'More Than Just a Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Pretty Face': A review of "Conflict" by Shelly G

Look who's back. I can write a hundred (or four hundred) of these things and write maybe a few dozen about the same individual and probably never tire of doing even more and more. Some people, in my opinion, just warrant that amount of attention and, through our time, I have made it abundantly clear that I have not the slightest of difficulties in chanting it out every chance that I get when someone has impressed me greatly for whatever the reason (which makes me a really, really good fan!). On top of that, even better for me is when someone in particular isn't necessarily a 'household name' and may still be very much in the process of building their fan base. This, of course, presents me with a selfish opportunity when, a few years on, they've destroyed everything, everywhere and I can essentially sit back and say, "I told you so. I told ALL OF YOU!". Very mature. I know. Naturally, you can look at the history of these pages and see that I have that most interesting type of fascination of artists such as Stevy Mahy, Sara Lugo (it's Sara Lugo!), Toussaint, Messenjah Selah and others who musically (and visually in Mahy's case) (DAMN!) have absolutely dazzled me and while they may not be the most well known of artists, yet, they're amongst the most popular for me and very much so amongst the most talented as well. Someone else who I don't get the opportunity to talk about as much as I'd like to in terms of the current sense - although I go out of my way to do so, and will continue to - is the sweetness that comes within the human body of the magnificent Shelly G (that sounds so dirty). Shelly, like we mentioned in regards to Sahra Indio not long ago, has been somewhat of a 'project' listen for me. She's always been someone who had something about her which kind of made it difficult to categorize and characterize, because you ALWAYS get the impression that her work, whatever it is, is not only still in progress and process, but it's probably been closer to the start for her than the end. Much closer! I still feel that way, actually, despite having already had a very interesting career and I REALLY look forward to what she does next each and every time. 

Like now. Up until a few years ago, to my knowledge at least, the vast majority of Shelly G's work came via a Dyamix Music, but in recent times she's hooked up with what has been, by far, the most visible and active label in her native Guyana, Vizion Sounds Records (not to be mistaken with the completely similarly named Sound V.I.Zion imprint from out of St. Croix - biggup Ras Batch). With them - BOOM! She's been more and more active these days and the former Guyanese Soca Monarch (does anyone know who won GT Monarch in the last two years??? Anyone at all?)  (biggup Bones Man!) (wasn't it Bones Man who took OECS Monarch stage and slowly, but surely turned into a stripper???) (WHAT!) (I digress) has also branched out the nature of her music and has gone from being this really colourful and sultry Soca artist to being an incredibly versatile and adapting artist, capable of almost anything. As I said, she's also been more prolific and, in doing so, has released a handful of albums in a very short time, all of which cover a variety of different styles, from Soca to Reggae (which is the historical specialty of Vizion Sounds) to Pop and everywhere in between (little Chutney in there as well). Oh and… yeah. Shelly G is VERY attractive so her being more visible is also a VERY good thing.

"Socadisiac" & "Just A Text" [2010]

Good days are upon us. Now, Vizion Sounds once again taps into the most unique talent that is Shelly G and pulls from it another album, "Conflict". It's a very interesting title for the album and while there isn't a title track, my most overactive of brains definitely steers it in a direction of my own because there're so many different styles and vibes which go into this album. Somewhere in my mind, as I believe I've said in the past, I'm STILL waiting for Shelly G to just COMPLETELY lose her mind on a record, and I think she may deliver on that one day (she's still young), but hearing her do such a wide variety of music and having ALL of it be so obviously and completely within her skillset is just so impressive and so satisfying for me - having so loudly sung her praises over the last few years. Shelly has been someone who I've also thought has had a great aspiration to become more of a mainstream act as well and things like that happen in ways which're, ultimately somewhat ridiculous, but listening to her now, I think that she's everything that she's ever been and more and while there isn't a GREAT emphasis on Soca music on "Conflict", one gets the impression that had the label and Shelly chosen to mix in more of the 'jump up' it would have proven to be similarly successful as well in its quality. She's in her prime to my ears, for if she gets even a little better, well then we may have to start reconsidering the issue of not being "necessarily a household name" (she is in my house! Dammit!). The album, I THINK, is her fourth or fifth. It is, almost surely, her third compiled set for Vizion Sounds as it follows "Socadisiac" (which is a really good name for a Shelly G album, in retrospect) and "Just A Text", both of which reached on the same day back in early 2011. The "Conflict" album is kind of 'expansion pack' of the latter in more ways than one, which can be a good thing, because "Just A Text" was pretty good and the only significant critique one could have with it was that it was… basically an EP  at just eight tunes. Checking in at FIFTEEN pieces, that's no such a concern for "Conflict" which, despite its lack of insanity is probably the finest album/obese EP that Shelly G has ever done. Let's do it!

