Teedra Moses

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What do people think of her? I've been listening to some of her tracks a lot lately, but I'm not sure if I love her or just find her intriguing. She's got a bit of that old-skool post-Kanye soul feel a la Amerie, but at times also has a late 80s/early 90s frostiness which is quite distinct - even, "Doin You", a more "modern" track, makes me think of something like Janet's "Miss You Much" as much as it does post-Timbaland stuff. Anyway, it's all really good, no matter what the style everything is really swirly and sparkly and sumptuous. Teedra's voice is a bit like Amerie and Beyonce mixed together, only with an endearing roughness around the edges.

Over to you...

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 8 October 2004 03:33 (twenty years ago)

all I've heard is "Be Your Girl", but I like it, mostly for the weird contrast between the dusty-sounding piano chords and the crisp drums and blippy sound effects.

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 8 October 2004 03:47 (twenty years ago)

I love this record and if PopMatters would ever post my freakin' review I'd link to it. Paul Poli is doing weird subtle things with production; I actually like his work on this record better than the two guest producers' stuff...and they're Ray-Ray Wiggins and Lil' Jon!

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Friday, 8 October 2004 03:50 (twenty years ago)

Al, check out the album's title track "Complex Simplicity" and "Still In Love".

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 8 October 2004 03:51 (twenty years ago)

Actually I think my favourite is "For A Lifetime" - stunning!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 8 October 2004 04:20 (twenty years ago)

"something bout your backstroke"

and don't tell me that jadakiss rap isn't hot on "you'll never find," he undercuts the song and then his own argument!

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Friday, 8 October 2004 04:21 (twenty years ago)

Wow I hadn't heard "Backstroke" - it's amazing!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 8 October 2004 04:40 (twenty years ago)

Sounds great - but then I'm sad enough to track down anybody who even vaguely sounds like "Miss You Much".

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Friday, 8 October 2004 05:18 (twenty years ago)

I should probably be careful not to overstate that influence - it was an example off the top of my head. But download "Backstroke" or "For A Lifetime" and see what you think.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 8 October 2004 15:01 (twenty years ago)

"For A Lifetime" really is the most amazing thing in the universe. Plus I feel like it vindicates my hard-to-explain fondness for Mis-Teeq's "Strawberrez". Plus "Complex Simplicity" is one of the most joyful bittersweet songs I've heard in ages, like an anthemic R&B version of Basement Jaxx's "All I Know", only actually *more* Prince.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 13:42 (twenty years ago)

http://popmatters.com/music/reviews/m/mosesteedra-complex.shtml

― Gone, Tuesday, 19 October 2004 13:54 (twenty years ago)

That review is fantastic Matt - totally captured my feelings re the album. There are a few weak tracks, and sometimes with the songs I love I'm not even sure why I love them so much, but Teedra is just so, so fantastic that it's hard to keep track of criticisms. The album reminds me of Southern Hummingbird - by no means a perfect album but a very powerful one.

Everyone should get this album.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:03 (twenty years ago)

Matt's pal Julianne Shepherd wrote about her on her blog on the 14th over at urbanhonking.com/cowboyz/

― steve-k, Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:07 (twenty years ago)

I didn't get too far on my listens, Tim and now I'm back in Ghana, I won't have more than a "not bad" to say for 2 months.

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 14:29 (twenty years ago)

That is what I thought initially also.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 23:05 (twenty years ago)

"I didn't get too far on my listens, Tim and now I'm back in Ghana, I won't have more than a "not bad" to say for 2 months."

Ever go to "Independence Splash" every year March on the beach outside Accra, B.A.R.M.S.?

― Thea (Thea), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 23:10 (twenty years ago)

Nope. Public Ghana gatherings unnerve me. Like funerals, political rallies and weddings.

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 12:57 (twenty years ago)

And where were you when I was doing the Ghana threads on ILE?

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 12:58 (twenty years ago)

This just topped the new Rahsaan Patterson as my favorite R&B record of the year.

― Andy K (Andy K), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 13:10 (twenty years ago)

"This just topped the new Rahsaan Patterson as my favorite R&B record of the year."

Yay Andy!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 22:16 (twenty years ago)

only heard a couple songs so far, but the album could indeed be *very* good. does "last day" actually sample boards of canada or is that just a similar sound? (if it is a sample, i think it'd be from "an eagle in your mind")(if i'm even remembering that right)

― m. (mitchlnw), Sunday, 31 October 2004 14:31 (twenty years ago)

Can't remember the sound you're referring to offhand, but yeah I love "Last Day". "For A Lifetime" is my favourite in terms of cool sonix though.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Sunday, 31 October 2004 21:39 (twenty years ago)

Thanks for mentioning this on the "undermentioned 2004 records" thread, Tim. The mix of late 80s top 40 RnB and Timbaland's Aaliyah production is pretty striking, especially on "Backstroke".

