This track is another example of a great “riding in the car” type of song.  The production is very smooth and LeToya’s vocals and lyrics complement the track really well.  Estelle sings the background vocals on this song and offers a rap toward the end of it.  This song opens with a dialogue between LeToya and Estelle, which sets the tone of the record.  Apparently LeToya is in a relationship with a guy who she is trying to let down easily.  He is desperately clinging to a relationship that is clearly over. LeToya is trying spare his feelings, but instead she is forced to completely remove her love, in order for him to get the point.

I can appreciate her trying to let him down softly, but as often is the case (as in this case for example) some people just can’t take the hint; “You want this love, I can’t give ya, no between the sheets boy I made this bed; try as you may I ain’t trippin’ sex is over I’d rather sleep, instead….boy I got to go.” The song makes it clear that LeToya has stepped her ad-lib game way up.  The ad-libs on this song are very soulful, and at one point she even gives us a Fantasia-like growl. You better sang girl!

Singswell’s rating: I give this a 4/5

LNN Team’s rating: 3.5/5

Preview “Take Away Love”:  

This track is another example of a great “riding in the car” type of song.  The production is very smooth and LeToya’s vocals and lyrics complement the track really well.  Estelle sings the background vocals on this song and offers a rap toward the end of it.  This song opens with a dialogue between LeToya and Estelle, which sets the tone of the record.  Apparently LeToya is in a relationship with a guy who she is trying to let down easily.  He is desperately clinging to a relationship that is clearly over. LeToya is trying spare his feelings, but instead she is forced to completely remove her love, in order for him to get the point.

I can appreciate her trying to let him down softly, but as often is the case (as in this case for example) some people just can’t take the hint; “You want this love, I can’t give ya, no between the sheets boy I made this bed; try as you may I ain’t trippin’ sex is over I’d rather sleep, instead….boy I got to go.” The song makes it clear that LeToya has stepped her ad-lib game way up.  The ad-libs on this song are very soulful, and at one point she even gives us a Fantasia-like growl. You better sang girl!

Singswell’s rating: I give this a 4/5

LNN Team’s rating: 3.5/5

Preview “Take Away Love”:  

This is the “Lady Love” review post. Come check it often because we’ll be adding them here as they come.  We’re making this post a sticky for your easiest convenience. Remember that you can listen to the album on myspace. (add the songs to your page as well while you’re at it)

Former Destiny’s Child member Letoya Luckett has worked hard to remove herself from the shadow of that super-group, releasing a number 1 debut album that showcased her pop-friendly yet soulful talents. With Lady Love, Letoya’s sophomore solo effort, she further makes her presence known as a memorable artist in her own right. Although Lady Love moves away from the classic soul sound of her debut for a more slick electronic sound, the songwriting is as catchy as ever, with several cuts that will have you pressing the repeat button.

Letoya’s sound is definitely pure R&B with most of the tracks on Lady Love having a mid-tempo feel, all booming bass and sexy undulating hooks. She never veers into mindless dance territory even on uptempo tracks such as “She Ain’t Got” and “Drained”, which remain lyrically dense and complex. Her sound could most easily be compared to a Faith Evans rather than a Beyonce as the themes and lyrics tend to be more mature that the average R&B diva. Standouts like “Tears” and “Matter” play like tracks produced by the Dream but with a noticeably more adult sensibility added to the lyrical content. But Letoya’s made sure to include at least one surefire radio hit, the unstoppable “Regret” featuring Ludacris. Sure to be one of 2009’s standout singles it bumps with savage energy even as the track barely rises above fingersnaps occasionally ramping things up to furious rat-a-tat snares. Appearances and production from the likes of Estelle, Ryan Leslie, Tank, and Mims keeps things interesting throughout.

Proof that there is life after Destiny’s Child, Letoya keeps doing her thing. For fans of quality R&B grooves, this is one that should not be misses.

- Norman Mayers

Confidence & Swagger

Former original Destiny’s Child member, LeToya Luckett carves her niche in the world of R&B music with the release of her sophomore album, Lady Love. Released in the U.S. on Aug. 25, 2009, the album flaunts a newfound confidence and “swagga” that was previously lacking on her 2006 self-titled debut. After listening to the album, one must question why exactly LeToya wasn’t offered more lead vocals while a member of Destiny’s Child and the true motives behind her being replaced at the budding of the group’s mainstream success.