'Let Me Love You Remix' featuring Glen Washington digital single [now available]

Along with this album, Vizion Sounds Records has also released a "Special" version of the project (which is actually called "Conflict Special" DUH!), which features originals and various mixes of tracks here. You can also probably call that "Just A Text Vol. 2". As for the first (and likely only) edition of Shelly G's "Conflict", it gets going in a most familiar of ways in the form of her previous sizable hit, the cool 'Mr. Right'. Shelly just has a very interesting way of infusing a great deal amount of sexiness in her music. I look at other artist (Sara Lugo being one of them) and we talk about just how they're able to place their PERSONALITY in a track and it's all apparent here for Shelly across this GORGEOUS riddim for the big opener and one of the album's best. Next, things take a bit of an unusual turn in the form of the R&B-fied 'Let Me Love You'. The tune itself is pretty decent with Shelly G adopting a sort of Macy Gray-ish tone of singing. However, most noteworthy of this song is the fact that there is a remix of it, which just happens to feature the currently flaming Glen Washington. It is also currently available and a bit better than the original and a very nice move on the parts of Shelly G (also sounds dirty) and Vizion Sounds, respectively. And wrapping up the opening Batch of songs here is the similarly vibed 'In Love' which features singer Rudy and might be the biggest track of the opening fifth (if it isn't, it's not very far from 'Mr. Right'). Again, we have a heavy love song, a duet in this case, featured across one LOVELY one-drop. I'm not going to say that this tune is decidedly and clearly a GREAT one, but it's really going to be difficult for me to hear how it isn't very, very good at least, for what it is. 

As I said, the "Conflict" album is one which really builds on the tunes set on the "Just A Text" release. Because of that (and because I just listen well), there're more than a couple of recognizable moments throughout this record. Certainly the most familiar of them all is 'Just A Text', the song. I liked this song from the first time I heard it and I don't know exactly how popular it was, but for me it stands a GLARING example of, again, Shelly just being Shelly on a tune and I've even had the honour of talking to her, herself about it as well. So biggup Shelly G until it hurts.

'Just A Text'

There's also 'Rastaman' (also talked to her about this song), which is very interesting in regards to the "Just A Text" set. That release contained an instrumental of this tune, almost like a preview and surely this took a bit too long to come through, but you now get the full version which is a sweet, SWEET tune.

"I need the Rastaman in my life

He should be here to spend quality time

When I get him, gonna make him mine

Can you tell me where can I find?

What do you like?

Ital stew, bring di callaloo

Baby I'd change my dish for you

I'd even go to the mountain top -

Weh di meditation don't stop

With the sweet vibration, inspiration

Baby me and you: The perfect combination

I won't do like other girls do -

Cause you know frustration"

It's another sexy song and one which comes from a bit of an original perspective as more times you'll hear a tune from a male saying the same thing. Turn it around and make it a woman and becomes something entirely different and a real winner in this case. there're also 'Freaky Freaky' and 'Never Never' (wonder why I lumped those two together), both of which came through on "Just A Text" (and I think that 'Freaky Freaky' is much older). Neither are amongst my favourites on the album, although neither are bad tunes either, with the latter coming out on top to my opinion. There's also 'Love Me', which I do like, despite the fact that it's somewhat gimmicky.

