Bittersweet [PA] - Blu Cantrell

When I heard Hit 'Em Up Style (Opps!) and Breathe I fell in love with them and when I heard that Blu Cantrell were releasing an album I bought it straight away. Expecting the rest of the album to be similar to these hits I was really disappointed and the CD got forgotten about and never listened to again as I had copies of Hit 'Em Up Style and Breathe on RnB compilation CDs. That was until recently. I dug it out and listened to it in the car and ...
...and I put it on my iTunes and listened to some of the tracks as I have it on random. A few times a song would come on and I'd think who was that, as I couldn't place it. When I saw it was Blu Cantrell I was surprised and I turned it up and listened to it several times. Then I realised it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. On closer inspection I can see why I came to the conclusion that the album wasn't all that good. The problem was the two hits ... more

When I heard Hit 'Em Up Style (Opps!) and Breathe I fell in love with them and when I heard that Blu Cantrell were releasing an album I bought it straight away. Expecting the rest of the album to be similar to these hits I was really disappointed and the CD got forgotten about and never listened to again as I had copies of Hit 'Em Up Style and Breathe on RnB compilation CDs. That was until recently. I dug it out and listened to it in the car and was equally disappointed. I didn't give up this time though and I put it on my iTunes and listened to some of the tracks as I have it on random. A few times a song would come on and I'd think who was that, as I couldn't place it. When I saw it was Blu Cantrell I was surprised and I turned it up and listened to it several times. Then I realised it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. On closer inspection I can see why I came to the conclusion that the album wasn't all that good. The problem was the two hits are Hip Hop/RnB and are extremely catchy. Most of the other songs on the rest of the album are slower and more Soul/RnB. So nothing stood out and I never gave it much of a chance.

The album opens up with the ballad I Love You. It starts off with the sound of a keyboard before Blu Cantrell's vocals kick in. Once she starts to sing she is joined by the beating of a drum. A string instrument is also used which you can here faintly in the background every so often. The vocals are very soft and smooth during the verses and when the chorus kicks in they have more oomph. The song is a love song as you may have gathered from the title. "Baby how much can I tell you/ That I love love you" Although the lyrics would imply that it would be a soulful ballad declaring love for someone it actually has a strong beat to it. So it's not as slow and unforgettable as you may expect it to be. It's a nice opening to the album and Cantrell's singing is faultless.

Sleep In The Middle is by far my favourite song on the album. Admittedly I do love ballads and this doesn't fail to impress at all. The song is about a relationship break up and trying to move on from feeling heartbroken - "I'd rather sleep in the middle/ Middle of my bed/ Alone and not hurting over you". It opens up with a guitar and a piano playing in harmony. There is also another instrument being played occasionally which I can only guess are some kind of bells or chimes. This may sound strange but it works really well. The song starts off slow and soulful as Miss Cantrell sings quite low without any real effort. Any females trying to sing along will find it hard - I know I did! The piano in the background gives it a melancholy feel to it. The guitar sounds like a Spanish one but I'm no expert so I can't be sure. When it's played you notice it is a little different. There are other instruments, which you can hear in the background throughout the song such as a violin. They all work really well together to give a harmony. Towards the end of the song it becomes fast paced and Cantrell displays full use of her vocals. She goes from singing low to high, which doesn't sound like it would be easy on the ears but remarkably it is. One hearing it once it's the kind of song I tend to listen to on repeat a few times it's that infectious. I'm really surprised this wasn't released, as a single as I think it would have done really well in the charts.

Unhappy is a song about a relationship that isn't working out anymore. Cantrell is asking her partner why stay if he isn't content with the way things are. The relationship is deteriorating and she feels that he isn't treating her right - "Seems like everything I do/ I can never please you". As for the sound it's a slow ballad with distinctive drum and cymbal beats throughout it. The main thing, which you can hear, is a synthesiser, which gives it a different feel compared to the rest of the album. Ebony Burks provides a lot of vocals that can't really be called backing vocals. She sings the main lines of the chorus "If you're so unhappy" which Cantrell replies to with various different answers. It really works well and their voices are well matched. I do like this song but nothing about it jumps out at you enough to remember it. The pace never changes which means it's the kind of song you can have on in the background and not really notice it.

