Talk A Good Game

Since 2002, Kelly Rowland has been bopping and grinding her way back and forth from the charts, yet she has never really seemed to ‘make’ it unequivocally. Her last three albums were dressed in mismatched RnB, unwanted demos, and the remnants from Rihanna’s ashtray, but now it seems like she has finally come into her own. Indeed, Talk A Good Game is Rowland’s most sensical and well-thought out album yet.

Although the album is fundamentally RnB, the production still remains eclectic and consistent. Surprisingly, The-Dream, Boi1da and Harmony Samuels have all provided refreshing originality, and not the watered-down efforts one would expect in, say, a Brandy album. A cool throwback vibe is also prominent in many songs, such as the jauntily melancholy ‘Gone’, which interpolates Joni Mitchell’s ‘Big Yellow Taxi’.

‘Freak’ is a bold choice of opener, which sets the bar particularly high for the rest of Talk A Good Game to live up to. Lyrically, ‘Freak’ is an alternate spin on the “born this way” cliché, which has been steamrolling the chart for the last decade. This Danja-produced song has strong nuances of trance music, yet remains urban in its foundations, with a much-appreciated Grace Jones-esque chorus and dirty, underground instrumental breaks.

Rowland’s written input to the album is supported by writing credits, but more so with the depth of the lyrics throughout. The cornerstone to the album, ‘Dirty Laundry’, is certainly heavy on the senses: although the production is discordant and bitter, the lyrics are incredibly personal, disclosing accounts of domestic abuse and Rowland’s much-publicised “jealousy” of Beyoncé. Despite the song’s criticisms labelling it as contrived, it is difficult to view her revelations as anything other than courageous and heartfelt.

It is difficult to view her revelations as anything other than courageous and heartfelt

Another surprise comes in the form of ‘You Changed’, which reunites Rowland with her former Destiny’s Child bandmates: Beyoncé and Michelle Williams. Although this could seem like a forced effort to promote Talk A Good Game by unofficially reuniting the band, the song is more than welcome here. The three songstresses prove that their vocal magic is still alive and flourishing, and Beyoncé’s domination of the track is a beautifully reminiscent of the tacit ways of Destiny’s Child.

It has seemed like a long time coming, but Kelly Rowland has finally created a cohesive masterpiece which is quite different to those of her contemporaries. Chart success may not be on the cards, but Rowland’s generous mix of throwback spins and lyrical wonders on the album makes for an extremely pleasing listen. It is more than clear that Talk A Good Game is one of the musical highlights of the year.

Similar To: Fantasia, Alicia Keys

MP3: ‘You Changed’, ‘Kisses Down Low’