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She goes further to reassert that her beauty is not her only worth, but also her brains and thoughts, and she refuses to buy into materialistic American culture. I’m sure most everyone is familiar with her 2001 song “Video” where she does some positive body image work–stating that she sometimes doesn’t shave her legs, isn’t built like a supermodel but she is still beautiful and still a queen. She has no trouble bringing her listeners along.I mentioned a while ago, how I wanted to pay homage to one of the music industry’s most outspoken feminist: India.Arie. It's evident that Arie's in a good place, both creatively and personally, yet SongVersation is not about self-satisfaction. Everything - most exemplified by "Break the Shell," inspired by an encounter with Cicely Tyson - transmits positivity, even when she admits that, as a woman "almost four decades in" with neither a lifelong partner nor children, she's unsure of her position in life. Sweet, sighing, relaxed numbers like "Flowers" ("You're the moral compass directing me to light") and "Cocoa Butter" ("You are like cocoa butter on my heart") are among the most India.Arie-like songs laid down.
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The album's upbeat tone is set with the driving "Just Do You," a career highlight boasting a chorus that recalls the pre-chorus of Michael Jackson's "Rock with You." Apart from certain accents from the Turkish musicians, none of the material will surprise anybody. Longtime co-producer and instrumentalist Shannon Sanders remains, while new associate David Ryan Harris ( Dionne Farris, John Mayer) is another major factor. Largely a low-key, gently uplifting affair with a soft, warm glow, 11 of its 16 tracks are enhanced with assistance from several Turkish musicians - including percussionists, horn players, an oudist, and the Istanbul Strings - who were recorded at the studio of Sezen Aksu (one of the guests on Testimony, Vol. However, only the most attentive listeners will hear a considerable difference between SongVersation and the Testimony albums. She even contemplated leaving the industry. A series of mishaps, combined with some dissatisfaction regarding the sound of her recordings, prompted the break. Back with Motown, India.Arie is rejuvenated for her fifth album, which follows a lengthy hiatus.
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