In every way - better looking and easier to listen to. The material Prince has for her is better than Milk and Honey. If Prince is ever going to make a female pop star (it seems that is what he is trying to do), Bria is it. That video with her driving the Caddy on the coast is hypnotic.

Tamar was a decent, if not unique voice. Prince would never venture to throw a song like Redheaded StepChild at a no-talent like Bria.
Bria's album is so tepid and uninspired, and her voice so utterly forgettable, she makes Kylie Minogue sound like Aretha Franklin. Her voice is 'easy listening' pleasant, but bundling that boring ass album with Prince's best efforts in years, MPLSound & Lotusflow3r, is like serving a stale cracker along side a steak dinner.
[Edited 3/26/09 5:58am]

I like Bria, probably a bit naughty but i wanted to listen to Elixer more than the other 2 albums!

Like her!

Something you already no!

nastyarse said:

MMMMM steak dinner yummm

OK, odd question.....

Is she cross-eyed?

....She kinda looks it on the cover. (Have another look if you don't believe me!)

Bria's album got released - with 2 Prince album, no less - while Tamar's did not. That says it all as far as I am concerned. You dont even see her now.She got multiple nationally televisioned shots with Prince and then fell off the earth. Maybe Prince should have cut a deal to release Milk and Honey with 3121 - but he obviously had second thoughts about her.

I need to hear more from Bria. Tamar was great on the NAACP show she did with prince. She was excellent on beautiful loved and blessed as well. Her album had gotten some really good early reviews as well. so it will be interesting to see what Bria brings to the table.

I was not crazy about Tamar and I am not crazy about Bria. Neither of them has a particularly great voice. However, after hearing Bria's version of "Kept Woman," I have to say that Tamar's vocals are stronger. "Kept Woman" was the only song that I liked off the Tamar album. It's just "ok" with Bria's vocals.

I do love the music on "Here Eye Come." Bria's voice works well with that kind of song. However, realistically speaking, nothing about her points to female pop star. Sorry.

bellanoche said:

Female pop stars are manufactured. Bria is a far batter package to managed to stardom.

MetalMonkey said:

heh, i agree with this. i like her songs very much.

Well about them being manufactured thats right, but she must have done something right to have Prince release her album with his own. Reminds me of Barry White and Glodean white from Love Unlimited and Rick James and his protege Teena Marie

^^ yeah she converted.

Comparing Bria to Tamar doesn't make sense. They both have different singing styles that appeal to different people, come from different racial/cultural backgrounds, so there's nothing to compare.

Let's see how this current album pans out for Bria. Right now, most of the people that are aware of her are the Prince fans that frequent sites such as this site.

Matter of fact, according to the credits, Tamar did some vocals on one of 3 lotusflower albums. I'll have to go back and check it. Secondly, looks don't always mean you have talent, look at "Cassie", she's pretty but where's the talent? External beauty ages, Internal does not.

Bria does have a nice voice, as some of the tracks on Elixer are pretty good, and she can swing the "r&b" style. Tamar has a beautiful voice, that is without a doubt in my opinion.
[Edited 3/26/09 17:29pm]

Huggiebear said:

Yeah, but realistically speaking if he had not released her album with his, how many people would have ever heard it? If she was a stand alone artist without any association with Prince, she would not make a ripple in the sea of singers out there. It's simply too vast. There are great voices and performers out there who languish in obscurity. She'd be right there next to them. I am not trying to be harsh, but that is the reality of today's music biz.

Honestly, if her album was not part of that packaged set, it would be in a cut-out bin by the end of the summer, if a record store even bothered to stock it.

Also, I cannot compare the two "proteges" that you mentioned to Bria. Teena Marie is one of the baddest that ever was. The girl is multi-talented and still putting it down decades after her biggest success. I think she would have done just fine without Rick. However, for some reason, I cannot see Bria touring to sell-out venues 20 years from now (not even 2 for that matter). I hope for her sake that I am wrong, but I doubt it.
[Edited 3/26/09 17:19pm]

funkycomic said:

BL&B also was nominated for a grammy as well, so at least Tamar has that on her resume. She's also been on tour in Tyler Perry's play for a while and performed at other venues. Tamar will be just fine.
[Edited 3/26/09 17:22pm]

Brofie said:

We don't know what went on with the BL&B/3121 thing. However, at least Prince thought enough of Tamar to tour with her as a member of her band. At least (for better or worse) we got to see her perform before the album was due to drop. We have yet to see/hear Bria utter a note live. So, I will withhold judgment. All I know about Bria is that she is a JW now, as is Prince. I also remember Rosie Gaines saying back in the day that you couldn't get Prince to put an album out for you unless he was sleeping with you. So I really cannot say what I am supposed to make of him releasing her album and not Tamar's. Quite frankly, I was not overwhelmed with either lady's talent. Give me some Rosie any day! I'd rather hear an album from Shelby.