Next up we have the more upbeat Impatient which is what I can only describe as Latin style Hip-Hop. It opens up with Lil' Kim rapping with guitar strums in the background. This gives it a softer edge to what you'd expect from her usual rap. Cantrell's vocals are slow and smooth. This seems strange seeing as the lyrics are all about being impatient. The lyrics themselves are unclear at to what she's impatient over. I gather it's waiting to see if the relationship will turn serious or not - "Let me know/ 'Cause I can't let you go/ Not with the love we made". Fat Joe raps towards the middle of the song. He answers her but again what is being said isn't all that clear. Although there are two rappers featuring on this song it still doesn't stand out. A guitar strumming is really the only noticeable sound which gives the song a Latin feel to it. It isn't a bad song but at the same time it doesn't really stand out.

Breathe is Cantrell's most successful song which she reached number one with in August 2003. It opens up with Sean Paul's rap, which gives the song a reggae feel to it in his parts because of his Jamaican accent. The song has a strong beat to it and a trombone features heavily throughout the song. Combined with drums and a cymbal being tapped constantly provides a decent dance tune. There is also a brief sound of a car crashing during some of Cantrell's vocals which are realistic that when firsts listened to whilst driving I was sure someone really had crashed. The song is about taking time out from a relationship so they can 'breathe' - "Maybe we need some time alone/ We need to let it breathe… breathe… breathe". Sean Paul disagrees with this and wants to stay together "So what's that supposed to be about baby/ Gal, free up ya vibe and stop acting crazy". Vocally the two work really well together. Cantrell's smooth sultry voice contrasts with Sean Paul's rap. I do love this song and it was one of the reasons I bought the album and it still remains a firm favourite.

Continuing the album with a more upbeat dance song is Hit 'Em Up Style (Opps!). It has a Swing feel to it as well as the use of a keyboard and bass, which gives it an almost jazzy, feel to it. Towards the end it slows down a bit but only for a short time before Cantrell kicks in with her fantastically powerful voice. The song is all about getting revenge after catching her man cheating on her. She urges others in the same boat to go out and spend their money because "If he mess up/ You gotta hit 'em up". It's an energetic song, which will have you tapping your feet at the very least.

Things slow down now with the slow but catchy Risk It All. It's a love song about how she'd risk it all for the one she loves. A keyboard and guitar blend in with a continuous drum beat. Throw in Cantrell's vocals and you get a soulful melody. I really do like this song and the more I play it I like it.

Don't Want To Say Goodbye is another slow RnB song. It opens up with the sound or rain and the rumble of thunder. Then a strange noise is played. I can't work out exactly what it is though. It's played in the background during the whole of the song. This works really well and makes the overall song sound almost hypnotic. As the vocals kick in so does the beat of a drum. The song is about losing her love and not wanting to let go and say goodbye - "I will never stop loving you/ Can you tell me what I gotta do". It has a lovely melody and it was no huge surprise to see that Stevie Wonder co-wrote it. Cantrell sings with so much emotion, which adds to the quality of the song. This is another song I particularly like and the unusual background noise makes it sound very different to other songs on the album.

The pace steps up a bit with All You Had To Say. It has a swing feel to it as well as a punchy beat. The way the keyboard chords are played gives it a 1920s feel to it. It's the drumbeat that gives it extra rhythm. This isn't a song that really appeals to me but it's still not a bad song. For me the use of the keyboard just doesn't allure me. I prefer something smoother with less of an edge. It's the kind of song that if I heard it too much to would start to annoy me. Lyrically there is nothing wrong with it and had the same lyrics been sung over different music then there is no doubt I would like it more. Cantrell sings in perfect harmony about her partner not being there for her and the relationship ending but she isn't that bothered by this.

Another song I'm not all that keen on is Happily Ever After. It opens up with just Cantrell's vocals for a good 20 seconds before the tapping of a cymbal starts. It's joined by the keyboard and some drums. It has a decent beat and tune to it but for me it just doesn't stand out. Cantrell sings about having a great relationship and things couldn't be better. She feels secure and the is no problem that can't be fixed - "Sometimes we fight, then argue, then make up/ Then later we'll be making love…" She sings in harmony and I can't criticise that in anyway. Although I'm not that fond of the song it's not one I'd necessarily skip over.

