Hola! Chrisette Michele is back with her fourth album titled Better. A journey of a woman who has flipped the script and changed her mentality of love, she seeks it again with this album. Full of love songs, the album also details the frustrations of being in a relationship, winning someone's affection, not being the right one for someone, being single and happy, it offers a twist to your typical love song album.
Tracklist:
01 – Be In Love
02 – A Couple Of Lovers
03 – Let Me Win
04 – Rich Hipster (Feat. Wale)
05 – Love Won’t Leave Me Out
06 – Interlude (In My Head – Better)
07 – Better
08 – Snow
09 – Visual Love
10 – Charades (Feat. 2 Chainz)
11 – Interlude (My Heart – Convo With Boyfriend)
12 – You Mean That Much To Me
13 – Supa
14 – Interlude (In My Bed – Sleeping Alone)
15 – Get Through The Night
16 – Can The Cool Be Loved (Feat. Bilal & Dunson)
17 – Ten Foot Stilettos
18 – Interlude (Perch Yo Girlz – Phone Convo)
19 – I’m Still Fly
20 – Love In The Afternoon (Feat. Nello Luchi)
01 – Be In Love
02 – A Couple Of Lovers
03 – Let Me Win
04 – Rich Hipster (Feat. Wale)
05 – Love Won’t Leave Me Out
06 – Interlude (In My Head – Better)
07 – Better
08 – Snow
09 – Visual Love
10 – Charades (Feat. 2 Chainz)
11 – Interlude (My Heart – Convo With Boyfriend)
12 – You Mean That Much To Me
13 – Supa
14 – Interlude (In My Bed – Sleeping Alone)
15 – Get Through The Night
16 – Can The Cool Be Loved (Feat. Bilal & Dunson)
17 – Ten Foot Stilettos
18 – Interlude (Perch Yo Girlz – Phone Convo)
19 – I’m Still Fly
20 – Love In The Afternoon (Feat. Nello Luchi)
1. Be In Love -
Chrisette opens the track by simply saying "I can do this, I wanna be in love." A great opening to the journey Chrisette will take us on. It serves as an intro to the album. Has an old school feel to it and may make you want to be in love again. She sings about how she is ready for love again, admitting something that a lot of people never want to admit. Everybody always tryna be all hard and about that single life - but not Chrisette. It''s a hopeful record as well, "Love will put me first this time, it will feel so right, forget the past, I'm open again." It's a great segue way into the lead single of the album "A Couple of Forevers".
2. A Couple of Forevers -
The lead single from the album! I love this song! It's so romantic. This is a song for the hopeless romantics out there. It's about wanting the feeling of love to last forever and ever. She is singing to her significant other about how strong they are together and she wants it to last, not just forever, but a couple of forevers. Whats so magical about this record is that it sounds so smooth and old school, like a 60's soul record. A Golden track from the album
3. Let Me Win -
Ever been in a relationship or in a situation where you are trying to win someone's affection and they won;t open up? They won't let you win. She pleading for this person to give her a break in this game of love, as we all have probably been there before. I love the beat to this song and the message. It sounds like a cut from her first album "I Am". The game of love is a gamble.
4. Rich Hipster -
Taken form her mix-tape "An Audiovisual Presentation: Audrey Hepburn" This is one of my favorite cuts. I'm not all that familiar with hipster culture, but this song is about being free. Getting a tat if you want, traveling the world, you feel rich, but not financially rich, rich on the inside. You are completely satisfied and doing whatever you want. It's also about getting along with everyone, making new friends, accepting the unusual, and truly embracing unity. "Wave you love when you wave your flag!"
Wale added a little spark to the track, but I feel like Common may have been a better feature. Overall it's a golden track.
5. Love Won't Leave Me Out -
Similar to Be In Love, this song is vulnerable. Open. It's about self evaluating your self and your relationship to love. "See a girl with a broken heart, See a girl with the broken scars." The message is clear, you will fall in love and may get hurt, but you have to learn from it, self- evaluate, and learn that love won't leave you out. Be hopeful and open.
6. Interlude (In My Head - Better) - Transition into Better.
7. Better -
Love will make me feel better. It's self explanatory. The rawness of this record is good and the positive outlook on love. It is the title of the album as well, supporting the concept correctly. Her vocals - just pull my edges out! LOL! But it's really an outstanding record.
8. Snow -
Now the sadness of love comes in, but with a twist. I honestly never heard a record where someone is telling there lover "Look, I'm not the one for you. I'm trying to protect you from me. You don't want to love me. I have a lot of stuff within me and a lot thats going on and I don't think you can handle me. I'm giving you a warning." I love this song...it's cold..a cold piece of work. It's melancholy and harsh feel supports those who are afraid to love someone, because they feel guarded, they feel as if they're hearts our cold and no one should want to be with them. It's a deep, powerful song. A certified Golden track! :) One of my Favorites.