― C0L1N B3CK3TT (Colin Beckett), Monday, 1 November 2004 01:18 (twenty years ago)

That sounds just like Kiley's 'As Days Go By'. That's a good thing.

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Monday, 1 November 2004 11:09 (twenty years ago)

I think I would love Teedra if only for "Complex Simplicity" the song. It's one of the most... generous songs I've heard in ages. I want the Fantasia album to be like this.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 2 November 2004 14:56 (twenty years ago)

I am currently hunting around the internet to see where I can get this as cheaply as possible.

― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 2 November 2004 15:02 (twenty years ago)

I just realised that the vague ill-defined 80ishness of some of the tracks may be due to the fact that they sound like they were recorded using a Fairlight. At times i'm reminded of The Sensual World!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 2 November 2004 15:07 (twenty years ago)

I love the fact that there are TWO different songs on the album that have the same theme as the song "1999". I will also append my brother's comment, upon seeing her picture in the CD booklet: "Fuck, she's hot."

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 2 November 2004 15:16 (twenty years ago)

And they're two of the best songs! I think she (or whoever writes most of her stuff) is a fantastic lyricist.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 2 November 2004 15:22 (twenty years ago)

she's the lyricist, she's been doing writing for other people for a few years!

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 2 November 2004 15:29 (twenty years ago)

What else has she written?

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 2 November 2004 15:30 (twenty years ago)

I forget, it was in the press packet. I'll look it up and get back to you.

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 2 November 2004 16:05 (twenty years ago)

Oh, yeah: she co-wrote Christina Milian's "Dip It Low"!

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 2 November 2004 16:07 (twenty years ago)

REALLY?! Wow.

― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 2 November 2004 16:10 (twenty years ago)

I was listening to this for the first time while flipping through some old photos and I really wanted to cry.
[/emo djdee]

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Monday, 8 November 2004 09:03 (twenty years ago)

Another great album discovered via ILX.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Monday, 8 November 2004 20:59 (twenty years ago)

I found this one thru Hua Hsu's blog but might as well have gotten it from ILM since Finny's posting kept reminding me to check it out...thank god he did! Its a really weird album isn't it?

Tim, what do you think of the Lil Jon track? I like that he's continued working outside his popular template on the downlow. I don't know how i feel about the track though.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Monday, 8 November 2004 22:17 (twenty years ago)

It's an odd track both for being Lil Jon and not sounding like what you'd expect, and for coming right after the two most classicist slow jam tracks on the album. I like it, but more for Teedra's performance than the groove - when she says "I damn near slapped her face" and "I may never, may never, may never, may never, may never wanna deal with this again" - lovely moments! She has a great intuitive sense for how to phrase a vocal.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 8 November 2004 22:42 (twenty years ago)

Has anyone noticed the shoddy production that opens "You Better Tell Her?" It's on my promo copy and the MP3 that I downloaded to make sure my ears weren't crazy -- a sort of wooshing, poorly-burned-CD sound that creates really nasty polyrhythms. WTF? Otherwise, that track's my favorite on the record -- Lil Jon really knows how to treat the ladies.

― Rich (Rich), Monday, 8 November 2004 23:27 (twenty years ago)

Yeah that's on my copy too but I assumed that it was the MP3 rip.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 8 November 2004 23:32 (twenty years ago)

Mine as well

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Monday, 8 November 2004 23:45 (twenty years ago)

I think "Be Your Girl" has the same piano sample as "One on One" by Nas and Large Professor. Its a great mournful piano trick.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 07:00 (twenty years ago)

It's an odd choice for a single, for sure

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 07:18 (twenty years ago)

I got this album a month ago for $7. I knew when I saw the gorgeous video for "Be Your Girl" that the album was gonna be just as hot. "Last Day" and "Be Your Girl" are pure ear candy.

― kevin says relax (daddy warbuxx), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 07:51 (twenty years ago)

More thoughts here, though it's hard to top Matt who nailed it so damn perfectly on his article linked above.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Saturday, 13 November 2004 10:32 (twenty years ago)

(hey nice to see skykicking back up again tim)

― jones (actual), Saturday, 13 November 2004 18:37 (twenty years ago)

I love the way the title track celebrates dancing and drinking and getting your party on while sounding a million miles from a song you'd dance, drink and get your party on to.

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 15 November 2004 14:53 (twenty years ago)

I still haven't marshalled my thoughts about this fucking amazing work into any semblance of order yet, but "Caution" needs to be mentioned, especially that wonderful image of 'red hot scowling'. Teedra's voice has this unbelievable clarity to it.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 10:09 (twenty years ago)

I'm glad you like it Alex.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 10:30 (twenty years ago)

"Teedra's voice has this unbelievable clarity to it."

