Review: Emily Estefan – Take Whatever You Want

It’s pretty awesome when the children of legendary artists follow in their parents’ footsteps, emerging from the shadow of a notable mom or pop to forge their own path to stardom. Of course the illustrious Estefan name precedes her, but when Emily Estefan steps onto the stage, surely there are no bigger fans nor supporters than her iconic parents Gloria and Emilio. To tell the truth, Emily was groomed for this, being at her mom’s side throughout half of her career, though born after the early success of Gloria’s hits “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” and “Turn The Beat Around”. Yet, there is even more to be proud of for the Estefan family considering the work and dedication that Emily has put into her skill and craft as a vocalist, musician, and songwriter. Formally educated at Berklee College of Music, Emily complemented her showbiz foundation with academic musical training. This undoubtedly equipped her to not only write, produce and sing each song on her debut album, Take Whatever You Want, but also, more impressively, play just about every instrument you hear on the record (excluding the horns). Given her musical DNA and heritage, it is good to see that hard work, diligence and dedication pays off despite what some may consider a given, regarding the success that awaits a second generation artist of her ilk.

The album opens and closes with one of the singles “Ask Me To” / “Si Lo Pides Tu”, the English and Spanish versions of an emotional ballad reflecting certain defining life moments that occur between the ebbs and flows of adolescence into adulthood. “Reigns (Every Night)”, another single, channels a mid ‘90s pop breakbeat and groove that, while sounding just a bit dated, makes up with sweet harmonies in the bridge and rounds out with a horn-filled chorus. There’s nothing subtle about the lead single, “Fuck To Be”, an explicit, in your face message of nonconformity and bucking societal expectations. The funky quick-tempoed track is packed with a strong lyrical message, and is underscored by guitar and horn solos under Estefan’s raspy scat-layered background vocals. “It’s Okay” has doo-wop sensibility, and comes across as a definite Broadway hit if nothing else. This is far from surprising given the success of Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s biographical Broadway production, On Your Feet!, for which Emily contributed original music.

“Dream Catcher” and “Drink Me In” are ambitious songs for Emily, at least in terms of vocal range, but come across as strong instrumental additions to the project showing the variety of her writing style, as well as her skill for instrumentation. “Undone” is a short, stripped-down jazzy number with Estefan’s vocals simply accompanied by acoustic guitar, yet “Take 5” is the exact opposite with its boisterous layers of instruments to create the soundscape. What is completely unexpected are the cameo sound bites by Hillary Clinton and Queen Latifah that rise above the cacophony into a call for women’s rights and liberation, human rights and the genuine beauty that is found in global womanhood. One of the strongest songs presented is “Whatever You Want” where Emily finds the perfect balance between her vocal capabilities, her musicianship, and as a lyricist. There is something about this chorus, more than any other chorus on the album, that reads as an authentic representation of Emily Estefan, the vulnerable artist who writes for the sake of telling her distinct story. While not every song on the album is a bona fide hit, the project is to be well-respected as an independent artful and expressive debut that could stand on its own without the Estefan brand behind it. Whatever comes of her career, with this type of talent, she definitely will have earned it.

 
Written by Mai Perkins

Originally from Los Angeles, Mai Perkins is living a genuine bona fide love affair with NYC and the music that keeps its spirit moving. While spending the majority of the last decade in Brooklyn, many of her adventures around the globe are documented on her blog: Mai On The Move! www.MaiOnTheMove.com

 
Author’s rating for Take Whatever You Want

Pop Magazine’s official rating for Take Whatever You Want

Rating key
MASTERPIECE a must-have
SUPERB for heavy rotation
EXCELLENT a great achievement
VERY GOOD a respectable result
GOOD worth checking out
FAIR an average outcome
WEAK not convincing stuff
BAD an underwhelming effort
VERY BAD quite a waste
FAIL a total failure