India.Arie is in the process of self-perfection

American R&B and neo-soul performer India.Arie (her real name is India Arie Simpson) has reached much by her thirty-three years. She was nominated for Grammy many times and won two of the prestigious statues, but also got many other famous prizes from musical channels, radio stations and magazines. Moreover, during her career, she collaborated with Stevie Wonder, Elton John, John Cougar Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen and other legendary artists. The daring hit single I Am Not My Hair, which riots against the fashion industry dogmas, saw light in 2006 and is featured on India.Arie’s disc Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship. This wonderful work was highly praised by the critics, while the listeners logically started to wait the continuation, as the title of the long-play meant it was the beginning of a cycle. They were totally right, as India.Arie belongs to the group of artists, who do not rest on the laurels after the record of one brilliant album – this year she finished the full-length Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics. On this disc, the singer continues to perfect herself both in musical and lyrical planes. Besides, the rhythms of the album differ from the ones on its predecessor with their vividness. People say it right, that perfection knows no boundaries, and India.Arie seems to make this proverb the part of her life.

More emotions on Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics

The album starts with the brief interlude Intro: Grains, which gives the path and mood of the disc. The cheerful track Therapy (Feat. Gramps Morgan) is devoted to the beloved of the artist. In this song, she compares her man with different treatments by his influence on her. The song Ghetto is one of the most interesting places on the disc. Instead of painting the listeners the picture of the fight between the poor and the rich, their two-sided hatred, India.Arie sings that poverty is a global thing and there is no country without the beggars. She performs, accompanied with flamenco rhythms, and thus concludes that social inequality takes place in each peace of the world. The brightest song on the disc – especially thanks to the album guest Musiq Soulchild – is Chocolate High (Feat. Musiq Soulchild). The passionate duet of these soul performers is notable not only for the splash of emotions, but also for its unusual lyrics. In the touching ballad He Heals Me, the artist again describes her beloved, but this time as a patient listener and wise life partner. The folk composition Pearls (Feat. Dobet Gnahore) features the interesting vocals by Dobet Gnahore, the singer from the Ivory Coast. The up-tempo track Yellow (Feat. Terrell Carter) describes the ups and lows in relationships of a pair with the help of almost all the colors. This song once more demonstrates us the originality of India.Arie. In the song with the bluesy vocals Better Way, the singer managed to mouth her opinion of the hurricane Katrina, the war in Iraq and many other plagues of the today’s world. The song Long Goodbye starts romantically and calmly, but finally grows into the furious power ballad. The disc closes with the breezy, optimistic motif A Beautiful Day (Bonus Track).

Songs about the eternal and most important things

On the disc Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics, as you can see from the title, the artist decided to ponder over living and loving in the today society. Man is the social being, thus all the social processes have an impact on each of us. As always, all the speculations by India.Arie have a tint of philosophy and remind us of the cosmopolite and extra-intuitive nature of genuinely talented people, to which we can surely add this singer. One should notice, that although Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics is more up-beat than its predecessor, it does not make it less thoughtful. It is really pleasant, that in the world of today’s stereotypic R&B we have such artists as India.Arie – acknowledging no boundaries and ready for risky experiments. One more exquisite quality of the artist is her ability to show her soul to the listeners – however, it does not make India.Arie sound naïve or weak, although she is brave enough to tell the public about the mistakes she made. Thus, she was in love with the wrong guy, but she did not try to stop that passion – anyway, it does not stop the performer from a strong parting with the man in the tune Long Goodbye. All her revelations and thoughts on Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics are filled with secret and wise ideas. Even when India.Arie sings about such eternal themes as love and politics, she managed to stay out of the road. Rounding the article, the disc Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics is the most thoughtful and introspective release by India.Arie for all her career.

Ninelle Kazakoff
17.02.2009