Wednesday, 24 July 2013

Fergie- The Dutchess Album Review



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Album- The Dutchess

Artist- Fergie

During the first hiatus from the band and before will.i.am was setting the music charts on fire with his big name collaborations in his solo career, Fergie was definitely the major star of the Black Eyed Peas in terms of solo success, releasing her debut album The Duchess to worldwide success, with the record selling over six million copies worldwide. The album (whose title is a derivative and misspelling of the Duchess of York, with the whom Fergie shares a nickname and surname with) also set a record in the digital era for the most multi- platinum selling singles from one album, with five multi-platinum singles, a record that was held until 2012. In the wake of the singer having some new solo success in her contribution to the 2013 Great Gatsby movie soundtrack, and news that she  has begun recording a second studio record, I look back to see why The Dutchess was such an impressive debut.

Track 1- Fergalicious (featuring will.i.am)

Featuring her fellow Black Eyed Peas member and friend will.i.am, Fergalicious is a an electro and hip hop song that comes across as a kind of self-love anthem. Employing a rap style in the vocal, the song focuses lyrically on Fergie being in a state of self-pride where she raps about besting all other woman, whilst telling us that no other man is worthy to date her. The raps and singing has a strong vocal performance from Fergie who brings a nice sensuality to the track, but will.i.am should have just stayed as a producer of the track, as his small moments of rap don’t really add much appeal to the track. The frenzied state of the production gives the song this cool vibe, featuring a great utilizing of synthesized strings to give the song its fast paced energy. The track could be cut down a bit, and is border line egotistical, but if you want a song to kind of make you feel cool and good about yourself then this should do the trick.

3/5

Track 2- Clumsy

Sampling ‘The Girl Can’t Help It’ by Little Richard, Clumsy is a mid tempo bubble gum and electro pop track that is very much a love song, as the lyrics center on the singer being a bit clumsy because she is falling in love. The lyrics are slightly clichéd but the use of the Little Richard sample gives the song a snazzy quality that makes the track more appealing. Vocally the song nicely shows of the smoothness and a little bit of the soulfulness of her voice, keeping things simple and showing off a bit of sass in the snappiness of the bridge, which finds the singer speaking of how this is not the first time she has been this clumsy. The sweetness of the song feels true, and is made snappy by the electronic beeps of the production that gives the song this nice, laid back groove.

3.5.5  

Track 3- All That I Got (The Make Up Song) (featuring will.i.am)

Will.i.am comes on board once again as a guest artist, but this time things are a bit slower and more soulful, with a touch of 1960’s glamour to it that fits well with the Dutchess concept of the record. The song finds an emotional Fergie asking her man if he will be there for in the future, as she will really give him all that she can offer. The song shows off the power of the singers voice and feels like a true plea, with the ‘do do do do’ hook of the track being very catchy and giving the song this old school air. The production is also cool and offers a bit of diversity through the more organic tone of the track that comes complete with dramatic strings and laid back drums and guitar. The only issue is that once again will.i.am doesn’t really add anything to the track and provides a dismissive and small rap section that is purely excessive.

3.5/5 

Track 4- London Bridge

The records lead single and Fergie’s debut single as a solo artist, London Bridge is feisty hip hop and dance song that strongly utilizes some horns in the production. With a moderate hip hop groove the song contains another element of self-pride in some of the lyrics, and finds the singer giving us a little bit of a hard to decipher song that finds her addressing some things and poking fun at stuff that is written about her, whilst the chorus focuses on the use of a sexual euphemism that just feels snappy and catchy. The song has a touch of Gwen Stefani’s ‘Hollaback Girl’ about it and finds the singer in a feisty frame of mind vocally, showing us some smooth raps and singing. The production is also feisty in its own way, with club stomping beats and jazzy horns. The English ending of the album version is weird, but as a whole this is a good song that acted as a strong debut for the singer.

3.5/5

Track 5- Pedestal

A snappy hip hop and RnB tune that features snappy electro beats with more organic string and piano melody, this song features Fergie once again in more of a feisty state of mind. However here things are more anger fuelled and relationship based, with the lyrics focusing on Fergie bluntly telling this guy that he is not as great as he thinks and should come down off the pedestal he has put himself on. The song features cool and sexy vocal performance from the singer that makes the tune more powerful in the way that it isn’t too aggressive but still has that strong undertone, and makes putting this guy down more impactful. The use of a nursery rhyme within the song is also intriguing and a little mischievous sounding, whilst the production has a snappy backbeat and nice blend of other instruments to just give the track this snappy but laid back feel that shows that Fergie is actually better than this guy.

3.5/5

Track 6- Voodoo Doll

Things are perhaps a little too slow to start with this song, but the slightly rockier edge of the opening is intriguing and so keeps your attention peaked. The whole track itself once again employs horns and has a moderate groove with a slight reggae quality. The song finds the singer in a warped state of mind where guys come across as simply players and she just doesn’t know what to do with herself. The song is cool lyrically but lacks a strong catchy hook. However the vocal performances have a cool and light quality in places that makes things believable, whilst the bridge has a feisty quality, with the horns bringing a powerful sound to the track. Something could be done to make things more powerful and catchy, and the final 20 seconds of the song is just weird rather than cool, but on the whole this song is ok.

