Teena Marie, "Beautiful" (January 15, 2013)

[Jazzy]

All Music Guide gave the album 4/5 stars.

Several overdue reissues and the archival First Class Love were released within a couple years of Teena Marie's passing. A bigger surprise came in January 2013, when UMe issued this, the artist's 14th and final studio album. Its recording had been completed prior to Lady T's death; proud daughter Alia Rose, a singer and MC who appeared on La Doña, Sapphire, and Congo Square, saw it through the mixing and mastering process. As Teena did on those fine 2000s albums, she weaves her exceptional songwriting skills with instrumentation that is both organic and synthetic, complementing her own playing and programming with input from several longtime instrumentalists. Likewise, she celebrates her inspirations in explicit and subtle fashions. The first song and lead single, "Luv Letter," pays tribute to her Motown roots and cleverly references her daughter's father with nods to "Please Mr. Postman" and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours." A Curtis Mayfield cover, "Give Me Your Love," one of two songs featuring Alia, glistens and most resembles the Barbara Mason version. Elsewhere, Teena quotes Barry White and the Stylistics, as well as herself, and even references A Tribe Called Quest. She does this while remaining utterly contemporary, as if modern R&B production moved her, as if revisiting her classic past sounds was never considered. There's a wide range of material, but the plush and yearning ballads -- "Love Starved," "The Long Play," "Carte Blanche," and the "Shadow Boxing"-alluding "Definition of Down" -- resonate the most. No other artist combined such strong streetwise attitude with disarming warmth. She did it from start to finish.

[★Disco★]

I have only recently begun to get acquainted with Teena's music and I am loving it so far. I have only listened to some of the greatest hits collections on Spotify as well as selected album tracks. I plan to listen to her albums in the next week or so. I recently revisited her collaboration with Danny Tenaglia from 1998 called "Baby, Do You Feel Me". That was one of the first songs of hers I had become familiar with all those years ago. Then I heard "Lovergirl" and "I Need Your Lovin" which I love.

I listened to the new album on Friday and I really enjoyed it. I can understand it not being as great as her earlier work (it's so hard to top those masterpieces), but I like it. It's very consistent. I plan to listen to it again after I listen to all the available albums in order. Having the experience of the other albums would definitely change the perspective I have from the initial listen of the new one.

[mytia]

Anyone have sales numbers for Beautiful?

[Jazzy]

I love "The Long Play". Definitely my favorite.

[tae04]

Yea interested in sales #. It was #63 on the BB200, so I'm thinking it sold 5-6k since #50 was in the low 7k range.

[Agent Yoncé]

2/2/13:

"BEAUTIFUL": Debuts w/(6.2k)

[Jazzy]

"Wild Horses" is now Top 50 at Urban AC.

[mytia]

Has Beautiful performed well enough for the label to release a second single? Those spins for "Wild Horses" came from The Michael Baisden Show. Puzzling as to why it would be played when "Luv Letter" is the current release. It's dead in the water.

Doug Grigsby is listed as a producer on the CD, but has said nothing about the release. Neither has her "sister" Jill Jones, Rick's daughter who is on the project, or scores of other people who were her "family."

[Jazzy]

Feb 5, 2013 14:00:57 GMT -5 mytia said:

Has Beautiful performed well enough for the label to release a second single? Those spins for "Wild Horses" came from The Michael Baisden Show.

"Wild Horses" is the second single. It's second most added at Urban AC and there's a lyrics video on her VEVO account.

[Luckie Starchild]

Hmmm... Wild Horses is a 19-year-old track...

Great song though.

[Luckie Starchild]

I finally saw Motown The Musical on Broadway... One of the cast members plays Teena Marie and performs part of Square Biz. It was nice to see Lady Tee included in the show!

[Jazzy]

Teena is featured on Bobby Womack's final album due out later this year.

[Jazzy]

Epic just released a new hits collection with a bunch of remixes (I think some of these for the first time ever on CD).

www.amazon.com/Ooo-Epic-Anthology-MARIE-TEENA/dp/B06X6M6HC2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

[Zinc.]

I miss her. Definitely taken too soon. If I Were a Bell is one of my favorite songs by her and one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Its storytelling.

[Nick]

Teena Marie passed away 9 years ago today. Her voice was everything.

[🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲]

Love it.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CVoSvaYpIlU

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVqZrnvJQX2

[George]