In a time where everything is about branding, you have to wear the brands, brand yourself, brand your product, pfff, it sounds so true to hear someone sing "I want to know your name, not your brands".
Angie Stone has released "Dream", her latest album, on November 6th 2015. Most of the album showcases Angie's typical neo soulful sound, like the ultra sultry "Magnet", but there are two songs that take you back to the 60s.
In fact, "Clothes Don't Make The Man", which contains the line I mentioned earlier, sounds like it could've been a Supremes song or has been copied from one. The other song, "Quits", just channels the 60s sound without any reminders to anything in particular, but it does sit well in between the many songs on this album about the disappointment in love and relationships.
It's been a tough year for Angie Stone, who, for the first time in her 30+ years in music, had to deal with real negative press and tabloid exposure. While always portraying a lot of maturity, wisdom and common sense in the advices she posted on Twitter, the world was shocked by the news of her arrest in March this year.
Accused of assaulting her daughter, the public suddenly saw another side to the soul singer, even though she claimed it was self defense. Daughter Diamond then commented on the assault charges on Facebook to give the press a few more days of news. Apparently, not able to put it behind them in any other way, both mom and daughter then actually went on a TV show in an attempt to sort out the problems between the two, in public. Needless to say, this is probably one of the reasons why Angie Stone is not planning a return to reality TV any time soon.
It's a good thing she's returned to music, even though in an interview with Billboard, she admitted that she actually considered calling it quits (pun intended) after all that's happened this year. Luckily, someone came to the rescue and, because of it, we can now enjoy the new album.
"Dream" is an album filled with songs that you can listen to as good night stories before you go to sleep or just on one of those lazy Sundays. It's easy listening, due to its mainly slow pace, and every song is put together in such a way that you can really listen to the story it tells. Though it's mainly about love, you do hear a few other life subjects pass you by in some of the verses.
Her own life will soon be turned into biopic directed by Jamie Foxx and she was honored, just last Friday, by her former high school for her 37 years in the music business.
