You Betta Watch This Girl (The 18th Day... - Estelle)

Member Name: XICripZ

Product:	The 18th Day... - Estelle
Date:	01/08/09 (39 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some big tunes

Disadvantages: Inconsistent

In 2004 came both the debut and solo breakthrough for Estelle (Swaray), then a UK Hip Hop artist with a tendency to dip into R&B (as would come more apparent in later years). It finds that Estelle brings "The 18th" letter to carry through the success that was brought of her earlier collaboration with Blak Twang, one of the finest for the UK Hip Hop scene on "Trixta".

1. "1980"

The album starts with a banger of a tune and a perfect introductory tune as she lets everyone know exactly who she is with this (what came as her debut solo single) and has here going hard as she traces things back to the year when she was born and how she grew up with music and how it made what listeners find in her here. It is a strong opener and seems to start off the record with something big.

**Four Stars**

2. "Don't Talk"

As 2004 was a pretty lively time for UK artists involved in the Hip Hop scene, what you get with this one seems to have her dipping into Grime here, and I have to say that I really wasn't into it at all as it doesn't really support expectations and the rhymes aren't really that appealing and so it means that overall little is going for it as she performs to a man who she is with at the time in a style which wasn't really to my tastes.

**Two Stars**

3. "Dance B***h"

In a sudden shift, this one has here moving things on quite significantly as things go from some gritty Grime material, to a tune which enables her to make full potential of her vocal abilities on a soulful club tune. It is a fun, light-hearted one and so one which you shouldn't really take that seriously as she seems to take on a style similar to what Missy Elliot brought around this time for a decent, yet not too exciting tune.

**Three Stars**

4. "Change Is Coming"

This one wasn't appealing to me at all as this reminded me of the times when things where happening like So Solid pulling out "Broken Silence" and having the music reflect what came of the clichéd material in their composition annoyed me to the point that when something sounds so much alike it, as with what is found here, that it rally wasn't going to do much for me to actually enjoy it at all.

**One Stars**

5. "Go Gone"

Although this didn't make as much noise as the other two, this was the final single to drop off the album and one which seems to get the first major developments of the artist when it comes to her getting down to the singing. It sees that her vocal performance isn't actually of that high a standard, however with it being such a high-energy dance number, it doesn't seem to matte or actually effect the quality of it.

**Four Stars**

6. "Free"

This was the second single and I felt that it was the biggest one to off the album, and in spite of the fact I can't say that I was actually that impressed by So Solid's Megaman having role in it, the rest of it is of a standard to the point where it out-does the rest of it and has her coming out with an empowering number to show how well she can crusted and composed killer tunes such as this lively one here.

**Five Stars**

7. "I Wanna Love You"

This one has a funky groove to it and I felt that it was able to sort out the problems which initially made it difficult for the album get going as she gets down to a fly tune where she is able to create an effective atmosphere as she sings emotively about her partner to some gentle backing and it all comes together to make for a well-rounded song. I felt that it did get repetitive after some time, but was still strong upon the first hearing.

**Three Stars**

8. "Maybe"

This one appears to take on an experimental Neo-Soul format as she attempts to try out something fresh to seem to move things on with some progressive material. However when you compare it to the sorts of things that Erykah Badu, D'Angelo and Jill Scott were able to achieve, it doesn't really seem to get anywhere near this standard and it seems to pull things down a bit more as she loses it for a while.

**Two Stars**

9. "Crazy"

She comes with a track which appears to introduce even more of the Neo-Soul-styled material as she gets on top of some clumsy production as she belts out an emotive one. It didn't seem to do what as expected here and so it came across as something that needed quite a bit more to reach anything near its full potential. I'm sure that others would see it in a different light, but it wasn't doing what I thought it should in this case.

**Two Stars**

10. "Hey Girl"

On this one the Soul singer John Legend and the UK's own Baby Blue both come to help out on this one as they get down to a song where they bring all their individual talents together to make song which has them forming a strong concept in this one and delivering in a manner which seems fitting, but doesn't quite compliment the strength in their ideas and so it stands as a song which sits as an rather average one.

**Three Stars**

11. "All Over Again"

This is a smooth cut on the album and one which has her trying out something to show just how original her works are but I couldn't help but feel that there was a little something holding it back as she performs a mellow tune which carries a universal message along with it, but never really gets off its feet at any point and so stands as another tune which you would expect to get more from (but you simply don't).

**Two Stars**

12. "Dance With Me"

She finally gets to the stage where she is able to actually get something out of the album again as she gets down to this two-stepping groove and takes things to a place where you can't really complain about as she lays down a slick tune which has you swaying along to the mellow pace in order to feel the all that this one has to offer. It is one of the better ones and pulls it all back again.

**Four Stars**

13. "On And On"

On top of some very Kanye West-esque production, this one has here getting down to a fly UK Hip Hop tune where she puts across her opinions on how and why things are going downhill in the sorts of places where she grew up. It is an uplifting one and finds her creating contrast by commenting on the hardships and how people can alleviate these problems through a positive attitude and willpower.

**Four Stars**

14. "I'm Gonna Win"

On the final tune you get her pulling out a song where she appears to round-off things in a manner which appear to reflect what came with the opening one. I can't say that it was particularly memorable, and so it didn't really do its job that well but it does seem to calm you right down as she ends it all off and comes with her soulful vocal for this final offering to bring her debut record to a close.

**Three Stars**

This is clearly an inconsistent album from Estelle and one which doesn't really get her career off to the best start and so although it does posses some big singles, it doesn't really stick to a standard where you can really praise it for that long. It is a raw one and acts as a strong comparison to later material.

Summary: Estelle's debut album