Electrik Red- How to be a Lady Vol.1 Terius 'n' Tricky make girl-pop magic

ER were at a big outdoor festival in Baltimore this weekend too -- was out of town and missed it, but it would've been nice to at least see if they can really perform and do the songs justice live

That's right, they were at Artscape. That would have been worth checking out. I wonder if they have made their appearance yet at 14th & Park?

being familiar with the two dream albums makes listening to this album weird, though; it's just so clear where stuff is coming from. they even sound like him vocally at times.

imo this makes the album alot better, actually. i'm not sure why. oh, it's probably just because i like the-dream so much. by the way dude is becoming prolific, already written and produced two great albums this year.

not to mention a grab bag of other great songs by other artists, with mariah and milian (iirc?) still on the way

i hope even if his/electrik red's solo career never picks up that he will live a long and obscenely rich life off of umbrella royalties.

He's done well enough as a solo artist.

i hope even if his/electrik red's solo career never picks up that he will live a long and obscenely rich life off of umbrella royalties.

pretty sure he already is

He's done well enough as a solo artist.

oh yeah? i actually wasn't basing that on record sales or some kind of solid fact, but just that my sister-who listens to nothing but this type of music-had only heard of one song and was like "oh he was in that song with mariah carey, right?"

Was thinking about why I find the line in "Friend Lover", "Rule 4: you can't stay past five, I gotta be at work by nine" so affecting.

I think this bit works a lot like the "I could have another you in a minute/matter fact he'll be here in a minute" line in Beyonce's "Irreplaceable". There's that same sudden jump in register which on the one hand is supposed to suggest an almost callous sense of levity, and yet on the other hand is a classic giveaway that the singer doesn't believe what he or she is saying.

Or, rather, it's not exactly a lie, but the emotion is confected - the rule suggests that Ms Red is ultimately gonna make her love life fit in with her professional life, but maybe secretly Ms Red isn't happy about that, or maybe sometimes wishes she wasn't the kind of person who put work before love. Or maybe she just feels trapped by her own pride in enforcing this arrangement.

Which is supported by the arrogant "he could be my man if I wanted him to" beforehand. Again, the way this is sung suggests that maybe she does want him to be her man, but can't admit this to herself for fear of some private loss of face.

I was trying to think of examples in film and tv where one character is in a relationship with someone and is totally in love with them but for reasons of warped personal pride affects a pose of absolute indifference. Only a couple come to mind though.

themes of pride in the context of love seem to be very prevalent on this album and in a lot of music, especially hip hop/RnB. mostly, though, i find that line affecting for the reason that most lyrics about being a working woman are affecting: they put the singer in the place of the audience.

OMG, I have only just noticed the kind of wibbling space noises in the background of Devotion.

the bloody CRAFTSMANSHIP of this album is just staggering, the little things hidden in the background of the production that you only notice after hearing it 100x.

binkie = v good twitter value btw.

@BinkieER a woman is like a tea bag you never know how strong she is until she is in hot water ! fyi a bitch is on boil !
26 minutes ago from web

Speaking of which can someone provide me with a breakdown of who does what voices?

I'm assuming that the four voices are:

1) high-voiced breathy girl - e.g. "Devotion", "Friend Lover"
2) more sultry Kelis type girl - e.g. "So Good"
3) lower, slightly nasal singer - e.g. "We Fuck You" (same singer who does the nasal but higher "... and I don't know why you feel so alarmed..." bit in "P is for Power"? Possibly also "Kill Bill"??)
4) rapper in "Muah", presumably also the second spoken word section in "P is for Power"?

Or am I mixing these up and getting it all wrong?

i'd also love to clear that all up, i've got no idea

binkie is the one who raps occasionally, no idea about the others but i get the impression that naomi does quite a lot of the lead vox

There's two rappers though, right? First verse and second verse of "P is for Power" are different I think? The second verse is probably Binkie then as that's the same singer who does the rap on "Muah".

omg lex that tweet

A quick rewatch of the clips confirms that "So Good" and "Friend Lover" are both sung by the same girl who turns out to be Naomi. But according to some internet commentary:

binkie has on point
lesley has we fuck you
and sarah almost has p is for power. she has teo verses on that song but shares it with naomi

Sounds like everything else bar the rapping (presumably Binkie on "Muah" and "Drink In My Cup") is Naomi but I'm willing to bet "Kill Bill" isn't her.

yeah "Kill Bill" vox sound totally different from almost every other song. kinda hate that one, tbh.

that's cuz it kinda sucks

haha yeah "radio might not play this record" -- gee hmm i wonder why!

