The Way It Is (20th Anniversary)

Alicia KeysやJohn Legendといった錚々たる面々と共に全曲を共作し、R&B界のレジェンドである彼女を真のリリカル・サヴァントとして確固たる地位へと押し上げたデビュー・アルバム。
2005年のオリジナル・リリース以来、初めてアナログレコードで再発。ブラック・ヴァイナル2LP仕様。

An advantage Keyshia Cole has over a lot of her young contemporaries is experience. As a foster child growing up in Oakland, she went through a lot of downs, and from the sounds of The Way It Is, her first album, she's had her share of complex relationships. Cole had a hand in the writing of just about every track, and she has a number of major players -- Kanye West, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Ron Fair (Christina Aguilera, Mya), E-Poppi (Missy Elliott, Destiny's Child) -- in her corner. With only a couple exceptions, The Way It Is is about the ugly parts of a romantic relationship, so there's little room left for upbeat material. From the opener, "(I Just Want It) To Be Over," the album seems to be set up like a linear narrative about a crumbling relationship, but it doesn't quite play out that way, with the scenes shuffled out of order. ("Love," one of the positive songs, comes after the song where the punk gets dumped and before the song where he's called out for changing.) None of it's all that profound, but Cole sells it all extremely well, especially on "I Should Have Cheated," where she tires of an accusing and hypocritical lover ("I should go have my fun and do all the things you say I do"). Cole's voice is sweet and ringing, like a wiser version of Lil' Mo who has had to weather a tremendous amount of drama. She could be around for a while. ("Never," her hit song from the Barbershop 2 soundtrack, is included.) ~ Andy Kellman

サントラ『Barber Shop 2』に収録された、ルーサー・ヴァンドロス（……R.I.P.）の“Never Too Much”まんま使いの“Never”が評判を呼び、ジョン・レジェンドと共作&カニエ・ウェストがプロデュースした“I Changed My Mind”や、アリシア・キーズの制作チーム＝クルーシャル・キーズによる“（I Just Want It）To Be Over”が先行ヒットして話題となったキーシャ・コールがついにアルバム・デビュー! 〈ネクスト・メアリーJ・ブライジ〉との呼び声も高い、ハスキーで息を飲むほどにエモーショナルなド演歌歌唱は貫禄十分で、もらい泣き確実の絶唱バラード“Love”とか、もうスゴすぎ!　また、切なさがヒシヒシと伝わるジェイ・Z“Song Cry”と同ネタの“You've Changed”や、ジェイダキス、チンク・サンタナらの参加曲もあり、ヒップホップ的なアプローチも万全。とにかく佳曲揃いで、早くも本年度1、2を争う高レヴェルの傑作ですよ!
bounce (C)池田 貴洋