4/5 Either You Get Her Or You Don't
  by K. J. Bryant
Fergie is one of those artists whose style is not easy on the ears (or the eyes). To like her takes a little sense of humor, some perplexing preferences, and the ability to not always take music serious. To define her is rather hard, but she is somewhere in the middle of R&B star Kelis and pop star Gwen Stefani. This album "Dutchess" is not for the faint ears. The beats are wild with heavy sampling from some surprising artists. What do you expect from a woman who made a song called "My Humps"? This is fun music. Her goal was not to make a political statement or to reveal her inner self. She is making a record to introduce herself as a solo artist and for the people in the clubs dance the night away.

Vocally, Fergie offers many surprises. She shines on songs like

Voodoo Doll- an almost jazzy number mixed with rock

Finally- she almost sounds like X-tina on this song, but this song is one of the most "pop" songs on this cd

Velvet- sultry with a hint of Sade.

On Production. Fergie's producers went out their way to give her a sound all her own. She samples from some of the most surprising sources, too. Examples are:

Here I Am- she boldly sampled the Temptations classic "Get Ready"

Mary Jane Shoes- she sampled "No Woman, No Cry" from the great Bob Marley, but his widow backs Fergie on the tracks.

Lyrically, Fergie is weak. I cannot make up my mind if this is intentionally or if she really cannot write. Whatever the case, Fergie gives us some surprising (and funny) moments.

All That I Got (the Make-Up Song)- Fergie writes "Would u love me if I didn't work out or I didn't change my natural hair"

Fergalicious- Fergie writes "My body stay vicious. I be up in the gym just working on my fitness".

Velet- Fergie writes "Gold and burgundy, sink into me. I feel so warm".

This album has so much appeal, I don't think most people will pay attention to her awkward lyrics.

Highlights on this cd: Fergalicious, Clumsy, All That I Got (the Make-Up Song), Voo Doo Doll, and Glamorous.


1/5 Talent , yes! Lyrical content , no!
  by Marcus V. B. Santana (Rio de Janeiro , Brazil)
This for sure could be a good album , Fergie have a good voice , but the songs ... All the songs are really strange and all talk about silly things , this reach to its bottom on "mary jane shoes" , who sings about shoes!? she have a good producer (will.i.am) , but i think she don't have so many things to write lyrics about ... .ok some songs are good , like "london bridge" or " All That I Got (The Make Up Song)" . "fergalicious" is the most ridiculous song of the year and all the other songs are good ... good to be on the trash!. I really hope that her next album be good ,who knows ,if she work with Timbaland?

1/5 Presenting...the most hilariously bad music this side of Limp Bizkit.
  by
Let's start this review off by stating that I am not a kid, I just simply do not have an account. Ok, now for the review.

Wow. Just wow. This is seriously some of the most pathetic music (if you can even call it that) I have heard in ages. It's almost painful to listen to because of its extreme mindlessness. Let's put it this way, when I first heard "Fergilicious" on the radio (by accident) I seriously thought it was a joke. I didn't even think that it was a real song, because as I was listening to it I was thinking "There is no way a radio station would play a song that is this bad". So, you can imagine my horror when I discovered that what I had just heard was the number one requested song on that radio station. Wow, I think Fergie just topped James Blunt for creating the worst 3 minutes ever. It is mind boggling that people enjoy listening to this, let alone paying for a cd of it. In light of all this horrible pop music being released, it brings to the surface a question I have been wondering for ages. Why don't people play instruments anymore? I mean, where have guitar solos gone? Music has been in a steady downhill slide since Limp Bizkit became popular in the late 90's, not too mention all that "gansta" rap. However, that's a whole other story. The reason for this is...brace yourself...people don't listen to music anymore. Ok, that sounds absolutely ridiculous, but it is absolutely true. People obviously don't listen to this, otherwise, there is no way they would have ever bought it. The reason why Fergie, Justin Timberlake, and all your "gansta" rap sells is because those people have been brainwashed by the record companies into buying an "image". All of you people who bought this cd didn't buy it for the music, and if you did, I seriously pity you. You bought it for the image. That's what the risque album cover is all about. Record companies have discovered that in order to sell all of this crappy music, they need an image that is so overblown that it will take the place of the music. That is the underlying cause for rap's popularity. Let me tell you, if this had come out it the 70's, the record company responsible would be swiftly put out of business.

