Review Summary: “Love On Fleek” EP by Tanay Jackson delivers, all in all, what one would musically wish to hear from a new artist.
Full disclosure: I loved Michael Jackson's music when I was growing up and I even would practice some of his dance moves in front of my mother's full length mirror when no one was home. Now that we got that out of the way, I guess it would then come as no surprise that I was excited to read that I was being assigned to write a music review of a new release penned (mostly) and performed by a descendant of the late, great gloved one.
Tanay Jackson's bio reads like the bloodline of a pedigree race horse. Daughter of The Jackson Five guitarist/vocalist Tito Jackson, and thus making her the niece of the aforementioned moon walking Michael, she has some pretty impressive DNA in her genes. But this can be, for someone who's trying to stake their own claim in the entertainment business, both a blessing and a burden. While the name may open some doors, the proverbial double-edged sword of reality is that the bearer of such a great legacy runs the risk of being eclipsed by the legend which preceded him/her.
The "Love On Fleek" EP (released this September by Roth Entertainment), is short and sweet. Four tracks, of which one is a cover of the British singer Samantha Fox's "Naughty Girls Need Love", are all we get on this danceable collection. From this quartet my top pick was "Addicted". It's the type of song that you can really lose your mind to when you're on the club dance floor and has Ms. Jackson completely in her element.
The title track, while solid and a bit catchier, also offers up some nice wordplay and observations of what it's like being forced outside of a love affair that you were in and believed was going so well. Tanay's last line in the song's bridge sums it up in a beautifully simple, succinct, and stoic way, "I guess it is what it is and that's reality". Sure, sucks to get dumped, but sh*t happens all the time.
"In The Spotlight" bears the strongest vocal resemblance to the unique MJ signature sound of yesteryear. Tanay Jackson's voice is equally powerful as it is passionate. She sings with the conviction that derives from experiences, both good and bad, that life has a tendency to throw our way. Her emotions are tempered, yet run deep in the soul.
In summary, the "Love On Fleek" EP delivers, all in all, what one would musically wish to hear from a new artist. It satisfies some preconceived expectations that are carried by those who share a name with greatness. At the same time, it also offers a surprise every now and then that confirm that TJ is not afraid to march to the beat of her own drummer. I, for one, can't wait to hear what she comes up with next.
https://soundcloud.com/tanayjackson
