Search - Keshia Chante :: Keshia Chante

Great Voice, Needs Some Better Material

firefairyangel | Canada | 10/08/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Keshia Chante Harper released her first song quite a while ago. This song was a response to Shawn Desman's "Shook" and was aptly titled "Shook (The Answer)". Her second single, "Unpredictable", sounded a lot like Tupac's "I Ain't Mad At Cha" (or at least the background music did), which had me a little sceptical about buying her debut. Initially, I figured that Keshia would not be able to do very much original work and would rely solely on samples. In fact, only the two songs I've already mentioned contain samples and Keshia even had a hand in co-writing four out of the thirteen tracks. However, the biggest shock was that Shawn Desman co-wrote seven tracks, a surprise since he's been silent since his own debut. Vocally, Keshia reminds me in a lot of ways of Monica and Keshia is only sixteen years old.



The album starts off, as so many do these days, with a mediocre intro. While I appreciate the fact that Keshia had a hand in writing it, it doesn't add much to the album. "Does He Love Me", with Foxy Brown, is up first and is surprisingly good. Keshia has a great voice for a sixteen year old and this song shows it off pretty well considering it's a fast song. Foxy's rap is just average but my main problem with this song is Keshia's use of the word "shorty", a very overused slang that is just unnecessary. After that comes "Spinnin'", which unfortunately suffers from a somewhat lacklustre chorus. Keshia sounds great in the verses and vocally does well on the chorus. Where it really suffers is in the end where Keshia sings "got me spinnin' round round like a record baby" repeatedly. It does not sound very good and can be quite grating at times.



Keshia follows this up with the single and potential album highlight, "Unpredictable". I was first drawn to this song because the background music reminded me of Tupac's "I Ain't Mad at Cha" but as I listened to it more, I realized that Keshia's vocals are actually quite powerful and emotive in this song. It seems to be about her boyfriend acting unpredictable and how it confuses her. After that comes "Bad Boy Interlude" which is one of the better interludes I've heard. In it, Keshia discusses her boyfriend with a friend of hers. She tells her friend that they boy that used to be "bad" suddenly turned soft and sends her poetry and teddy bears. After that comes the (overplayed) single, "Bad Boy", which is almost a continuation of the interlude, but far more upbeat. The song has the same message and is good enough, but I am actually bored with it because of how often it's been played.



"Singles Night" is up next and is not bad, but not one of the strongest tracks either. The pre-chorus is actually the strongest part of the song vocally, and the chorus and verses could be worse. However the thing that really brings it down is when towards the end Keshia sings, "Here's to all the times you never listened to me". This part sounds incredibly weird and it hardly even sounds like Keshia singing. "Let The Music Take You" is somewhat better but not a large improvement. Keshia actually sounds a little off in the chorus and that song is not all that memorable. A mediocre interlude, called "Slacking Producers", follows and is not nearly as good as the intro before "Bad Boy". After that is "Shook (The Answer)" which seems like a mere attempt to get Keshia recognized since this song is virtually the same as the original. Personally, I like the original better.



"Tonight" and "Together" follow, and neither one is memorable. The verses of "Tonight" are great both vocally and lyrically however it really suffers from a weak chorus. The chorus does not seem to match with the rest of the song, making the entire thing sound awkward. "Together" has an even worse chorus and it sounds even more awkward than "Tonight". Keshia vocally does not disappoint in either song but these could definitely use rewrites. The next three songs are all highlights to me. "True Colours" is up first and is about a male friend who wants to be more. However, when Keshia tells the boy she doesn't like him that way, things are not the same between them. Keshia sings this beautifully and it is a message that is easy to relate to. "Little Things" is up next and describes all the little things Keshia's man does, such as picking her up from the airport, that strengthen her feelings for him. This song is gorgeous and in no way bad but it pales in comparison to the final ballad, "Come Fly With Me". Vocally, this is by far the best and most powerful song on the album and lyrically it is one of the better songs as well. Lastly, there's an average remix of "Bad Boy" (as a hidden track) and it features an unaccredited rapper that neither helps nor hurts the album.



Overall Mark: 4/5



Overall, Keshia proves herself a talented vocalist on the final three ballads all of which are by far the strongest tracks on the album. Keshia does well on the fast tracks as well, but I do not believe they are particularly her strength. The album falters a little in the middle (pretty much any track after "Bad Boy" and before "True Colours" ranges from weak to average) however there are several great songs that redeem it. As much as I hate to say this, I really think that Keshia should step away from the pen, as only one of the four songs she co-wrote was actually really good. Also, Shawn Desman should probably back off a little, as four out of his seven songs are good. Keshia is without a doubt a talented singer, but can use some better material. However, the good do outweigh the bad on this album."

AWESOME SINGER!!!

Vicky | CANADA | 07/07/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Wow this is an awesome Cd, i could listen to all the songs over and over!!!! Keshia Chante is an awseome singer and best f all she is Canadaian, my favourite songs are Bad Boy and Shook!!! Awesome Cd is all i have to say!"

Keshia Chante

#1 KC FAN | Vancouver, BC | 10/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Keshia Chante is an amazing artist that has released a great debut album. When I put in her cd, I don't skip any of her songs, they are all really good! I am extremely proud of her for making this album and will continue to support everything she does. Her second album is in the works, and I can't wait to hear from it. This girl is going to make it big with her flawless vocals and her mature talent. She just opened for Destiny's Child last show in Vancouver. For US people try going to Barnes & Noble and they'll order the CD and will not charge shipping and handeling. She is going to be the next big thing, so go pick up her album; you won't regert it!"