Like Mavis Staples and Bettye LaVette, Candi Staton has enjoyed the fruits of being rediscovered by a younger generation of musicians, and gaining a new audience. To be fair, gay men helped give Staton a career boost in the 1970s when her disco singles "Victim" and "Young Hearts Run Free" were spun regularly by DJs in gay clubs. There are no especially clubby cuts on Life Happens (Beracah/Fame), but there are heartfelt soul tunes delivered in Staton's distinctive vocal style sure to appeal to fans from all over. Standout numbers include "Commitment," "I Ain't Easy to Love" (featuring John Paul White, formerly of The Civil Wars, and Jason Isbell of Drive-By Truckers), the musical lesson of "She's After Your Man," "My Heart's on Empty" and the bonus track "Where I'm At."
Jennifer Hudson could be one of the great dance divas of her generation. Well aware of and grateful to her LGBT fans, her JHUD (RCA) album was intended to be the disc to earn her rightful disco-diva crown. The disc, featuring strong songs such as the R. Kelly duet "It's Your World," the booty-bumping "I Can't Describe" featuring T.I., and the retro disco of "I Still Love You," could have used more tunes like these, and fewer like "He Ain't Going Nowhere," featuring the ubiquitous Iggy Azalea, and the safe "Dangerous."
Here's the irony. Modern soul diva Mary J. Blige, who has never really positioned herself as a dance artist, has some excellent dance tracks on her new album The London Sessions (Capitol), on which she collaborated with gay blue-eyed soul Brit Sam Smith, hot dance duo Disclosure and others. "My Loving," "Nobody But You" and even the funky "Right Now" qualify as damn fine tracks, elevating Blige to disco-diva status. Album-closer "Worth My Time" has all of the drama and fierceness we've come to experience from Blige and then some. Welcome to the nightclub, Miss Mary.
"Reality" TV star K. Michelle can sing. There's no disputing that fact with her second album Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart? (Atlantic). Just listen to ballads "Cry" and "How Do You Know?" for verification. Right before things start to get a little monotonous, seven songs in, Michelle wisely throws in some variation with the exceptional "Something About the Night." "Drake Would Love Me" is an unintentionally amusing power-ballad title, and the urban twang of "God I Get It," with its pedal-steel guitar, has the potential to be a hit with the Nashville crowd.
With the exception of a "Cherish/Monday Monday" medley, the songs on the expanded CD reissue of Life Goes On (Real Gone/RCA/Sony/SoulMusic), the second album by 70s soul trio Faith, Hope & Charity (Brenda Hilliard, Albert Bailey and Diane Destry), were written by disco godfather Van McCoy, who also produced the disc. Originally released in 1976, Life Goes On has that distinctive pre-disco breakout sound, heard most clearly on the title track and "Positive Thinking" (reminiscent of songs by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band). The four bonus tracks consist of 12" versions of the title cut, "You're My Peace of Mind," "Gradually" and "Positive Thinking."
Goapele deserves a gold star for making the best use of rapper Snoop Dogg in a song. Usually, a rapper's presence in a song comes across as a disruption that should be discouraged. On the track "Hey Boy" from Goapele's Strong As Glass (Skyblaze/BMG), Snoop Dogg is actually a pleasant distraction who adds to the enjoyment instead of detracting from it. Other strong tracks include "What in the World," "Some Call It Love" and "Powerful."