Unexpected

Review

Common Sense Media says

Flirty, frothy, fun R&B is tame and teen friendly.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams throws a curve ball by following two solo gospel albums with the descriptively titled Unexpected. Lyrics are not explicit, but sexy and flirty -- and all about the love stuff.

  • Positive messages0
    It's all pretty mild, but these love songs (whether about good times or bad) hand an awful lot of power over to the beloved.
  • Violence0
    Not applicable.
  • Sex0
    Songs are flirty and sexy, not explicit. Innuendo includes "Thrilling (the way you give it)."
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What's the story?

On her third solo album, Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams is indeed UNEXPECTED. In a stylish departure from her two previous gospel CDs, she delivers her first full-length contemporary R&B album. Alternating between rhythmic dance-party tracks and romantic ballads, she goes for a sexy, flirty feel without ever getting explicit -- or particularly soulful.

Is it any good?

 

Williams' sweet, melodic voice is perfect for the material on Unexpected, though the self-important, synth-heavy instrumentation is often a bit much for her gentle delivery. The songs cover familiar and teen-friendly territory; they're all about love, relationships (both good and bad), and how it feels to be treated like a child when you think you're all grown up. The sexy bits fall safely in innuendo territory, but if you're looking for lyrics that go beyond a "you complete my life" (or "you screw up my life") kind of love song, you won't find them here.

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about "Too Young for Love," a song about a 16-year-old whose parents think she's trying to grow up too fast, and her 18-year-old boyfriend, who gives up a college scholarship to stay with her. Do you think running away together (as they do in the song) is the best solution? Can you think of other ways to handle this situation?

This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Adult
June 4, 2009
AGE
10
 
Great perfectly clean cd
This cd is great for any age kid! they will love the song with flo rida in it! its clean and fun to dance too!
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This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Artist:Michelle Williams
Release date:October 7, 2008
Label:Sony Music
Genre:Pop
Parental advisory:No
This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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