I really liked August’s first album ‘Testimony’, as it showed a level of versatility I haven’t seen in an R&B artist for quite some time. His Sophomore album promises to continue in that path, but also incorporate his new found fame into the musical equation.
TOP 5 SONGS
5. WHY I DO IT
It was between this song and ‘Song Cry’ for the last spot; I chose this one, because it has good energy to it.
On this track, Wayne is allowed to be himself, which combined with August makes it sound very New Orleans to me.
Thank GOD this song didn’t persuade Wayne to be auto-tune Wayne (I’m still pissed off at Auto-tune Waynes verse from ‘Can’t Believe it’ by T-Pain! I was looking for some hot 16’s from him on that song.)!
4. DREAMER
This is a very nice song! It’s Soulful, inspirational, and beautiful. I Probably would’ve preferred a rapper to make this song, but it still gets the job done.
3. JOB
Jadakiss doesn’t quite fit the song in my opinion (I Would’ve loved a J. Cole verse here), but he still manages to put up a very solid verse.
I love the vibes of this song, and the song definitely serves to August’s strengths (Keeping it real, and soulful on an R&B track). Anthony Hamilton also gives the song the extra soul it needs (Not that ordinary soul, but that homeless man soul).
Anthony Hamilton is my favorite homeless singer of all time.
2. HIP HOP
This track was one of his singles, and it’s also one of his more unusual songs on the album. The song keeps you jumpin’, but at the same time, has this dark/lonely feel to it. The song also pays homage to hip hop, which to me is pretty random when you consider the rest of the work on this album.
It seems August Alsina complains on songs that he should be happy on, and is happy on songs he should be complaining on….. I find that a bit bizarre.
1. FIRST TIME
The vibes, the topic, the lyrics are all on point on this song! The song also has this sensational feel to it that captures the moment perfectly; the first time is supposed to be special, and this song embodies that.
My first time was awkward…. It felt like I was in an elevator with a random girl, but I was in my own bedroom.
OVERALL RATING
7.9/10
Overall, the album lacks the same magic his first album had, but it does deliver in the top 5 songs I mentioned. August continues to use his great voice on this album to make hits, but this time around, he’s ventured out into more emotion-driven topics. The topics are more inspirational, more uplifting, more passionate from him.
This album is extremely consistent in sound, and is a solid listen for R&B fans everywhere.
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
