by Daniel Harris
It is no secret how music playlists are "selected." Many corporate owned radio stations use focus groups to test how well songs will do in a given market. The songs that test well make the playlists and can be heard around the clock. This means that many of the songs that do test well, will undoubtedly sound the same and frankly, quite boring.
On this coming Tuesday, R&B legend Jennifer Holliday will release her 6th studio album The Song Is You. After listening to it, it is pretty safe to say that this album would not test well in a radio playlist focus group. Before you start to riot and call for TheSoulcialista to close up shop, I should preface that by saying that not testing well in focus groups is a good thing!
The Song Is You is nothing less than classic Jennifer Holliday. Her powerful, smooth soprano voice is ever-present. Through songs like "Touch", "Are You Leaving" and "Love Dance", Holliday grabs her listeners and brings them on an emotional journey that some would say is missing from those focus group songs.
Each song on The Song Is You are songs that are considered "pop standards." "The Look Of Love", "At Last" and "Nobody Does It Better" are songs that any music lover will recognize; however, in true Jennifer Holliday fashion, she is able to take each song and really makes each song her own.
The fact that Holliday's newest offering may not test well with radio station focus groups is not a knock on the R&B diva. It does not at all suggest that she is no longer capable of making great music. On the contrary, Holliday proves with this album that her sound and her style are much more sophisticated for the likes of any focus group.
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