Melanie Fiona steps back into the spotlight with her sophomore album, The MF Life. The new album features vocal collaborations from J. Cole, Nas,B.o.B, John Legend and Snoop Dogg. MF Life picks up where her debut album ‘The Bridge’ left off, filled with songs about heartbreak and love.
This Time ( feat. J Cole) opens the album with a tribal, marching band beat that gives off a dance vibe. J. Cole’s rap adds a small amount of flare to the otherwise basic track. Her latest radio hit, 4AM, follows. The emotional track reveals her reaction to a devastating heartbreak of an unfaithful boyfriend.
Break Down These Walls is a bit more dramatic and shows off the richness of Melanie’s voice which is very similar to Toni Braxton. I Been That Girl, co-written by Drake, is more of a laid back, lounge style song. The warm instrumentation paired with Fiona’s smooth crooning sounds incredibly smooth. Wrong Side of a Love Song goes for that retro, love song vibe. The guitar especially adds that flare that reminds me of an Elvis song.
Running (feat. Nas)- she belts out notes majority of the song; also goes for a more retro arrangement; sounds like something the late Amy Whinehouse would sing. Change the Record (feat. B.o.B) goes straight reggae filled with sounds of a ukulele.
Gone and Never Coming Back sounds very church-y and dramatic. The very subtle intro and verse are nice contrast to the very grand sounding chorus which is mostly belted out. Bones continues in that jazzy, laid back sound very similar to the late Amy Whinehouse’s album Back to Black.
Watch Me Work picks up the tempo with a fusion of rock and Motown style filled with an organ and electric guitar. This song will definitely have you up and dancing. Can’t Say I Never Loved You is a very laid back song with a happy feel contributed to the .
L.O.V.E (feat. John Legend) sounds like a classic Motown duet, very similar to Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s ‘Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing’. 6AM is a mix of Fiona’s emotional ballad 4AM and T-Pain’s remix 5AM. Gone (La Dada Di) [feat. Snoop Dogg] goes back to a more contemporary R&B sound. This song doesn’t end the album in a big way, but it’s an okay listen.
The MF Life had that cohesion that The Bridge didn’t.  The album is mainly structured with that old school R&B sound with small doses of contemporary  and jazz. The MF Life shows off Melanie’s unique style and shows off more of her true style. I rate this album 5/5.