Mandisa CD Review: The Perfect Pick-Me-Up

I like a lot of today’s pop music, but sometimes I just need to listen to something a little more positive that will just make me smile. And there’s no better music for those times than the music of Mandisa.

Mandisa’s latest, “What If We Were Real,” is her best effort yet as she tries on some new music styles, like rock and what I can only describe as funk. But she never gives up her Christian messages of hope and faith and allowing God to work in our lives. And both new styles fit her like a glove and fit in perfectly with her beautiful ballads and empowerment anthems.

The CD delivers from the very first note and never lets up. The first single, “Stronger,” is a perfect opener with its fun chorus and message of hope to which all of us can relate. The title track finds Mandisa seriously channeling some funky attitude, but it works great. “The Truth About Me” is as smooth of a ballad as I think I’ve ever heard. “Say Goodbye” has a great R&B flow with perfect lyrics. And I love a dramatic ballad and “Just Cry” fills the bill in both sound and story.

If you know someone who is going through a difficult time and could use a little pick-me-up, I strongly suggest giving them a copy of “What If We Were Real.”

But I also suggest it for anyone who likes good music from a great singer. “Real” hits stores exactly five years to the day Mandisa was eliminated from Season 5 of “American Idol.” She has come such a long way in those five years and has truly turned into the singer and performer I always knew she could be.

“What If We Were Real” hits stores and online outlets Tuesday, April 5th.

Photo Credit: EMI Music/Sparrow Records