A masterpiece record can be enjoyed from beginning to end; set to auto-repeat and you would not even notice that you have listed to it like three times straight. Additionally, the test of time will always prove its worth. Babyface’s second album, Tender Lover, is a masterpiece and definitely a classic that should be in your collection.
Back in the day, Tender Lover got heavy rotation when youthful love come my way back in either junior high or high school. And nearly 20 years later, the vibe is still timeless. Albeit there are some nostalgia elements associated with the grooves, the true essence remains and now shine with classic designation.
Babyface is an extraordinary musician, producer, and lyricist. Tender Lover is constructed with that synthesizer, candy-coated sound that Babyface pioneered and injected in After 7, Pebbles, and others from the late 80s to early 90s, the lyrics are key winners in this record. The songs are of less bravado and more sincere expressions and provide balance to the typical male image; Babyface exposes the emotion that women want to hear about.
For 2006, use this record as a sort of soundtrack to your springtime love adventure; suspend belief and simply enjoy the various levels of love. You could use a number of these tracks in your mixtape Spring Love #1, for sure. Everyone knows the classic Whip Appeal and Soon as I Get Home.
But the importance behind that song is that if a man could pay your rent, cook your food, and then he would. Now of course it is less fantasy that the hot ass booty girl in the videos.
Babyface and Prince are located in nearby neighborhoods in terms of lyrical sexual expression and energy and challenge the notion of a typical man. How many women quiver when they hear or see either? What do women want? Strong = yes, Weak = no, Sensitive (partial).