CeeLo Green made a name for himself from his work with Goodie Mob and Gnarls Barkley, but outside of the Atlanta hip-hop scene, I don’t know if he’s known as much more than a one-hit wonder as a solo artist. That's a shame because he has made a fascinating career for himself with albums and singles that showcase his buttery smooth voice and smart songwriting prowess.
His 2010 novelty single “F**k You,” made radio-friendly as “Forget You,” (although I prefer the clean version he did as “FU”) gave him a number-two hit on the Hot 100 and a Grammy. It's a clever lyric beyond the profanity and an irresistible earworm, but he wasn’t able to capitalize on that song’s success in the U.S.
That’s a shame because the album that “F**k You” came from should’ve been a modern classic. “The Lady Killer” did better in Europe than here in the States, but it deserves a comeback almost a decade and a half later.
Bookended by the James Bond pastiche “Lady Killer Theme,” the album is partially a concept album, with a couple of songs that sound like they came out of a 007 film. The theming of these songs along with the Bond-theme style composition and production make me wonder why Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson haven't come calling.
“Love Gun,” a duet with British singer Lauren Bennett, milks the ballistics-as-sex metaphor for all its worth, conveying an edgy sensuality. “Bodies” leaves you wondering whether Green’s encounter was with a Bond-girl conquest or a femme fatale with lyrics like "They say that chivalry is dead / Then why is her body in my bed? / At sunrise, the morning papers read / They found a body in my bed."
Are the papers reporting a death, or are tabloid reporters documenting the Lady Killer's rendezvous? Green leaves it to our imagination in an irresistibly racy package.
Another song doesn’t fit the Lady Killer concept, but it reflects a different sort of “lady killer.” “Cry Baby,” my absolute favorite song on the album, has Green unsurprised that he’s broken his lover’s heart. Going back and forth between addressing her and singing about her, he tells her, “I bet if you try / You could live without me” and encourages her to “build a wall around your heart.”
At the same time, he calls her a crybaby “just like all the other ones” and resigns himself, “Guess that I’m the bad guy now.” Yet in the bridge, he wrestles with what he's done: "Help me find a way / What more can I say / To you?" As heartbreaking as it sounds, the song is buoyant and upbeat (with a harmony line that I really love).
The rest of the album doesn’t touch the titular concept at all, but all the songs are tremendous. Almost every song has a retro vibe, drenched in Motown, Philly soul, and Brit-pop. “Satisfied” is a ’60-style soul romp in which Green promises to keep his girlfriend happy, while “I Want You” is a call to revive a relationship gone stale.
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“Old Fashioned” encapsulates the old-school soul feel of most of the album, while in “It’s OK,” Green laments a romance that didn’t end well. “Wildflower” soars with timeless strings and a clever metaphor. For someone who came up through the rough-and-ready world of hip-hop, Green places a premium on romance on this album — in relationships gone good and bad.
Not all of the songs sound like they’re from a time capsule. “Bright Lights, Bigger City” is a synth-driven party anthem, while “Fool for You,” probably the album’s only misstep, is unflinchingly modern, despite featuring Earth, Wind, & Fire’s Philip Bailey. Green's label released the latter as a male-female duet with a different artist, and it saw some minor success on R&B radio.
Green lovingly covers Band of Horses’ “No One’s Gonna Love You” and makes it his own, perfectly reflecting the song’s blend of pathos and optimism. In return, Band of Horses did a cover of Green’s “Georgia” with the University of Georgia Redcoat Marching Band.
After “The Lady Killer,” Green released a wonderful Christmas album, the heartfelt tribute single “Robin Williams,” the ‘80s-influenced “Heart Blanche,” and an old-school soul collaboration with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys that’s decent even if it’s a little too precious for its own good. But nothing quite reaches the heights that “The Lady Killer” did.
Nearly a decade and a half after “The Lady Killer” made its debut, it still sounds both fresh and retro. Oddly enough, the album manages to be eclectic yet cohesive. Several of the songs are still on the playlist I listen to while I’m working every week. To quote a line from “Old Fashioned,” this album is “right on time, and it’s timeless.”
Give it a spin and see why “The Lady Killer” is so much more than “F**k You.” Check it out in lossless audio on Apple Music or on Spotify.
