Queen Naija – Misunderstood (Album Review)

Queen Naija seeks both a healthy relationship and our respect on “misunderstood.”

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TOP 5

5. TOO MUCH TO SAY

You get to truly know what Queen Naija has been through, what she is currently going through, and what motivates her to be great on “Too Much To Say.”

“Too Much To Say” isn’t the best song on misunderstood, but it is the deepest. Throughout it, Queen Naija lets the world know how toxic her ex is, that she was harassed when she was younger and that she suffers from PTSD. Even though I think that she puts up a very good vocal performance on the song, it’s the pain in her voice that catches my attention.

4. LIE TO ME

Though Queen Naija and Lil Durk aren’t on the same page on “Lie To Me,” they still sound great together on the song.

I love the beat that powers “Lie To Me” (It samples Debarge’s classic “A Dream” beat). I also love how in the song Queen Naija talks about being treated poorly, while Lil Durk talks about being a dude that treats women like Naija poorly. All in all, both artists bless us with fantastic performances.

3. BITTER

There’s nothing like being unbitter in the club.

“Bitter” is powered by an instrumental that I can see Chris Brown killing. Over it, Queen Naija and Mulatto let the world know how unbothered they are by their exes. While the former blesses us with a vocal performance that is beyond infectious, the latter blesses us with raps that are just the right amount of ferocious.

“Bitter” will make you want to sip on some Henny, two-step, and cuss out that one person that always has something negative to say about you on social media.

2. BUTTERFLIES PT. 2

I feel like Queen Naija and Wale should do a joint album together.

“Butterflies Pt. 2” features a soothing beat, pacifying vocal performances, and honest lyrics about love. While Queen Naija’s style of singing on the song will certainly warm your heart, Wale’s style of singing will remind you how dope it is to put your guard down every once in a while.

Do people still get butterflies after the age of 30?

1. PACK LITE

“Pack Lite” is an old school R&B jam that is supposed to intimidate dusty-ass men.

“Pack Lite” is both smooth and spicy. Throughout the song, Queen passionately lets her man know that his s**t does stink, that she is ready to leave him if he doesn’t get his act together, and that she isn’t with him leaving toilet seats up. Though you don’t get an amazing vocal performance by Naija on the song, she does show tons of raw passion.

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. INTRO (N/A)

2. TOO MUCH TO SAY (4/5)

3. I’M HER (4/5)

4. PACK LITE (5/5)

5. LIE TO ME (4/5)

6. DREAM (4/5)

7. LOVE LANGUAGE (4/5)

8. WITHOUT YOU (4/5)

9. SAY WHAT YOU MEAN (4/5)

10. BITTER SKIT (N/A)

11. BITTER (4/5)

12. ONE TIME (4/5)

13. PRESSURE (3/5)

14. FIVE SECONDS (4/5)

15. PRETEND (4/5)

16. TRIAL AND ERROR (4/5)

17. BUTTERFLIES PT. 2 (5/5)

18. BEAUTIFUL (4/5)

OVERALL RATING

(B-)

I am just as impressed with Queen Naija as I am impressed with the Jhenes, the Summer Walkers, the SZAs, the Ella Mais, and the Ari Lennoxs of the world. Though I do not think that she is as good as everyone else I just mentioned, I do think that she is just as hard a worker as them. With that being said, on misunderstood, I feel like Naija exceeds expectations.

I know, listening to someone complain about being treated badly over and over again can get tiring, but when such complaints are accompanied by outstanding R&B music, I am game! Throughout misunderstood, Queen Naija blesses us with uptempo R&B bangers, hypnotizing slow jams, and songs that boast nostalgic vibes. On every single song, Naija displays a level of confidence that is impossible to ignore. She also relies more so on emotions than creativity. All in all, misunderstood is the type of album that will remind you that individuals that make passionate R&B music can be underdogs, too.