May J. [All My Girls] (First Mini Album)

MY GIRLS
MILLION WAYZ
Baby Close Your Eyes
Good Tymez
DESTINATION
Thanx
Baby Eyes (MA$AMATIXXX Dancehall Mix) featuring KEN-U

The mini album starts off with the up-tempo and funky MY GIRLS. This is a song in which I wouldn’t like, but I find that I do like. Also, this was featured on her debut album Baby Girl. The arrangement has a bit going for it, I heard a trumpet (I believe, possibly a saxophone), drums, bass and some other stuff. I liked that it sounded a bit ordinary, like something you would hear walking down the street, but it still carried such rhythm to accomplish getting your body moving. May sounded like she was into the song and that was a plus, though the only memorable part of the song, vocal-wise, it the chorus where she says: ‘all my girls, all right, all right!’ this is a pretty good start to the mini album.

The next track on the album is the snap and clap MILLION WAYZ. This is definitely a song I didn’t think I would like, but I suppose as the song went along it kind of grew on me. The arrangement is rnb, but a bit bland and forgettable, the only thing that really stands put is the odd and quick clapping in the background. May’s vocals are what saves this song in the end, because its not a good song, but I do like the message. I’m actually surprised it had one, for a second I thought it was going to be some pointless track feat. an obscure rapper of some sort, but it carries a sadness to it that I found endearing.

The next track on the album is the Latin-influenced Baby Close Your Eyes. Here’s the ‘baby close your eyes’ version that I like. Honestly its not anything special, but I just like the whole flow of this song, from the Spanish kissed arrangement to May’s nice and simple vocal performance. She didn’t try to do too much and neither did the song. The arrangement is really funky, its like it and her vocals shouldn’t go together but they do.

The next track brings back the snap and clap beat with Good Tymez. I wanted to not like this song, but how can you not like a party song? ‘Are you ready for a party? ‘Cause tonight I’m gonna party!’ Well, I heard that. The arrangement is just your typical party beat, for all the attendees to get a little tipsy and dance the night away, either on someone else or some unfortunate wall or something. May’s vocals were pretty into it, she got into the chorus and that brought the interest factor up. This isn’t a song for everybody, but hell, some songs you just like, you don’t really have to have a reason, you just do.

The next track is the somewhat up-tempo DESTINATION. I think it just sounds up-tempo because of the drums. When this song first started I was dead set on ignoring it, thinking I was going to hate it, but as it got into it, I actually found myself paying attention to and enjoying it. The main arrangement is the drums I believe, and it does sound like they’re banging on trash cans or garage doors or something, or even pots, it just sounds so loud in that type of way. May J.’s vocals were pretty decent she brought the right amount of energy and personality to this song to make it stand out. I like the fact that she’s saying she has to make her on way, so he can go his way and she’ll go hers.

The next track slows the pace down with Thanx. I didn’t expect much from this song, but May J. surprised me once again. I like how mellow and somewhat engaging the beat is, even though its your typical rnb arrangement and can become quite stagnant after a while. May’s vocals were good, it seemed like she was really getting into the song, and I liked that, especially the: ‘i love you’ parts of the chorus.

The last track on the mini album is the forgettable Baby Eyes (MA$AMATIXXX Dancehall Mix) featuring KEN-U. Why couldn’t she just end the album on Thanx? I still think May J.’s parts are good, but Ken-U honestly just ruins this remix.

-GRADE: B+
Rating: **1/2 stars

May J.’s first mini album All My Girls was actually pretty good, and nearly as good as her debut album. I honestly thought I was only going to like two, maybe three songs, but I ended up liking all except for the pointless ‘Baby Eyes’ mix. I really hope that Baby Girl isn’t the last we’ve heard of May J., because it seems like she’s going to be under the radar for a while like Emyli is. I hope she comes out with some new material soon, I’d like to hear more from her. It’d be a shame for her to just call it quits.

May J. [Baby Girl] (First Album)

DO ‘tha DO ‘tha
MY GIRLS
DESTINATION (DOI Hip Hop Mix) feat. TARO SOUL
Dear…
why why why…
Baila Conmigo
HERE WE GO feat. VERBAL
YOU
Jealous Girl
Baby Eyes (DJ WATARAI Remix) feat. KEN-U
Feel the Sunshine
Don’t worry dear my boy
My Way, Your Way
LOVE BLOSSOM (FPM house mix)

The first track on the album is the infectious, DO tha’ DO tha’. I don’t really favor this song, since it’s not really my cup of tea. I mean I do like the urban arrangement, very rnb and infectious, and the ‘do tha’ do tha’ chorus is actually pretty catchy. May J’s vocal performance in this song is pretty strong, and she carries it well–but at the same time the song is pretty baseless, corny and it’s like she’s trying too hard, instead of letting the whole rnb flow come naturally to her. I wonder if this is some sort of women empowering song, because of the ‘independent’ I hear that’s thrown in there. I didn’t like the ’super duper’ parts of the hook, sounded juvenile, or the talk/rap whatever break in the song, it was pointless. This is an all right track and a pretty strong one to start the album on. I like it, somewhat.

The next track is the somewhat up-tempo, MY GIRLS. I really adore this song, and it’s actually featured on her mini album ALL MY GIRLS which was released before this. The chorus is very catchy, to the point that its almost impossible not to sing along with it. The arrangement is very fresh and just really embodies this song. It’s such a feel good track and the vocals as well as the atmosphere seems to come more naturally to May J. which makes this song a very enjoyable listen.

