3 woman who are Fearless, Sol-Angels and In The Spotlight

These 3 ladies have brought R&B out of a long drought over this summer from albums that really did not impress me (and I usually know which albums to buy). Since I feel as though these albums are the best of the best female R&B cd’s this fall, I thought I should tell you a little bit about them to sway you in buying them.

Jazmine Sullivan

Up to the moment when Fearless was released, it was not easy to figure out which path Jazmine Sullivan would take. Jive had spent three years trying to figure it but ended up dropping her before any material officially surfaced. She co-wrote club hit ("Say I") for Christina Milian. She has also recorded with Kindred the Family Soul, Fantasia, Beyonce, and Andre 3000. She has also contributed adult-oriented R&B tracks to a handful of low-key compilations. Signed to J, she notched a number one R&B/hip-hop single with "Need U Bad." Was she a pop songwriter, a young member of the "grown folks R&B" division, or a young Lauryn Hill? On pass songwriting projects, it seemed like she was trying out a number of styles to find some footing, but with Fearless, it is clear she is comfortable in each mode. Within the span of 45 minutes, Sullivan switches between a number of tacks, both stylistically and emotionally, each one with conviction, and not just for the sake of variety. The orchestral backdrop of "Bust Your Windows" and the bold in your face "Call Me Guilty," she's clear about not being the one to cross without expecting payback, whether it results in property damage or self-defense bloodshed.
"Dream Big," a swallow-you-whole four-four thumper, is an ambitious motivational anthem. Salaam Remi connects the hook from Stevie Wonder's "I Was Made to Love Her" to Anne Dudley's piano outro from the Art of Noise's "Beatbox," the album's most clever production trick). Some tracks are throwbacks through and through, like the peppy "One Night Stand" (where she fronts a girl group) and the aching "In Love with Another Man" (a tear-the-house-down ballad). There's a lot of range on display here, and there is just as much depth.



Solange Knowel s

Solange Knowle is a girl that marches to the beat of a slightly different drummer, she definitely doesn’t have much use for the traditional pop-R&B formula that so many artists, including her sister have used to propel themselves to stardom. And for that, she gets major props. SoL Angel, is by no means a masterpiece, but it’s definitely a creative, outside-the-box collection of songs. On her sophomore set, Solange not only takes on a sound that differs from her pop-driven 2002 debut, but demonstrates she has no problems about sharing personal experiences. The breakup song “Valentine’s Day,” on which she gloomily sings, “I sure wish we made it till Valentine’s Day”; the regretful “T.O.N.Y.,” about a one-night stand; and the SoulShock & Karlin-produced “SandCastle Disco,” which finds her lightheartedly warning her Casanova not to break her heart, all demonstrate Solange’s frank approach. Elsewhere, the Bilal-penned, electronica-inspired “Cosmic Journey” and the ’70s-drenched, Pharrell-produced lead single The Supremes-inspired “I Decided” and its funky remix by the Freemasons, plus 6 O’Clock Blues produced by Mark Ronson further support the eclectic sound.Pharrell Williams, Mark Ronson and the Freemasons aren’t the only big names on the album either. Solange has really gone to town bringing together a wealth of producing, writing, and recording talent to complement her own including Lamont Dozier, Gnarls Barkley’s Cee-Lo Green, Lil’ Wayne, and Q-Tip. As well as playing with Motown grooves, Solange makes an excursion into ambient electronics on a few tracks. And while Cosmic Journey would be fine if the trip were half the length, Solange is definitely at her best when putting a modern spin on sounds from the 60s and 70s.A solid album which you’ll enjoy more with each listening, SoL-AngeL might just have you asking,”Beyoncé who?”

Jennifer Hudson

If you were one of the people wondering if Jennifer Hudson could sustain her
vocal energy, power and passion on a full album like she did in the role of Effie in the movie Dreamgirls and like she also does on the album's opening song and first single, "Spotlight," then wonder no more: the answer's a definite yes. "Spotlight" exemplifies the album as a whole: it's got a strong, independent woman singing strongly about love and relationships. Jen displays that kind of emotion throughout the album, and it helps to balance things out, since there's also a number of sophisticated ballads on the album, such as grateful, loving "You Pulled Me Through" and the Gospel track "Jesus Promised Me a Home Over There." Another example of her boldness is the song "Pocketbook," featuring a strong guest appearance by Ludacris. On the song, Jen threatens to put the smackdown on a very randy Luda while he raps funny, suggestive lyrics like "I know magic - poof! - do away with your clothes, then c'mere and let Luda give your body a rub 'cause damn, lil' mama you thick as a mug.” Jennifer's delicious duet with former "American Idol" winner Fantasia, a duet that you know just had to happen eventually. The song, called "I'm His Only Woman," builds around a phone conversation where the two singers argue over an apparently two-timing man. "If this was 10 years ago, I'd be at your front door ready to whup yo' ass," Jennifer says to Fantasia before the singing even begins. The track is a sort of a cross between an old Whitney Houston/Debroah Cox "Same script different Cast and an updated version of the '90s Brandy/Monica track "The Boy is Mine." Another duet on the album that stands up fairly well is "I'm His Only Woman," but it's no fault of Jennifer's. The song features the "singer" T-Pain, who manages to keep up with Jennifer's vocal fireworks only by way of a talk box. Jennifer Hudson generally well-sung and well-produced and is without a doubt one of the strongest R&B albums of 2008 as well as the other ladies.