul Sessions" was better.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
03 Headturner (03:16)
Verse:
Work it
Girls, we gotta work it like we do
Turn a head or two
'Cause we're worth it
And I ain't gonna waste my time waiting on you
Gotta make your move
You had my number for
two or three days or more
If you're a real man, then you can't ignore
mmm, mmm this
Sometimes it's physical,
but I want supernatural
I ain't got wings but I'm ready to fall
I deserve it all
CHORUS:
Headturner, yeah
Soul burner
If you're gonna watch me walk,
then watch me walk
Headturner, yeah
Are you a slow learner?
Come and take my hand
'Cause I'll find another man
If you're gonna watch me walk,
then watch me walk.
Verse:
You gotta earn it
Nothing in life is free
You gotta bring your love to me, baby, baby, baby
Emotional (ooh, I got it)
Sexual (ooh, I got it)
Spiritual (God knows I got it)
What you want, baby I got it
CHORUS:
Headturner, yeah
Soul burner
If you're gonna watch me walk,
then watch me walk
Headturner, yeah
Are you a slow learner?
Come and take my hand
'Cause I'll find another man
If you're gonna watch me walk,
then watch me walk.
Bridge:
No one can love you like I love you
No one can do the things that I would to do you
I'd do something about it, if I were you
Or feel my heels as I'm walking over you
CHORUS: (x2)
Headturner, yeah
Soul burner
If you're gonna watch me walk,
then watch me walk
Headturner, yeah
Are you a slow learner?
Come and take my hand
'Cause I'll find another man
If you're gonna watch me walk,
then watch me walk.
10 Proper Nice (03:24)
[CHORUS]
(Catch me, catch me I'm falling
I'm falling in love with you)
There ain't nothing I can do, I'm way to deep with you
(Catch me, catch me I'm falling
I'm falling in love with you)
I've only got my heart to lose
Should I be scared of you
In love, in love, in love, in love, in love
I'm in love with you
I'm in love
[VERSE]
Now this picture's so clear
I want to trace you
And I'll make no mistakes
I won't erase you
I can travel high
I can travel low
I can do that in my sight
You're in reach
You're the perfect match
Ooh I'm falling
[CHORUS]
(Catch me, catch me I'm falling
I'm falling in love with you)
There ain't nothing I can do, I'm way to deep with you
(Catch me, catch me I'm falling
I'm falling in love with you)
I've only got my heart to lose
Should I be scared of you
In love, in love, in love, in love, in love
I'm in love with you
I'm in love
[VERSE]
Like a star when it falls it lights up the sky
Found a love, proper nice
It makes me fly
When I'm all alone in my world
I can feel you touching me
In my thoughts
In my mind
You come carry me
Ooh I'm falling
[CHORUS]
(Catch me, catch me I'm falling
I'm falling in love with you)
There ain't nothing I can do, I'm way to deep with you
(Catch me, catch me I'm falling
I'm falling in love with you)
I've only got my heart to lose
Should I be scared of you
In love, in love, in love, in love, in love
I'm in love with you
I'm in love
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