9. Visual Love -
This song is funky, sassy, and real. Makes you want to get out on the dance floor with your girls looking fabulous. This brings a new concept to not falling for someone's BS when it ocmes to them saying they love you. Basically, this person is attracted to you only for your looks, hence the title Visual Love. "Your eyes tell me you love me, but that don't mean you do, and I;m not gonna let you hurt me when you SEE someone new." Love runs deeper than physical attraction. Many just throw the word around, knowing that they are in lust. A Golden Track.
10. Charades -
Comparing someone's bull crap and trash to a game of charades is an excellent metaphor. People can often be actors, playing characters and personas to win you over or romantically. But you know the deal, you can see right through it. That the perpective of this record. "I Ain't about that life.com period."
2 Chainz is a complete mess on the record LOL. It's hard to know he did "ALL I WANT FO MY BURFDAY IS A BIG BOOTAY....." and rap with Chrisette. But he adds fun to the record.
11. Interlude (My heart - Convo with Boyfriend) -
This interlude is so deep and romantic. Just listen to it. Especially if your a hopeless romantic. It lowkey made me gushy, a little teary LOL!
12. You Mean That Much to Me -
This song is about putting it all on the line for the one you love. It's good, feel good. It;s a love song about someone you would give it all up for. An offering. Beautiful song.
13. Supa -
She gave me Alicia Keys! This is about when your in love with someone and you have to tell them the good and bad about you. This is when your relationship starts to run into arguments and expectations. They get an attitude, you get one. "I can't be supa all the time, with the S on my chest." An honest and confronting record.
14. Interlude - (In My Bed - Sleeping Alone) -
"My favorite part of a relationship, is holding each other through the night - safety you know?"
Poetry that details sleeping alone late at night - a perfect transition into the next track.
15. Get Through The Night -
Now this song is a GOLDEN RECORD! It's so sad yet healing. It honestly helped me get through some personal things. So if you just broke up with someone and experiencing the pain of it, this is a good comforting song. You can cry to it, stare at a wall, and recover. "I know I'll smile in the day time, wait till the sunlight, everything will be alright, I know it will, just gotta get through the night."
I love this song. Highly suggest it.
16 . Can The Cool Be Loved -
Chrisette admits her positives and negatives. "I'm only me, just cool." Growth, swag, spreading light and love...this song is about being real with yourself and everything you do and also aksing "Can the cool in me, that side of me, just be loved and accepted?." In Chrisette's case, she is just another person in this world with emotions, a career, good qualities, bad qualities, and a muse for music. Bilal and Dunson bring that neo soul hip hop feel. One of my favorites. Overall it's a feel good golden track. The cool people just wanna be loved.
17. Ten Foot Stilettos -
One of my fav's from the album! I love how simple and classy the beat is. It's about making it through life, getitng it hurt, and walking above it in the end. You are high above the drama, the BS, the troubles of everything. "I'm a real tough girl, but I'm sweet at heart. Live in a real rough world, oh I can fall apart, but I just won't fail." If you need strength, put this on. Stand tall! Chrisette also sounds like Erykah Badu on this record! Golden Track!
18. Interlude (Perch Yo Gurlz - Phone Convo) -
Reminds m on phone convos with my girlfriends!
19. I'm Still Fly -
I love this song! She sings about being single and still being fly. I like the message because sometimes when we are single we feel so insecure about it. Like we need someone all the time. It's good to just go out with your girls or boys and not expect any phone numbers or dates. Either way you are still fly. The jazzy feel of this record makes it a classic. Upbeat and to the point. Golden Track. One of my fav's!
20. Love in the Afternoon -
This is also another one of my favorites. She sings about how people always make love in the evening. Well, what about making love in the afternoon? The beat and production is fabulous. This was also on her mix-tape last year. The rapper Nello Luchi brought a fantastic pop to the song. Its a nice smooth way to end the album. :)
Overall, The album's slower songs about love can become repetitive in the messages they send but it's based off of love so it works. I found myself skipping some records. For example, I often play "Get Through the Night: or "Snow" when I'm feeling a little blue. But I mostly listen to the more upbeat records and the one's that reflect on love in a positive light. It's a great, solid, contribution to R&B from Ms. Chrisette Michele. I say get yourself a copy, it allows you to reflect on love, the good and the bad of it.
Hugs, Kisses, and Wishes.