Slight Variations

On this album, LeToya exhibits her versatility as her soft soprano vocals ride along over hard hitting bass-laden tracks and croons over many of the album’s ballads. This time around, she deviates from many of the hip-hop tracks that comprised her debut album. Opting for a more ballad and mid-tempo album, Lady Love only offers three danceable tracks.

The 15-track album, although a solid offering, does have its drawbacks. The majority of the tracks fall into two categories: love gone wrong and “She Ain’t Got Sh** On Me.” With these themes being the driving force behind the album, Lady Love can quickly become a tiresome listen. Many of the songs tend to sound alike, and you might find yourself double checking to see if you accidentally hit the repeat button.

Apparently the creative minds behind the album failed to take into consideration that there are only so many variations one can do to a song about a cheating lover, how love has left one damaged, or about how good one’s love supposedly is. In fact, the majority of the songs are slight variations from her debut album. A listen from start to finish will show that there isn’t one hit song. Instead of going for chart toppers, Lady Love‘s main focus is on offering above-average songs. What surprised me about the album wasn’t the lack of number one hits, but that it actually offered a cohesive compilation of tracks. If you are going through the aftermaths of a relationship, contemplating on calling it quits with a lover, or have been cheated on, then you might choose to seek comfort in many of the songs.

A Great Listen

If you put aside the monotonous song content and themes, LeToya’s vocals are what kept me replaying the album over and over. She seductively coos over the “I Need A U,” which she duets with an electric guitar. She successfully shows us that Janet Jackson isn’t the only one capable of selling a song that is lightly whispered. This is by far one of the album’s standout tracks. In fact, I hope it’s a sound that LeToya sticks with. LeToya shows off her upper vocal register on “Don’t Need U.” This, in my opinion, is LeToya’s best recording to-date. Overall, there really are no bad tracks on the album. Other notable tracks include the Ne-Yo penned lead single “Not Anymore,” “Lazy,” and the Ludacris assisted track “Regret.”

Lady Love sees songwriting duties by LeToya herself, Tank, Ne-Yo, J. Valentine and Chris Brown just to name a few. Neff-U, Blac Elvis, MaddScientist, and Ryan Leslie are some of the notable producers that lent their skills to the project. Estelle, Ludacris and Mims make guest appearances.

Overall, the album falls into the contemporary R&B genre and is a great listen – although listeners might quickly lose interest. This critic gives Lady Love 3/5 stars.

Pros:

Vocal growth

Production

Songwriting

Cons:

Monotonous lyrics

Lack of subject matter

No variations

(continue reading…)

This is the “Lady Love” review post. Come check it often because we’ll be adding them here as they come.  We’re making this post a sticky for your easiest convenience. Remember that you can listen to the album on myspace. (add the songs to your page as well while you’re at it)

Former Destiny’s Child member Letoya Luckett has worked hard to remove herself from the shadow of that super-group, releasing a number 1 debut album that showcased her pop-friendly yet soulful talents. With Lady Love, Letoya’s sophomore solo effort, she further makes her presence known as a memorable artist in her own right. Although Lady Love moves away from the classic soul sound of her debut for a more slick electronic sound, the songwriting is as catchy as ever, with several cuts that will have you pressing the repeat button.

Letoya’s sound is definitely pure R&B with most of the tracks on Lady Love having a mid-tempo feel, all booming bass and sexy undulating hooks. She never veers into mindless dance territory even on uptempo tracks such as “She Ain’t Got” and “Drained”, which remain lyrically dense and complex. Her sound could most easily be compared to a Faith Evans rather than a Beyonce as the themes and lyrics tend to be more mature that the average R&B diva. Standouts like “Tears” and “Matter” play like tracks produced by the Dream but with a noticeably more adult sensibility added to the lyrical content. But Letoya’s made sure to include at least one surefire radio hit, the unstoppable “Regret” featuring Ludacris. Sure to be one of 2009’s standout singles it bumps with savage energy even as the track barely rises above fingersnaps occasionally ramping things up to furious rat-a-tat snares. Appearances and production from the likes of Estelle, Ryan Leslie, Tank, and Mims keeps things interesting throughout.

