The Dutchess

Fergie has got much more potentials

Stacy Ann Ferguson, professionally known as The Black Eyed Peas member Fergie, has been long dreaming of releasing a solo album. Born in California, she has been participating on television shows almost from the age of nine and later became a member of the female trio Wild Orchid, which released two albums and then lost its contract with the label. That event has greatly affected Stacy and became her first serious lesson of show business realia. When Fergie joined The Black Eyed Peas the scarcely known band gained popularity very quickly largely due to her singing on choruses and adding a good deal of charisma to the band’s image. Now that the collective has so many fans and awards, the 29 year old singer has decided to record a solo work The Dutchess. Though many may be expecting this, The Dutchess has not too much in common with The Black Eyed Peas music, and at some points Fergie’s singing is so different from the way she has been performing with the band, that one cannot but wonder whos beautiful voice that is. The artist has got evidently much more potentials that she has revealed working as part of a band, and there is no doubt a lot more awards are waiting for her in the nearest future.

The variety of stylistic directions on The Dutchess

Fergie and producer will.i.am’s idea was to make an album that would satisfy the tastes of different styles fans, hence the variety of stylistic directions on The Dutchess. High and low tones of Fergie’s voice are mixed together to make a great melodious, but a bit hard opener Fergalicious, whereas screaming against the background of choir chorus makes composition Clumsy contrasting, playful and at the same time serious. All That I Got (The Make Up Song) has a classic R&B tune and rhythm, and lead-single London Bridge is a loud and worrisome composition on which the singer’s practically rapping.The childish falsetto vocals on the chorus of Pedestal alternate with roaring emotional singing accompanied by interesting audio effects. The optimistic melody and true-to-life lyrics make Glamorous one of the catchiest tracks, besides, refined by rap verses from Ludacris. The song on which Fergie’s singing takes a different turn is ballad Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal) devoted to relations, dissapointment, strength; fiddles and drums in the second part make the music really breathtaking. Mid-tempo guitar featured composition Losing My Ground surprises with powerful penetrating vocals full of despair, and another ballad Finally with high-toned piano chords and fiddles fully reveals Fergie’s ability to put all her heart into a song. The album has a frame composition: closer Get Your Hands Up returns to the hard beats of the opener, but ends more lyrically with fading piano sounds.

The Dutchess is a great example for many beginning performers

It is always interesting to know what an artist can do without one’s group, but in case with The Dutchess the case is not exactly the same. The album has been recorded in between tour dates with The Black Eyed Peas, probably because Fergie was quite impatient and eager to get her first solo work released, and has not only been produced by the band’s member will.i.am, but it also boasts the appearance of all The Black Eyed Peas participants. Among the other guest stars on The Dutchess it is worth while to mention B-Real from Cypress Hill, Ludacris and Bob Marley’s widow Rita Marley. Everybody who has taken part in working on the record support Fergie’s ambitiousness and industry, so the fans may not worry as no disbanding is expected in the forseeable future. The variety of styles on Fergie’s solo creation excludes the possibility of competition between her album and the band’s previous creations simply showing the other side of the singer’s talents and values. Her ballads and love songs can be rather compared with Gwen Stefani’s and Pink’s works, while on lightweight rap compositions Fergie doesn’t go to far from the group’s creative activity. After listening to the whole album, it becomes clear that The Dutchess is an inspiring debut and a great example for many beginning performers nowadays.