Holding On To Love is another slow RnB love song about how glad she is to have her man in her life. It opens up with a keyboard playing and a harp being played. When the vocals kick in just the harp is played before the drums are thrown into the mix. The harp being played constantly in the background gives it a dreamy sound. If it wasn't for the beat of the drums it might even be sleep inducing. I don't mean this in a bad way though. The lyrics are especially great but Cantrell's soulful voice makes up for it. The overall song has a goof rhythm to it yet it doesn't really grab you.

Probably my least favourite song on the album is Swingin'. As the title suggests it is Swing but it has an extra beat to make it more up to date. It is really jazzy and is a song you can imagine dancing to. "Be bop" is sang over and over, which is really infectious. Cantrell manages some high notes towards the end, which go really well with the music.

Let Her Go is a catchy RnB tune. It's most prominent sound is that of a keyboard with drums also giving it a good beat to it. Cantrell displays her smooth singing voice once again and towards the end she gets to really go for it when the pace is stepped up. The song is about a man leading a secret life while his girlfriend has no idea. I can only assume this means he's cheating on her. Cantrell urges him to let go - "Damn it's a shame, the way you play games/ You need to just let her go". Another good song that I won't tire of listening to.

Round Up is a song by Lady May, who I can't say I've heard of before, that Cantrell features in. It's a Hip Hop/Country song, which opens up with a banjo playing and then a few drumbeats before Lady May raps. The banjo features in most of the song, as does a clapping noise. Luckily a bass beat can be heard as well which masks it a little. When Cantrell vocals start the banjo stops which unfortunately wasn't long enough for my liking. Having said that it's not that bad but it isn't something I'd want to listen to for too long. It has a funky feel to it and I can imagine it being played in clubs. Possibly because the song appears to be going out - "Round up everyone, hit the club and tear it down/ If you're up against the wall then you're in the wrong place".

Make Me Want To Scream was released as a single and reached number 24 yet I can't say I ever heard it in the charts. It's another song in which she is tired of her boyfriend cheating and won't take it anymore. She questions his lies with some amusing lyrics which aren't very clear so you might miss them if you don't listen very carefully - "I guess they're throwing their drawers and bras your way/ I guess those condoms weren't yours". Knowing it was written along with Kandi who had the hit 'Don't Think I'm Not' and also wrote TLC's 'No Scrubs' it's no wonder the song is an anti-men song. The song has a reggae feel to it and it features Ian Lewis of Inner Circle rapping in it. It has a nice beat to it and some kind of string instrument throughout it, which gives it an eastern feel to it. I can't take the song seriously because Cantrell does a good monkey impression in places with lots of "oh oh oh oh…"

The album finishes with the softer No Place Like Home. This is a nice way to end the album and the gentle beat of drums over Cantrell's sultry voice work so well together. The song is about how important home is - "There is no place, quite like home I'll never leave, swear I won't" The song isn't hugely memorably but it has a nice melody and feel to it.

As you can tell I really love this album now. Anyone who likes Hit 'Em Up Style (Opps!) and Breathe won't necessarily like this album as most of the album is much slower and it's filled with plenty of ballads. There are plenty of other styles of music tried and although some of them I wasn't over keen on they may appeal to others more. Her mother was a jazz singer and that that has clearly influenced her. Blu Cantrell can certainly sing and her voice is really distinctive. She is deeply passionate about what she is singing about and amazingly she can sing a range of octaves. Whilst none of the songs on here I actually dislike I think some of the choices of instruments were wrong for them. Sadly 'Bittersweet' wasn't a huge success for her and not many people will have heard of the album or immediately recognise her name which I think is a shame. Another thing, which is a shame, is the fact that since this was released in 2003 she hasn't released anything. I did read somewhere that she had an album in the pipeline this year. However, a quick search online has told me anything.

Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!), All You Had to Say and Swingin' were all originally on Blu Cantrell's debut album 'So Blu'.  

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