Mixerr Album Reviews #41

This is Michael Mixerr. I will doing a review on Gina Thompson's semi-official album If Only You Knew.


Missy never gave Gina Thompson a chance while she was under her wing at Goldmind. Elektra and Goldmind never really played her videos and didn't really put much effort as to pumping up a bunch of money into If Only You Knew album.


I will try to give you a rundown of each track. The introduction is very good. It has great vocals  as well as the lyrics. I wasn't really feeling Take My Number Down. I couldn't stand the raspy voice in the background vocals. Ladies Anthem has a really great beat! Her voice is really great on it! Calling U is a very soothing song. This one is a standout track! Ya Di Ya was her first single featuring Missy Elliott. The music video could have been improved with a little more money. Not her fault. Elektra and WMG were on the verge of going bankrupt around 1999-2001. This one is a standout track! You Can't Play Me has a very erotic-sounding beat to a slow and mellow attitude-packed track. Which I think is done very nicely!  It does sounds very lot alike Monica's "So Gone" to me. (Maybe she sampled it. I don't know.)


Anyway, this one is a standout track! It Hurts, the song to me, seems to sample Toni Braxton/Deborah Cox ballad Nobody's Supposed To Be Here. (Maybe she sampled it. I don't know.) The gospel interlude has a real church vibe to it. Caught Up is sort of my favorite song (I can't decide), although it the hook will stick in you head for days on end. Coolin' Out was a song I wasn't really feeling. Turn Around would have been great for a third single and a music video! It features Lil Mo in the background. Up All Night is a romantic song featuring Jon B. This one is a standout track! Don't Take Your Love Away is another love ballad. The outro was OK.


This album wasn't promoted enough because it wouldn't sell very well.  None of the singles charted. That's why. Elektra did the right thing. You can see the maturity from her first album, Nobody Does It Better, to her second (this one). This is one of those albums where its better to buy the singles instead of the whole album. That's what did 10 years ago when CD singles were still popular. (Along with cassette singles, but those were dying out.) But I understand the fans were upset with Elektra. I get it. The fans say Elektra lost a star.


As you may know, I never did like Gina Thompson that much. (Don't take it personally.) The only songs I liked from her were Why Do Fool Fall In Love, The Things That You Do, Nobody Does It Better, Strung Out, Freak On, Ya Di Ya, Caught Up, Calling U, Up All Night, and Turn Around. I know some of her lyrics are laid back. Anyway, I really didn't like this album all that much. Only 5 tracks being Ya Di Ya, Caught Up, Calling U, Up All Night, and Turn Around. Again, this is one of those albums where it's better to buy the singles instead of the whole album. That's what did 10 years ago when CD singles were still popular. (Along with cassette singles, but those were dying out.)


I rate this album, If Only You Knew, 3/5***.