Product Description

BADUIZM marks the debut of a true songstress, with a voice like Billie Holiday's and a style that crosses many boundaries. Erykah Badu has exceptional rhythm, character and vibe, and a songwriting style that should restore some life to modern R&B. From her groundbreaking single "On & On" to freestyle skits like "Afro", Badu separates herself from other '90 vocalists with a style that is as broad as it is original. It's also real: On "Next Lifetime" and "Certainly", Badu demonstrates a remarkable ability to turn life's experiences into beautiful songs.

Track Listing

1. Rim Shot (Intro)
2. On & On
3. Appletree
4. Other Side Of The Game
5. Sometimes
6. Next Lifetime
7. Afro
8. Certainly
9. 4 Leaf Clover
10. No Love
11. Drama
12. Sometimes
13. Certainly (Flipped It)
14. Rim Shot

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #585 in Music
• Released on: 1997-02-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 58 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Badu and her large turban appeared out of nowhere in early 1997, on a murmuring, romantic album that trod the median between old-school soul and contemporary electronic R&B. Badu's songs, especially the hit "On & On" and the catchy "Certainly", recall Sade in their polished, subtle sexiness. Badu almost never raises her voice--save the occasional "ooh-wee!" exultation--but she skilfully uses repetition and chanting to empower her words. Later portraying a beautiful swamp queen, she was one of the only good things about the movie Blues Brothers 2000. --Steve Knopper

Customer Reviews

Life-affirming soul classic
So much passes for soul music that isn't.
"Baduizm" slipped out onto the scene in 1997 as a debut that contained classy soul-jazz, perfectly delivered.
From the stunning single "on and on" to the ice-cold "certainly" to the charming "four leaf clover" this is a self-assured classic debut, comparable with soul standard classics.
Subtle yet compelling, this album has yet to be matched by any of her contemporaries and even by Ms. Badu herself.

An album that transcends time
The first time I experienced this album was at a barbeque some years back. The perfect setting for the hypnotic vibes to emanate. Worked on me anyway, as I bought the album not long after (album no. 2 of my collection at the time). That collection stands at nigh-on 400 right now, and Baduizm is still on rotation. Her voice is intoxicating, and the instrumentation attention-grabbing. This album is a neo-soul classic. Claims of Jill Scott being Ms Badu's successor are understandable, but not necessarily true. Scott brings an earthiness to the game, but lacks Badu's dulcet finesse. Favourites would have to be Appletree, Otherside, Drama, and of course, On & On. Buy the album, then buy Baduizm live to take your appreciation of this album to a whole other level.

Enough to get me into Soul music.
When I bought Baduizm, it was the first time I'd really ventured out of the kind of music that my friends had influenced me into listening to. I read an article about her in Hip-Hop Soul, and thanks to a bit of spare money I impulsively decided to buy her album. I wasn't totally sure what to expect, I'd just heard a lot of positive things about her.

And I was not disappointed. There's something quite magical about Erykah Badu. Her voice alone is enough to soothe the soul, her songs create a feeling of total laid back relaxation. Personal faourites are the blissful, mellow tones of On & On, the strangely uplifting and inspiring Appletree and Certainly, which is a great song to listen to when you've been turned down by a member of the opposite sex and need a little clarity as to why they might have turned you down - you'll see what I mean when your there.

Anyway, Baduizm was enough to turn a regular kid into an open-minded music fan - I'm currently saving up for Who is Jill Scott? and Worldwide Underground so I can explore this music more. Sensational album.