"Stars Align" by Queen Omega

"Stars Align" by Queen Omega [Free Dom Productions & Evidence Music]

Queen Omega is special. She's a special one. I knew it two decades ago while listening to her hidden gem of a self-titled debut album (which I dug up to listen to just now because it never made it to the digital side. Album had a combination with Sizzla & Capleton, another with Anthony B and another still with Mark Wonder. DAMN!) ["Man keep yourself from di temptress woman. Woman never stray from your king man, cause that type of thing lead fi destruction"] and I'm even more convinced of it today. Her talents and her voice place her in a class that is extremely underpopulated - it is downright barren. There's virtually no one there. Because of that, I have spent the better part of the past twenty years making it known to anyone who would listen to me just how devastating the gifts of the Trini vocalist were and maybe I convinced someone else or no one else, but it has solidified for me. She is easily one of my favourite artists ever.... but the ganja baby, Queen Omega (sometimes her friends call her 'ganja lady'), has disappointed me. How?!!! In 2008 she delivered "Servant Of Jah Army" for Ariwa. Thirteen years later, RIDICULOUSLY, it remains her most fifth and most recent set. After starting out on a beautiful pace in having five albums in seven years, Queen Omega took a different route. She never disappeared. She may've even increased her output, but there was no full album in the offering and I don't even recall a solid rumour that one was being put together.

And I'm still waiting, actually. Surely that interim between number five and six will continue into the new year, but recently (as of two hours ago while writing this), she did the next best thing and now, available for your consumption is "Stars Align", the wonderful new EP from the even wonderfuller Queen Omega. The release comes courtesy of Free Dom Productions and Evidence Music, with Noble Touch from Trinidad handling production. The early sounds from the project have been sublime and I have been damn interested to take a tour of the full release. So, today we take a track-by-track spin through the latest from the brilliant Queen Omega, "Stars Align". 

'Come Home'

There's a phrase we use, 'love song', to describe songs..... songs that're about love and I was just about to slap it on the first tune on "Stars Align", 'Come Home', and although it does apply, this one does carry another facet to it. I hesitate  to say it but... okay, I'll call it a 'sensual song'. It's a song about making love (think 'Below the Waist' by Queen Ifrica). It's also not the only of its kind that you will find here and it finds a footing outside of the bedroom as well (you can't just lay around and bang all day! Even though I know you want to). Sometimes you find yourself wanting a little attention of a special kind and the person you have tasked to provide such consideration is nowhere to be found - that's where the singer finds herself at the moment. So she then has to make the proper connections and maybe give him a bit of extra encouragement to bring his ass home. This one also comes a little on the 'front foot'. It isn't passive or submissive which is a nice texture - she knows what she wants and she's going after it.

"Your style

Rastaman you know that's how to make me style

And maybe one day I coulda have your child"

'Fallen Soldiers'

Queen Omega is a throwing a giant credit to those who we've lost throughout the years (and are continuing to lose) through the dynamic 'Fallen Soldiers'. This tribute is an active one, it is evolving. It isn't merely laying flowers on the ground and saying a prayer or two; instead, it is getting up and continuing the fight our soldiers carried through. What I really liked here is how broad you can take this tune. There isn't one particular fight here, this is for EVERYONE who we've lost doing positive works. They're due our gratitude, CELEBRATION and, again, that we pick up and continue to build upon the progress they've made. 

'Free' featuring LMK

When I got my first taste of 'Free' I immediately deemed it my likely favourite from the entire release and now, having gotten the full grip, though a couple of contenders make a very strong run at it, 'Free' still sits atop "Stars Align" to my opinion. The first of a pair of combinations, 'Free' links the Queen with LMK from out of France. I don't know a great deal of the background of LMK, but I do that she is gifted and she is gifted in the sense of, when at her best, she.... toys with words. They do what she wants them to. Combine that with Queen Omega (they've always done what she's wanted them to) who pushes the pedal a little on her vocals (not all the way, that's coming), and you have a scintillating pair, ranking alongside some of her greatest pairings to date (and if you've followed Queen Omega's career, you know that's saying something huge, given the talents she's work alongside throughout her career) (like I said, very first album, Sizzla, Capleton, Anthony B and Mark Wonder) (Buju Banton on album #3). The composition is one of really just having some PRIDE in yourself and not living under any type of disrespect from anyone 

"Woman a empress, don't stress

Lift up yuh head, empowerment a di best

Haffi give thanks, fi mi life blessed

Many things to do, not time fi waste

This is my destiny

'Twas meant to be

Strong is my energy, my melody

Life a struggle, haffi trust inna mi

I'M FREE AND I WILL EVER BE"

'Hard to Believe'

Showing some pride and some self-respect is also at the core of 'Hard to Believe' but this one of a more specific kind. This tune focuses more on inner-relationship workings and the dread of being with someone who.... basically treats you like shit despite saying that they love you and they want to do good by you. 'Actions speak louder than words' is the saying' and we've all probably been there in one way or another but eventually you have to pull that cord and start again with someone new. She doesn't breeze through it either. I really like that she says "I'm gonna get the strength to walk out one day", because it definitely humanizes the experience. Again, you've been there, you know it's not an easy thing to do, even when you know it's the right thing. She isn't speaking to us like robots and at the center of 'Hard to Believe', at the center of all Queen Omega's music, is a beating, functioning heart.

