Album Review: New R&B/Pop Girl Group, BluPrint Drops New Project on Season Finale of BET Presents The Encore

The verdict is out, and I'm feeling the outcome.  I'll be the first to admit that when I heard that Carlos King and Todd Tucker were working together again to produce a show about 7 former female group members + Nivea (wild card) coming together to form a new supergroup, I was less than impressed. The Next:15 was a dud, and this new premise was sounding a lil too much like more of the same. But after watching Nivea's interview with Kandi Burruss on her "On That Note" YouTube series, I was definitely intrigued. I spent that next weekend binge watching, got all caught up and I have been watching  BET Presents The Encore every Wednesday at 10pm faithfully since.  Ahead of tonight's season finale, the 4 (yessss) 4 remaining group members dropped their new music. The "super" group is called BluPrint, and they dropped 6 fresh tracks including what seems like their debut single, Birds Eye View.

The song, produced by Kosine and written by Kosine, Fallon and Felicia King, has a driving pulse and a cohesive energy. It feels like a group record, and it's good.  Having watched the ladies, Shamari Devoe (Blaque), Fallon King (Cherish), Felicia King (Cherish), and  Kiely Williams (3LW/Cheetah Girls) having to re-record the vocals several times as they lost cast members, the final product on Bird Eye View is surprisingly (no shade intended) well blended and is giving what its posed to gave.

Another track you must hear is Skeletons. Sonically the vibe is like Brandy singing a song that was written for Ariana Grande. It's like a cross between adult contemporary and pop. I love when Shamari switched into her sultry head voice as she sings, "you can lay your bones on the wrong side of my closet; I got room for skeletons in your closet." The song has edge, soul, and substance.

It should come as no surprise that Tamela Mann Pamela Long didn't make it into the final group. She stepped away from Total to give her life to God, so I never saw how the lace and fishnet look was gonna fit. But she does do a feature with BluPrint on the track, Only God Knows.  The song came out nicely, and she should be able to get some airplay and press off the track.

Say Something has a girl group -- we are survivors-- kinda energy. The harmonies are dope, and the song proves that all 4 ladies have the vocal chops to pull off a full-length project.  And while I would have liked to see Nivea catch a winning break, BluPrint looks and sounds like a real R&B girl group. I'm here for Season 2 and the promo tour!