Cassie: The new Ciara?

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I may never understand what it is people like about this kind of flat disengagement.

I also may never understand how an artist or songwriter goes about deciding whether a song will be a "You" track or a "U" track. I really wish people would stop doing the latter.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Saturday, 5 August 2006 18:52 (seventeen years ago) link

Ur no fun.

― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Sunday, 6 August 2006 03:15 (seventeen years ago) link

"I can kind of picture Paul Buchanan's voice working over "Me & You"'s icy backdrop"

Surely it's only a matter of time before Junior Boys release a cover of "Me & U".

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Sunday, 6 August 2006 03:19 (seventeen years ago) link

"I also may never understand how an artist or songwriter goes about deciding whether a song will be a "You" track or a "U" track."

I think it gets sent to a special committee. It's tried out in various focus groups. And then they just pull one out of a hat and go with it.

― Catherine Ryan (and so this is catherine), Sunday, 6 August 2006 03:23 (seventeen years ago) link

For those of you who are interested in such details, the real simple falling down blip line in "Me & U" is in the clave rhythm.

This track is good - very good; stunning, in fact - but it doesn't move me as much as "Oh." Neither does Ciara's "Get Up" for that matter, though that's a good track too. My problem with each is that when the vocals coalesce into melody it's what I call "standard '00s r&b melody" (which I can't explain any better than that) (and "Get Up" does go into interesting pastorale moods, it's a fascinating song in a lot of ways, just doesn't make my heart disintegrate); and I'm just not a fan of "standard '00s r&b melody." I'll have to give more thought as to why. I think "Me & U" needs even more chill, and the tune even less melody.

― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Sunday, 6 August 2006 03:28 (seventeen years ago) link

There's a question: how near can you approach to complete stillness (or dead silence) and still be a pop record?

― moriarty (moriarty), Sunday, 6 August 2006 03:32 (seventeen years ago) link

Frank I know what you mean I think - the intersection b/w the arrangement and the vocal on "Oh" is definitely more startling and unusual. But I quite like the way the vocal melody on "Me & U" speeds up for the chorus (alongside that insistent itchy percussion), as if it's falling forward inevitably, like the body stirring and responding to stimuli.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Sunday, 6 August 2006 03:33 (seventeen years ago) link

Was just listening to Pink's "Is It Love," a slow sing-song chant from '99 (and one of the most intense things she's ever recorded), and was thinking that that was the kind of melody I'd want "Me & U," something as insistent and repetitive as the accompaniment. Obviously, Pink doesn't do iciness, but I think her type of singing could work very well on this (though it'd be very different).

― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Sunday, 6 August 2006 04:01 (seventeen years ago) link

I haven't heard this yet, but reading all the "Oh" comparisons makes me realize that I absolutely must hear it immediately.

― aaron d.g. (aaron d.g.), Sunday, 6 August 2006 05:23 (seventeen years ago) link

Frank I love "Is It Love". When I first heard that Missundaztood was going to be kinda confessional, I imagined a whole album like that. But it's still something of a one-of-a-kind.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Sunday, 6 August 2006 09:55 (seventeen years ago) link

frank totally otm with the crunk-pastorale thing on 'get up' (which is exactly why that song makes my heart disintegrate)

― The Lex (The Lex), Sunday, 6 August 2006 14:07 (seventeen years ago) link

Even with my reservations about the vocals, I'm switching over to the majority here: "Me & U" is monstrously, megalithically powerful. And to think so much of the power comes from those little high blips. Those blips just kick ass. Hey, love them kick-ass blips, babe.

― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Sunday, 6 August 2006 15:49 (seventeen years ago) link

I find it kind of intriguing to note that my three favourite songs this year are "In White Rooms", "Me & U" and "Silent Shout", which are united by a verging-on-severe chill formalism - total pop degree zero.

-- Tim Finney (tfinne...), Yesterday.

It's a chilly year, Tim!

