ARTIST Lizzo
RELEASE DATE April 19, 2019
LABEL Atlantic Records
NO. OF TRACKS 11
When deciding who to pick for my next album review, I simply went onto iTunes and looked upon the biggest albums of the moment...and low and behold I find Cuz I Love You from Lizzo. So, I thought...why not? I have been wanting to see what Lizzo is all about for a while now and this album seems to be well liked by the general public. So, I sat down and took a quick listen (it is only 33 minutes)...and some things certainly surprised me. So, without further ado, here are my thoughts after hearing Lizzo's Cuz I Love You. Enjoy!
Track #1: Cuz I Love You
Grade: A
A great album opener in and of itself. Lizzo boasts an energetic and lively sound while showcasing her soulful voice. I really can't see a reason not to find this as anything but a great pull in to this body of work. Not to mention, the instrumentals and overall rock vibe here are super cool and fit in rather nicely with the other dynamics of the song. This is definitely one of the high points of this album, and it is just barely getting started.
Track #2: Like A Girl
Grade: A-
While a small step down from the album's opener, Lizzo definitely does not disappoint with Like A Girl. It is certainly a song with a message of female empowerment, if you look at the lyrics closely enough. With that set aside though, she is able to acceptably showcase her versatility in terms of vocal ability. She raps rather nicely on the verses and sings with confidence through the chorus. While the signing isn't top notch, there seems to be no other flaws here. Like A Girl is an acceptable second album track in my book.
Track #3: Juice
Grade: B
I'm pretty sure most of us have all heard this one by now. It is the general consensus (as it seems to me) that most people find this song okay. And that is what I feel with this song. Juice is a very flashy song with a message of self-appreciation and having fun. Lizzo continues to show her vocal versatility here, as she sing-raps throughout the length of this track. This song levels at a similar place as Like A Girl. I don't find the rapping the most appealing with this track, which lowers its grade a little bit. However, it does present an enjoyable listen every now and then.
Track #4: Soulmate
Grade: D+
Certainly not one of the album's high points. Soulmate stays true to the message about self-appreciation, which is about the only thing I like in this song. You can certainly feel the energy of this song. However, it is very diminished by the below-the-mark offerings from Lizzo here. Her rapping and vocals here sound very clunky and are not cohesive with the overall production of the track. It feels as if Soulmate was sloppily put together and just simply added to the album for filler.
Track #5: Jerome
Grade: A
After the less-than-impressive Soulmate, Lizzo brings things back on top with the soulful Jerome. In this song, she spectacularly belts out a tune about a romantic connection that had some sort of falling out. This is quite easily a high point of the album. With its simplicity and emotional feel along with its simple yet meaningful track production--it is hard to find something not to like about Jerome (the song, of course).
Track #6: Cry Baby
Grade: B
Next up is another okay song. However, it is nothing special. This song has a nice pop rock vibe, and is pretty reminiscent of some older tracks of that genre. I feel as if her versatility is shown pretty well here. Cry Baby shows Lizzo noticeably transitioning from vocals to rap pretty effortlessly, which is the track's high point. In terms of vocal quality, it's not top notch here, but it is certainly acceptable.
Track #7: Tempo (ft. Missy Elliott)
Grade: C
This song is kind of weak lyric wise, but the production is pretty good here. Lizzo doesn't reach full potential here, and neither does Missy Elliott. Both kind of fall flat at some points in this song. I will give Lizzo points here because this song has a pretty sick vibe beat-wise, and the energy here is pretty noticeable. The rest of the song could use some work.
Track #8: Exactly How I Feel (ft. Gucci Mane)
Grade: D-
Exactly How I Feel is the worst off of this album. This song was very poorly put together, and is pretty lacking in quality vocal, production, and lyric wise. Gucci Mane was a completely unnecessary person to bring into this album, as he offered nothing. Lizzo doesn't sound good here, and her constant repetition of the phrase "that's exactly how I feel" made this song ten times harder to sit through. Production here is messy and clashes too much throughout the short length of this song. Lyrics sound as if they were just made up on the spot. All in all, not impressed.
Track #9: Better In Color
Grade: A-
After that mess, we have Better In Color, which is a pretty stand-out track. Her vocals here are showcased very well, and I enjoy the message that this song's lyrics have to convey. This song has kind of a soulful pop vibe, and I totally enjoy it. Lizzo is able to successfully blend several genres of music in this one song, and is yet another example of her versatile talent.
Track #10: Heaven Help Me
Grade: B+
Heaven Help Me is probably the deepest cut on this album, and I am glad that she was able to give us a more reflective and emotional track here. Her vocals are good here and the lyrics are carefully and nicely constructed. Production here is good, too. What may be my favorite part though, is Lizzo's flute feature on this track. That just increases the likeability of Heaven Help Me tenfold. She is very talented with the flute, and I am glad that we got to hear a bit of that instrumental crossover with this track. It was the perfect fit.
Track #11: Lingerie
Grade: A-
Finally, we have reached the album closer. Lingerie was the best choice to end off this album. I just felt a sense of satisfaction with this body of work after hearing this closing track. Lizzo showcases beautiful soulful vocals on this track. My only issue with it is that I wish she could have shown off more lyrical variety here. But, overall, this one is pretty top notch and certainly not something you want to overlook.
The Verdict: With this being her first high-profile and label-backed album, Lizzo definitely did a fine job. It has a few flaws, but overall, she is able to plead her case and show that she undeniably has some talent. This album is certainly listenable, with the exception of a couple of tracks. Cuz I Love You as a whole delivers an undeniable energy of an artist who is trying to make a name for herself.
High Points:
- Cuz I Love You
- Like A Girl
- Jerome
- Better In Color
- Lingerie
Acceptable Work:
- Juice
- Cry Baby
- Heaven Help Me
Needs Improvement:
- Tempo (ft. Missy Elliott)
Low Points:
- Soulmate
- Exactly How I Feel (ft. Gucci Mane)
Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave any album or EP suggestions down below. I will review anything that was released within the last year, so please let me know in the comments below what you would like to see next! I hope that you are enjoying this content, and check back soon for more posts!
~ Jack :)