"L-O-V-E me

T-O-U-C-H me

K-I-S-S me"

You get the point, but it's a better tune than that and its golden riddim sounds like something directly out of Don Corleon's catalog - it's fantastic and the tune on top of it is one of the best on "Conflict".

Still, easily the most recognizable moment here is also is best, 'Your Love', which features Shelly G alongside Jamaican Reggae star, Jah Cure. This tune jumped up back in 2010 originally I believe and while I don't think that it was ever REALLY afforded the spotlight it deserved, it still managed to do a considerable total of damage and made a big impact on many ears - including mine and hopefully yours when you check it out. It's such a beautiful and vibrant tune and hopefully appearing here gives it another run. 

As for the material which is new [to me] on "Conflict", there're a few standouts still. Check a tune like 'Stay With Me' which has more than a little BITE to its sound, eschewing the more typical direction a love song, which is what it is, goes in normally. 'Checking Him Out', for its part, is absolutely delightful and it's the better part of the already quite infectious 'He's Making Me Hot'. There is just a TINGE of Soca on the second of those and it really sounds like something you'd expect to hear from Ce'Cile, which is a compliment at this point because Ce'Cile is wicked. Two more combinations are featured on "Conflict" with Vizion Sounds staples Fojo and Alabama joining in on 'No Games' and 'Bye Bye', respectively. The latter is the star of those (I like how I can just keep grouping these tunes together like this for the review, it's made it go very quickly) (biggup Achis) (or Archis or Archie, whatever you people still call me after all this fucking time!) with Fojo sounding like a lost member of the Morgans on the excellent track. Lastly, the album's closer 'Officer' is not only new to my ears, but a very new direction for Shelly G as well as she ends things with something of a social commentary. I told you - she can do it all.

"Mr. officer please, nuh lock mi up 

Mi de yah hustle, hustling deh pon di block

Mi seh please, nuh lock mi up

A hustle, man ah hustle, man fi make a buck

Mi seh please, nuh lock mi up

Come level wid me

Come mek wi sort this out

A mi seh please

Officer please

Yea mi dun school

Mi get my degree, but mi caan get a job

I was in di music industry, didn't know much about it

So di vipers dem used mi

They thought this was the end of mi

But mi mother treat mi well so mi nah waan become no thief 

Mi no waan pick no fare, mi no waan get hooked pon cocaine

It's a honest life mi ah try lead - hustle

So officer, mi ah beg your pardon 

Yeah mi mother is a Christian 

Mi fadda die fifteen years ago

I watch mi mother suffer for years trying to mind four kids

Two jobs she had, mi watch she cry everyday

Nobody neva help and every night I pray -

That when I'm old I could put a smile pon she face

It's a honest life mi ah try lead

Many nights mi seh mi deh pon mi knees

Cause mi waan fi give mi mother everything that she need

Officer please!

Nuh lock mi up"

Everything about this one is a star tune and something different from the artist. It features her delivering differently - basically deejaying and talking at times - and it really shows a serious progression of skills in my opinion and it's also something I hope she revisits in the future. 

The fun I could have with you. . .

Overall, this is Shelly G's best compiled piece of work to date, but I have not the slightest doubt that she'll soon top it. She's undergone such a nice transformation in her career and while the lasting visual image in my mind is of Shelly wining at Monarch (because it was awesome in every way), I don't even see her as that anymore. "Conflict" is a VERY far cry from that and the fact that someone who could make this could also deliver a Soca Monarch crown, taking it all in, is SPECTACULAR - it’s an amazing trait to have in a single human being. So while I don't know if/when mainstream success will come to Shelly G and I don't know even if/when she'll become that 'household name' in Soca/Reggae circles, in my mind and wherever we end up writing, she'll always be someone who I most look forward to discussing. Why? Check out her new album, "Conflict", and you'll know. Well done. 

