Magdalene Album Review
Uganda’s Precious collaborates with producer Baru to give us a 10 track album titled ‘MAGDALENE’. This mash up of soulful R&B and sombre lyrics was released on in mid-November, and like most R&B/Soul albums, the main theme here is love, and in this case - a love story that never got a chance to blossom. Do you get that interpretation from the cover art? The controversial story of Jesus’ relationship with Mary Magdalene? I’d like to think so.
To me it sounds like going through a rollercoaster of emotions with someone you may or may not regret wanting to be in love with. The first track ‘Full Moon’ sets the pace of the entire project. It’s a plea to let someone let us in, and allow us to love and take care of them just as they are.
As the album proceeds, you get the feel of Baru’s light and bouncy sonics that carry Precious’ voice like a cool offshore breeze on a grey stormy night. Soon after, you start to realise that MAGDALENE is filled with the type of love songs that you can both cry and dance to at the same time. The relationship highlighted in this album is tainted with red flags, a somewhat warning of a toxic relationship that could or could not be in the making. She cries wanting to leave, but the love feels too good to just give up on and thus forms an addictive-like attachment - everyone say DOPAMINE!
‘Third Level’ is probably the most “bad bitch” song in the album. It’s that moment on the rollercoaster ride where she finally realises that she isn’t getting what she wants, and therefore decides to lessen the pedestal she put this person on. The “It is what it is” moment where we finally accept that a situation will not change and we just take it and use it for what it is.
On the final song ‘Human’, she takes on both roles of the relationship and uses the song to carry an apology to the dynamics of love caused by our own natural human flaws. It actually made me tear a little. She deeply regrets having treated someone for less than they deserved and it triggers you into thinking about who you haven’t treated right in the past and to other moments where you weren’t treated right either.
All in all MAGDALENE is a sweet piece of art right from the cover art, to the production and songwriting.
Give it a listen here.
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