Also, you are right after Prince and Tamar went their separate ways, she disappeared despite all her exposure with Prince. However, what makes you think the same won't happen with Bria?
[Edited 3/31/09 7:47am]

bellanoche said:

I have to agree (bolded part) because of the way the industry is today. Very picky, and choose manufactured acts over "real talent" unfortunately.

Also agree about Teena Marie. She has a badass voice, always had, and did fine after her time with Rick. Teena has a voice and I still love many of her classics.

2elijah said:

I like different types of talent too.

nastyarse said:

I liked Tamar's album somewhat, but it doesn't even compare to Elixer. Tamar having a stronger voice aside, Bria sings nicely, and much better than Kylie.
[Edited 3/26/09 18:40pm]

colorblu said:

Exactly. I like to base my opinions on artists, individually. The only thing those two have in common is that they both worked with Prince at different time periods, just like others before them, and they all had their own style, so to compare them regarding looks or who was a better protege for the business, so to speak, for Prince, makes no sense. The question could be, which one will last longer in the business itself, seeing how the music industry is these days with manufactured, so-called talent. There's plenty of young, pretty girls that can sing, but can't make it in the music industry unless they know someone that will assist in promoting them or they just "get lucky.

I'm sure they'll be other proteges after Tamar and Bria, but the thing is, people have a tendency to compare these proteges as if they are all suppose to be one and the same, which they're not. There of course, will be some that like(d) Tamar's singing and the songs she collaborated with, with Prince, and then there's those who will like some of Bria's tracks. I say there's no need to determine who is the "better" protege as if there was some type of competition, when there really isn't. They both deserve their music credit where it's due for their own, individual styles that appeal differently to various music lovers. That's just my two cents.
[Edited 3/26/09 19:16pm]

nastyarse said:

---
[Edited 3/26/09 22:38pm]

ShadeoViolet said:

Fixed.
[Edited 3/26/09 20:17pm]

--
[Edited 3/26/09 22:38pm]

Huggiebear said:

What, look the way she does? What else? I recognize it's getting increasingly difficult to be totally original vocally these days, but her voice is not new or unusual, or even distinctive. Presumably, her appearance was his main motivation. I highly doubt Bria would have a released album today if she did not have those recurring "Prince-girl" physical features.

LOL, and sure she may be trying to sound like Chante Moore on her tracks, but all of these other comparisons are still ludicrous. First Sade. Then Amel Larrieux. And now Teena Marie? Are U folks really serious? Why even mention unique and adept singers like them in any of these threads anymore? Sheesh.....Take away Prince's studio enhancement, and wait and view how Bria performs live before announcing how much of an "upgrade" she is....

And Bria versus Tamar....No point in me even elaborating. I agree they should not be compared either. However, I unquestionably prefer Tamar's music.

bria and tamar are just different stylistically. bria's voice is more "pop" than tamar's. not better, just more "pop." besides, isn't prince still working with tamar? i thought i saw her name in the liner notes for either lotusflow3r or mplsound on the new website.

Even Madaleine Albright would be a major upgrade from Tamar.

I am digging the album more every time I play it. It is not Sade but it is very easy to listen to - unlike Tamar.
[Edited 3/27/09 10:50am]

glazegirl said:

The fact thast her album is released - and with 2 Prince albums no less - makes her a bigger success than Tamar already. Face it - people were not feeling Tamar - even when Prince backed her on her own tour. Remember the fallout after that Good MOrning America gig when Prince wore the pink suit and Tamar had on some hideous blue thing that made her thighs look like Earl Campbell's? Hey, female singers are going to judged on looks more thna ever these days. You think someone as unattractive as Aretha Franklin would get a shot today unless they came through American Idol? Tamar was becoming the new Larry Graham - real fans like me were getting tired of Prince featuring her and acting like her sideman. I think he got smart and didnt present Bria onstage with him because the Tamar experiment showed just how impossible it is to be onstage with Prince and expect peope to give a dam about what youre doing. I never understood how anyone was going to act like they were actually paying money to go see Tamar when they knew Prince would be there. I mean could you say that you would have gone to see her without Prince?

prince didn't have to force Tamar on his fans by selling her album along with his. That tells you a lot right there. He had her perform with him and sing solo right from the jump...didn't hide her or alter her vocals in the studio. Tells you even more.

Truth be told, no record exec wants to be bothered with a Prince protege cuz they know right off the bat the chick will be mediocre. Not her fault, its just that when you get produced by Prince you just end up with a prince song not a collaboration or even a showcase of your own talent and image/persona. He has this idea in his head of what a female singer should be rather than letting her be herself. That Svengali shit is sooo played out!