Album- The Female
Boss
Artist- Tulisa
Tulisa has had a varied solo career, with a high profile role on the X Factor that was initially positive turning her into a boring commercial person, whilst this record only charted at number 35 in the album charts. As the singer undergoes more personal and professional woes, I take a look at The Female Boss to see if it really was such a bad record.
Track 1- Intro
Tulisa aims to set the record up
in a seemingly serious way with this intro that opens up with a haunting piano
instrumentation that builds and is joined by potent strings and forceful drum
beats as Tulisa speaks of how there is beauty in a woman who believes in
herself and is strong, continuing this ideology in other ways until she speaks
of how that woman is a female boss. It is a bit of a weird intro that some
people will like and other people will just find annoying, and I personally
feel that it is just a stupid thing on the record as it has this essence of her
trying to be too serious as an artist, and feels too contrasting when you
listen to the next track that is much lighter in tone.
2.5/5
Track 2- Young
Tulisa’s first single released
outside of the group N Dubz and her first solo number one, Young is a banging
club stomper that is all about the celebration of life and youth. Produced by
fellow N Dubz member Fazer and Peter Ibsen, the track is a simple song that was
titled Young and not it’s original title We Are Young in order to avoid
confusion with the fun. song of the same name. Lyrically the track is all about
making mistakes in life because you are young and acting as a collective celebration
of youth. The song is slightly sparse lyrically, but vocally Tulisa gives the
song some vibrancy and personality, although her voice lacks a distinctive
flair that this song perhaps needs. The songs production is strong, and up
tempo sound that weaves together pop with elements of house and trance music,
making for a sound that is built for the club sound. It’s not the most original
thing, but after a few listens you will start to enjoy this and just lose
yourself in the shameless fun of it all.
3.5/5
Track 3- Live It Up (featuring Tyga)
Seen by Tulisa as the single
where she was going back to herself and defining who she was as an artist after
achieving what she wanted in a number 1 single, this song has more of an RnB
and hip hop energy to it than the previous track and conveys a sense of Tulisa
having a swag to her personality. But whilst she may think this defines her as
an artist, it also feels just as commercial as the previous track and has the
same kind of love life, youthful sentiment in the lyrical content which is all
about just living life to the full and how the party should just keep going.
Despite not reaching the top ten in the UK I think this is actually a good
follow up to young as vocally the singer is strong, with the layering of her
vocals producing a smooth tone, and Tyga provides a nice rap section to give
the song an urban feel that mixes well with the production with it cool synth
tone and steady back beat, complete with a great use of sirens and a slight
reggae vibe that makes this a nice summer song.
3.5/5
Track 4- Damn
With a cool euro pop synth base
that sounds really cool and allows the song build to the first punchy chorus,
Tulisa keeps the feisty quality of the record going, however this is more in
the lyrical sentiment of the track than an up tempo club sound. Here we find
Tulisa singing of how there is a new her as this guy has messed her about so
much and she is just moving. The lyrical expletives feel unnecessary but
otherwise the lyrical content is strong, with the chorus having a simplicity
that is catchy, although a final, powerful bridge section would have elevated
the song. Tulisa’s vocals are simple, with the verses being in a key that suits
her voice and creates a fragile tone, whilst the chorus is elevated through
vocal layering that gives the track a punchier tone musically. The production
on the track is definitely the best thing about the song, as the simmering
synth energy and electro tones in the chorus make for a great sound that melds
well with the forceful bass line.
3.5/5
Track 5- British Swag (featuring Nines)
Media outlets and the band
themselves focused upon how N Dubz were a firmly British institution, and with
the title of this track it seems that Tulisa wants to emphasise how British she
is once again, combined with how her personality is urban and edgy. The songs
lyrical message is summed up within the title as she sings of having British
Swag and having a flirtatious time with this guy. The confidence that she
exudes is cool but at the same time it feels like she is trying too hard,
whilst the vocals also and production have an almost reggae feel that seems
weird on a song that is about being British. The clunky quality of the
production and forceful beats is simple and effective if a bit bland, whilst
Nines just provides a simple rap that doesn’t add anything to the song. It is
not a bad song, it just needs retuning to be more of an anthem for being
confident and British.
