Musiq Soulchild
Onmyradio (Atlantic)
Musiq Soulchild’s style is distinct. Onmyradio (Atlantic), his fifth LP, finds hip hop soul’s e.e. cummings continuing to make his case as a sensitive, humble lover. Musiq’s entry point to the ladies has always been less cocky, with soul-baring words from his mouth to their ears. He’s a literal man more than a literary one—lyrics not complicated with anything super-poetic or idiosyncratic. Instead, they’re straight talk.
“Ifuleave,” which musically sounds like “Teachme” (from 2007’s Luvanmusiq) part 2, is one of his two best vocal works on this disc. It’s a balanced ballad shared with the formidable Mary J. Blige. There’s earnestness elegantly expressed on his part to work a relationship out, with Musiq’s signature respectfulness: the complaining beloved may leave if she really wishes. (“Let's give it a try,” he politely pleads.) “Sobeautiful,” a sublime devotional, is the second breath taker. Musiq’s gorgeous falsetto on it is thrillingly impressive both technically and emotively. Maxwell devotees will want to secretly listen in.
If there’s something the gifted singer-songwriter might want to learn, though, it’s the art of writing more memorable song lyrics. The anomalous track “Radio” beats into our psyches second after second not just because of the assertive bass and brilliantly eccentric synths courtesy of producers Dru Castro and Black Keyz. The stuttering boast of a chorus (“Whatever I like/I put it on my radio…”) is striking with its catchy repetitive lines. It’s the sound of ego exaggerated in simple stubborn lyrics to show off a child as an independent man, whose cherished toy is music. Ha!
Really though, it’s Musiq claiming music as his main identity. He’s fused to it the way his song titles are fusions of two or more words—displaying in manifest form his desire for intimacy and his belief in the possibility of permanent union with someone.
Onmyradio hit stores on 12/9/08
The Track listing for Onmyradio
1. Backagain
2. Until
3. Ifuleave
4. Deserveumore
5. Special
6. Dearjohn
7. Loveofmylife
8. Moneyright
9. Someone
10. Iwannabe
11. Sobeautiful
12. Radio
Comments
1.
yoyonance says:
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He's a big star. I am his big fan. I saw him dating on a FREE & HOT celebrity&social site called ***wealthymeetup. c om***. Seems he is hooking up with a hottie. The girl is from California. Very soft and sexy.
January 27, 2009 at 9:39 am
2.
subho says:
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January 25, 2009 at 5:08 am
3.
MackN2U says:
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Fans who found themselves slightly disappointed with Musiq Soulchild’s last release will be happy to find that he’s got his mojo back with the release of his 5th album, 'On My Radio'. With each album, Musiq generally keeps things the same, but ventures further from his neo-soul origins into the world of R&B. The songs on this project run the gamut in the R&B arena, from funky bass-heavy numbers, smoothin’ it out with mellow mid-tempos and slowin it all the way down with Musiq’s classic soul touch. It’s a very honest and mature album in terms of content and does justice to represent the true gentlemen.
Read the full Sound-Savvy review here:
http://www.sound-savvy.com/2008/12/album-review-musiq-on-my-radio.html
January 1, 2009 at 4:02 pm
4.
Chayse says:
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Now I finally kind of agree with a reviewer for once. He didn't drop any classic material on this album, but I can listen to the whole album without once hitting the skip button. It's an above average album and it has a song for everyone. It's better than Brandy's album anyway...
December 23, 2008 at 5:17 pm