'Future [Level Up]'

We all need to at least attempt to set a good example for the next generation is what she says on 'Future [Level Up]' which is completely new to my ears. I do appreciate when you hear songs like this because they aren't all like arrogant and judgmental to younger people. Ultimately, we are all responsible for our actions but I do feel as if there is an inherent RESONSIBILITY for a generation of people to raise their offspring well (because I've never met a baby that asked anyone to be created). Their actions may not be caused by US but their flaws may be representative of our own. On 'Future [Level Up]', Queen Omega not only accepts that obligation, she is willing to pick it up and carry it on her back. Hopefully we all are. 

"Di youths dem nowadays no easy

Twelve years old and just have a baby-

Baby making babies

You no si, dis one crazy

The way this generation lost, it amaze mi

Youth tun pon di block, tell mi why you so lazy?

You rather hustle stuff just to get yuh bread daily

When di money not enough, you tun to guns and robbery

WHAT A PITY, DI BOY JUST LIKE HIM DADDY!

Don't let di youths dem go astray

They are the future

We should nurture and show dem the way 

Dem well gone a lead

Grow dem, educate dem, teach dem just what dem need"

'Natural'

Back to the bedroom we head on previous single 'Natural' (which was probably the first song that I heard from "Stars Align" knowing that it was from this release). Not that it had much wiggle room but, for whatever it is worth, though I thoroughly enjoyed 'Natural' from the first time I heard it - I like it even more these days. This tune is absolutely dazzling. It is a powerful blend of a few different styles. You hear Africa (you always hear it), you hear Jamaica and they combine in truly one of a kind packaging from out Trinidad. This one differs from the opener in the sense of it being less personal and specific. 'Natural' is Queen Omega inviting everyone to a fete in honour of love-making, family and just how powerful and organic they are to us all.... and there ain't a damn thing wrong with that. Disagree with me! I dare you!

'Number One' featuring Stonebwoy

Speaking of Africa, we touch down even more directly on 'Number One' which features the Queen with Ghanaian star, Stonebwoy. I'm not even going to sit here and try to count how many times, just recently, we've ran into Stonebwoy's name attached to projects I was reviewing but I can honestly say that I've yet to be disappointed in anything that I've heard (maybe it's time to review one of his albums???) (apparently he just had one last year, but the one prior to it, 2017's "Epistles Of Mama", featured contributions from Fay-Ann Lyons, Sean Paul, Agent Sasco, Pressure Busspipe, Kabaka Pyramid and I-Octane.... damn) and 'Number One' definitely is not the exception. This one is a more of a 'love song' in the stereotypical sense (I hesitate to call it a 'duet', because that term is generally reserved for more ballad-ish types (heavy, dramatically sang songs) and though this is certainly not a ballad, it is a kind of a duet, I suppose), but you can figure out an appropriate designation for it on your own. I think I'll just call it 'FUN' ["Mi papa mi nah gi yuh bun, nuh. Mi ah gi yuh daughter or son nah. Let wi fill up di earth with kings and queens"] (I'm also going to call it way too fucking short. C'mon now! You have two very compelling artists sharing two minutes and nine seconds?!!! What the hell! It isn't long enough for either of them, alone. I'm just getting warmed up and the song is fading out!).

'Stars Align'

And lastly was a piece which I was probably most curious to hear in terms of what its direction would take us in, the EP's title track. I mentioned it in reference to 'Free' that Queen Omega "pushes the pedal' on her vocals on that track, but by the time 'Stars Align' comes through, she's floored it! It literally sounds like an Etana song at points (if I could.... someday.... maybe.... someone, some nice person could maybe get those two together.....) when she completely unfurls what is truly one of the most beautiful voices the genre has EVER seen. She's used it (and her many other talents) to make herself into a future legend but here, she uses it  to just give us all a lovely nudge in the right direction. The stars have aligned for you, for me and for everyone. It's time for us to do and be the best we can in life. A fantastic tune and a wonderful ending.

Because I didn't stress it too much up there ^, I should definitely mention the vibes of "Stars Align", in total. This isn't a one-drop, heavy Roots Reggae set. It's a mixture of Reggae, R&B, Dancehall, Afrobeat and maybe a dash Hip-Hop as well. It is very much a 'World Music' release (incidentally, this is not her first EP and both of the first, "Revolution" and "Together We Aspire, Together We Achieve" will take care of you if that's what you're looking for) (as will virtually an entire career full of winners, if you haven't been paying attention) which is a first from her in terms of a full project like this (and Queen Omega usually doesn't drift too far outside of Roots Reggae and Dancehall occasionally) (somewhere, someday she will drop a Soca bomb on us all and we will not be ready) and I'm not complaining at all. I also want to mention the promotion behind it. There've been several videos for the singles of "Stars Align", so someone (most likely Evidence Music) seems to be putting together a visual project along with the album. And I also want to mention something that I also said in regards to Pressure Busspipe (new album, "Heights Of Greatness", out now): Queen Omega just seems to be in a very good place in here life. If the bio I read on her is correct, she recently turned forty years old (she's literally seventeen days younger than I am), she also appears to have lost a few pounds (like Pressure) and seems like a very happy person at this stage in her life and "Stars Align" reflects that (if it directly reflects it then CLEARLY she's in love as well). Of course I even wish there was more of it but while the wait for her next full album hopefully draws closer to an end, what Queen Omega pulls out on "Stars Align" continues to demonstrates exactly why she "is special. She is a special one".