2.5/5

Track 7- Glamorous (featuring Ludacris)

An airy pop and RnB tune, Glamorous became the singer’s second solo number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and finds the singer in a smooth groove with a slight 1980’s vibe. The track is probably the song that lives up to the Dutchess titling of the record. Here we find Fergie singing about how she is living this fast lifestyle of mainstream success and widespread fame, she remains true to herself and her roots, being a song that has an autobiographical tone. The song has a some snappy rapping style vocals in the verses from Fergie, whilst the airy vocal tone of the chorus gives the song this Glamorous feel and makes things contrast well with the staying true to your roots ideology of the lyrics. Ludacris brings us a snappy guest rap that just mixes things up nicely in the song and stops us from getting bored. And the production of the song is really great, with producer Polow da Don giving us a nice bland of snappy keys with techno beats, and just creating a moderate rhythm that allows for the vocals and lyrics to really shine.

4/5

Track 8- Here I Come (featuring will.i.am)

The last of the will.i.am guest features on the record, Here I Come was a promotional single release and is a hip hop, dance and soul track. The song once again utilizes some sampling of older music tracks very well and blends the modern the sensibilities very well. The track is an upbeat number where Fergie raps and sings about how she is feisty and ready, and so people should prepare for her entrance. The song finds the singer in a commanding state, and out of all of the will.i.am guest features this is the one song where the rapper actually provides a strong rap guest feature that feels cool and like Ludacris mixes the song up a bit. The production features a simple bass and hand clapping beats that makes the song light but snappy, and makes this both a feel good and chilled track.

3.5/5

Track 9- Velvet

Like the title might suggest, things take a bit of a softer and more sensual edge with this track that really finds the singing ramping up her sex appeal. With the lyrics we find the singer telling this guy that he makes her feel so good, and he should just come and make her feel good again. The song has more of straightforward quality that some of the other songs, and vocally shows off the singers voice nicely in terms of the smooth tone, with a smoky quality to the vocal that makes things truly sensual. The production of the track is also smart, with a simple bass and airy tone that simply allows the vocals to really be the standout component of the track. The bridge shows off the power of the singers voice well, and the final few seconds of the track ends things on a really cool, sexy note.

3.5/5

Track 10- Big Girls Don’t Cry

Simply featuring writing credits from two people, Fergie and Toby Gad, Big Girl’s Don’t Cry is also intriguing in the way that here we have a straightforward pop sound that incorporates acoustic and classical elements. Lyrically the track finds the sing in a fragile state where this relationship has ended and she has to deal with the issues surrounding that, but she purely states that she has to be strong. The song is very lyrically astute, with a purity that really makes the song empowering. Keeping the production light with the simple bass and great use of strings just creates a great sound that in its own way feels delicate and emotional. The production also really works in allowing for the singer to really show off her vocals, with the vocal performance being delicate but powerful and nicely showing off the range that she is capable of, whilst not be annoyingly over sung or overproduced.

4.5/5

Track 11- Mary Jane Shoes (featuring Rita Marley and the I-Threes)

Featuring the widow of late reggae legend Bob Marley and her former group the I-Threes , Mary Jane Shoes starts off in a little bit of dark atmosphere before developing into this light reggae and hip hop based tune. More lyrically sparse than some of the other tracks, here we find the singing telling us about how these Mary Jane shoes make her feel nostalgic, safe and just all-round cool, acting as a nice metaphor for the things in life that just make you feel comfortable, like family and home. The vocal performance has a light and airy quality that makes the singer come across very carefree, with Marley and the I-Threes providing some nice background vocals that give the song some great harmonies. The production has a light sound with a laidback groove. However the final minute of the song is a bit strange in the way it diverges into this rock sound and then this just weird vocal section, and is something some people might like but to me just feels like the song is being dragged out.

3.5/5  

Track 12- Losing My Ground

Opening with a breathy vocal from the singing, this song has a more a sensual edge to the vocal performance and a lighter quality, but still shows of the power of the singers voice and shows more emotional power. The singing is lyrically in a state of turmoil as she is unsure of herself and her surroundings and just feels like she is losing herself. The song has simple but powerful message and perhaps nicely addresses the difficulty of dealing with fame, with Fergie giving us a vocal that really commands us to listen to what she is singing, but not in an overpowering way. The pop state of the production with the light drums and acoustic guitar melody acts as a both a soft but forceful sound, and with the use of an orchestra the song really builds and makes more of an impact on the singer, with the repetition of the lyrics having this almost pleading tone because of this dramatic impact.

4/5

Track 13- Finally (featuring John Legend)

The closing track and the song that ended her streak of top five hits on the Billboard Hot 100 (and which failed to chart on that chart), Finally is a pop soul ballad that ends the album on a real delicate state. Lyrically the song has a sincere and honest quality as Fergie sings about growing up and finally beginning life in a renewed way where she realizes that she can really open herself up. The lyrics have a poetic quality that is powerful, and once again this is a simple song that allows for the singer to show off the range and power of her voice, giving s a performance that feels as grand and powerful as the production. Legends feature comes in the form of the piano within the track, which is the most fragile quality of the track that acts as the song backbone and blends well with the orchestra to just create this deep but also light and dramatic but not too overdoing it sound, just creating a softer, emotional song that acts as quite a beautiful end to the record.

3.5/5

Final Review

The Dutchess is definitely an album that deserves the success that it had, showing off feisty, sensual and emotional sides of the singer very nicely. The album also features a great meddling of genres and old school with modern sensibilities, whilst Fergie always gives us vocal performances that in a way command our attention. The only thing that I feel is a small issue with this track is that sometimes the songs feel a little bit familiar to some of Fergies contemporaries, but this is only a minor issue, and as a whole package this record is exciting, engaging and makes me want some new music from the singer soon.

8/10

Best Track- Big Girls Don’t Cry

Worst Track- Voodoo Doll

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