Rated: 4.25/5

Vizion Sounds Records

2012

Digital

Review #389

Breaking News: Shelly G Is Sexy!

As you might imagine, we've gotten A LOT of nice things over the past couple of weeks away and definitely biggup my readers and the 'industry people', who like to send us stuff (like full blown albums). One of the nicest, on so many levels, came from Achis Reggae favourite, Shelly G who said that she wasn't too pleased with the pic we used for her entry on The 20 Sexiest Caribbean Artists 2011 list - So, WONDERFULLY, she decided to send us like a billion others (between like 8 emails, there were maybe . . . 20-25 photos) (maybe a little more even), so we've decided to share some of them with you! Or to just make them look nice on a page, so we can always look back ourselves - Either excu . . . , reason, shall suffice.

Shelly please don't look at me like that - I have . . . stuff to do I think
What day was today again???

Shelly G as "Rapunzel" - Coming soon!

This is a bad picture - too bright - but I just cannot stop looking at it. She looks amazing

This one struck me as being a little different from the rest for some reason
Obviously change is good

'Action' hair - Hmmmm

Shelly G w/world's luckiest lolly

So when you buy the rug, does it come with the matching Shelly G???

This is actually my favourite picture of Shelly G EVER. She didn't send it, we found it before the list and would have used it had Bredz been sharper with the editing out of the background. Obviously that doesn't bother me these days. As I've told you before - Shelly G you are one SEXY HUMAN BEING!

And if you don't know who Shelly G is, she's not just some random person who has managed to catch my eye for some reason (biggup Lenora Crichlow), she's actually an artist and a fine one at that. In 2009 she captured the Soca Monarch crown in her native, Guyana and she makes, primarily, an infectious type of Groovy Soca, but she's also dealt with a bit of R&B, Pop and healthy amounts of Reggae music as well.

'All A Dat'

She's also very physically attractive (DUH!) and she's not at all shy about expressing it and if I looked like that, I wouldn't be either. And she's always been very nice to us, so we big her up every time, until it hurts.

Currently, Shelly G has three albums which you can buy RIGHT NOW (you don't even have to get off of your ass to do it) and you can learn and here more at her website - ShellyGOnline.com

"Just A Text", "Work It" & "Socadisiac"

Words of The Week: 'Just A Text' by Shelly G

'Just A Text'

You say you trust me but you don’t
I know, you’re so insecure aaaaaaaaaaaahah
Do you think that I was cheating?
Am I deceiving boy you’re insecure
Tell me why you nagging me
You only get a glimpse but you in see
How you fo say that you go box and kick meh
Boy give me, meh phone you acting crazy
I use to think that our love was base on trust
So tell me, why you want to fuss and fight

Chorus
It’s just a text baby
Boy tell me why you vex
It’s just a text oooh baby
We not having sex, It’s just a text baby
Boy tell me why you vex
It’s just a text oooh baby We’re not having sex

For your concern it says how are you?
I reply I am fine, how you do?
He replied, ‘are you free this Saturday’
I’ve got a job would it be ok
His name is Dutch
He’s a promoter from up in Madia
You must be sick in a you head why you tek me for Sandra
Tell me why you accusing me
Of the same things you do

Chorus
It’s just a text baby
Boy tell me why you vex
It’s just a text oooh baby
We not having sex
It’s just a text baby
Boy tell me why you vex
It’s just a text oooh baby
We’re not having sex

Don’t be so insecure stop all the nagging
It’s just the way life, every day technology change
Likewise do people do
Not because he say what’s up boo
It doesn’t mean I am cheating on you
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

Chorus
It’s just a text baby
Boy tell me why you vex
It’s just a text oooh baby
We not having sex It’s just a text baby
Boy tell me why you vex
It’s just a text oooh baby
We’re not having sex

