Album Review: Fergie – Double Dutchess
2 min read
Fergie last release a solo record in 2006, so the arrival of Double Dutchess has been an incredibly long time coming. Despite having been teasing fans for years, Fergie’s trademark confidence and charisma hasn’t lost an inch of its impeccable shine.
The regal opening of Hungry hints at the opulence about to unfold, with Rick Ross providing an extra layer of hip hop flavour to the mix. An angsty Fergie exudes a level of bravado that too many singers these days are scared to exhibit, but Fergie has never dropped the ball when it comes to her persona and as a result she is able to milk such sass for all she can. Like It Ain’t Nuttin’ is a surefire banger in the making, with cuss words and catchy chords that will stay on the brain for hours, weeks and months.
A Little Work is the closest Fergie will ever come to singing a ballad, setting her over the top confidence to the side for a moment to show there remains a vulnerable side. It highlights how good a serious singer Fergie remains, and that even the strongest of people still get ruined by heartbreak and family struggles. How starkly this contrasts to a song called M. I. L. F $ because Fergie isn’t going to leave her heart on show for too long. It’s a frantic tune that is this year’s Independent Woman. Fergie don’t need no man to enjoy herself!
Much of Double Dutchess is balls to the wall bravado, but with Love Is Blind you could be forgiven for instead thinking you were listening to Mysterious Girl. Whoever wronged Fergie enough for her to write an entire record centred around telling herself she’s better than said villain by vast quantities, is probably running for the hills as we speak.
I’m still unsure if Double Dutchess was worth an eleven year wait, but for the most part there are plenty of good tracks that stand out. When Fergie lets her devil may care attitude run away with her, some of her best tunes are created. This record is a cultural milestone for those still rocking to classic Fergie tunes from yesteryear, but to those who didn’t get Fergie the first time – this album is unlikely to convert any to the fun side.