Yeah this is spot on. It combines with her unusually vivid and visual lyrics to make her songs seem very filmic; and then Paul Poli's production is so frequently cinematic. My favourite line may still be the one that Matt quotes in his article from "Backstroke": "picture me in one of those two-seater things, top down so thoughts of you are in the breeze, and the wind, and the wind, and the wind is in my hair..."

But I also love the opening lines in "For A Lifetime": "you give and you give, but you never seem to get back in return/what you give, till your heart's a thirsty third-degree burns."

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 10:56 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 181 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

something i didnt know wot i only learned today: according to wiki ne-yo "...helped with the musical arrangement on the Teedra Moses debut Complex Simplicity."

cool huh

― rtccc (mwah), Sunday, 27 August 2006 20:14 (5 years ago) Bookmark

probably already said all of that sometime upthread but hey, ilm baby

― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 13:51 (8 hours ago) Bookmark

― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:07 (thirteen years ago)

and now ne-yo is making singles "featuring calvin harris" :(

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:08 (thirteen years ago)

Is that Teairra Marí album any good? Really liking that song.

― Evan R, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:25 (thirteen years ago)

yes, i love it. ice cold and hard-ass

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:29 (thirteen years ago)

brittle screwface

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:29 (thirteen years ago)

gulp

um guys i just tried putting complex simplicity on, yknow like we all do once a year

and uh my brain is all is this katy b? idk man, sounds a lot like katy b

this is shaking me to my core

― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:30 (thirteen years ago)

it's katy b.

― TALiB KWELi SODMG (The Reverend), Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:31 (thirteen years ago)

yah but stick 'caution' on tho

― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:33 (thirteen years ago)

Thanks, Lex; checking it out right now.

And I think I've said this before, but I'm pretty sure Katy B is not a thing that exists in America.

― Evan R, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:33 (thirteen years ago)

haha well katy's been going on about what a genius teedra is since forever! so i have had these thoughts. it's more apparent in the songwriting, you know that deceptively casual way of phrasing something then dropping a really startlingly poetic image in the middle of it, than the singing

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:33 (thirteen years ago)

I'm pretty sure Katy B is not a thing that exists in America.

it took a while but lots of US journalists started talking about her last year.

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:34 (thirteen years ago)

I've heard "Lights On" on US radio.

― TALiB KWELi SODMG (The Reverend), Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:40 (thirteen years ago)

oh wow so she has

ULTIMATE CULT HEROES
5. TEEDRA MOSES
Chosen by: Katy B
When I was about 15 my friend’s dad was always in touch with new soul records. He put his daughter onto Teedra Moses and we rinsed the life out of ‘Complex Simplicity’. She’s been out of the loop since her record label went bust, and has been writing for other artists and releasing mixtapes. But you know what? I want a new album, Teedra!

― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:42 (thirteen years ago)

they're singing does seems similar though in that they both have a remarkable clarity in their voices

― prolego, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:42 (thirteen years ago)

^ yes. it's also true what lex said about the songwriting but you can also hear little moments where the capabilities of their voices converge and theyre just alike

seems very obviously an album katy has been karaokeing since forever

― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:45 (thirteen years ago)

Yeah but Katy B is a boring, middle of the road Noxzema girl pop singer, while Teedra Moses is, you know, interesting and talented

― Evan R, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:46 (thirteen years ago)

do i have to break out snoop.gif for the second time today?

― TALiB KWELi SODMG (The Reverend), Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:47 (thirteen years ago)

yeah guess she can't push the envelope to its very bleeding edge like miguel does every single time huh

― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:49 (thirteen years ago)

i was just about to type almost exactly that sentence except with grimes, though miguel works too

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:51 (thirteen years ago)

hahaha, ok, I'll back down from the Katy B bashing. I shouldn't try to troll too hard about an artist I clearly don't understand (and probably wasn't meant to understand) anyway.

― Evan R, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:53 (thirteen years ago)

miguel is amazing tho. please leave the playing yourselves to evan.

― TALiB KWELi SODMG (The Reverend), Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:54 (thirteen years ago)

girl u know i love miguel, doesnt change the fact that what evan said about him was snoopgif-worthy

― r|t|c, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:57 (thirteen years ago)

yeah, I would hate to see my precious miguel/grimes get caught in the crossfire because of my own impudence... snoop.gif me, but let the music go free

― Evan R, Wednesday, 4 April 2012 21:59 (thirteen years ago)

That Teairra Marí album is really nice; definitely going to order one of the $0.24 used copies of it from Amazon

― Evan R, Thursday, 5 April 2012 05:27 (thirteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

all im listening is teedra is the last days, she's so important in my life

― moullet, Thursday, 19 April 2012 19:43 (thirteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mUGnjdUgUw

― r|t|c, Friday, 20 April 2012 11:12 (thirteen years ago)

that voice. she could sing me titchyschneider posts and i'd be in heaven

― r|t|c, Friday, 20 April 2012 11:17 (thirteen years ago)

IRL lols.

