This album was darker and maybe that’s why it received such a cold shoulder at the time.
It’s a shame, because Seal’s ability to work within a soul framework without losing pop’s melody stood second-to-none. Human Being (Warner Brothers, 1998): What a songwriter, but due to him being someone of color he was marginalized on both ends of the music spectrum. I am not sure that she’ll ever top this record. Human had Brandy putting her own experiences to a sonic backdrop that was timely (production wise), but still had that “Brandy feel” to it. Human(Epic, 2008): Personally, this album has been an emotional companion for me since its release in the context of Brandy’s legacy I think it was her most consistent thematically. Summer didn’t just create that model, she stamped it with this album. I’ve often remarked that this record was the first “dance-pop departure” vehicle that set that standard that dance-pop was not the only mode pop operated in.
I was enamored with The Wanderer, but it would be years before I would hear its influence on other women (Madonna, Kylie Minogue) that I favored too.
The Wanderer (Geffen, 1980) Donna Summer never fit into the traditional slot that black women were meant to stay in―musically speaking or otherwise. In regard to the actual texture of the music and Minogue’s voice, it was the right blend of maturity, evolution and exploration that captured me. The “suites” that were fashioned on the album weren’t laborious, instead they formed their own patterns. Kylie Minogue (deConstruction, 1994): Kylie Minogue made me relearn everything I thought I knew about pop song structure at the time. The Spice Girls were the reason I picked up a pen to write about music and give voice to artists / fans who didn’t have one. Spiceworld also proved that producing good music didn’t guarantee fair appreciation from music critics―popular music politics aren’t always just. Further, my appreciation for character in a voice―not just a voice―stemmed from this LP. Spiceworld (Virgin, 1997): My desire to grasp “the groove” combined with curiosities for musical epochs gone by when I encountered this album. Spice Girls (1) / Kylie Minogue (2) / Donna Summer (3) / Brandy (4) / Seal (5)
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