I don't usually do these but this here is a big deal. Tomorrow we have an L.A. artist dropping a major release at retail outlets and I felt it was good time to do a review. Let me start by saying I'm proud of the young man, I've come to know him a bit more over the last couple years through the blog and we've talked as he's shared with me his progress, his music etc...it's been dope to see him grow as an artist and see how things have unfolded for him. The man in the time I've come to know him has written songs for Usher, put out a popular mixtape, toured with Mary J. Blige, Jazmin Sullivan, put out a hit song with J. Cole and is now touring with Usher and Trey Songz. He's also dedicated to being creative and supporting others who want to be. So let's review the album so you know what you need in your hands come Tuesday.
Let's start by saying that long time fans of Miguel will definitely recognize some of the songs on the album but with new touches. And the songs you haven't heard are still right in that pocket we'd expect from Miguel, if you can even expect anything in particular from Miguel.
Sure Thing - We've all heard this song but it's timeless feel will keep you from skipping past it. Plus you can tell it's been remastered as the instrumentation is more noticeable. The lyrics are what stick with you as Miguel gives you analogies like "you be the cash, I'll be the rubber band..." stating that he and the girl belong together. Play this around your lady fellas, she'll be feeling grand about you. Heard the video for this has been filmed and done by big name director that basically will breathe a new life into the longtime fan favorite.
All I Want Is You - I'm sure you're familiar with the lead single, Salaam Remi's production smoothly flows in but gets your head nodding and then J. Cole makes his presence felt with quick hitting rhymes. Miguel's smooth and soft pitch makes for a good complement to bars from J. Cole. The mood of the song is soothing and is perfect for the mood of the song as Miguel goes into how his woman is no longer around.
Girl With the Tattoo (Enter.Lewd) - A smooth acapella that transistions the hit single into the rest of the album. Miguel sings to a young woman who may not be handling things as she should in life as he sings "doing what you doing just to get to where you going yeah I see you baby...just don't lose your self along the way..."
Pay Me - This track rolls in and is more upbeat then the first three tracks. A definite club banger that will be appealing all over the world. This track is a bit of Miguel recalling quite an adventure while on the road. With a singer on the road like Miguel I'm sure he has even more stories like this of women chasing him and preparing for some "action" with a new one he just met. This is perfect for a hot club night out with friends and everyone is "turnt up", the breakdown at the end is killer.
Quickie - Miguel keeps it sexual as he brings back another fan favorite. A definite island feel to this song in my opinion which helps keep the sensual lyrics on point. This will surely be something you want to keep as bedroom music or even to get that girl at the club to slowly roll her hips and backside on you...or ladies you might like to grind to this. With lyrics like "I don't want to be loved, I don't want to be loved...I just want a Quickie, no bitemarks no scratches and no hickies..." you already know what time it is.
Girls Like You - Miguel sent me this awhile back and I instantly loved it. I had been bumping it for months. A song about a man missing the woman who at one point was in his life. It's relatable to anyone that's been in a real relationship at some point and can't find someone to replace that last one just yet. The production is smooth but with the right baseline to make a hip hop head nod to it. The breakdown is mean. The hook will stay in your head as well: "Girls like you remind me that I'm lonely..."
Overload Enter.lewd - Miguel teases us with a self-produced track from his popular mixtape...if you're a fan you'll remember it. He only gives us 32 seconds so it's not enough to elaborate on...but enjoy it.
Hard Way - Miguel may do R&B, electro etc but you can tell he has a place in the hip hop scene. His production hits hard like someone at any moment could drop an ill 16...but the vocal arrangements and melodies always accent the songs perfectly. This is a good measure of that. The beat sounds like it could be some uptempo clubbiness but the vocals and content proves otherwise. Miguel touches on learning or not learning from the past. Sometimes as humans we have a pattern of letting ourselves down.
Teach Me - Miguel gets back on his bedroom music with this one. I'd suggest playing this one while you're with a person of interest. The beat reminds me of something by Prince or even a J*DaVeY...and that's a good thing. "Teach me, try me, guide me..." you know telling your partner to take control in any situation is always an intriguing scenario. This is one of the longer songs on the album as it should be so that it can set a mood correctly. Oh and that guitar riff...yeah that.
Hero - This is perfect to flow in next because of the guitar riffs on this one. This has more of a rock influence but a welcomed one. Miguel claims to be his girl's hero and will take care of her...not just being there for her but being there for her in the bedroom. The hook reminds me of an older song for some reason. The rock feel of it keeps the pace going well as the the previous track had a Prince feel. The breakdown and then the guitar portion that takes the song out is dope.
Vixen - Now this song was on the internet for years but never in a good quality. This remastered version is much cleaner, louder and has some instruments I never noticed before. There are more vocals and adlibs on this is well. The song is much more polished than what many people downloaded. With lyrics like "You can be my Vixen, my bed'll be your stage..." this will be sure to excite. I know plenty of women that really feel sexy when they play this song. Definite bedroom music for ya'll nasties out there.
To The Moon - For me this may be the one song that I'm not really attached too. It's another uptempo club record that I could see doing well in Vegas, Europe etc. But if you know Miguel and/or his music what makes him such a star in the making is his versatility in music. So though this may not be for me, Miguel doesn't sound like he's forcing this at all. In the right setting I'd definitely get my two step onto this record.
My Piece - This is the last record on the album and in my opinion it's almost like saving the best for last. Not saying this is the best song on the album, but it's hands down my favorite. I got a preview of this in Fisticuffs' studio and I was blown away. The song is metaphorically written and that with the beat makes this the "hardest" R&B song I've heard in while. This past Friday, this was the only song that was played in my car. And I did A LOT of driving Friday. In talking to some others who had a chance to hear the album before it dropped they all talk about this song as well. I'm pushing for this to be the 3rd single, lol. When you get your hands on this album...listen to the words, I'm not quoting anything from this song. You'll have to hear it yourselves.
Overall this is very good debut album. I think you get to see the versatility of Miguel without seeing everything he can do. The shortness of the album I think will make more people want to hear from him in the future and create more anticipation for future work. Miguel's pen game is highly apparent on his album as his lyrics are on point on every track. You can see why someone like Usher wanted to work with Miguel to resurrect his own career. Miguel vividly depicts scenarios whether it's a bad breakup, missing someone or getting busy. Knowing Miguel's music, it's apparent that he stayed true to his fan base and with the platform he's gaining he should be able to grab more of the world's attention just being himself. Besides the pen game, Miguel has the right production to make 'his' music and complement his voice. So even if you're a hip hop head, this will hit hard in your whip plus earn you some points with the ladies. So pick up a copy tomorrow. Shouts to Fisticuffs, they handled most of the production. Miguel and Fisticuffs make some definite magic together. I think we'll be hearing Miguel's voice and music for sometime. Support your local artists...
