To say I was sad when I heard of Teena Marie's passing in 2010 is an understatement. It pretty much felt like someone stomped on my heart in nine-inch heels, threw it in a Crisco crackling skillet and then proceeded to take a dull weed whacker to it. Gutted and feeling pretty damn awful is what I felt considering how much Teena's music and her words meant to me. It was that old effect of music's eternal purpose at play, as even though I never got a chance to meet Lady T, I still felt like I knew her through her material, and in turn her uninhibited soul tunes played into the soundtrack of my life. To add to that soundtrack, the parade of posthumous releases have marched in, and since it's Lady T, I do welcome them. We've already been graced with First Class Love, a two-disc collection of cutting room floor cuts from Teena's tenure at Motown Records. Now, and with the help of Tee's daughter, Alia Rose, the proposed fourteenth album of Teena's, entitled Beautiful, is soon to be released. The first taste of what her Ivory Queen of Soulness was cooking up prior to her passing is the album's first single, "Luv Letter," which has a in-the-pocket groove that is pure Lady T and should appease fans loyal and new. Though "Luv Letter" makes you feel the bite of Teena Marie's passing, she comes from a place of love and being introduced to these forgotten tunes is that warm soulful hug we've always gotten from her and will continue to get as long as we keep the music playing. Beautiful will arrive January 15, 2013.
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