The next track is a collaboration, and an oddly endearing one at that. DESTINATION (D.O.I. HIP HOP Mix) I don’t know why I like this song, because its really so very uneventful, and it almost plays like she’s reading cue cards. But there is just something so edgy about this song, that just captures your attention and makes you like it even though there is nothing really going on. I didn’t like TARO SOUL’S segment in this song, it made the track a little weak. However May J’s vocals were pretty straight-forward and makes this song… pretty good.

The next track on the album is the incredibly moving, Dear…. I have no clue why this song didn’t blow up and throw May J. into the spot light, because this is honestly one of the best ballads I have ever heard. The arrangement is really wonderful and goes so well with the whole tone and feel of the song, making it rather depressing but a bearable kind of depressing. May J.’s voice shines in this song, she has a great voice, and I really feel that this song was under appreciated and not given a single chance because she really did this track justice. One of her best songs, and my favorite of hers.

The next track is the quirky why why why…. I went into this song thinking it was going to be a ballad, so I was a little surprised when it turned out to be a bit mid-tempo. I thought this song was a little annoying, mostly because of the oddly repetitive arrangement and this sound that I can’t describe in which kept pinging irritatingly in the background. Despite that however, I actually do like this song. May J’s vocals are really good, and I like how catchy the chorus is, it really engages you in the song and makes you feel what she is saying.

The next track on the album is the Latin infused, Baila Comigo. It’s a song that I didn’t particularly expect to like and I’m very fond of Spanish music. It’s mostly because it seemed so displaced on a album that caters mostly to rnb. The song is pretty catchy, with its typical snap beat, and it’s a pretty fun song once you get pass the fact that it’s pretty baseless and repetitive. It was almost like May J. wanted to try her hand at a Spanish based song and Baila Comigo was the result of that want.

The next track on the album is the utterly forgettable, HERE WE GO. This is the second collab track on the album, and its really your typical rnb pop track of mediocrity. The song has no defining traits, and becomes oddly repetitive, to the point where all I heard was the chorus, but I think that was because the song wasn’t interesting enough to be memorable.

The pace slows down with the next track, YOU. This track is just very weird to me, because it sounds so different from every other track before this that I have listened to. There is minimal arrangement, just the slow churning of a violin and a piano, but it works. May J.’s vocals are really good in this song, and I love how she drags out the verses, eventually really getting into the song and making it rather heartfelt. I mean this track does have the tendency to become boring, but I enjoyed it.

The next track on the album is the mid-tempo, Jealous Girl. The only thing I really liked about this song was the chorus, because of its mildly catchy flare. I thought the beat was pretty basic, and May J. didn’t do a lot with her vocals or this song to make it very stand-out–its still an OK listen though.

The next track is the ridiculously boring, Baby Eyes (DJ WATARAI Remix). I can’t really remember anything from this mediocre song except for the, ‘baby close your eyes’ part of the chorus, which got repetitive way too fast. It’s a collaboration track, the third, but I can’t really recall any of KEN-U’s parts. I don’t understand the point of remixing it, that’s better suited for singles, not albums. May J.’s vocal performance in this song was pretty irritating, with the high tones she decided to use. Baby Eyes (DJ WATARAI Remix) is just a really forgettable and unoriginal song.

The next track is my favorite song on the album aside from Dear…, Feel the Sunshine. This is one of those addictive summer songs that I just love and will honestly never get tired of hearing. May J.’s voice shines like the sun in this song and so does the upbeat arrangement that accompanies it. This is a great track and I really wish she would have released this as a single; the line: ‘me and you are special’ always touches me.

The next track is the stagnant, Don’t worry dear my boy. This song has promise, but at the same time it just fails. The arrangement is so basic its almost painful, since nothing is really going on with it, and I kept hearing this weird tinkle sound. May J.’s vocals aren’t even remotely good or impressive and she sung this song in the same tone throughout. I can’t really remember the verses, but the chorus was rather boring and lame: ‘don’t worry dear my boy’ does that even make sense? Not really.

The next track is even worse than the previous song, if possible. My Way, Your Way is a pretty simple song, the most simple song on the album, and I like simple but this song is so simple that its impossible. The arrangement consists of a piano, that is being played like the player has just been handed the musical notes with no time to prepare, because it was so unimpressive and generic you wondered why they even bothered. May J. sang very acappella-like, and I was wondering why she didn’t just do that, because that was the vibe I kept getting from this song. Its just boring and forgettable and for seemingly no reason.

Wow. The last track on the album is over seven minutes long, seven mind-numbing minutes. Love Blossom (FPM house mix) is not a bad song, in reality its actually a pretty fun song, what with how catchy and carefree the chorus is. But I mean that’s all there is to the song. A very up-beat, nearly sugar coated arrangement and May J. singing the chorus quickly over and over, and seriously after seven minutes, you’re just ready for the song to be over already. Its almost like, ‘could it be any longer!?’

-GRADE: B
Rating: ** stars

May J.’s debut album, Baby Girl was pretty good. I’ll admit, I’m not as into it this time around as I was the first time I gave this album a listen, but its still a lot better than Emyli’s Flower of Life album and Emi Hinouchi’s Dramatiques album. I enjoyed a couple of the songs on here with Dear… and Feel The Sunshine being very stand-out. I also thought that May J. had a lot of variety on here, she didn’t just stick with pure rnb but went off into Spanish and pop territory, and though a little jarring still made this album a lot more interesting. However even though this is a pretty good album, I still felt as if May could have put a bit more effort into it, since all the songs were pretty typical and predictable. May J. also has a really nice voice, and I really hope that she comes out with a new single soon, since it’d be a shame to let that talent go to waste just because you aren’t selling. I mean its likely to be a Emyli all over again, but even after so long I’m still holding out for the both of them. Baby Girl was a decent debut, and I really hope to hear more from her.