-- Catherine Ryan (cjrya...), Yesterday.

Worth repeating

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Sunday, 6 August 2006 16:15 (seventeen years ago) link

me & u remixes plus tools:

http://www.discobelle.net/2006/07/14/you-and-me-cassie/

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Sunday, 6 August 2006 19:31 (seventeen years ago) link

i can't wait to listen to the acapella on repeat over some basic channel beats

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Sunday, 6 August 2006 19:31 (seventeen years ago) link

well, maybe, maybe not

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Sunday, 6 August 2006 19:32 (seventeen years ago) link

The absence of melisma sits well with the early 80s ish textures on the synths, Im liking this a lot. Only problem- Snare could be better (but then again there are whole R'n'B tracks where the ONLY good ting is the snare...)

― gekoppel (Gekoppel), Sunday, 6 August 2006 20:30 (seventeen years ago) link

anyone know who does the 'me and u' remix on her myspace page? and where to get it?

link: http://www.myspace.com/cassiemyspacemusic

― jaime (jaime), Saturday, 19 August 2006 00:11 (seventeen years ago) link

she can not sing. not at all. can't even lip-sync to her own song.
can't dance--and her stylist needs to be fired.

see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsIaRm2vqKg

― sonore (sonore), Saturday, 19 August 2006 01:57 (seventeen years ago) link

...and yet I still like her.

― naus (Robert T), Saturday, 19 August 2006 02:15 (seventeen years ago) link

i thought the current video was the hottest thing i'd ever seen until i saw this old video. YOWZA. i am in lurve
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7mKlCRLOxU

― jaxon (jaxon), Saturday, 19 August 2006 03:36 (seventeen years ago) link

sorry, that video looks bad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dLv3fbGcUw

― jaxon (jaxon), Saturday, 19 August 2006 03:38 (seventeen years ago) link

Wow! This album is the RnB ansa to 'Anniemal'. I love it!

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Saturday, 19 August 2006 21:44 (seventeen years ago) link

She will never open for String Cheese Incident.

― Andy_K (Andy_K), Saturday, 19 August 2006 21:46 (seventeen years ago) link

She's also the RnB, female, Chet Baker, for what it's worth.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Saturday, 19 August 2006 21:46 (seventeen years ago) link

I dont understand either comparison. Elucidate?

― deej.. (deej..), Saturday, 19 August 2006 22:33 (seventeen years ago) link

I like this album, especially "Long Way To Go".

― The future of Rodney got a -- (R. J. Greene), Sunday, 20 August 2006 01:37 (seventeen years ago) link

she is so fucking hot.

the song is fucking hot.

― titchyschneider (titchyschneider), Sunday, 20 August 2006 07:55 (seventeen years ago) link

"'long way 2 go' is so good; she's so detached it's virtually spoken word."

its more like prince on irrestible bitch or something.

― titchyschneider (titchyschneider), Sunday, 20 August 2006 08:29 (seventeen years ago) link

does anyone know who produced her album? they are fucking great.

― titchyschneider (titchyschneider), Sunday, 20 August 2006 08:29 (seventeen years ago) link

Ryan Leslie

― The future of Rodney got a -- (R. J. Greene), Sunday, 20 August 2006 08:44 (seventeen years ago) link

i love it when they try to get scandalous
even though they know they really can't handle it
(they can't handle it?) they can't handle it
tryna take me out to dinner - i cancel it

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 21 August 2006 09:26 (seventeen years ago) link

I love that bit!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 21 August 2006 09:44 (seventeen years ago) link

i have to rewind that verse every time i hear it!

i love how she uses exactly the same vocal strategy on 'long way 2 go' as on 'me & u' to completely different effect

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 21 August 2006 09:49 (seventeen years ago) link

OMG mindmeld, I heard that section for the first time and had to rewind it immediately! Handle it = Destinys Child reference, but 'i cancel it' sounds like something from the fannypack album. RoXOr.

