While Tweet’s introduction to the mainstream audience was the toxic club jumpoff “Oops (Oh My),” the Rochester, New York native’s debut was far from being an album full of subliminal sexual undertones. In fact, Tweet’s “Southern Hummingbird” debut, the majority of which was written by her, spewed out introspective lyrics accompanied by a distinct soft-hearted voice.
In the nineties and earlier 2000s R&B sound included more soul compared to today’s Europop sound. Now it seems as if the R&B soul scene, with a few exceptions, is hidden in the basement. But Tweet’s album was more than soulful, it was a dairy of her thoughts, relationships and love without an ounce of sugarcoating. According to Missy Elliott, the storyline of the album was “a point of no return between love and heart”.
For men listening to the CD (yes CD, 2002), it depicted a portrait of how guys can effect a woman’s heart and emotions. Instead of giving men a handbook with tips on how to treat women, ‘Southern Hummingbird’ sheds light on the aftermath, which is more potent considering the thought conveyed in memoir-like form.
Beyond songs like “Boogie 2nite” and the second single “Call Me,” “Southern Hummingbird” took music enthusiasts through the art of love and life, especially when you have nothing or no one else. On the song “Complain” Tweet says “I can sing about love lost but, what if there’s no love to loose,” later talking about the simple things that can turn into an argument or the ending of a relationship that could very well have been saved. While addressing the subject eloquently, Tweet does make you laugh (due to the realism expressed) when she says “If you just want to hang out with boys, I wouldn’t complain…leave your socks on the dresser, not in the drawer… I wouldn’t complain”.
Since the release of “Southern Hummingbird” Tweet has gone on to produce two albums, one of which was released in 2005 (It’s Me Again), while the other has yet to be unleashed to fans. Speaking with Singersroom, Tweet confirmed that she is working on new material but is caught in label negotiations which has delayed the release of the album. Tweet says “I’m trying my hardest to do whatever I can to make it happen as soon as possible. I’m determined to pull through and deliver an awesome album.”
Take a look at Tweet’s video for “Oops Oh My” below:
This article is part of Singersroom’s One Album, One Legacy series, click here for the next article on Bilal’s “1st Born Second”.
—— By: Adeniyi Omisore/Njai Joszor
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