― Tim F, Friday, 20 April 2012 11:42 (thirteen years ago)

hahaha

― hologram ned raggett (The Reverend), Friday, 20 April 2012 16:21 (thirteen years ago)

but could she sing you dog latin posts

― liberté, égalité, beyoncé (lex pretend), Friday, 20 April 2012 16:23 (thirteen years ago)

one month passes...

1) Teedra UK live dates in September!
2) Teedra and Katy B love-in on Twitter! <3 <3 <3 <3

― liberté, égalité, beyoncé (lex pretend), Tuesday, 22 May 2012 09:40 (thirteen years ago)

ten months pass...

in case you forgot Siik was the man

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xvF5JygKB0

― sandra dayo connor (The Reverend), Monday, 8 April 2013 04:02 (twelve years ago)

eight months pass...

Teedra Moses
‪#‎cognacNconversations‬ Ep in 2014 modern classics

Like · · Share · 7461 · 38 minutes ago ·

― lex pretend, Monday, 30 December 2013 18:54 (eleven years ago)

two months pass...

new song, on the same sample as that one brooke valentine one https://soundcloud.com/teedramoses/all-i-ever-wanted

she was amazing at koko last night btw

― lex pretend, Friday, 28 February 2014 14:04 (eleven years ago)

one year passes...

wait the album actually appears to be ON ITS WAY and out 23 june

http://www.thisisrnb.com/2015/04/new-music-teedra-moses-get-it-right/

lead single is nice

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 6 May 2015 07:40 (ten years ago)

!!!!!!!!

― Tim F, Wednesday, 6 May 2015 08:06 (ten years ago)

They're calling her Friday May 8 show in DC an album release gig

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 6 May 2015 13:44 (ten years ago)

two months pass...

album will be out 7 aug

it is really lovely

― lex pretend, Monday, 20 July 2015 21:25 (ten years ago)

thanks

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 23 July 2015 14:57 (ten years ago)

four months pass...

she just posted a new mixtape: https://soundcloud.com/teedramoses/sets/clairvoyant-the-mixtape

― How to Destroy How to Dress Well (lou), Friday, 18 December 2015 07:49 (nine years ago)

Waaaaait. How did I miss that she put out a new album?!

― Some Pizza Grudge From Twenty Years Ago (Old Lunch), Friday, 18 December 2015 13:48 (nine years ago)

three months pass...

Waaaaait. How did I forget that I missed that she put out a new album?!

And how do I always forget how amazing Complex Simplicity is?

― My Whole Existence Is Flan (Old Lunch), Thursday, 7 April 2016 17:40 (nine years ago)

three years pass...

15th anniversary edition of Complex Simplicity is out, with some added tracks. It’s on Spotify as well, from where the original album has been absent for a long time, at least where I live.
https://ratedrnb.com/2019/09/teedra-moses-releases-15th-anniversary-edition-of-complex-simplicity/

She’s doing a tour in the US right now and will also be doing a couple of shows in the UK in February.

― breastcrawl, Sunday, 29 September 2019 10:03 (five years ago)

one year passes...

honestly found it hard to get enthusiastic about most of her post-complex simplicity material but "make me" appeared in my release radar this morning and sounds great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKtUAiQwO_g

― monotony, Friday, 7 May 2021 00:05 (four years ago)

one year passes...

Is it possible for one of the OG teedra fans to please re-up her "young hustla vol 1-3" series? I've been looking online forever, all the links are decayed. I'd appreciate it.

― Ibadan, Tuesday, 10 January 2023 02:51 (two years ago)

one year passes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-BNO1eDsh0

her vocals are fucking i n c r e d i b l e in this video

― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 24 October 2024 17:17 (ten months ago)

Yep.

She’s got some US east coast gigs happening I see

https://teedramoses.com/pages/shows

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 24 October 2024 18:01 (ten months ago)

one month passes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQTErSrzC64

this was so fantastic

― monotony, Wednesday, 4 December 2024 01:22 (nine months ago)

Yes and bummed I missed her 20th anniversary of her album celebration gig here near me

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 4 December 2024 17:15 (nine months ago)

xp <3

― +subtle (gaudio), Wednesday, 4 December 2024 20:05 (nine months ago)

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