― alext (alext), Monday, 21 August 2006 09:55 (seventeen years ago) link

i really like the line just after it too - "if you wanna get to know me, first of all / you should never try to get too personal", the sudden switch from sassy you're-not-getting-any teasing to this kind of sad-detached emotional barrier she's putting up around herself. and the contradiction of it too - how do you get to know someone without getting personal?

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 21 August 2006 09:59 (seventeen years ago) link

you get your people to call her people....

― titchyschneider (titchyschneider), Monday, 21 August 2006 10:01 (seventeen years ago) link

She's kind of like a courtesan innit.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 21 August 2006 10:06 (seventeen years ago) link

shes an upscale, icily detached yet teasingly available high school escort.

― titchyschneider (titchyschneider), Monday, 21 August 2006 10:16 (seventeen years ago) link

she sounds like she doesnt really know what she wants actually in that lyric. typical indecisve teenage tease.

has anyone seen her TRL performance? its pretty bad, although she is actually quite endearing in it. she has a great smile and that strange combination of innocence/adolescent clunkiness/sweetness. she was trying to dance all sexily in the performance, but whether its because the moves just werent too good or that she isnt the best dancer, it just ended up looking funny.

― titchyschneider (titchyschneider), Monday, 21 August 2006 10:23 (seventeen years ago) link

today i really really love the break into those dreamy strings at the end of 'long way 2 go'.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 09:27 (seventeen years ago) link

The she says "personal" like "person-all" is grebt too.

― Rodn y Greene (R. J. Greene), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 13:05 (seventeen years ago) link

Eh, 'Me & You' is good enough, a little underwhelming. In a similar vien I prefer Amerie's 'Touch'.

― chap who would dare to start Raaatpackin (chap), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 16:14 (seventeen years ago) link

I don't really thing her voice is any thinner than Ciara's. Also, I like her better.

― trees (treesessplode), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 16:22 (seventeen years ago) link

cassie is much much cuter than ciara.

― titchyschneider (titchyschneider), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 16:26 (seventeen years ago) link

The single makes her vocal range seem much more limited than it actually is.

― Rodn y Greene (R. J. Greene), Wednesday, 23 August 2006 16:32 (seventeen years ago) link

the album has a harp on it!!!

(it is also v good, if a little more inviting than i was expecting)

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 4 September 2006 06:27 (seventeen years ago) link

a few potentially coherent late-night reflections:

* I love Ciara but Cassie's part-Filipina-ness is almost a trump card
* she hails from the Long Day's Journey Into Night town
* the erotic subtext (supertext just about) vs. detached delivery = cool evocation of post-industrial nightlife meat-market malaise? = half-hearted surrender to/embrace of the meat-market model of urban social interaction OR mere happy-accident tension betw unpolished vox & run-of-the-mill r&b motifs?
* the bittersweet emaciation of Me & U's falling clave blips is almost snap
* Long Way 2 Go has a sorta baroque video-game aesthetic that I can get behind in a big way
* Ryan Leslie's original ideal/masterplan for Cassie: "multi-ethnic, non-genre specific voice" vs. the actual reality of "non-ethnic, multi-genre specific voice"??

HMMMM

― Roque Strew (RoqueStrew), Monday, 4 September 2006 09:53 (seventeen years ago) link

Also I wanna know what Andy Doubtbeat means!

― Roque Strew (RoqueStrew), Monday, 4 September 2006 09:55 (seventeen years ago) link

This might actually be my album of the year. I'm thinking that a better comparison might be "cassie - the new Aalyiah?". She obviously sounds a bit uncertain here and there but Aalyiah had a few years before turning into the icy diva that she'll be remembered as. If Cassie can develop a bit more charisma and effortless class, she might be really great. If not, she'll still have a very sexy debut.

― Baaderonixx: the lost ILX years (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 5 September 2006 16:47 (seventeen years ago) link

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