3.5/5
Girls Trip
How's this for some whip appeal? The 'Tender Lover' is back, but this time the return of this 'Face2Face' 'Playlist' is a collaborative effort. Much like the 'Grown and Sexy' R&B legend for the 'Lovers', Babyface's albums with Manchild ('Power and Love', 'Feel The Phuff'), The Deele ('Street Beat', 'Material Thangz' and 'Eyes Of A Stranger') and fellow 90s legend Toni Braxton ('Love, Marriage & Divorce'). For the cool in them, Babyface tends bar on the ninth wonder of an album. Because this is ladies night. Time for a 'Girl's Night Out'.
It's a new day for the 12 time Grammy winner who has written 26 number one hits for a career that has produced like Pharrell. "Her eyes, her smile, her skin/Her smell, her hair (She's incredible, baby, ooh)/Her walk, her talk, her way her savoir faire/There she goes, there she goes (There she goes)", Face once sang about 'That Girl' with the Neptunes. But this album is about THESE girls. Ari Lennox, Kehlani, Ella Mai, Queen Naija, Coco Jones, Tiana Major9, Tink, Baby Tate for tour face, Muni Long, Amaarae, Sevyn Streeter, Tkay Maidza and Doechii on the title track.
Babyface mainly plays the background, but he's always on Ashanti and Ja Rule time, unlike La La Anthony, running late for this album intro with the Queen of R&B radio Angie Martinez. Face it, this album is fun and fancy-free like the candy coated album artwork. But it still hits like the Grammy producer with no hangover. Chased with some dialled up number ones, you can call on.
"Let's all sip and toast to our exes/No regrets for goin' through texts/He tried to switch lanes and ended on exit", Doechii sings to those hitting the freeway like Braxton. Unbreaking your heart as Babyface's lines love you again like, "eyes on you when you hit the door". Reaffirming that the bar is still on him as he passes the buck to those up-and-coming artists for the rhythm and blues genre. Just like the outstanding opener, pouring 'Liquor' with a Lennox like Annie. Sweet urban soul dreams are made of these.
Some may balk at this album's concept, leaving Babyface in the bassinet, but this is anything but phoned in for the cynics and critics. 'Seamless' like Kehlani you will 'Keep(s) On Fallin' for this album like Ella Mai. Especially as the concept flips a classic Babyface as soon as it gets home. Your faithful lover is still here through all the tears. But now it's time to floss and get over that loss with a celebration of independent women. 'Game Over' to the haters with Queen Naija as Coco keeps it 'Simple' with lyrics like, "I wanna believe in us/ I wanna be cool, I wanna be chill/But baby, I've seen to much/Just bein' real, can I be honest?/I don't believe in love/The more that you give, the more that you get/Don't wanna feel unsure/I ain't doin' that no more/Yes, I've been jaded/So go 'head and say it/Got my guard to high (Mm/ And you know, and you know why/So complicated/But that's how we made it." Straight up, talk is never cheap when it's this real. Especially for a genre that has always afforded more affection, even when industry and ignorance has always sold it short.
Say more, even though Tiana Major9 will have you singing 'Say Less'. Because these amazing artists deserve their day like the one Face has given them. Killing it like his name was Ghost, this is more than 'Whatever' like Tink. 'Don't Even Think About It' Baby Tate says on a track that predicts future fate in the malaise of modern love and swiping loyalty. Muni Long gives us 'The Recipe' of a better way. Adding ingredients like "need you to love me, trust me, think it's so important/That we communicate, 'cause end of the day, I need you supportive/Can you respect me, yeah, will you protect me, yeah/But it's only gonna happen if you let me", to dash your new rules with some real helpings. All on said tack that's got you, soon as you get home. The game has changed. It's time to retire the players.
There's more than 'One Good Thing' about this cool collection. And you can feel it on the streets for the Sevyn Streeter and Tkay Maidza assisted 'G Wagon'. Streeter singing in unison with the host with the most talent at anything but his disposal, "Life on this side (This side)/Grass a little greener on this side (This side)/Yeah, this side (This side)/If you wanna be on this side (Green light)/Yeah, green light (Green light)/Grass a little greener on this side (This side)/Yeah this side, show you how we do it on this side." That's the hook. It's time to raise your glass to something a little more refreshing and toast like a new day. This 'Night Out' may leave Face fans pleading "please say the Baby" like Lil' Wayne, but soldiers, this album was always about who really runs the world. Girls. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: 'Seamless (With Kehlani),'Keeps On Fallin' (With Ella Mai)', 'One Good Thing (With Amaarae)'.
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