Eric Benet is back after six years with his post Halle ode entitled Hurricane. It is a departure from past form, Eric seems to step out of his neo-soul digs in favor of more john mayer, guitar laden, piano ballad driven tunes. Highlighted here on these 14 tracks is his song writing ability. He sings of pain, redemption, love lost and gained. His most personal album to date, makes no mention of Halle directly but you certainly can hear the lessons learned in such tunes like the title track Hurricane and Where Does the Love Go. An honest thought provoking album from a remarkable talent, too bad MTV, BET, or radio isn't to that type of thing now a days.

Your thoughts?

I just can't get passed the interview he did shortly after he and Halle split for good. He went on TV and said that when he married Halle he got used to a certatain lifestyle and he felt like Halle should keep him in that lifestyle. I know he dropped his claim for her money but just the gall of it all he cheated and lied but he felt entitled to half of her income. I am assuming that he dropped everything because of all the negative feedback that was coming from black women(the majority of his fan base) I think he realized that if he did not drop this his career was over because his fans would not forgive him I personally think that his career may still be over, I have heard alot of people who were fans of his say that they will not support his music anymore.[color=black][/color]

keir482 said:

Some people just suck.

I don't follow these things but if that really is the case...it takes major nerve.

Still, I don't know the story. I don't know that he wasn't acting out of anger...
could never understand how that story got out. I like Halle but if it's a marriage...why talk about his addiction on Oprah? ( the excerpts were everywhere ) Especially if you really understand that it's a sickness. Perhaps that was out of anger too...but all that stuff really shouldn't have gotten out. She should have just beat the crap out of him and left it at that. Well...and left him too. But quietly.

I'm not defending Eric. Don't know much about him. Not that big a fan. But you can't deny that he has talent. I heard a couple of tracks from the new CD that actually stand out. That wasn't the case with the last one. Neither of the CD's have real edge but the new one is at least trying, at times, to do something a little different.

Y do we expect artist to be perfect?

popgodazipa said:

If anything, these are people with more problems. Don't think that they are expected to be perfect but to not be jerks and expect to keep a strong market.

The way one in the public eye lives their lives (their public lives) is a part of their brand. They're walking commercials. If people don't like commercials they don't buy product.

It's just another part of their business.

It seems that the story getting out was damage control on Halle's part. If so that's one putting business/image/ego before the other person. That could be at the root of the problem.

I don't know.

I think that's also part of the Whitney/Bobby appeal (They're not perfect). Their story is tragic and sad and all those other things... but at least they seem to have each others back. Even when it appears that the ship is sinking.