3/5
Track 6- Live Your Life
Live Your Life is another up
tempo dance track that is a little bit like a sequel to Young in terms of its
reckless, live for the moment lyrics and sound. The song lyrically focuses on
how Tulisa and the listener have freedom in life, and should just live life to
its fullest by partying. The chorus is catchy but ultimately the lyrics aren’t
anything that hasn’t been heard before in today’s pop world, and whilst the
singer gives us a vocal that sounds fun and energetic, ultimately this song
could have been sung by a number of other female artists. The production is the
only thing for this song that is really great, with the up tempo dance beats
having this frenetic essence that is very appealing and does indeed work in
getting you on the dance floor.
3.5/5
Track 7- Visa (featuring Wiley)
Opening up with a shimmery synth
intro that sounds a little 80’s music like, this track is another party song
but with more of an international feel. We find both Tulisa and Wiley telling
us off how they party hard and they can take you round the world, with the hook
focusing on the idea of checking their Visa’s. The track has a feistiness about
it that is appealing, and the song is also strong vocally as things are kept
simple, and Tulisa also gives us some cool raps that match Wiley perfectly. The
glittery synths and vibrant dance beats give the song this fun sound that is
powerful but not too overbearing, and the track is also really good in the way
that Wiley really melds with the singer and doesn’t seem like a feature for
feature’s sake. Should have been released as a single.
3.5/5
Track 8- Foreigner
Foreigner lives up to its title
in terms of the background vocals that give the song a slight reggae feel. The
singer sings about this foreigner who she just wants to leave as she is kind of
enticed by him but doesn’t want to. The song lacks a definitive hook but is a
cool concept, and the funkiness of the bass has this nice swag that makes this
a fun song to sort of sway to. The use of horns also acts as a great transition
between sections and gives the song a unique flair. However, much of the time
the lyrics are annoyingly repetitive, and the song is also annoying in terms of
the vocals which lack charisma through vocal distortion and layering, and
therefore this just is a prolonged track that becomes uninteresting.
2.5/5
Track 9- Skeletons
Skeletons opens up with a
sensual, RnB in tone vocal from the singer that just feels weird, and this sets
the poor quality of the track. The singer tells of how this guy knows her
secrets and has this hold on her, but in the end we all have skeletons. It is a
concept that is lyrically poor in this case and often suffers because of lazy
hooks and words that just come across as bland. The singer also gives us
another vocal performance that is too heavily distorted and lacks charisma,
whilst the heavy bass and tambourine of the production lacks an interesting
energy. This very much feels like the singer trying to make music that will get
her success for international markets and failing, rather than creating music
that she really believes in and enjoys, and it would just seem that with this
and the last track it was a mistake for the singer to pair up with producer
The-Dream.
1.5/5
Track 10- I’m Ready
Things are brought back to a more
up tempo sound with this track that finds the singer in more of a sensual
state. The track opens with a whispering intro that is cool and a bit
intriguing, and the lyrics have a catchy simplicity about them, even if some clichés
feel slightly bland. The song focuses on Tulisa telling this man who is in her
heart that he is not ready for love, although with the male vocals it would
seem he is. The track is kept simple vocally and is nice in the way that the
vocal layering here strengthens the track, and Tulisa also never annoyingly
over sings. The frenetic electro, disco production has a little bit of an old
school musical tone that is nice, and the employment of a mixture of synths,
drums and guitar gives a fun but also nicely simple sounds that brings the
record back to finer form.
