Angie Stone, Love Language | Album Review 💿

Neo-soul vet Angie Stone comes on strong on her brief but well-rounded, love-driven 10^th studio album, 💿 Love Language. 

Fame can be hard to come by.  Once you attain fame, maintaining it is difficult.  🏆 Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter 🎙 Angie Stone is an amazing musician, PERIOD.  However, she is one of those truly underrated artists.  While her 10^th studio album, 💿 Love Language, won’t likely ‘move the needle,’ it does exhibit her elite talent.  Furthermore, it just feels good to be in love, right? Love Language excels in the love department!

via GIPHY

“Love Is Real”

“My heart flutter when you’re around.” Love Language commences with a declaration of love: 🎵 “Love Is Real.”  Agreed – if you’re lucky enough to find it, of course 😏. Anyways, Angie Stone feels a strong connection to this man, and she wants the whole world to hear her love testimony! “He caught me off guard, what a pleasant surprise / I knew you were mine the way you walked in my life.” Sigh, here’s to all the single souls who desire that real love that Angie sings about on this soulful opener.  The voice, the songwriting, and the production (🎛 Walter Millsap III, Xavier Gordon, Balewa Muhammad, and Candice Nelson) are all on point.

“Take it easy, I’m out of shape.” Understood, Angie – the struggle is real 🏋️‍♀️! Even though “the weight is starting to wear” on the neo-soulstress down, she’s not really talking about Planet Fitness or comparable gyms – she’s talking about love! What is clever about the promo single, 🤩 🎵 “The Gym”, featuring fellow neo-soul standout, 🎙 Musiq Soulchild, is how she maintains the gym concept.  Ms. Stone works out consistent from start to finish 🏋️‍♀️! Despite putting in work at the gym, “Addin’ pound after pound, I was in love with him,” she comes to realization “This ain’t workin’ out, it’s nothing like the gym.” The chorus marks one of the best moments, summarizing the sus nature of the relationship.  Later her bridge is sweet too, yielding the genius lyric, “Then when it’s time to spot me, you run away.” Woo! Musiq enters the mix in the second verse, sharing his side of things. Similarly, he’s exhausted by Angie’s accusations.  The vocal chemistry is tremendous, as one would expect from these fabulous musicians.  Furthermore, the production (Millsap III, 🎛 Teak Underdue, Muhammad, and Nelson) provides a lift 🏋️‍♀️ – oh, to return to the days where neo-soul was king.

“Kiss You”

“Ooh, boy your lips (Boy your lips), the way they sittin’ (Sittin’) / I can’t focus, I can’t even pay attention.” Stone is clearly turned TF on by this boy on 🤩 🎵 “Kiss You”. She continues in the steamy pre-chorus, “I lick my lips (Lick my lips), they start to glisten (Glisten) / You wanna bite ‘em every time they’re in your vision.” Woo! So enticing! For “Kiss You,” Stone samples the 🎙 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, 🎵 “I Miss You”.  A popular source for many contemporary R&B/neo-soul joints, with the help of the producers, “Kiss You” gets some modern swagger thanks to those epic drums anchoring things down 💪. “Kiss You” is a classy sex song. In the verses, Stone establishes the sensual vibes.  In the first, she wants his hands on her body – ooh la-la! In the second, she wishes to “go somewhere low-key and private.” Hmm, wonder why! In the third, this man has her feeling some type of way – “I find it hard to keep my composure.” Angie, a good man will do that to you… or so I’ve heard! 🎵 “Kiss You” is a surefire gem, so much so that Love Language also features two remixes, as the 10^th and 11^th tracks, of arguably its best song (🎵 “Kiss You (X Mix)” and the more stark contrasting 🎵 “Kiss You (Jersey Club Mix)”).

“Can’t nobody love me like you do / ‘Cause there’s nothing like the love of a good man.” Ah, the feels! Love Language continues focused on LOVE and all of its glory, of course. On 🤩 🎵 “Good Man,” another sharp advance single, Angie continues to enjoy the perks of a real one – a good man.  She puts her faith and trust into this godsend, PERIOD.  Backed by a backdrop that balances old and new school, the veteran artist is on autopilot.

“High”

“I couldn’t give you up if I try (If I try) / You’re so fucking fly (fly).” Angie, Angie – watch yo mouth! Her exuberance spills over from 🎵 “Good Man” into 🎵 “High” where it doesn’t seem like Ms. Stone will be coming down anytime soon.  Dropping the bomb about his fineness, he has lifted her up something fierce – “I’m talking Empire State, Sears Tower” and “Higher than any bird that ever flown.” “High” is on brand with the LP, continuing to find the underrated stone thriving in her early 60s.

The title track, 🤩 🎵 “Love Language” maintains consistency delivering the goods too.  “You kiss and hold me / Your love’s a testimony,” she sings in the first verse on the groovy joint, continuing, “That dreams really come true / And I’m so in love with you.” The happiness is infectious and gives ample hope to those of us seeking love. The chorus is a major selling point, as Stone asserts, “Charge it to my head / Don’t charge it to my heart / Teach me how to speak your love language.”

“All I Need” 

The soul continues to ooze on Love Language with the arrival of the seventh track, 🤩 🎵 “All I Need.”  Furthermore, the love thrives on this sweet, appreciative ballad.  “Tell me, tell me what I did to deserve you / After I been through so many things,” Stone sings in the tuneful chorus, adding, “Baby, you’re all I need / Now you are right here with me.” Sometimes, fairy tales do indeed come true.  Despite the adversity, Angie found a king! Shout out the use of vocoder within the production – it is a nice musical touch!

On 🎵 “Love The Feeling,” Angie remains true to self – old-school yet refreshing.  The vibes remain tuned into the Love Language. Nothing brand-new comes out of the eight track – the script is tried and true – but it works without a hitch.  The final ‘original’ cut is 🎵 “Old Thang Back” featuring 🎙 Swayvo Twain, only the second collaboration of the LP. Most of “Old Thang Back” is performed by Stone, though Twain performs in the third verse as well as the outro.  A sexy cut, Stone offers up her services to H-I-M: “Let me rub you down / I know you remember the way my body would surrender.” Woo! Like much of Love Language, “Old Thang Back” benefits from sophisticated production – a blend of old and new school – as well as a catchy chorus.

Final Thoughts 💭 

Angie Stone has still god it! Sure, 💿 Love Language is a brief LP – 38 minutes which includes two remixes – but it is consistent, enjoyable, and ultimately, successful.  There are no flops – it’s all bops for Ms. Angie. It’s given four stars for me, dawg!

via GIPHY

🤩 Gems 💎: “The Gym,” “Kiss You,” “Good Man,” “Love Language” & “All I Need”

🎙 Angie Stone • 💿 Love Language • 🏷 Conjunction Entertainment / SoNo Recording Group • 🗓 5.19.23 

[📷: Conjunction Entertainment / SoNo Recording Group]