Haha. Worst of the album is definetly Kill Bill.

I'm guesssing still not sign of a UK releease for this? Shame as it seems to my ears to have more of a Brit-friendly sound (like Kelis).

I thought she was saying "radio better not play this record" because that might warn Bill that she's planning to kill him.

I think Bill probably got over that one after those Tarantino films a few years back, he'll be lulled into a false sense of security by now.

Kill Bill > Womanizer imo

noooooooooooooooooooooo

"kill bill" def >>>> "womanizer"

for the shitty schaffel pop track, it's surprisingly good - def inessential in context of the album though

kill bill is too loud and cluttered, it's like a migraine. womanizer is perfect :)

It's totally essential, it's the big brassy blow-out at the end. Ending with 'Go Shawty' wouldn't be much cop.

That whole electro-schaffel-pop signature has got so tired to me that Electrik Red turning it up *really loud* and adding some righteous anger kind of invigorated it for me. When Britney released Womanizer my response was more "oh, another one".

I dunno, if you're threatening to kill someone it's probably good to do it really loudly. Either that or with whispering menace.

When Britney released Womanizer my response was more "oh, another one".

― Matt DC, Monday, September 21, 2009 10:59 AM (2 minutes ago)

if electrik red "realeased" kill bill what would your reaction be?

mine would be let me go to the bathroom and throw up

released* obv

oh yeah i always forget that "electrik city" isn't actually the album closer, even though it is PERFECT in that role - finishing the album with that deadpan "ELECTRIK. RED."

^^^ My ipod plays it this way too.

I like "Kill Bill" and agree with Matt here but it shouldn't be a single.

The group is currently in the works of filming a video for next single "P Is For Power".

^^ i seriously doubt any more singles are going to be pushed off this record but man that's almost as bad an idea as "Kill Bill" would be imo

nah p is for power is the most obvious single of the bunch i thought. like a raunchy hollaback girl

hmmmm not a bad point

i disagree - not sure the kind of open space that song deals w/ is their best look for radio. "friend lover" is the obvious next single for me. it aint "kill bill" for sure tho

trying to keep a straight face of course while discussing "singles" and electrik fuckin red is a good time tho

yea friend lover. i dunno i'm bad at singles cuz like, what's catchiest for me is generally not the same.

surely friend lover has already been a single what with its strong video unless yall mean worthy of re-release (which it is)

"Friend Lover" was already a single.

lex & MDC otm re: "Kill Bill"

"Friend Lover" was already a single.

ha, my point exactly, sadly

Listening through the album, sounds to me like the non-Naomi lead vocals are:

Rap on "Muah": Binkie

Responce lines during verses on "Freaky Freaky": Binkie
Pre-chorus on "Freaky Freaky": Leslie (the Milian-sounding one, right?)

Bridge on "Bed Rest": Sarah (the nasally-sounding one, right?)

Chorus on "Friend Lover": Leslie

Verses on "P Is For Power": Sarah
Rap on "P Is for Power": Binkie
I think Leslie splits lines with Naomi in the bridge of that one, too

Verses on "W.F.Y.": Leslie
Pre-chorus/chorus on "W.F.Y.": Sarah
Bridge on "W.F.Y.": Binkie

"On Point": Binkie

Intro on "Drink in My Cup": Leslie
Rap on "Drink in My Cup: Binkie

"I'm coming" part on "Go Shawty": Sarah

"Kill Bill" except for some Naomi lines and some Terius interjections: Leslie

BinkieER #helookgoodbut he only rocks magnums and they baggy !
3 minutes ago from mobile web

@SarahRoseteER Wrap me up like a gift. Whisper in my ear say I'm the $hit. Can u feel my eyes on ur lips? Tears in ur mouth give me a kiss

her twitter is some sort of gift

A BITCH IS ON BOIL

i wanted to tweet her and ask her if she sings that part on the album, but itd prob come off a little disrespectful