Album review: Jamie Foxx, Intuition

Jamie Foxx

Intuition (released December 16, 2008)

It pains me to say this, but Jamie Foxx is probably the most wasted musical talent of our generation.

Why, you ask? For a man with amazing pipes and boatloads of talent and creativity, he sure settles for mediocrity. My hopes were sky-high for his 2005 album Unpredictable, but in fact, it was VERY predictable, filled with a lot of mundane tracks about ballin’ and booty.

That’s a shame, because I’ve been down with Jamie since his often forgotten 1994 album Peep This, back when he was better known as Wanda from “In Living Color” than Ray Charles’ eerie doppelganger.

Foxx has come such a long way – from bit characters to Academy Awards – so I hold him to a higher standard than the Akons and Chris Browns of the world.

That’s why half of Intuition irks me. Remember when I mentioned in the Q-Tip review that he put a new spin on the tired musical formula? Well, Jamie sticks to the script.

Dumb song written by The-Dream (“Digital Girl”)? Check.

Song with Lil Wayne over an annoying Just Blaze beat (“Number One”)? Check.

Dreadful auto-tune T-Pain song about alcohol (“Blame It”)? Check.

Don’t forget obligatory radio single featuring T.I. (“Just Like Me”) and the Timbaland song (“I Don’t Need It”) to round things out. These two actually aren’t bad, they’re just so … typical.

Luckily, halfway through the album, Jamie slows things down and despite some clunky songwriting, he FINALLY branches out a bit. He shows off his pipes with Ne-Yo on “She Got Her Own” and “Rainman,” where he longs for a lost love, is one of the best songs he’s done to date. You might want to consider downloading that one. And “Love Brings Change” is the type of song that radio needs – hip enough for the kids yet mature enough for the old folks’ radio station.

That’s what makes Intuition frustrating. Skip the first 5 tracks and you’ll see potential for a great album. I wish Jamie took more time to buck the trend instead of falling in line. I expect more from an artist of his caliber.

Best tracks: “Rainman,” “She Got Her Own,” “Love Brings Change”

3.5 stars out of 5

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2 Comments

  1. well i havent liked Jamie since he was on In Living Color. he seems to have changed since then. and i didnt even realize he had a CD in 94.

  2. I am feeling you on this one Edd. I like Jamie and he is definitely talented. Now, I did like Unpredictable and I still listen to some songs on there from time to time. But Intuition did let me down. Hopefully it will get better.

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