On Meshell Ndegeocello third Blue Note album, Synonym, the acclaimed singer-bassist-producer reimagines and reconceptualizes brilliantly curated collection of classic songs as duets with an astounding rollcall of special guests. And now, the artist has shared the second single, “Don’t You Want Me” featuring Cat Power. As a whole, the ditty is a inventive cover of The Human League’s 80s synth-pop hit that has been given a Reggae groove with horn embellishments and performed as a duet by two of the most distinctive song stylists of our time.
Synonym explores the expressions of desire, care, heartbreak, friendship, disappointment and love in all forms. The songs range from 1960s folk and 70s soul, country, and pop to 80s R&B and electro-boogie, early-90s alternative rock, and early-aughts hip-hop. “This project is about classic songs that are known and loved,” Ndegeocello says. “The songs have diverse tones, representing various genres and intentional grooves. But the album is also about joy, selfhood, individual representation and universal experience.”
When asked about the album’s intriguing title, Ndegeocello first suggests that the word “just feels good on the mouth,” before expounding upon its true definition: word or phrase that means the same thing as another word in the same language. “That’s how humans are,” Ndegeocello theorizes, “Regardless of our differences, deep down we essentially want the same things: healthy food and a safe place to live. We are all different. But at the core of the human condition, we are the same.”
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