New Music Shout-Out: Noel Gourdin's "Beautiful"

As a twenty-something who isn't usually up on the latest music, as evidenced by the old-school R&B stations and CDs I referred to in an earlier post, I'm rarely impressed by new music. However, I was driving from work today when I heard a voice singing about being a man, growing up, and respecting a woman with his words: no more "shawty," "dimepiece," or "thickums." It brought a smile to my face, a "You betta say that!" from my lips. Plus, the beat's pretty nice too.

It was Noel Gourdin's "Beautiful," a single off his forthcoming album Fresh: The Definition. You might remember Gourdin from his very first single, "The River," which got lots of attention from his 2008 debut, After My Time. I like what he's doing. He's a real soul singer in an age that leaves them few and far between.

"Beautiful" in particular communicates a message that so many men and women need to hear: that it's neither cute nor acceptable to identify a woman by her body parts or some objectifying nickname. So, ladies, know that you're beautiful! Enjoy the video. :-)