Say you na want me touch your phone but you want touch mine, your phone always on vibrate
How come you want take bad gal fe fool?
Why you call the man back and be so rude?
Tell me if you nah got shame
How you fe ask the man about his name?
him, say Duch but like you nah hear the same
Call him back one more time u don’t have no shame

Chorus
It’s just a text baby
Boy tell me why you vex
It’s just a text oooh baby
We not having sex It’s just a text baby
Boy tell me why you vex
It’s just a text oooh baby
We’re not having sex

Lyrics courtesy of Shelly G-
Shelly G Online

Video Drop 5.5: New Shelly G!

Shelly G - Text Me [Directed by Delroy Dash - Dtshaka Productions]

Okay so, I get an email out of the blue from AchisReggae favourite Shelly G (!) saying that she had a new video, for a straight Reggae song, asking me what I thought about it yeah. If you pay any attention at all to Shelly G (and if you frequent this blog, you do), then you know that she rather continuously releases new videos. In fact, in her genre, which is typically Soca, she probably has more videos than most of her peers, so it isn't a surprise, but whenever she has a new one, I'm definitely interested. This tune, 'Text Me', although Reggae, is fairly typical for Shelly G and the video is very nice. I love the colours and just the scenes, it's very well done and of course, Shelly G finds a way to interject quite a bit of her one of a kind personality into the piece (and is it just me, but does she kind of seem to have a very 'curious' smirk on her face at many points here?) so you can probably see the ending coming. The result is a very nice video and definitely always love to hear Shelly G doing Reggae (or anything for that matter).

Video Rated - 4.5/5

Video/Song Link - 4.5/5

{For more of Shelly G, including an explanation as to why she walked away from an all but guaranteed repeat as GT Soca Monarch, check out her excellent website at Shelly G Online}

Oooh Shelly!: A Review of Work It by Shelly G

Sometimes I wonder how the landscapes other genres of music might look if they functioned more like the ways of Soca. The ridiculously hype Caribbean art form is one which very much has a quite unique type of ‘scheduling’ and at the same time, during its season, has more than a few interesting details and circumstances. The first of which is definitely the very fact that Soca, unlike probably every other form of music that I know is ‘seasonal’ music. You might not actually know this and it may not seem like so (because there are so many islands and those many islands stagger their seasons, so if you look at it as a whole, it may appear to be one running continuous season but it isn’t) but the vast majority of NEW Soca music for a given island is produced and then played and promoted at certain times and that, of course, depends on a particular island’s Carnival season. The next and most important feature (in terms of this review) of Soca music’s uniqueness is the inherent COMPETITIVE structure on which it is built. Almost EVERYTHING about the music, including the music itself, the presentation of the music (the performance), the playing of the music, the ‘usefulness’ of the music, it’s popularity, the response the masses have to it and pretty much everything else you can think of (including the costumes worn while marching to it) about the music has a competition and a reward system and it is that way almost anywhere you’ll find Soca music heavily loved and regarded, no matter that place’s advancement or lack thereof. However, two of the most prized competitions in Soca and the two which focus mostly on the music itself is the Road March and Soca Monarch competitions. Road March is pretty ‘complicatedly simple’ (if such a thing exists), wherein what it BASICALLY means is that a particular song is the most popular of a particular season. The complicated part comes in, in the fact that the determination of how popular a given Road March contender is lies in how many times certain judges hear the tune played at certain checkpoints during Carnival. Thus the competition, kind of sort of, boils down to a matter of numbers. The same is (I GUESS) true for Soca Monarch, which is, for me, the highlight of any Carnival season which holds such an event as it takes (some of the) most popular artists and their big tunes from a given season and puts them in DIRECT competition against each other to see who can outperform the others and take the crown. Both competitions are SERIOUS business, as winners (and almost-winners in some cases) take not only a pretty nice cash prize and a car or a house or jewelry or some other things like such. But they also get other, further reaching, perks sometimes.