Proof that there is life after Destiny’s Child, Letoya keeps doing her thing. For fans of quality R&B grooves, this is one that should not be misses.

- Norman Mayers

Confidence & Swagger

Former original Destiny’s Child member, LeToya Luckett carves her niche in the world of R&B music with the release of her sophomore album, Lady Love. Released in the U.S. on Aug. 25, 2009, the album flaunts a newfound confidence and “swagga” that was previously lacking on her 2006 self-titled debut. After listening to the album, one must question why exactly LeToya wasn’t offered more lead vocals while a member of Destiny’s Child and the true motives behind her being replaced at the budding of the group’s mainstream success.

Slight Variations

On this album, LeToya exhibits her versatility as her soft soprano vocals ride along over hard hitting bass-laden tracks and croons over many of the album’s ballads. This time around, she deviates from many of the hip-hop tracks that comprised her debut album. Opting for a more ballad and mid-tempo album, Lady Love only offers three danceable tracks.

The 15-track album, although a solid offering, does have its drawbacks. The majority of the tracks fall into two categories: love gone wrong and “She Ain’t Got Sh** On Me.” With these themes being the driving force behind the album, Lady Love can quickly become a tiresome listen. Many of the songs tend to sound alike, and you might find yourself double checking to see if you accidentally hit the repeat button.

Apparently the creative minds behind the album failed to take into consideration that there are only so many variations one can do to a song about a cheating lover, how love has left one damaged, or about how good one’s love supposedly is. In fact, the majority of the songs are slight variations from her debut album. A listen from start to finish will show that there isn’t one hit song. Instead of going for chart toppers, Lady Love‘s main focus is on offering above-average songs. What surprised me about the album wasn’t the lack of number one hits, but that it actually offered a cohesive compilation of tracks. If you are going through the aftermaths of a relationship, contemplating on calling it quits with a lover, or have been cheated on, then you might choose to seek comfort in many of the songs.

A Great Listen

If you put aside the monotonous song content and themes, LeToya’s vocals are what kept me replaying the album over and over. She seductively coos over the “I Need A U,” which she duets with an electric guitar. She successfully shows us that Janet Jackson isn’t the only one capable of selling a song that is lightly whispered. This is by far one of the album’s standout tracks. In fact, I hope it’s a sound that LeToya sticks with. LeToya shows off her upper vocal register on “Don’t Need U.” This, in my opinion, is LeToya’s best recording to-date. Overall, there really are no bad tracks on the album. Other notable tracks include the Ne-Yo penned lead single “Not Anymore,” “Lazy,” and the Ludacris assisted track “Regret.”

Lady Love sees songwriting duties by LeToya herself, Tank, Ne-Yo, J. Valentine and Chris Brown just to name a few. Neff-U, Blac Elvis, MaddScientist, and Ryan Leslie are some of the notable producers that lent their skills to the project. Estelle, Ludacris and Mims make guest appearances.

Overall, the album falls into the contemporary R&B genre and is a great listen – although listeners might quickly lose interest. This critic gives Lady Love 3/5 stars.

Pros:

Vocal growth

Production

Songwriting

Cons:

Monotonous lyrics

Lack of subject matter

No variations

(continue reading…)

Also a personal favorite of mine, it is another of the more pop-friendly records. The production is once again A+, several different elements are built into the track that enhance the harmonies and melodies. LeToya brings her A game with the vocals to this track, ad-libs are tight, melodies are infectious, lyrics are honest. Everything you could ask for and more in an uptempo are present.

My favorite thing about this song is the amount honesty and vulnerability in the lyrics. The perspective from which LeToya originates on this song, is that of the guilty party in the relationship; “did some things I know that I’m gone regret, caused you pain since the day we met, now you barely got anything left, cause I was draining your love…no it ain’t easy to just forget, it’s not your fault baby you were the best…I was just draining your love.” WOW! There aren’t many songs in existance that are this honest and apologetic, “You used to try to save us, I was the one who played us, I was the one who made us, fall apart…”

Even though this song is very uptempo it is also very somber. There is pain in the delivery of the vocals on this record. It makes for an awkwardly satisfying experience; on the one hand you find yourself rocking to the beat, yet as you listen to LeToya pour her heart out, you are overcome with sadness. It’s bittersweet. This is track #11, and usually at this point a CD begins to slow down (quality wise, this is where album filler is inserted) and get dull; not with “Lady Love.” This album is screaming classic at this point…

Singswell’s rating: I give this song an emphatic 5/5, single material!

