CD review: King of Hearts - Lloyd



Lloyd
King of Hearts
(Interscope)
**

The R&B crooner Lloyd's success comes down to his recognising his vocal limitations.

This is why his limited vocal range is employed to great effect when he sings hooks on other people's songs, but it is not strong enough to carry a full album on its own.

With his fourth album, King of Hearts, Lloyd tries to get around this inconvenience by employing the in-demand producer Polow da Don to boost the quality of the songwriting, but the results are either tepid affairs such as Lay It Down, or run-of-the-mill club tracks such as Bang!!!.

However, with Angel, both Lloyd and his producer hit the mark with a classy ballad. But it is simply not enough to save an otherwise lacklustre offering.

What is 'Soft Power'?

Soft power was first mentioned in 1990 by former US Defence Secretary Joseph Nye. 
He believed that there were alternative ways of cultivating support from other countries, instead of achieving goals using military strength. 
Soft power is, at its root, the ability to convince other states to do what you want without force. 
This is traditionally achieved by proving that you share morals and values.