Perks can be exposure, or, in some cases, a full blown album. Of course that’s not always the case, as, to the best of my knowledge neither Skinny Fabulous, nor Ricky T, now both current and repeat winners of Soca Monarch competitions in their respective locales (St. Vincy and St. Lucia, respectively) and neither of them have albums although they may lack a wider appeal outside of the Soca market (although both, Skinny in particular, would seemingly do well on Dancehall sets also). The CRIME here, however, is of course, the fact that the local FACE of Soca music, Faye-Ann Lyons, has yet to reach with a debut solo set (to my knowledge), as the results could be massive, however, there are definitely those taking strides in the right direction. Last year there was Grenadian star and former Road March winner Berbice, whose SOLID album Demon gained a very nice distribution all over the planet. The year before that was former St. Vincy Monarch and Road March winner, Bomani, taking similar steps with his own album, Deep. You’ve also seen CONSISTENT albums from accomplished artists such as Claudette Peters and Taxik and Tizzy and El-A-Kru, both from out of Antigua, which receive a great deal of attention worldwide as they become more and more available and others still (like Krosfyah) who have done the same (and Scrappy from Montserrat). Now, joining that elite level of artist, in more ways than one is the recently crowned 2009 Guyana Soca Monarch, Shelly G who brings her album, Work It and exposes it worldwide for the masses to take a look at what’s been going on in Guyana’s Soca ranks. Often overlooked by its closest neighbours, the landlocked country has been heating up on so many musical levels over the past few years with new and newer artists emerging almost EVERY DAY! In Reggae, Guyana has recently distinguished itself with artists like Natural Black and First Born, of course, but also others such as Ras Mac Bean, Arkaingelle, the up and coming Timeka Marshall (big artist) and the New York based (Sean Paul lookalike) Dutty Flex. In Soca, the first name that comes to mind is the INSANELY talented young singer Adrian Dutchin who makes some downright ADDICTIVE tunes when at his best and I also believe he’s sung EXTENSIVELY with the aforementioned Bajan super group, Krosfyah as well. There are also others like Malo and a whole heap of female artists, most notably Vanilla and woman of the moment, Shelly G. Shelly G is definitely what I might call a work in progress (aren’t we all) musically as she definitely has a solid base and one which has already earned her a Monarch crown but I don’t know that she’s even scratched the surface of her ultimate talent level. A great way to see how far she’s come as of yet, however, is to pick up her new album, Work It, from Dynamix Music (which I believe is the label ran by her management), one of the more INTERESTING Soca album releases of 2009 so far (which is saying something). The album isn’t her first as she has previously released a piece by the name of Shelly G Online, however, that album (which was regional I believe and it may not have been her first album actually) won’t end up doing half the business of Work It. The two will share some her bigger (and, of course, older) hits in common but for everyone who ended up missing the first piece, DEFINITELY no finer introduction exists to the very interesting Guyanese Queen of Soca, Shelly G.

