Review: India Arie (Testimony Vol.1 Life & Relationship)

If lately you feel down, or you wanted something that you cannot have. You lost faith in yourself, you hate your job, your relationship doesn't go as smoothly, this is definetely the album you should listen to.

A review from India Arie latest CD: Testimony Vol.1, life & relationship.

Ooh, I love love loveeee it!!! The albums has been playing on-and-on this last few days. Can't get enough of her...
I think this is a beautiful album with nice rhythm and the best of all, she has a great voice :) But the one thing that really catch me is that every single songs has a meaningful lyrics (unlike songs in my previous post). They are mostly tell a story about how beautiful, yet hard life & relationship is, but somehow there is always hope:

He lived a simple life and was extremely poor
On top of all of that he had no eye sight,
but that didn't keep him from seein' the light
He said, what's it like in the USA,
and all I did was complain
He said-living here is Paradise
He taught me paradise in your mind

There's hope
It doesn't cost a thing to smile
You don't have to pay to laugh
You better thank God for that
(India Arie – There’s Hope)

There are also songs about losing love. How heartbreak can get you down. But life goes on and all you have to do is get up and see the light. Life is beautiful, with or without that certain someone:

It's crazy how much I miss
a simple good morning kiss
It's crazy how much I've missed
Now it's time for me to live
oh ohhhhhhhhhh

Good morning...
Good morning optimism
Good morning to my faith
Good morning to the beginning of a brand new day

I know that God's will be done
So I lay down my pain and I'm moving on

I know that God's will be done.
So it's a good morning after all
(India Arie - Good Morning)

If you being heartbroken or cheated on recently, this is definitely a song for you; when forgiveness is all you need to be able to move on.

I wanna be happily everafter
And my heart is so shattered
But I know it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore
(India Arie - The heart of the matter)

Oh my favourite ones is about celebrating yourself. You don't need anyone else to make you happy, you are your own strength. The full lyrics goes like this,

I'm having a private party
Ain't no body here but me, my angels, and my guitar singin' baby look how far we've come here
I'm havin' a private party
Learning how to love me
Celebrating the woman I've become, yeah

I tried to call my mother, but
She didn't get where I was going
I called my boyfriend and he said
Call me back a little later baby
I hung up the phone, I felt so alone
Started to feel a little pity
That's when I realized that I
Gotta find the joy inside of me

I'm gonna take off all my clothes
Look at myself in the mirror
We're gonna have a conversation
We're gonna heal the disconnection
I don't remember when it started
But this is where it's gonna end
My body is beautiful and sacred
And I'm gonna celebrate it

All my life (all my life)
I've been looking for (I've been looking for)
Somebody else (else)
To make me whole (ooo)
But I had to learn the hard way (ooo)
True love began with me (ooo)
This is not ego or vanity (ooo)
I'm just celebrating me

Sometimes I'm alone but never lonely
That's what I've come to realize
I've learned to love the quiet moments
The Sunday mornings of life
Where I can reach deep down inside
Or out into the universeI can laugh until I cry
Or I can cry away the hurt
(India Arie - Private Party)