India.Arie is one of the few artists whose album I would buy deafly. So last year, when Songversation was released, I bought it without worrying if I had heard a single song on the album. There are three things I appreciate most with India.Arie: 1) the quality of the lyrics, 2) the uniqueness of the sound, 3) the expression of herself. Most songs today say exactly the same thing, and it's not even worth saying. Half of the songs sound alike, and since many artists don't write their own songs, you wonder what the songs say about them, if anything.
Most of her songs are very chill, low tempo, and calm songs. If you are used to listening to the songs on the radio, it hits you hard how positive her songs are and it's a little weird at first. As I said, she has a unique sound. India.Arie is considered a R&B/Neo-Soul artist, but she pulls from so many cultures its hard to label her sound as one thing or another. Listening to her albums, for me, is a process. Many times, on the first listen, I don't get it. Some songs will stand out because they sound beautiful, or maybe I'll hear a lyric that stands out, but it won't necessarily fit together. It's only after I've been able to process and understand the lyrics of the song that I can really enjoy the music. She has a way of crafting each song so that the lyrics echo the sound and the sound echoes the lyrics. It's an awesome experience.
Like India.Arie's other albums, Songversation is my go to album when I feel happy, when I want to cheer myself up, when I'm working, or when I just need some inspiration. I've been meaning to share it's awesomeness for a while, but I wanted to do it justice. Below are some of my favorite tracks, my favorite thing about each song, and a youtube link (for those not as brave as me to purchase without hearing).
Track 2: Just Do You
click here to listen
"I heard a voice that told me I'm essential
How all my fears are limiting my potential"
"If you create the game,
then you create the rules
And if you just be you,
There's no way you can lose."
Track 3: This Love
click here to listen
The actual sound of this song is amazing; the music, the harmonies, the melody. You can actually feel the love.
Tack 5: Flowers
click here to listen
The chorus of this song has a Middle Eastern/Indian kind of flare to it. It's really catchy. I find myself singing this without thinking and then I wonder who she wrote it for. It also makes me think of the important people in my life.
Track 14: One
click here to listen
"We are a human kind of seven billion
So many different races and religions
And we all want the same things
Health, Love, Prosperity, and Peace
Tolerance is the seed
And the gift of pure acceptance is the tree"
"Whether you are red, brown, yellow, black, or white
Man with a husband, or a woman with a wife
We can debate until the end of time who is wrong and who is right
Or we can see ourselves as one
Cause it all comes down to love."
Track 20: Strange Fruit
click here to listen
This song was made famous by Billie Holiday in 1939. The lyrics are powerful in and of themselves (they were written by Abel Meeropol). I think India.Arie did a great job of bringing a modern feel to the song without destroying it. (Note the album version is different than the link provided; it's much less solemn, which I haven't decided if I love or hate but you still get a few chills listening to it.)
"Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulgin' eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burnin' flesh"