Here I'll prove it to you, now tell me, minus the whole image and front this "artist" puts on, would you really even consider listening to someone who writes lyrics like...

"Fergalicious definition make them boys go loco
They want my treasure so they get their pleasures from my photo
You could see you, you can't squeeze me
I ain't easy, I ain't sleazy
I got reasons why I tease 'em
Boys just come and go like seasons "

OR

"That puts them boys on rock, rock
And they be lining down the block just to watch what I got (got, got, got)
Four, tres, two, uno
My body stay vicious
I be up in the gym just working on my fitness
He's my witness (oooh wee)
I put yo' boy on rock rock
And he be lining down the block just to watch what I got (four, tres, two, uno)"
(Both taken from Fergilicious)

Ok, now look closely at what you have paid for. Not only are these some of the most ridiculous lyrics I have ever seen, I feel dirty just cutting and pasting them into this review. Actually, hearing some of these made me laugh out loud, they're that bad. In reality, it's all about shock value, and I guess that's what people want these days. However, the good news is, I can guarantee that Fergie will be long forgotten within the next 10 years. Kind of like Eminem (thank God). But, the bad news is, as long as gullible people are willing to buy an image and a disc full of crappy music, there will always be another one.

Thank you for your time.


5/5 Beyonce let me upgrade you....to a Fergie album, OH SNAP!!!
  by ddude1456 (va, va beach, usa)
I'm lovin this album from start to finish. I can listen to this cd all day long without skipping tracks, unlike the other albums that recently came out, ahem (Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Xtina) well you get the point it's a great album. Not saying the other albums aren't good, just that Fergie's is better. :-D

4/5 Fun, sophisticated pop album with something for everyone!
  by Jennifer Fretwell (Allison Park, PA USA)
I was a little wary of this album and what Fergie might do on her own initially but I have been listening to this album for a couple months now and I still enjoy it. The album is simply a fun pop album and actually a well crafted one, at that. The most interesting thing is that unlike many of today's pop albums, there is a great variety of styles and influences on each track and the various songs don't sound the same or blend together.

For "London Bridge" Fergie borrows some moves from Missy Elliot. This is a cool rap track that makes you want to dance. This song is NOT about sex, as far as I can tell, but about going to the club and shaking her booty. Yes, it is a little juvenile with the swear words but I can't help but like it. "Fergalicious" is a fun rap tune sampling some 80's pop. On "Pedastal" she sounds a bit like Pink and the song shows a strong punk influence. "Big Girls Don't Cry" is a highlight and sounds Pink-influenced as does "Losing my Ground." "Clumsy" and "All That I Got" are just bubblegum pop songs with an infectious beat. "Here I Come" samples a track of classic soul and is strong. "Mary Jane Shoes" throws in a bit of reggae just so no musical style is left out. My favorite track on the album is "Glamorous" which features a cameo by Ludacris and is a smoooth R&B hip hop track. "Velvet" and "Voodoo Doll" are the weakest tracks here but still acceptable. "Finally" is the last song and it is a very ambitious pop ballad with shades of Christina.

I am impressed with Fergie's voice which is strong and has a good range and decent expression. I also have to say that the wealth of styles in the material on one album was very ambitious and shows just how versatile Fergie is. Lyrically, there are some weaknesses, as others have pointed out. The most embarassing examples are "Would you love me if I didnt work out or I didn't change my natural hair" and "My body stay vicious/
I be up in the gym just working on my fitness" as well as "When I wear my mary jane shoes/I'm just like a child in my Underoos." It is possible she is intentionally trying to be humorous but they are silly lyrics. Overall, the gripes are minimal and I will enjoy listening to this album for a long time to come. I think if Miss Fergie continues to blossom and improve her next album will be very, very good.