REVIEW: NAO - ‘And Then Life Was Beautiful’
English singer-songwriter, Neo Joshua, or as we know her, NAO, recently released her third full length album titled And Then Life Was Beautiful. This R&B singer is known for her unique vocal stylings and integration of various genre influences such as funk, soul & electronic. Throughout this third record, listeners experience every level of this musicality and visceral emotions.
Photo by Lillie Eiger
NAO’s reflection on the past year during the pandemic is the main theme of the album, with the first track being the album’s title & the very first line being, “Change came like a hurricane / 2020 hit us differently.” The airy melodies of “And Then Life Was Beautiful” describe how this time allowed us to meticulously contemplate aspects of our lives and reassuring how incredibly overwhelming that feeling can be. Ultimately, though, we just need to “take a second just to breathe it out / Breathe it out.” Following tracks like “Messy Love” & “Glad That You’re Gone” share a similar aura & groove as they celebrate the inner-strength it takes to remove yourself from relationships you know are toxic or holding you back.
Track 3, “Antidote,” was released as a single at the beginning of this year featuring Nigerian highlife artist Adekunle Gold. The afro-beat tune is not only a perfect dancing track, but also reflects on both artists’ newborn daughters who were born just weeks apart during the pandemic last year. New Orleans’ singer Lucky Daye featured on “Good Luck,” which is a transcendent R&B track that explores out-growing a relationship and facetiously wishing the person the best without them. The sensual funk commences through the muses of “Burn Out” & “Nothing’s For Sure” with the piano ballad “Wait” in between. “Trying to run away is only human / But if we stay, then we might make it home.”
“Woman” was released as a single last summer and features the soulful vocal stylings of Lianne La Havas. The groovy female empowered anthem was intentionally released at the height of Black Lives Matter protests and other politically adjacent movements to shed light during dark times and to specifically celebrate black women. “If God is a woman on Sunday / I’ma worship us.” Subsequent tracks, “Better Friend” & “Postcards,” although sonically different ethos, both share the expression of bidding someone farewell while recognizing the impact they’ve made on you. “Postcards” also features experimental R&B artist serpentwithfeet who adds an evocative layer to the rhythmic adagio as he parallels her narrative goodbye’s with his own hello’s.
The dreamy oxymoronic song, “Little Giants,” represent how draining it is constantly being told lies. With cadenced guitar plucks and tender vocal runs, the track concludes with NAO’s own spoken-word poetry: “Even when winter revolves around us, summer is not dead / It hasn’t been defeated, the change isn’t the end / The next season waits for you to pick up your pen / And write yourself into remembering that life is beautiful.” The album’s finale, “Amazing Grace,” is a tranquil tune with pockets of angelic choirs that gracefully complement NAO’s hymns of fearing failure. And in turn, NAO expresses the necessity for failure in growth; “…I get up stronger the more I fall.”
NAO’s And Then Life Was Beautiful is a blossom of hope during these wilted times. NAO beautifully captures her introspective journey both sonically & lyrically throughout this album. After a year of trials & rumination, NAO grew beyond her personal confines while encouraging those who feel stuck to strive for the same. If you’re in-need of some light in your life, we recommend giving this record a spin.
Written by Deirdre Kelly