~Elle Shanice~ APPROVED ✔: Kelly Rowland "Here I Am"

Kelly Rowland has always had a sound that you wouldn't expect from her as an R&B singer, dating back to her debut solo album Simply Deep (which I still love). 

This album, Here I Am, is no different as she is finally able to make music that SHE wants to make. Although there are only 10 songs and I’ve heard people comment that it’s too few, I think that it is JUST enough.

The success of 1^st single (& my current ringtone) “Motivation” brought HIGH expectations from me in both content and sales (see my post about her & Beyonce’ HERE).  Ms. Rowland didn’t disappoint as the album debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart.

This is an album that has a variety of songs that could appear on R&B, pop AND dance charts and can’t be put in just one genre. There truly is something for everyone. The first song on the album, “I’m Dat Chick” serves as the female anthem of the album, declaring:

I’m that chick...How you know? I TOLD you so!

Also, “Feeling Me Right Now” is a song where she sings to herself in the mirror in the club and “Turn It Up” tells the story of her confronting a lover about spilling the beans to his woman. The “ballad” of the album is “Keep It Between Us” and “Work It Man” tells women to find a good man if theirs isn’t.

Here I Am also has songs for the grown & sexy too with both sexual and sensual grooves like “Motivation” & “All of the Night” that surprised me in a good way. 

Much of her success in the US has been collaborations like “Dilemma” with Nelly, but overseas she has had BIG success on dance charts. There are songs like “Down For Whatever” and “Commander” that are definite dance club material but also songs that feature hip hop artists like Lil Wayne (“Motivation”) & Big Sean (“Lay It On Me”).

Overall, the album is a good example of her singing ability and I could see several of the songs being potential singles. Not a lot of female anthems or sassy songs telling men off like from her Destiny’s Child counterpart, but Kelly Rowland holds her own.

Congrats Kelly on a GREAT 3^rd album!!!!! Here is a video of Kelly Rowland performing "Motivation" on the Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno last week: