Will A Lauryn Hill Comeback Materialize?

Picture Source

When Lauryn Hill came up, she was quite the anomaly. She could spit like the best of them and had the vocal chops of an R&B angel. Her lyrics were as much poetry as they were social commentaries, and rather than slump into the predictable, hardcore hip hop direction of the femcees during mid to late 1990s, she stood out by ushering in positivity and building bridges with words. This uniqueness of hers would culminate to her solo masterpiece, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. That was 1998, and since her solo debut, she staged a mysterious exit from music, an absence that is almost 13 years in length.

But recent reports have suggested that Lauryn Hill is on the verge of making new music, and even a new album. She has begun to perform again, including a series of tour dates through the beginning of 2011. Yet, this also comes at a time in which she's faced scathing criticisms for excessive tardiness at show appearances, lackluster performances, short set lists, and strained vocals. A recent show in Brooklyn last week featured a four-hour wait for her fans, after which she addressed them in a rather unapologetic tone. Slightly angered that there were people who had chosen to leave, Ms. Hill informed the remaining fans, "I personally know I'm worth the wait." This performance, along with other shows that have featured some of the aforementioned criticisms, have many concerned if a comeback is possible at this time or if it will even ever truly materialize.

As a Lauryn Hill fan, there is nothing I would love more than a follow-up to the gem of her first solo project. Miseducation was more than a phenomenal piece of work, a pivotal, introspective album among a sea of sub-par, shallow albums that were more intent on chart success than a reflection of deeper, more meaningful ideas. But, as excited as I am about the prospect of a new Hill album, my excitement has been tempered by these uncharacteristic mannerisms of the singer. She seems less focused on the meaning of her music, less enthusiastic about performing her songs, and seems to lack the motivation that defined her early musical strides. Although I have become impatient about hearing new Lauryn Hill music, I am also more apt to prolong the wait for an album with meaning and cohesion than a rushed and lackluster sophomore studio album. Ms. Hill is not the type of artist to release a weak album just for the sake of satiating her fans' cravings. Thus, if she is not prepared for new music, I will wait (angrily, but with hopes of something greater in the future).

With Jazmine Sullivan's decision to leave music, R&B could use a little sprucing up and Lauryn Hill could do the trick. It just all depends on how prepared she is to bring the heat with a new album.