A single or album that will break into the internet, airwaves and most importantly the minds of the people that listens to it is known from the first bar. Any real lover of music will take this album seriously when he or she listens to it. This album received some of the greatest investment of time, money and creativity. Albums most times loose sense of direction because the musicians at a certain time lose the ability to make new songs that preach same thing. This album, Ella’s Ella mai album, Eminem’s Kamikaze an Logic’s YSIV are the few albums that has the quality of direction and theme. Rita Sahatçiu Ora made an album that has love as its theme and found a way to make sixteen songs which discusses this very delicate topic of love. Phoenix (Deluxe) album is a musical book of love.
Ora must be a perfectionist or maybe the act of working twenty-five producers had to make her go the extra mile. Being able to get twenty-five producers (among whom are Andrew Watts, Fred Gibson, EasyFun, Allesso, Sir Nolan, Luis Bell, John Ryan e.t.c )to come with their A-game in terms of production is some serious job. All of the songs in this album are kind of spiritual because of the musical atmosphere that Andrew Watt and the host of producers created. Ora sure had this album on point because she created a sing along jam that has a great beat from track one to the very last.
THE THEME
As earlier disclosed, the theme of this album is centered on telling love stories, drama and possibilities. “Anywhere” is a song which talks of the greatest feeling of following ones lover to anywhere in the world. She tells her lover to take her anywhere because she is willing to go provided it is with him. In the song “Let you Love Me” she talks about the complexity that most ladies have. You will believe with me especially if you have had the experience that some ladies do run away from love. Its kind of funny but some ladies really love but the fear of commitment pushes them away. Ora uses “let you love me” to discuss this issue. “New Look” discusses another female drama which is man policing. Often we find ladies behaving like police to their man because they are having trust issues. In this song, Ora talks to her lover who must have made a mistake of cheating once hence lost credibility with her. She claims that she is worried about who he is going to love in her absence.
“Lonely together” is a love gone bad story. She paints a picture of two lovers who are breaking up because of the huge gap in personality. She states that she can’t change this lover of hers but instead will allow themselves breakup and be lonely together. After two negative love song, Ora makes a positive love song in “Your Song”. She talks about a lady who is in love with a new guy who really tickles her fancy. She said she only want to hear his song and his words because that is what makes her feel fly. In another positive love song, Rita sings of an irreplaceable lover of hers who she has tried replacing but has not really found anybody like him. She declare that she only want one person and she made it clear in “Only want you. Going back down memory lane in “Fist time high”, Ora sings about being in love for the first time in high school. She talks about feeling like someone who was high for the first time.
“For you” had her teaming up with Liam Payne as she discusses finding love when you least expected it or thought about it. She claims she was not ready for love when love came into her life. In “summer love” she talks about the memories her lover leaves her with. She tells him that she longs for that feeling which he always gives her during the summer. Teaming up with Cardi B and Bebe Rexha in “Girls” she appreciates ladies and the natural love between ladies. She claims that she sometimes feels like kissing girls especially when she is high. She concludes the album with one love topic or the other giving a full discussion on the topic.
THE PRODUTION
The first impression of this album is the wonderful professionalism displayed in the mixing and mastering of this album. Nothing beats those small but vital tweaks in sound that makes the colour of a sound seem magical. This requires lots of work and the twenty-five producers who worked on this project did a very nice job. Another positive is the arrangement of the songs in the album. Most musician get it wroung when it comes to the arrangement of the songs in their album. Often times, it destroys the listening appetite of prospective listeners because they get bored with the songs. The arrangement of the groovy and party sounds first in this album gave this album a huge edge. Much accolades should be given to Rita Ora and Andrew Watts for being the best executive producers that this album could have. A super partnership with a mad Job which they have been working on since 2016.
The Production of “Only want you”; Louis Bell and Watt did a massive job creating a soft rock sound with so much RnB influence. I personally like the way they fused the Acoustic and Slayer guitars in the mid tempo sound. I will say the use of guitars in this album is one positive that is so obvious. In the production of “anywhere”, the use of electronic guitar and the running kicks, hats, finger snap and tambourine was just super dope. Also the sound effects and modulation of sounds in this album is up there with the best engineered songs of this year. Sir Nolan, Alesso and Watts did a great job on that first tracks.
In my personal best song of the album which is “Let you love me” which was produced by Fred Gibson and EasyFun is just one sound that made me remember what RnB music was like before this new trend of Trap/RnB infested the music industry. What makes this sound different from the others is not just the simplicity in the style of production or selection of instrument sound but the near perfect engineering. Working with Sinquence sound and pad sound can be tricky because some time you might just end up over doing some things, But Fred and Easy just kept their cool and made a dope sound.
All the producers did some real good job on this album and it all goes down to Andrew Watts and Ora who created a sound pattern and direction for the album to go through.
Possible Hits and Flops
All the songs have the ability to go places because of the creativity and Handwork. As highlighted before. “Let you Love me” is lit. “Only want you” “summer love”, “Anywhere”, “your song”, “Lonely together” could also join “Let you love me” on that list.
The only song with a lower energy when compared with others is the song featuring Bebe Rexha and Cardi B. But from experience, we could agree that you can’t feature heavy weight like that in a song and not make a hit. This album officially does not have a bad song when you look at it from all angles.
