This is the breakthrough album for Lizzo, being her third album and first major label release. Lizzo covers a bunch of postmodern styles on this album and has a decidedly sexually oriented album cover, especially good for those who like African-American BBW ladies. Lizzo is openly proud of being a plus-sized lady. In any case, this album still has a presence in the music scene to this day, so without further hesitation, let’s hear it.

Cuz I Love You begins with a decent vocal, before launching into a very James Bond style piece. It is a song that has promise but falls flat. It does sound good in parts, but in other areas is totally awful. That is the issue with this song, it just doesn’t sound as good as it could. It’s okay, but the sonic sounds and chord progressions do not sound good. In fact, it sounds really awkwardly constructed. Lizzo does have an excellent high tenor style voice, and she sounds really magnificent as a result. Too bad the rest of the song is utter junk. It ends with a fantastic lone vocal, however.

Like A Girl begins with a warped sounding piece of RnB before beats enter and we get underway with a more typical commercial postmodern tune. This is a tune that is good which mentions TLC’s Crazy Sexy Cool album. In any case, despite the fact that Lizzo has a really excellent voice, the music here will not last the test of time on this song. Instead, this comes across as a contemporary eye-rolling experience. Sadly, Lizzo should have picked a better producer for these tracks, but did not. There are some comparisons between men and women lyrically before we return to the chorus to finish up. Good, but not perfect. The ending is lame.

Juice has a huge 1980s feel in the chimey Fender guitars and similar production techniques here. This is about female sexual lust and again, although this is good music, it needs rethinking in some areas of delivery, for example in the multitracked vocal overdubs. Still, this is better than some other songs out there. Lizzo sings very well and has much more promise than Adele does now at the time of writing. In any case, this is an entertaining and upbeat listen, which is how music should be. Better than what has come before it on this album. Lizzo taunts others in this song who are chasing the same men that Lizzo attracts, quite funny really. Not too bad for a tune here.

Soulmate begins with some electronic sounds, and Lizzo quickly launches into a rather large tirade about her love life. It still sounds quite good, but all the same, this is not innovative or overly consistent music. It is the same sort of trash delivered out nowadays from everyone. Sure, Lizzo is trying, but this isn’t a solid gold classic album, it is very patchy. Lizzo amusingly Raps about the fact that she is single and proud of it. It is good for what it is, an amusing tale of narcissism. If you like subtle humour, this song should be enjoyable for you. Still, it’s not the greatest listen ever as the production drags down Lizzo’s excellent singing.

Jerome begins with some slow beats, more RnB electronic textures and a great array of sounds. This is a song directly aimed at an ex-lover who is a problem. Lizzo sounds like she is very sexually oriented in her dealings with men who are ultimately disappointing in the end. A good and enjoyable tune to hear, this is a very decent track compared to some of the other cuts on this album. Rejecting a lover who is unfaithful, this is a good piece for those experiencing breakups in their lives. Good, however. A better song for Lizzo, sonically, this suits her voice better than the other songs before it. Nice work.

Crybaby begins with another very 1980s retro introduction and launches into a very awful song about being sweet to a man in distress. One cannot doubt Lizzo’s wonderful voice, sadly she is put on top of awful backing tracks. It’s okay but the whole 1980s retro groove does not suit Lizzo at all whatsoever. Hopefully, in future releases, this can be rectified. Not exactly a song you’d want to hear on repeat, it already sounds very dated a few years on. Okay, but definitely skippable.

Tempo (feat. Missy Elliot) begins with a distorted fuzz guitar intro (unusually for this kind of music) before launching into a straightforward piece of music for today’s audience. Again, this is lyrically entertaining but there is nothing really outstanding in terms of overall listening. Interestingly, this is about seeking men who don’t mind larger ladies. This is obviously related to the fat acceptance movement. Weird, but enjoyable, even if you don’t like plus-sized ladies. A warped and interesting listen throughout, this is perfect for that Spotify playlist to make your friends laugh. Not bad, it ends with some excellent RnB electronic textures and an odd finale.

Exactly How I Feel (feat. Gucci Mane) begins with some reversed sounds and is a strange neo-Disco sort of tune. Again, this is nothing hugely inspired or revolutionary musically. The profanities don’t sound like they make sense or fit in this song. In any case, this is a very much mainstream tune that sounds fairly meh. It’s okay but lacks some magic about it. Gucci’s performance is a fresh touch here, but even so, this isn’t as exciting a record as it should be, sadly. It ends much in the same way as it began musically, which is naff.

Better in Color begins with some truly awful noisy sounds, before Lizzo launches into a really pretentious and awful piece of music. By this point, some people will want to hit the stop button and do something a bit more interesting than hear this song. A lame and unoriginal tune, Lizzo is let down by the music here. In a world where artists do not have much input into the music, this sounds very sad indeed in this sense. Avoid.

Heaven Help Me is a much better song, beginning with some excellent piano and is pointing towards a direction that may help Lizzo in the future: a more minimal and simpler delivery for her music. This is easily one of the better cuts from this album for this reason. This album may be more miss than hit at points of this album, but this is definitely a better tune. Still, this doesn’t save the album alone. The RnB/Rap delivery of music doesn’t really help things, either. There is a weird breakdown in the second half before Lizzo re-enters on vocals. It is a good tune and saves the album from being totally avoidable. The outro on this tune is super sweet, with further additional instrumentation added. Great.

Lingerie is the last tune on this album. It sounds rather muffled to begin with, which is quite different. Soon enough, Lizzo sings smoothly and beautifully on this tune. She comes across as an extremely sexually oriented singer and artist. Again, this is a definite improvement over some of the other songs on this album. Lizzo sings deeply and has some amusing fake orgasm sounds throughout this tune. If you like hearing female dirty, this may be something for you, if Lizzo is your flavour. The key change is not necessary for this song and ruins it a little. A good piece of erotica to conclude a mixed bag of music. Lizzo sings nicely about awaiting a lover, and the album finishes abruptly.

This is a good album that falls short of being a great album. Sure, Lizzo can sing and some of the songs here fit her style well. However, not all songs do. The opening track in particular is extremely awful and would have been best scrapped altogether. Most of the other songs need some gentle tweaking, to say the least. Anyway, if you want to hear an album centred on contemporary African-American BBW nature in a sexual way, this is a good choice for you to hear. Otherwise, it’s just another RnB Pop record.

Interesting but too patchy.

6/10