1) Soulstar feat. DJ Aktive & Carol Riddick - Great start to the album. This guy has beats that just demand your attention, especially on this song. It's kind of an intro / warm up song, but it's definitely hot.

2) Youloveme - Okay, this song is far from wack, but I can't find a word to describe it. I know....the word is "skippable". It's typical Musiq, I'm assuming that when most people buy music, they want to hear progression....there was none here.

3) Womanopoly - Nice beat, nice vocals, nice content. I like how he uses the Monopoly game to go from topic to topic on this song.

4) Forthenight feat. AAries - The lead single. You've probably heard it already. But it's one of those feel good songs and it's probably one of the best songs on the album despite its shallow content.

5) Infatueighties - I love the beat to this song. Another feel good song. But, like a good 80% of the album, it's about relationships.

6) Whoknows - This song has a familiar effect. Kind of like "Love" had on the first album. Not as stong as the afforementioned song, but it's still a very strong song.

7) Babymother - I wasn't really feeling this song at first, but the topic was strong and the beat was nice.

8) Missyou - I won't tab this song a "brick", but he came really, really, really, really, really, really close. Mr. Chronic Man must've laced their sack with something else that night before they made this.

9) Momentinlife feat. Kindred The Family Soul & Cee Lo - In my opinion, this is the best song on the album. The beat is hot, the guests shine bright, and Musiq does his thing. Cee Lo sings this song better than any song on his own album.....go figure.

10) Thereason - Tight song. Musiq gives props to the people that helped him get to where he is. The beat is nice too.

11) Dontstop feat. Bilal - Not a bad song, but it's one of the few skippable songs on this album. The beat is hot though. I'd give the song a 7 on a scale of 1 - 10.

12) Her - Nice beat, nice vocals, but the content is so so. Again, he's singing about a woman.

13) Whereareyougoing - This song has an old school feel to it, but it's not boring. It's a mood song though. If you're not in the mood, you'll skip it.

14) Romancipation - Not a bad song, but it sounds like typical Musiq. It's a skippable song.

15) Givemorelove / Leaveamessage(Bonus Track) - Givemorelove is a great song, but Leaveamessage is kind of boring. It's not bad, but definitely skippable. The beat flips throughout the song though, and that keeps things interesting.

Overall, the CD is a nice progression from his last album. Hey strays away from the "Aijuswannasing / Juslisen" formula on this album. But I mean that in a good way. If he keeps selling the same product, won't you eventually get tired of him? He went a different direction and managed to keep it fresh. Ya gotta switch things up sometimes, and he did just that. 4 stars for the soulstar.


Musiq on Cruise Control.   December 15, 2003
The Groove (Boston, MA)
14 out of 16 found this review helpful

The birth of so-called "neo soul" was a fresh alternative from much of cliched modern r&b. Artists like Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, and Maxwell helped changed the way we listen to music by fusing innovative beats with flashes of 1970s old school soul. It worked for the first few years before the genre started to get lazy creatively. Musiq (hold the Soulchild) has put out a string of solid singles, but he's been criticized by some for using the boho look for credibility. I, for one, have been able to give Musiq the benefit of the doubt and actually found his last two records (particularly the first) reasonably good, if hardly earth-shattering. But on his third album "Soulstar," some of the magic is missing and much of the freshness is gone. Listening to this record is like eating a loaf of French bread a couple days old: it's still edible but somewhat stale. No doubt, the material is listenable and enjoyable; you won't be hitting the "stop" button on nice cuts like the title track, "Womanopoly," and the title-says-it-all ballad "Babymother." Paradoxically, "Soulstar"'s best track is one Musiq didn't even write: a street smart re-working of the Rolling Stones classic "Miss You." But while much of the album is decent, we find Musiq wearing his influences on his sleeve all too openly. Until he comes into his own and drops the Stevie Wonderisms, Musiq may someday record an album that's great instead of one that's merely okay.


Definition of a Soulstar...   October 28, 2005
J. Mccray (Phila,PA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

To be able to appreciate this album you have to appreciate, originality,soul,good music and of course Musiq. Soulstar is my favorite album of the three which is a hard decision to make. Soulstar is Musiq doing what Musiq loves, making music. It's and experimentation of sound and lyrical content. Introducing you to the third cd is "Soulstar", laced with the smooth and haunting vocals of Carol Riddick Musiq get's your heart pumping. He then pulls you in with "You Love Me", a cocky yet cute track that makes you wanna dance and you actually find yourself saying, "Yes, I do love you". The highlights of Soulstar are without a doubt, "Miss You" a remake of the Rolling Stones hit which he does more than to, "Who Knows", "The Reason" and radio smash hit "Forthenight". It's a must have for anyone with a a passion for good music. Over 70 mintues of pure entertainment worth more than the cost.

peace - jm


All Eyez On Musiq - Soulstar   January 12, 2004
Brutha2TheNight (Brooklyn, NY)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

Once in a while an album comes along where not only can u enjoy it from front 2 back, but in the process, it touches your soul. A body of work so powerful and true 2 itself that it affects your current perception on what quality music should be and sets a standard 4 artistry that just can't be duplicated. Musiq's latest effort (or should I say, "accomplishment") is a collection of 15 separate moments in soul in which he bends his tradition of soulful sounds without breaking it. "Soulstar" is what u get if u put Aijuswannseing and Juslisen in a blender with fried chicken, sweet potatoes, collard greens, biscuits, candied yams and catfish. That's just how much soul this album delivers.

The 1st song that may grab your attention, if not 4 it's sheer creativity but it's captivating lyrics is "womanopoly". It's the story of a young, ambitious sista moving on up 2 Park Place while trying 2 avoid "Chance" and hold on to a share of the "Community Chest" while attempting 2 avoid all the pitfalls in this sometimes cruel game of life.
On the beautiful ballad "whoknows", Musiq embraces the vulnerability and uncertainty that accompanies the start of a new relationship as well as the infinite possibilities of one.
"Thereason" is an introspective look back on his ongoing relationship with his first love that is music and challenges the listeners 2 see that he's actually singing 2 music...not a woman which is typically the 1st thought.
On "babymother", Musiq bluntly travels down the road of unplanned and unexpected parenthood and the decisions, fear and confusion that many can relate 2 that come along 4 the ride.

Soulstar is not simply just an album. It's an experience. It's a journey through soul with stops @ funk, jazz and rhythm and blues along the way.
Although it was a late entry among a ton of other quality albums released in 2003, without confining it 2 any specific genre, Soulstar gets my vote 4 album of the year and I'm sure his light will continue 2 shine on the world.


These other people are buggin...   January 29, 2006
Neon Brown (New York)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I don't know why these people on this page are hating on this album so much. I can listen to it straight through, over and over again. The tempo, mood, and topics change throughout. I actually enjoy this album more than his previous two. I'm surprised there were no "hits" on this album. But if you need to hear "hits" on the radio in order to think something is a valuable piece of music, you don't deserve to be writing reviews. Standout tracks to me are "thereason", "forthenight", and the disc opener: "soulstar". I'm not even joking, I am listening to this album as I type this. I can't wait to hear Musiq's next album.