3.5/5
Track 11- Steal My Breath Away
The records first ballad, Steal
My Breath Away finds the singer in a little more of a delicate state. The
lyrics focus on the singer telling this man of her feelings for him and how she
wants him to steal her breath away. The lyrics are okay but feel poorly
executed in terms of the repetition and statements that feel like they have
been ripped from some other music. Vocally the singer shows off some vocal power
and imbues some passion into the song, but at the same time she doesn’t sound
polished and comes across as just yelling rather than sounding like an
accomplished vocalist. The steady bass and nice piano instrumentation of the
production is good and gives the song this cool sense of urgency, and so the
song is definitely saved in terms of quality by the production, but should
never be a ballad released as a single.
2.5/5
Track 12- Kill Me Tonight
From the power balladry of the
previous track we go to a completely difficult musical level with this track
where the beats are created for the dance floor, the singer raps, and we are
back to statements about partying. The lyrics focus on being out of control but
just living things up and having fun, with Tulisa hoping that it won’t kill
her. The statement is cool in the way that the slight ominous twist gives us a
catchy chorus, and although the vocal performance is weak because of vocal
distortion, ultimately party Tulisa seems like when she is at her best, and so
vocally she makes the song slightly infectious. The harsh dance beats and
vibrant melodies of the production is very good and almost gives the track a
90’s music flavour, which is quite nice to hear.
3.5/5
Track 13- Counterfeit
We go back to ballad territory
with Counterfeit, a song that was co-written and produced by renowned and
highly respected songwriter Diane Warren. The track has slightly more of an
astute and sophisticated quality with the lyrics that focus upon Tulisa singing
of the heartbreak that she feels over this man who fooled her into believing
that she loved him. The honesty of the lyrics is good, and although she isn’t
the strongest vocalist, Tulisa gives the song her all and also shows some nice
control in the final minute where she goes softer and shows that she can really
use her voice to good effect. The synths and bass of the production gives an
emotional intensity to the track that is nice if a bit typical of pop ballads,
and so whilst this will never be one of the great Warren songs, this is strong
track for this record.
3.5/5
Track 14- Habit
Continuing with ballads, Habit is
an emotionally deep song that lyrically focuses on Tulisa telling this man of
how he has always been in her life, and she is very sad that he has taken the
relationship away, because he became like a habit. The track is interesting in
terms of the metaphorical tone but ultimately the song is another number where
cliché statements come across and makes the listener lose interest. The song is
also not good vocally, as the singer just comes across as a so so singer rather
than a person who has earned her record deal, whilst her accent comes across in
this song and unfortunately with this track just sounds annoying. The tracks
production also features drumbeats, strings and piano that feel like another
lets take these from other pop music moments, and so this track is more of a
master class in how not to make a ballad.
2/5
Track 15- Sight of You
Described by Tulisa as a song
that would stand the test of time, Sight of You is a song that acted as the
third single from the record and Tulisa’s first ballad release. The song is a
heartbreak song where the singer details this tumultuous relationship where she
used to love looking at this guy but now can’t stand to see him, although she
can’t believe that it’s actually over. The lyrics are a bit repetitive but
nicely tap into the idea of a relationship built on a love/hate scenario, and
although the singer is a little whiny, the vocal performance does feel passionate
and shows of some vocal power from the singer. The stomping bass and light
piano of the production creates a forceful, emotional sound for the song,
although the final moments of the song feel like a poor end. Whilst this won’t
stand the test of time as a great ballad, the song isn’t a bad effort and does
have some emotional clout.
3.5/5
Track 16- Outro
The Outro is just Tulisa talking
about how it will be okay in the end and if it isn’t then it isn’t the end, and
giving us this ominous tone that just feels weird, like she is trying to make a
cinematic record but hasn’t actually listened to the songs, because in no
universe does this record need an outro like this.
2/5
Final Review
The Female Boss isn’t a terrible
album, but more often than not it is clogged down by poor lyrical content that
lacks a catchy quality, and production that feels to obviously designed to be
commercially successful. Furthermore, the album also lacks this distinctive
sense of charisma, as although she can sing well, Tulisa doesn’t have a voice
that can command your attention. My verdict- she should go back to just being
in N-Dubz.
4/10
Best Track- Young
Worst Track- Skeletons
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