If you've seen the latest issue of Billboard magazine, you may have noticed that the top three albums in America this week belong to English artists. Has this happened before? I don't know but it's definitely worth acknowledging. What's it say about American music? Probably nothing but I do think it means we're open and ready for the eclectic and stylistic sounds of the British people...again—because they really are so damn talented.
Adele's sophomore album 21 is currently the best selling album of 2011. That's huge for an artist that doesn't sound or look like the average white pop star. I'm ecstatic that America has embraced her and I'm a little surprised, considering how the American people tend to go for the auto-tuned starlets or the teenyboppers. Adele sounds like nothing on the radio today and we should all feel blessed for that. I remember when I first listened to her, no one had heard of her at the time. I kept telling my friends about her. I raved and pleaded with everyone - "listen to this!" They all did and they all fell in love, like the rest of the world. After winning the Best New Artist Grammy two years ago, the pressure was on for Adele to live up to every expectation that's inevitably set after winning such an award. I was nervous to listen to 21 because I was so inspired and impressed with the first album. Thankfully, my fears were put to rest immediately because not only is the new album a step up from her debut album 19, it's also the most heart wrenching album to come from England since Amy Winehouse's Back to Black. Emboldened by the album's two lead singles "Rolling in the Deep" and "Someone Like You", 21 is a lover's album. It's strong enough to pack a punch and sweet enough to kiss the bruises right after.
This week's number 2 album in the country belongs to a songstress who doesn't deserve to go unheard. The solo debut album Late Nights and Early Mornings by Marsha Ambrosius, former lead singer of the English Neo-Soul duo Floetry, earns the runner up position this week and makes it straight to number 1 on the R&B albums chart after much anticipation from the artist herself and her many, many fans. I've been following Ms. Ambrosius on Twitter for a while now and she had been updating her fans throughout the album process by teasing us with lyrics and even actually singing snippets to some of the songs during live USTREAM video conferencing. We've all been excited and we counted down the days. We, her fans, or Marshians as she likes to call us, waited patiently for the release of the album and I don't think many of us were let down upon its release. The album is sultry and sexy. This is a lovemaking album or a break-up-and-make-up-right-after album. It's passionate and heartbreaking. It'll lift you up and really tear your heart apart because it's real, flawless, authentic, and not generic. Buy the album and see what I mean. If you're a lovefool like me, you'll love this album. The Brits really do know how to express themselves when it comes to love. If you haven't heard "Far Away", check it out. Other notable hits from the album are: "Tears", "The Break Up Song", and the Portishead cover "Sour Times."
