Review : swv | Still
It ’ s no wonder Musiq Soulchild has stood the test of time , through the many changes in the R & B climate throughout the years . Indeed , a lot has changed over the years . Gone are the days of anticipating releases from your favorite artists , because many seemingly shift their focus in response to the fickleness of the industry . As much as you want to blame it on the industry , the fact is the blame lies with the artist . Many have become fixed with trying to fit with the times , and they ultimately lose ground because they ’ re not being authentic . Only a select few artists manage to do their own thing , no matter what , and Musiq Soulchild has remained consistent with that . While he has made subtle changes since his beginning , it hasn ’ t been because of strategy . His changes , growth , and elevation have all been natural , and those things speak volumes to why he ’ s been here so long .
With Life on Earth , Musiq ’ s signature sound remains intact , and without being predictable , he shows us just why we originally feel in love with that sound . The album fuses together many different elements of R & B , Hip-Hop , and Jazz , and he manages to take you on a journey through love and life . There truly is something here for everyone , young and old . Having already struck a chord with tracks like “ I Do ”, ‘ Part of Me ” featuring Joi Starr , “ Heart Away ” and “ Alive and Well ”, he ’ s well on his way to having a classic LP on his hands . Other songs gaining momentum include “ Far Gone ” with Rapsody , “ Wait a Minute ”, “ Who Really Loves You ”, and “ Changed My Mind ”.
In reality , I could go on and on about how good the tracks are here , but I think everyone gets the picture . It ’ s clear that he ’ s put in a tremendous amount of work with making this album what it is , progressively building his catalog , and his overall brand . Some things that have changed are producers , and his label situation . Following a long-standing recording relationship with Atlantic Records , Musiq is now a part of E-One Entertainment and My Block , with much of the album ’ s production being handled by Warryn Campbell and Taalib Johnson . What pleases me the most out of everything is that through it all , he has remained true to himself . Typically , when artists change label situations , things go awry because they don ’ t know how to connect with the artist , or don ’ t have any idea how to tap into their particular style . Surely , that wasn ’ t the case here . All parties played their respective positions , and it made way for a great album . Despite the things that have grown popular in music over the past few years , he continues to do him , and that shines throughout Life on Earth . +
t ’ s funny how musicians and artists can seemingly vanish for a period of time , and make their way back to music . SWV was one of the biggest and most successful girl bands of the nineties . They maintained a steady stream of hits throughout three albums before disbanding amidst growing troubles within their circle . Mind you , that was 1998 when they released “ Release Some Tension ”. Following their split , Coko moved forward with success in her solo career . She would do a considerable amount in the Gospel circuit before making her way back to SWV .
I can recall some time back around 2005 that there were talks of the group reuniting . We interviewed the ladies around that time , and although they were quite excited about their new prospects , we still didn ’ t see their official reunion until 2012 with the release of “ I Missed Us ”. Released via Mass Appeal and E1 , the album didn ’ t do well . Whether It was lack of promotion or otherwise , it just didn ’ t resonate with fans . They soon would embark on an opportunity of having their own reality show aimed at rebuilding their careers as a group . Depending on who you ask , that show may or may not have consistently shown them in the best light , and for some , it left a lot of questions of whether they were truly serious and if they could maintain as a unit . It surely left a lot of skepticism in the minds of music lovers . No one knew what to expect with a new release from the ladies .
“ Still ” is likely one of the most important albums of SWV ’ s career . While it was a chance to continue doing what they love , it also served as an opportunity to finally get it right . Releasing an album , and promoting that album to great success takes a great deal of work , arguably more work than what most artists are willing to do . Fact is , many artists from the nineties and prior who return and attempt to rekindle their past success struggle because they aren ’ t necessarily able , or willing , to do what it takes in today ’ s climate to make it work . Whether they like it or not , they ’ re now competing with today ’ s artists , and that is much the case for SWV .