Album Review

Tulisa – The Female Boss

• 20th Dec 2012

Tulisa Contostavlos, or simply Tulisa as we have come to know her over the last couple of years, is getting ready for the unveiling of her debut album which has a release date penciled in for 26th November.

The solo star and former member of the chart-topping grime trio N-Dubz has already proven that she can hold her own as a strong and confident solo power house away from her fellow N-Dubz band mates with a series of hit singles which have been released throughout the year. In 2011 she also become a popular addition to the judging panel on the X-Factor, helping launch her triumphant protégés, Little Mix, into superstardom following their win on the reality show.

We were first treated with Tulisa’s solo style in April when she released her debut single, ‘Young’. The track was a step away from the usual grime heavy lashings offered to us by N-Dubz but found its feet very quickly as a chart-topping dance-pop hit that shot straight to the number one spot in the UK charts. ‘The Female Boss’ sees Tulisa branching out even further into solo territory with a collection that features a kaleidoscope of genres including pop, hip hop and even trance music as well as come gorgeous piano-driven balladry.

Tulisa opens the record with a piano led and spoken work declaration of power and pride as she narrates over a speech dripping with empowerment before the record lifts off with its lead single, ‘Young’. While her previous work in N-Dubz offered us a hip hop star, this track provides us evidence of Tulisa’s artistic growth and diversity. Free from any musical restraints, ‘Young’ is an uplifting dance floor monster with a wave on electronica surging through the number one hit.
Sirens erupt on ‘Live It Up’ around a bustling landscape of spacey effects and some cool urban flows. Released as the records second single back in September, Tulisa enlists the help of American rapper Tyga who provides a slick rap section to the track that fits in perfectly within Tulisa’s well delivered verses and the songs infectious, island scented chorus’.

The tempo is dropped slightly on ‘Damn’ where Tulisa unleashes her pain and angst on a track that’s sees the singer scorned over her lovers affair, telling him “you build me up to break me down, you fucked me up when you fucked around” in the songs dark chorus.

The singer shows off her “British, British Sway” on the following grime coated number before ‘Live Your Life’ takes the records spotlight in the center of the album with its vibrant melody and disco beat. It’s the perfect track to get your groove on as Tulisa takes us through some of the records leading hooks and an anthemic chorus. This one could be the records next big single with its memorable “like lovers do” lick which sounds very similar to the Eurythmics hit, ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’, giving it a modern yet slightly nostalgic kick.

A piano leads us through the vulnerable ‘Habit’. This one is a beautiful ballad in the latter half of the record. Here Tulisa unravels a string of sentimental lyrics of love lost and getting through a breakup as she describes her lover as being her ‘habit’. The piano emerges once again on ‘Sight of You’, another incredible ballad which has been decided as the records next single – its release is planned to coincide with the release of ‘The Female Boss’. The song starts off in mid-tempo waters, Tulisa performing over a backbone of piano tinkerings before picking up in the chorus, welcoming a charging synth to fill in the number as Tulisa’s vocals shine throughout its duration, dripping with conviction and emotion.

Tulisa has really put the work into this debut. Instead of rushing the records release she has nurtured and steadied its development and the result makes for quite an impressive listen. Tulisa has previously stated that number one records hold no importance to her as an artist and that she wants to take her time in order to create and offer something substantial to her fans and that is exactly what she has achieved with ‘The Female Boss’. Though many acts find appeal in reaching the top spot, Tulisa seems determined to do things her way in order to have a record she can be proud of. The title says it all, really. ‘The Female Boss’ is a record about growth, understanding and doing things on her own terms and with that comes the release of a spectacular collection of songs from one of the nation’s brightest and influential talents.

Venue: The Female Boss
Support Band: Island Records