LNN team’s rating: 4.7/5

Listen to “Drained”:  

Full song on LeToya’s myspace page

Also a personal favorite of mine, it is another of the more pop-friendly records. The production is once again A+, several different elements are built into the track that enhance the harmonies and melodies. LeToya brings her A game with the vocals to this track, ad-libs are tight, melodies are infectious, lyrics are honest. Everything you could ask for and more in an uptempo are present.

My favorite thing about this song is the amount honesty and vulnerability in the lyrics. The perspective from which LeToya originates on this song, is that of the guilty party in the relationship; “did some things I know that I’m gone regret, caused you pain since the day we met, now you barely got anything left, cause I was draining your love…no it ain’t easy to just forget, it’s not your fault baby you were the best…I was just draining your love.” WOW! There aren’t many songs in existance that are this honest and apologetic, “You used to try to save us, I was the one who played us, I was the one who made us, fall apart…”

Even though this song is very uptempo it is also very somber. There is pain in the delivery of the vocals on this record. It makes for an awkwardly satisfying experience; on the one hand you find yourself rocking to the beat, yet as you listen to LeToya pour her heart out, you are overcome with sadness. It’s bittersweet. This is track #11, and usually at this point a CD begins to slow down (quality wise, this is where album filler is inserted) and get dull; not with “Lady Love.” This album is screaming classic at this point…

Singswell’s rating: I give this song an emphatic 5/5, single material!

LNN team’s rating: 4.7/5

Listen to “Drained”:  

Full song on LeToya’s myspace page

This song opens to entrancing music, soft but well executed ad-libs, and oh so seductive whispers. Vocally LeToya is at her finest, her pristine tone on full display even while she’s singing ever so softly. This is another favorite of mine, I’m especially in love with the melodies on the verses and the ad-libs; the lyrics reveal a side of LeToya that is both vulnerable and yearning, “when I’m lying all alone in my room, tossing, turning don’t know what to do…I need a you…I want somebody to come ease this pain, baby please tell me your name…I need a you.” Conceptually this is sung from the perspective of a woman who is lonely and seeking the comfort and intimacy of a special guy. The problem is that she doesn’t know who this guy is; the mystery man has yet to appear in her life, and subsequently this song is dedicated to “whoever you are, wherever you are.” As the song progresses, it’s steadily pulsating, and building towards a climatic conclusion.

When we arrive at the bridge, the oh-so-sexy electric guitars kick in, adding a new dimension to the music and sensuality of this record. “I Need A U” is an excellent example of how to make a song sexy and seductive without being raunchy. This song stays on repeat.

Singswell’s rating: I give this one 5/5, single material!

LNN Team: 4.9/5

Preview “I Need A U”: 

This song opens to entrancing music, soft but well executed ad-libs, and oh so seductive whispers. Vocally LeToya is at her finest, her pristine tone on full display even while she’s singing ever so softly. This is another favorite of mine, I’m especially in love with the melodies on the verses and the ad-libs; the lyrics reveal a side of LeToya that is both vulnerable and yearning, “when I’m lying all alone in my room, tossing, turning don’t know what to do…I need a you…I want somebody to come ease this pain, baby please tell me your name…I need a you.” Conceptually this is sung from the perspective of a woman who is lonely and seeking the comfort and intimacy of a special guy. The problem is that she doesn’t know who this guy is; the mystery man has yet to appear in her life, and subsequently this song is dedicated to “whoever you are, wherever you are.” As the song progresses, it’s steadily pulsating, and building towards a climatic conclusion.

When we arrive at the bridge, the oh-so-sexy electric guitars kick in, adding a new dimension to the music and sensuality of this record. “I Need A U” is an excellent example of how to make a song sexy and seductive without being raunchy. This song stays on repeat.

Singswell’s rating: I give this one 5/5, single material!

LNN Team: 4.9/5

Preview “I Need A U”: