If you’ve only recently gotten accustomed to seeing Trey Songz in the limelight, be prepared to have a full dose of him before bedtime. Controversial interviews, marketing strategies and relationship rumors (or lack thereof) aside, Songz isn’t just all sex appeal. The Virginia native has the vocals to back up a cocky demeanor that went full-force at the self-proclaimed King of R&B (R.Kelly) this summer and now, many may have to respect it.
Ready isn’t only the struggle of a rocky beginning to Trey Songz career come to fruition - it’s a culmination of his vocal maturity, if not a testament to how he’s learned to sidestep the red tape of the music industry and create his own lane at just the right time. Songz is no longer the fresh-faced, skinny 19-year-old of I Gotta Make It fame and by the looks of things, he likes it that way.
With that said, compared to his recently released mixtape, Anticipation, Ready disappointed me - if only slightly. I am a bucket of lust gone asunder as the baseline drops on the unabashed intro “Panty Droppin,” and Songz doesn’t stop flaunting his sexual prowess for two more tracks (“Neighbors Know My Name”, “I Invented Sex” feat. Drake). Grown, sexy and prepared, Songz could put a prude in the mood with his oxymoronic way of blending a rugged, yet sensual style.
But then, as if out of nowhere, the first example of the only qualm I have with this album hits me like a bag of nickels—cohesion. Songz starts to put it on you (and oh, does he!) when suddenly a misplaced mid-tempo single creeps in and ruins the mood, dousing you with ice-water and leaving you furious for the robbed orgasm.
Here, R. Kelly truly does trump Trey Songz. If your intention is to make an album for sex, love and everything in between, make it that! “I Need a Girl”,“Say Ahh”, and “LOL :-)” seem awkwardly placed and do enough to make me wince as the ebb and flow of his continued pleas for love only just barely put me back in the mindset of getting down to business.
The latter half of Ready, while expressive and well-composed (“Jupiter Love”, “Love Lost”), isn’t enough to reclaim the magic of the first few cuts, and the album meagerly ends its official track listing with an ill-advised attempt at channeling Prince’s “Purple Rain” (“Yo Side of the Bed”). On top of that, the 2 tagged bonus tracks featuring appearances by Gucci Mane and Fabolous feel like throwaways meant for another album with namesake only allowing for their approval, which leads me to ask the question: why not forget the front-loading and just cut this album down to size?
Songz himself commented in an interview with Charlamagne tha God that there were “compromises” on this album, but 19 tracks (including the bonus) is an incredibly large number to work with considering how much material he has as an artist. When all is said and done, Ready could have been merged with Anticipation for a classic composition rivaling Usher’s Confessions. Though, ultimately, Ready is a successful project, and it still leaves room for the evolving Trey Songz to continue growing.
I Invented Sex (Feat. Drake):
LOL :-) (Feat. Gucci Mane & Soulja Boy):
Successful:
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