I’d like to think she also wrote that song about me, and all the women out there who can relate to having that special something that makes them light up a room when they walk into it.
[Helese TALKS!]
Teedra “The Lioness” Moses performed at S.O.B.’s Monday night, and personally I think she’s Saturday night headliner worthy.
She debuted her latest video “Another Luvr” featuring Wale from her latest album The Lioness. She also performed her classics, “No More Tears” being one of them. It’s one of the most lyrically clever break-up/female empowerment/I’m that real Bitch R&B songs that I’ve heard in a while. It’s been a long while since I first heard the song, the acoustic version at that –my favorite version of all.
The song was on her album Complex Simplicity that came out in 2004. I’m not usually into the newest music when everyone else is –I prefer to pretend I’m above anything too “trendy”– but I don’t just listen to Teedra’s first album because it’s old and relatively non-mainstream, it’s because it’s REAL. She takes me there.
Teedra Moses represents the essence of a woman with class, graceful movements on stage, but a raunchy racy sexuality that peers through a veil of anger, heartbreak, and a determination to become a better person through it all. And she does it all while fully dressed.
She comes out on the stage and the first thing you notice is her smile, then her New Orleans accent. And she curses! Must have been her own muse when she wrote “Chic” (performed by Raphael Saadiq on his album Ray Ray). It says: I need a chic like you/the girl is always sexy/she loves backseats in taxis/and talking good and trashy …
Sigh that’s a woman after my own heart. I’d like to think she also wrote that song about me, and all the women out there who can relate to having that special something that makes them light up a room when they walk into it. And when she walked off of it, and all she left us with was her image lit up on the screen, I felt a piece of me go with her. I had healed a little bit of my issues concerning love through her music, and I needed it and I wanted to connect with her more, maybe an interview?
It wasn’t meant to be, but I know my time will come to meet her again. Because in her greeting to all of the New Yorkers and people from around the country who had come to see her perform in this modest sized yet iconic venue, as long as we keep “fuckin” with her, she’s going to keep blessing us with her lyrics that humor us, but also heal.
You can go to www.teedramoses.org to find out more about her and download “Another Luvr.” You can also listen to other tracks off of the new album, but her best stuff is live. Youtube “Teedra Moses live” and be prepared to be upset that this stuff is not on the radio.
Helese Smauldon, Columnist for The Black Star News