The first thing you might notice on the cover (or the first thing that I noticed) was the absence of a ‘parental advisory’ sticker/graphic on the cover of Work It. Shelly G is quite known for her ‘risqué’ activity (musically speaking, of course) which definitely does come through on Work It. She makes a rather Pop/R&B friendly brand of Soca, for the most part and although there are very few parts of the album (if any at all) where she completely loses her mind (which I love) this piece definitely grew on me quite a bit in one or two spins through. Up first on Shelly G’s new album Work It is the downright ADDICTIVE title track which is also the tune which won Shelly the Soca Monarch crown. Work It plays on the WELL TIRED daggering sensation that grew old with me about a year ago but I have to admit I like this song! Its easily one of the (if not THE) best tune you’ll find on the album (although I reserve that title for a next song) and it and tore down a stage in Guyana National Park and it will do the same for your car, house, bathroom or wherever else you decide to spin it. Trust me, big tune. Second up is a COOL tune by the name of Bruk Meh Up which I don’t recall hearing before (although it sounds familiar for some reason). Bruk Meh Up is the type of tune I could easily see falling between the cracks and below the radar but, truth be told, its probably one of the best tunes you’ll hear on Work It. Definitely a SWEET groovy type of vibes and GOOD too. This is the type of tune I’d like to see Shelly G develop in the future because, with a tune like this, she shows promise that could put her on more familiar levels alongside people like future superstar Patrice Roberts from out of Trinidad. Another nice effort there. And then things get strange. The title track notwithstanding, if you know of Shelly G’s music you’ll almost find yourself waiting for her to do something. . . ‘different’ if you know what I mean. Shelly G’s sexual tunes are SO matter-of-fact that you almost get the feeling that she isn’t talking about what she is because, that would be too easy. But there’s a charm in there and Fishy Fishy is a nice example of that as Shelly gleefully questions the ‘dietary habits’ of a few of her favourite guys. Its hilarious at times as the seemingly attempted to be ‘veiled’ tune is just COMPLETELY wide open. I liked it, so will you.

As I said, Shelly G doesn’t quite reach critical mass on Work It and, as far as I know it, that’s not her style but what she does is quite good still. Much in the same fashion as Bruk Meh Up, there’s a tune buried on the album which is a bit older hit and, for me, is the cream of the crop that is the Work It album. The tune, Touch Me, I THINK would have been from her 2007 season but its been the best thing that she’s done in my opinion as it is the quintessential PLAIN, SIMPLE STATED and straight to the point tune which is a perfect example of her style (and maybe I’m partial having watched her in that video for the better part of a year). Another similarly vibed tune is the ultra cool Swing It which features Shelly G constant collaborator, Fojo. Again, there’s just a nice and easy going vibes on the tune which really allows Shelly to shine and Fojo himself doesn’t (at least not here) appear to be the most intense of individuals and from what I’ve heard, he makes an excellent vibes alongside Shelly G and the Chutney-esque Swing It is a sterling example. The very familiar sounding (which frustrated me because I can’t recall exactly where from I know the riddim) also shows that nice and straight forward quality, although to an arguably stronger degree than most as it proves to DEFINITELY be one of the main attractions on the album. Now, all of that isn’t to say that Shelly G is a one trick pony of sorts at all as you won’t get too far on Work It before a few different vibes start jumping up. Check the Dancehall infused Bad Girl, which may be literally the dirtiest tune on Work It, where Shelly does her Ce’Cile impression (there‘s also one point where you think she‘s going to go Busy Signal on you). Previous single Bump & Grind is a hybrid of sorts, as it definitely has a bit more complex sound to it but it’s a far ‘bigger’ sounding tune to my ears actually (Shelly even stretches the vocals a bit on the tune, which definitely has a ‘poppish’ type of vibes to it). Celebration Time, outside of the title track is probably where Shelly gets closest to completely losing her mind in a more hype Soca style. The tune features Fire Clan, which I believe is a Reggae act from out of Guyana also and it starts shining after the corny, preacher like intro. The tune is so nice actually that it leads you to think exactly how might Shelly G sound if she were given someone like the aforementioned Skinny Fabulous or Ricky T with which to work and go to the complete EXTREME hype Soca power style. I think she’d do quite well actually. And again, lest you think she’s a one trick type of a girl, check the last stretch of tunes on Work It which features SO MANY different styles. Bholo Bholo is a high-tech type of a Chutney tune which grew on me quite quickly; the pretty good Ooh Boy has quite a few different vibes and it nicely features Guyanese veteran chanter Fyahnese (one of the best names in the game!); the SULTRY Come Over is Shelly G nearly at her best backed with a nice old school Soca/Calypso riddim which she works to a very nice blend and is one of the best moments on Work It and Never Never is very well done and is on an R&B vibes and is probably ready for BET at this point right now. And as far as the vibes themselves, the two closers are perhaps most interesting. The first is a SWEET Zouk-ish tune by the name of Love Me, which quickly ascends into an even SWEETER sounding kind of a ‘smoky’ one-drop Reggae vibe which is MAGIC to my ears (after going Ce’Cile on Bad Girl, Shelly G steers things in a different direction going Alaine on the big highlight Love Me. Finally, Work It ends somewhat predictably with the gospel vibed Somebody Watching Over Me (it was either going to be a gospel tune or an acoustic tune and you KNEW it going in. Thankfully the tune isn’t boring at all (it’s like a Hip-Hop/Gospel tune with an unnamed rapper in tow) and although it is quite clichéd, it isn’t bad and even if it were, it would be wholly forgivable at this point.

