![]() ![]() The South African runner had argued that she was discriminated against by World Athletics’ testosterone rules that banned her from competing in certain events due to her naturally high levels of the hormone testosterone. Babyface’s music always sounds better when someone else is singing it, whether it’s Whitney Houston, Boyz II Men or even Madonna.Olympic champion Caster Semenya has won her discrimination case in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Even the best ‘Face song Babyface ever sang still pales next to the worst ‘Face song performed by another artist. It’s no surprise then that his latest solo effort, Face2Face, designed as a “pivotal moment of redefinition” for the famous singer-songwriter, falls short of stellar. Babyface’s transformation was supposed to come in a more upbeat, danceable form, and the album’s daring first single, “There She Goes,” definitely prevails. It’s a successful foray into edgier R&B fare for the singer, his falsetto vocals (which grow irksome on slower tracks like “U Should Know” and “Don’t Take It Personal”) clearly inspired by Jay-Z’s recent hit, “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It to Me).” Both songs were produced by hip-hop duo The Neptunes, whom Babyface commissioned to help spice up his waning sound. “Baby’s Mama,” which meshes the crooner with Snoop Dogg surprisingly well, lends the album its other worthy hip-hop-infused track. Filled with spooky Scooby-Doo whistle effects and a sampled horn section, the song urges disrespectful players to be nicer to the mothers of their children. The rest of the album, however, is just downright dull. Tracks like the opening “Outside In/Inside Out” are home to super-simplistic melodies and slogans that sound like they’re straight out of a Sesame Street teaching aid. ![]() Gone is the classic style of balladry that made Babyface famous (“Breathe Again,” “End of the Road,” among others) his famous hits may have been painfully formulaic but they were time-proven and perfected. In their place are songs like “What If” and “How Can U Be Down,” which feature all-too-similar melodic and rhythmic patterns. Babyface draws on the classic sounds of Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield but a bit of jazzy Harlem soul is way too subtle-rather, smothered-to save Face.Kenneth Brian Edmonds, known professionally as “Babyface,” would become one of the most successful music producers in the nation in a career that spanned nearly three decades. Edmonds was born on Apin Indianapolis, Indiana to Marvin and Barbara Edmonds. He began his musical career at the age of 18 when he joined the group Manchild in the 1977. The group released three albums before breaking up. The pair wrote and produced for other acts including the 1987 hits “Girlfriend” by Pebbles and “Rock Steady” by the Whispers. They also helped write Bobby Brown’s “Every Little Step,” Sheena Easton’s album The Lover in Me and Karyn White’s single “The Way You Love Me,” all in 1988. Given that success with other artists, they created their own record label, LaFace, in 1989. In 1989, Babyface released the album Tender Lover, which included several hit singles, most notably “It’s No Crime,” which reached No. ![]() The album would be his first successful release as a solo artist and it would eventually go double platinum.īabyface, however continued writing for others and in 1990 he helped produce Johnny Gill’s Grammy-nominated song, “My, My, My,” Whitney Houston’s “I’m Your Baby Tonight,” and Madonna’s “Take A Bow.” His biggest success came however when he collaborated with Boyz II Men.ġ on the R&B charts and “Whip Appeal,” which followed at No 2. Their 1991 song “End of the Road,” which he produced, would be one of the longest No. 1 hits in pop history, remaining in that position for 13 weeks. He continued his success with the 1992 soundtrack for the film The Bodyguard, which earned him his first Grammy nomination. Blige, and help guide the careers of TLC, OutKast, Usher, and Toni Braxton.įrom there Babyface worked with Mariah Carey, Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, En Vogue, Celine Dion, and Mary J. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |