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Comfort Woman (album)

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Comfort Woman
Studio album by
Me'shell Ndegeocello
ReleasedOctober 14, 2003
Genresoul,[1] reggae soul[2]
LabelMaverick
ProducerMe'shell Ndegeocello, Allen Cato
Me'shell Ndegeocello chronology
Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape
(2002) 		Comfort Woman
(2003) 		The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel
(2005)

Comfort Woman is the fifth solo album by the American singer-songwriter Me'shell Ndegeocello. It was released on October 14, 2003, on Maverick Records. The album peaked at No. 150 on the Billboard 200 list that year. It also peaked at No. 43 on Billboard's R&B Album chart. It was Ndegeocello's final record released by Maverick.[3]

Composition

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Musical style

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Critics compared the album's "austere" style to that of Ndegeocello's third album, Bitter (1999).[1][4] Writing for Launch, critic Dan Leroy described the album as "spare, dub-influenced soul".[1] Music journalist Jess Mayhugh termed the album's style "reggae soul".[2] A review in Uncut called it Ndegeocello's Let's Get It On and noted the influence of both Ndegeocello's previous work and earlier Black musicians on the album.[5] The album also drew comparison to Imagination's Body Talk (1981).[5]

"Come Smoke My Herb" and "Fellowship" include "reggae-infused sounds".[4] "Body" features half-whispered vocals and keyboards similar to those of Stevie Wonder.[5] Multiple critics compared the guitars on "Liliquoi Moon" to those of Prince.[5][4] Uncut referred to "Love Song #3" as a "narcotised Prince ballad".[5] "Good Intentions", which features few lyrics, incorporates funk influences and discusses Ndegeocello's devotion to someone.[4]

Lyrics

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In contrast to some of Ndegeocello's previous albums, the lyrics of Comfort Woman are generally apolitical, focusing instead on the subject of love.[1]

Reception

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Critical

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic70/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Blender[8]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[9]
The Guardian[10]
Los Angeles Times[11]
LA Weekly(favorable)[12]
Rolling Stone[13]
Village Voice(dud)[14]
Vibe[15]

Upon its release, Comfort Woman received generally favorable reviews from music critics.[6] In the November 1, 2003, issue of Billboard, the album received a "Critics' Choice" designation, signifying a recent release "highly recommended because of (its) musical merit."[16]

Commercial

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On the Billboard 200 chart dated November 1, 2003, Comfort Woman debuted and peaked at number 150.[17] That week, it also debuted on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at number 43.[18]

Track listing

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  1. "Love Song, No. 1" (Me'shell Ndegeocello) – 4:03
  2. "Come Smoke My Herb" (Ndegeocello) – 3:53
  3. "Andromeda & the Milky Way" (Ndegeocello, Allen Cato) – 4:28
  4. "Love Song #2" (Ndegeocello) – 3:47
  5. "Body" (Ndegeocello) – 3:42
  6. "Liliquoi Moon" (Ndegeocello) – 4:41
  7. "Love Song #3" (Ndegeocello, Doyle Bramhall II) – 4:32
  8. "Fellowship" (Ndegeocello, Bob Marley) – 3:14
  9. "Good Intentions" (Ndegeocello, Chris Dave) – 3:48
  10. "Thankful" (Ndegeocello) – 3:25

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Leroy, Dan (October 16, 2003). "Album Review: Comfort Woman". Launch. Yahoo. Archived from the original on July 3, 2004. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Mayhugh, Jess (June 3, 2014). "Meshell Ndegeocello Wants to Play". Baltimore Magazine. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  3. ^ Reyes-Kulkarni, Saby (March 14, 2018). "Meshell Ndegeocello". Nashville Scene. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Mumbi Moody, Nekesa; Bauer, Scott; Kipp, Rachel (October 14, 2003). "Reviews: Streisand's 'Movie Album' uninspiring". Today. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Me'Shell Ndegeocello – Comfort Woman". Uncut. January 1, 2004. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Comfort Woman by Me'Shell Ndegéocello". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  7. ^ Jurek, Thom. Comfort Woman at AllMusic
  8. ^ Patel, Joseph (November 2003). "The Guide: Me'Shell Ndegéocello – Comfort Woman". Blender. New York: Dennis Publishing. p. 118.[dead link‍]
  9. ^ Tyehimba, Cheo (October 17, 2003). "Music Review: Comfort Woman". Entertainment Weekly. No. 733. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  10. ^ Clarke, Betty (November 28, 2003). "CD: Me'shell Ndegeocello, Comfort Woman". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 5, 2017.
  11. ^ Nichols, Natalie (October 12, 2003). "Meshell Ndegeocello tones down the vitriol". Los Angeles Times. p. E53. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  12. ^ Hardy, Ernest (November 27, 2003). "Forgive Me, Meshell". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  13. ^ "Meshell Ndegeocello – Comfort Woman". Rolling Stone. No. 935. November 13, 2003. p. 97. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved March 5, 2007.
  14. ^ Christgau, Robert (February 4, 2004). "Parts of the Elephunk". The Village Voice. Vol. 49, no. 5. p. C90. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  15. ^ Simon, Andrew (December 2003). "Revolutions: Meshell Ndegeocello – Comfort Woman". Vibe. New York. p. 214.[dead link‍]
  16. ^ Paoletta, Michael (November 1, 2003). "Billboard Picks: Comfort Woman". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 44. p. 60. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 27, 2024 – via Google Books.
  17. ^ "The Billboard 200". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 44. November 1, 2003. pp. 88–89. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 27, 2024 – via Google Books.
  18. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 44. November 1, 2003. p. 33. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 27, 2024 – via Google Books.
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