Overall, this is SERIOUS stuff by Shelly G. With her style, I can’t imagine that she herself would tell you that she would have aspirations to others going COMPLETELY international like Rihanna or Shontelle but what this might do (and what I think the goal was) is up her status regionally. As I said, taking a Soca Monarch crown is potentially a REALLY big thing and she’s done that and at with her youth still intact, she figures, if she continues to develop musically, to be a MAJOR player in the years to come. And that’s not all. Work It may very well be only the first Shelly G album you see this year as she also plans to release a Reggae album with well respected Reggae veteran Walter Fraser from out of the Vizion Sounds camp and she has already worked alongside Guyanese BIG Reggae group First Born and Luciano. Thus, whether you like it or not, Shelly G might be on your radar quite a bit in the future. Thankfully, with more efforts like Work It, you’re probably going to like it (Oh. And she's sexy too!).

Rated 4/5 stars

Dynamix Music

2009

New Artist Of The Month: Meet Shelly G!

Shelly G

Meet Shelly G! If you were at all distracted (like most people who like Soca) by Trinidad's first Carnival season of undisputed female dominance with longtime star Faye-Ann Lyons breaking through the machismo and holding one of the most memorable year's EVER, then you may have missed the coming out party for one Shelly G not too far away in Guyana. Having been around but a few years (although making a relatively BIG name for herself in said time frame) Shelly G took top honours in her native Guyana's Soca Monarch competition with a performance to be remembered of her tune Work It.

The song and the performance, much like a bit of Shelly G's career has been marked in controversy as she invokes the thankfully all but gone 'daggering' phenomenon for which she drew quite a bit of criticism. I, as someone who was TIRED AS HELL of the daggering stuff, honestly have to admit that I still liked the performance and the tune in its original form also.

The fuss wasn't exactly new to Shelly as she had previously drawn criticism for the not so 'implied' explicitness of previous videos such as (MOST NOTABLY)

The downright PORNISH Touch Meh (check out the atrociously out of place, yet damn funny, chipper tourist in the blue shirt in the midst of the semi-porn). I then challenge you to listen to that song and not have it stuck in your head for quite awhile. Shelly G has, in not too long of a time, made her name as one of the most respected names in Guyana Soca and music scene in general. And for me she definitely serves a bit of a 'guilty pleasure' role as I tend to like her music at least to some degree.

Apparently I'm not the only one as she recently announced the coming digitization of her sophomore album release Work It on August 5th. Work It features some of her bigger hits to date including the aforementioned Work It (DUH!) and Touch Meh alongside others such as Bump N Grind

Reportedly she will spend the second half of her 2009 promoting her forthcoming Reggae album, also to be released this year, for the VERY well respected Walter Fraser of Vizion Sounds, the label behind some of Guyana's top Reggae talents including First Born and even star Natural Black (and wouldn't a Black - Shelly G combination be WICKED for the album!).

So keep an eye and couple of ears out for Shelly G. Work It is online August 5th and the Reggae album is scheduled for a December release. And who knows what else lies under the sleeves of Guyana's reigning first Queen of Soca Monarch!

Shelly G Online

Shelly G @ Myspace

{note: Another sexy one!}