Teedra Moses’ Classic Album ‘Complex Simplicity’ Turns 20: I’m So Happy My Worst Musical Take Ever Has Apparently Disappeared From The Internet

Over the past twenty years of writing on various platforms—my first blog post was June 3, 2004—I’ve shared my thoughts and opinions 1000’s of times on a wide selection of topics. I’ve written about race, politics, culture, music, movies, family, etc. In fact, if I had access to all of my writings, I’m sure I’d find loads of passages that will make me wince and others where I’d be thrilled to know that my younger self had said something my older self still believes. What I also know of course is that I can’t recall the overwhelming majority of opinions I’ve had on any variety of things I’ve written about.

There are just a few exceptions to this rule, though. I remember just a few songs that I wrote that I wish I had never written. I believe the response to those songs has made them my go-to memories of my writing journey. And there are just a few musical opinions that I’ve had at different times that I just can’t consider I ever had. One of those opinions is one which I shared with people in 2004 about Teedra Moses’ debut album Complex Simplicity, released on August 10, 2004, making it 20 years old.

I vividly remember telling folks that I assumed this album was bad. I do know this because I remember having heated arguments with two specific individuals who loved it and couldn’t consider how absurd my opinion was. (They also remember the arguments and agreeing that my opinion was absurd.) Since this album got here out after I began blogging, and since I often drew inspiration from my personal conversations, I’m 90% certain that in some unspecified time in the future, somewhere, I wrote a blog post or something expressing my dislike of this album.

Younger me was an idiot.

Here’s how I do know my younger self was an idiot. At this point in my life, Complex Simplicity is considered one of my favorite albums, possibly ever. I’m undecided if it’s in my top ten, nevertheless it’s definitely in my top twenty. Any album that has a song (like “You will never find”) starting with the words “Ooooh cat daddy”, should be something I take seriously. The album’s opening track, “Be your own girl” might be considered one of my favorite album openers, partly because I really like the Ahmad Jamal sample “Awakening” but additionally because I really like how Teedra gets right to the purpose; she’s like, “Boo, what’s up with you and me…your girl’s gonna be okay!” Who hasn’t thought that about someone they didn’t know? Damn, Christina Milian must be glad social media wasn’t a thing after I had a crush on her, because otherwise I’d be texting her lyrics to this song daily. I’m a romantic. Or a stalker—it is a wonderful line.

And do not get me began “Care,” by far my favorite track on the album and literally the song I’ll be listening to until the nice Lord calls me to glory. And even then after I hit those pearly gates I’ll be asking if “Caution” is offered on whatever platform they use to stream music in heaven.

Look, I can try this with every song on this album. I really like all of them. I absolutely love Complex Simplicity. Along with How I Do, Res are two of probably the most defining R&B albums of my 2000s. Each of those records lived within the CD changer in my automotive. When I believe of Panama Jackson within the mid-2000s walking around New York or Washington, D.C., or traveling to Los Angeles or wherever, I actually have songs from each of those albums in my head. Complex Simplicity is just a beautiful and enjoyable singer to take heed to, and her voice is gorgeous.

Music

That’s why I’m so excited to know that I can not find written proof that I made profane and meaningless negative comments about this album. Now, I got into a little bit argument with Teedra Moses just a few years ago a couple of review I wrote about how she set the blueprint for 2010s R&B that was less subtle and more intrusive. While I believe my sentiment was spot on, I believe my approach was reckless in a way that got here across as insulting, which was my calling card — the goal was more essential than how I got there. I can also’t find that clip, mostly because while I remember writing it, I can not pinpoint after I did it, and a few of those older tracks are just about inconceivable to seek out and not using a date to assign them to. That works great for me, because I hate reading things I’ve written that I now think are silly. Cheers to growth. And do not be silly, Panama.

As a music lover and someone who would find albums that touch my soul, it makes me very sad to know and do not forget that I ever considered a Teedra album to be anything lower than a fantastic murals that makes the world a greater place. That’s how I feel now and I believe that is the suitable solution to feel about it. To know “Complex Simplicity” is to like “Complex Simplicity” and there is simply no other solution to perceive it. Even 20 years later, the music sounds as fresh and sonically jamtastic because it did within the 2000s, aside from in the future after I didn’t prefer it.

Today is just not that day because today is the day I admit that I really like “complex simplicity” and I’m so joyful that it continues to be a component of my life, 20 years later.