More like the queens of Soul from days past than todays more common Pop divas, Keyshia Cole can sing her ass off. While most of todays female R&B artists sell themselves with elaborate acts and top-dollar production, she is one of the few newer artists who lets her voice be the star of the show. Sure, most of those girls cant sing anyway, but whatever the reasons are, Cole is becoming a rare breed. While her talents are unquestionable, the quality of Just Like You (Geffen) is still debatable. In some cases, the tracks she sings on turn her gift into a curse, like on Didnt I Tell You, where her big vocals fight with the big beat. Still, when shes given room, she delivers. The Anthony Hamilton assisted Losing You is a perfect example; Keyshia does more than just sing well, she sings like she means it. It may seem like she spends too much time on break-ups and pain, but those are the times when she feels the most sincere, so its ultimately better than her forcing out lyrics about a sunny day.Just Like You feels a lot like the best R&B albums from Bad Boy in the 90s, but interestingly enough, the places where the Bad Boy influence is the most direct are the biggest problems. Let It Go isnt necessarily anything special to begin with and its hard not to think of the B.I.G. classic when anyone else samples Mtumes Juicy Fruit. For some reason, the year old Last Night is thrown in as well; a great track, yes, but one that weve been hearing for months now. If she wanted to make moves with Puff, the slot wouldve been better off with a new Diddy collaboration, or at least the remix.Just Like You may not do much to change the game for artists of Keyshia Coles variety, but it is an overall solid album that fans of the artist or genre should easily enjoy. It isnt a major breakthrough for Cole, but it definitely hints at what she could eventually accomplish and shows why people have been so quick to call her an heiress to Mary J. Bliges throne. Mary may not be ready to step down any time soon, but with the right group of writers and producers, Keyshia will be first in line to take the slot when she is.
Keyshia Cole: Just Like You
More like the queens of Soul from days past than todays more common Pop divas, Keyshia Cole can sing her ass off. While most of todays female R&B artists sell themselves with elaborate acts and top-dollar production, she is one of the few newer artists who lets her voice be the star of the show. Sure, most of those girls cant sing anyway, but whatever the reasons are, Cole is becoming a rare breed. While her talents are unquestionable, the quality of Just Like You (Geffen) is still debatable. In some cases, the tracks she sings on turn her gift into a curse, like on Didnt I Tell You, where her big vocals fight with the big beat. Still, when shes given room, she delivers. The Anthony Hamilton assisted Losing You is a perfect example; Keyshia does more than just sing well, she sings like she means it. It may seem like she spends too much time on break-ups and pain, but those are the times when she feels the most sincere, so its ultimately better than her forcing out lyrics about a sunny day.Just Like You feels a lot like the best R&B albums from Bad Boy in the 90s, but interestingly enough, the places where the Bad Boy influence is the most direct are the biggest problems. Let It Go isnt necessarily anything special to begin with and its hard not to think of the B.I.G. classic when anyone else samples Mtumes Juicy Fruit. For some reason, the year old Last Night is thrown in as well; a great track, yes, but one that weve been hearing for months now. If she wanted to make moves with Puff, the slot wouldve been better off with a new Diddy collaboration, or at least the remix.Just Like You may not do much to change the game for artists of Keyshia Coles variety, but it is an overall solid album that fans of the artist or genre should easily enjoy. It isnt a major breakthrough for Cole, but it definitely hints at what she could eventually accomplish and shows why people have been so quick to call her an heiress to Mary J. Bliges throne. Mary may not be ready to step down any time soon, but with the right group of writers and producers, Keyshia will be first in line to take the slot when she is.