Courtney Cooper – Waves (2018)
Damn is right when describing Courtney Cooper’s latest album Waves. It’s soulful, emotional and relaxing. She did an incredible job comparing a relationship with the ocean; it fit perfectly. The lyrics are sensual, passionate and calming. The album reads like a story where each song describes the intensity between Cooper and a lover. Passion, love, lust and the feelings of heartbreak are bundled together nicely even when pain is evident. Each song on Waves flows into each other and allows the listener to visualise the story as it plays out.
I’m not usually one who likes to listen to music that’s slow or soulful; however, after listening to this album I think I might start. While listening to the album I felt so relaxed and content. Not only was I able to feel as if I was actually at the beach; I also felt like I was able to visualise parts of an intimate relationship. I could easily imagine ocean waves and sun. The sound effects, like the sound of bubbles popping and the sound of a record scratching, made it come to life even more.
As soon as I started listening I immediately started thinking the voice sounded familiar, even though I knew it wasn’t an artist I had heard of before. At first, I thought it sounded like some of Britney Spears’ earlier work, but without the pop music aspect. My mind then jumped to Rihanna. Both Cooper and Rihanna have similar voices, the only difference being Cooper’s voice is more quiet, smoother and not as edgy in terms of lyrics.
Off the whole album, ‘Middle of the Night’ is my favourite song. It’s intimate in the best possible way. The way Cooper expresses her feelings and emotion in the song comes across like a plea for love and sweet torture; she wants love and pleasure.
‘Your fingertips on my lips got me so high. Right here with me, you should be right here by my side’. To me, Cooper is saying whenever her lover’s lips touch hers she feels like she on Cloud Nine. She’s also saying that she wants him to be with her forever and never leave her.
Another favourite song of mine is ‘Only Love’. Unlike the rest of the album, this song is about loving love. It sounds like a breakup after finding them cheating or that you have been cheated on. It’s you telling your lover that they just shattered your heart into a million pieces. The emotions are high and you feel betrayed like you can’t trust them.
Overall, I really enjoyed this album. I was able to listen to a style of music that is outside my normal go-to genre. From Courtney’s voice to the lyrics and music, I enjoyed feeling like I was able to relax.
Waves isn’t Courtney Cooper’s only album available, she also has an album called The Light which came out in 2015. In addition to her albums, Cooper has released singles from these albums entitled ‘Paradise’, ‘Damn’, ‘Vibes’, ‘Cosmos’ and ‘Only Love’. All albums and singles are available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.
