Published on Feb 21, 1998
Pronounced “TINK”,
Think Like A Girl, reggae meets poppy production as Diana
King kicks off her full-length album after the successful release
of the single “Shy Guy” some years ago. I thought Flyte Time could
make a funky groove but Diana King and Andy Marvel know how to work
a club just as well. Last year, the big find was Sarah Brightman;
this year, it’s Diana King.
The Aretha Franklin remake of “I Say a Little Prayer” is,
daresay, better than the original in some respects. King’s
please-get-lost vocals make for a solid background and power vocals
that don’t irritate a la Celine Dion. The beat, however, is a
little too reminicent of the standard David Morales’ monotonous
drum machine creations. The vitality of the other dance tracks like
“Sweeter”, “Wicked” and the classic reggae jam “L-L-Lies” can go
against anything Shep Pettibone has done for Madonna. All these,
especially “New Girlfriend”, promises to bring
intelligent lyrics to the world of club and hopefully will
help push out unintelligible DJ BoBo-ific works the Europeans keep
dishing out.
What makes this album stand out is its sincere personality. A
cool and sophisticated warrior, Diana King has been there, gone
through that; she knows her worth (“Love Yourself”) and recommends
other people, fiercely, to open their eyes. “Think Like a Girl” has
all the seriousness of Janet Jackson’s “Rythm Nation” but has a
level-headed maturity “You Oughta Know” lacked. “Supa-Lova-Bwoy”
has the convincing power to get the devastated and disappointed
back into circulation, this time with a more definite knowledge of
what’s right. Either that, or it’s a tribute to Jesus Christ.
But what I found most impressive was the ballads. Yes, we do
have ballads galore and the market is quite saturated. But Diana
King, being apologetically firm, cracks the mold and stays away
from singing “baby” and seeing how elaborate a scale she can
sing.
“Tenderness”, while compromising nothing, asks for help across a
beautiful acoustic arrangement of guitars and strings. This isn’t
saccharine; it’s a tired woman. “Find My Way Back” is a joyfully
determined conquest and has the effect of “Supa-Lova-Bwoy”. The
remake of Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” could’ve
used a little more production; though it shows how sweet this voice
can get, the chorus is the only thing that works for it.
The crowning achievement of this album, ballad or otherwise, is
“Still”. This amazing track has the most lush, flawless arrangement
of verse and chorus I’ve heard since Mariah Carey’s acoustic
rendering of “Can’t Let Go”. The perfection of this track is reason
enough for ballad fans to get this album; an example of what
originality and personal, refined style can do.
The seaside prologue to “Wicked”, the interlude “Mi Coffee” (“Mi
coffee. Mi coffee. Mi coffee. Mi coffee. Mi bowl of boiling coffee
in di mo’ning. I care for none of dese. Di only ting for me. Is mi
cupa boiling coffee in di mo’ning.”), the soulful intro to “Do You
Really Want to Hurt Me” and the studio entrance into “I Say a
Little Prayer” makes this album more than a Recital by Diana King.
Packed with goodies, true; but it’s ultimately a lesson in
self-expression and the deliciously satisfying knowledge of knowing
what you can do and doing it well. Diana King’s display of inner
potential deserves to be snatched up by tired listeners and
especially musicians who are, or should be, looking for their
place. Like what she said; “Only one can make you HOT!”