Mindful (song)
2016 song by K. Michelle

"Mindful"
An image of K. Michelle standing in front of a stool with a television on top of it; the singer's name and single's title are also on the cover.
Single by K. Michelle
from the album More Issues Than Vogue
ReleasedFebruary 19, 2016 (2016-02-19)
Genre
Length1:55
LabelAtlantic Records
Songwriter(s)T-Pain
Producer(s)T-Pain
K. Michelle singles chronology
"Ain't You"
(2016)		"Mindful"
(2016)		"If It Ain't Me"
(2017)

"Mindful" is a hip-hop and R&B song by American singer K. Michelle from her third studio album More Issues Than Vogue (2016). T-Pain wrote and produced the song, which Atlantic Records released as the album's third single on February 19, 2016. Throughout the track, Michelle raps the lyrics and warns critics to be "mindful" of her. Some reviewers noted that its uptempo production differed from Michelle's previous singles, and she stated that it was one of the first times she recorded a more light-hearted song.

Critics praised Michelle's rapping in "Mindful", and referred to it as a highlight of her singles. The song's music video, which was released on March 10, 2016, portrays Michelle arguing with women in a trailer park. In their coverage of the video, reviewers described it as colorful. Michelle further promoted "Mindful" through live performances.

Background and release

a photo of T-Pain posing on the red carpet.
T-Pain (pictured in 2019) contributed to two songs for More Issues Than Vogue.[1]

T-Pain wrote and produced two songs—"Mindful" and "Got Em Like"—for K. Michelle's third studio album More Issues Than Vogue (2016).[1] He appeared in a 2016 episode of Michelle's reality television show K. Michelle: My Life, in which they worked together in a recording studio.[2] Thomas Burroughs recorded "Mindful" at the Atlantic Studios in Atlanta, and it was mixed by Kevin "KD" Davis. Eric Cire produced the vocals, and Chris Athens mastered the track, along with those for the rest of the album, at his personal studio in Austin, Texas.[1]

Atlantic Records released "Mindful" as the third single from the album on February 19, 2016.[3] It was made available as a digital download;[4][5] one of these releases has the explicit and clean versions as well as the music video.[4] In 2016, Michelle performed the song at the album's release party at Webster Hall in New York City and the Hot 104.1's Super Jam concert in St. Louis.[6][7]

The music video for "Mindful" was released on March 10, 2016, through Michelle's YouTube channel.[8] It was one of four videos to promote More Issues Than Vogue, along with "Not a Little Bit", "Got Em Like", and "Ain't You".[9] The production of the "Mindful" video was shown on the reality television series Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, in which Karlie Redd appeared on the set to have a discussion with Michelle.[10][11]

In an article for Revolt, Seriah Buckler summarized that the video was about "an all female crew vs. crew battle" in a trailer park.[12] It begins with Michelle playing cards with her friends outside of her pink mobile home. When she notices her neighbors gossiping about her, she confronts them and dances in the street.[13][14] For these scenes, Michelle wears a fur coat and has a rainbow-colored wig.[14][15] Several critics described the video as colorful.[16] It is intercut with sequences of Michelle cleaning her house while wearing a sheer dress, pink heels, and a blonde bob cut. She wears a pink jacket with the words "Slay Michelle", which The Boombox's Victoria Johnson compared to those worn by the Pink Ladies in the 1978 film Grease.[15]

Music and lyrics

"Mindful"
In "Mindful", K. Michelle raps over an instrumental that includes hand claps and a guitar, which critics described as funky.[17][18]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Mindful" is a one-minute, 55-second uptempo song[19][20] with an instrumental featuring hand claps and a guitar.[17][18] Critics associated various elements of the single with funk.[21] Michelle raps throughout the song, which she had previously done on her 2012 mixtape 0 Fucks Given and a remix of Yo Gotti's 2015 single "Down in the DM".[22][23] Reviewing More Issues Than Vogue for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Bill Chenevert classified all its tracks, including "Mindful", as "full-on urban R&B and hip-hop".[24]

Throughout "Mindful", Michelle warns critics and "hoes" to be "mindful" around her.[15][25] The Guardian's Ben Beaumont-Thomas interpreted the song's opening line "Who the fuck told you hoes to open up" as establishing the album's tone, which he said had "a fair bit of sass" and was "low on bland aggro".[26] Michelle directs the song toward "all kinds of hos" while comparing herself to Uma Thurman in the films Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004).[27] Michael Cragg, also writing for The Guardian, singled out the lyric "I'm coming straight from the gut" as one of her warnings.[28] In an article for Rap-Up, a contributor noted that the song had an "in-your-face" approach with its lyrics.[17]

Some critics have compared the single with Michelle’s other songs and albums.[29][30] In a 2016 interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Michelle said "Mindful" and "Rich" were some of the few instances she has done "fun songs", and described More Issues Than Vogue as having "a lot of light songs". Kevin C. Johnson, a writer for the newspaper, characterized the album as a "more carefree effort" for Michelle, noting it was "not as heavy as what she's used to delivering".[29] In a review for Cape Argus, Helen Herimbi cited the song, as well as "Nightstand" and "Rich", as examples of how Michelle was "not trying to be a pretty R&B diva".[30]

Critical reception

A reviewer for Rap-Up cited "Mindful" as part of a "hot streak" of music released by Michelle,[17] and HotNewHipHop critic Danny Schwartz wrote that he was the most impressed with "Mindful" out of the More Issues Than Vogue singles.[31] Reviewing the album, Bill Chenevert complimented the song, calling it "outstanding" and a "blast".[24] AllMusic's Andy Kellman praised T-Pain's songs for providing a "strong, strutting start" to the album; however, he picked "Got Em Like" as a high point and not "Mindful".[20]

Reviewers enjoyed Michelle's rapping.[32] Seriah Buckler wrote that she "rides the beat like a seasoned lyricist", and described the song as "laden with raw bars and a flow that your favorite rapper couldn't carry".[22] Renowned for Sound's Michael Smith said Michelle exerts "her dominance and strength" throughout the single.[33] Trevor Smith of HotNewHipHop and Pitchfork's Britt Julious commended Michelle for showcasing her personality through her rapping.[18][34] Although Julious criticized the song's brevity, she remarked that Michelle rapped with a "rapid fire confidence".[34]

Track listing

Digital download[4]
No.TitleLength
1."Mindful" (Explicit)1:55
2."Mindful" (Clean)1:55
3."Mindful" (Video)2:08

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of More Issues Than Vogue:[1]

Recording locations

  • Recorded in the Atlantic Studios in Atlanta and mastered in Chris Athens's studio in Austin, Texas

Personnel

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d More Issues Than Vogue 2016.
  2. ^ VH1 2016.
  3. ^ Atlantic Records 2016; kmichelle 2016a; Rap-Up 2016a; Rap-Up 2016b
  4. ^ a b c "Mindful" 2016.
  5. ^ Tidal 2016.
  6. ^ Johnson 2016b, p. A15.
  7. ^ Crowley 2016.
  8. ^ kmichelle 2016b.
  9. ^ ABC News Radio 2016; kmichelle 2016c; Michel 2016
  10. ^ Preezy 2016.
  11. ^ Tan 2016.
  12. ^ Buckler 2016b.
  13. ^ Parker 2016.
  14. ^ a b Rap-Up 2016b.
  15. ^ a b c Johnson 2016c.
  16. ^ Buckler 2016b; Delenda 2016; Johnson 2016c
  17. ^ a b c d Rap-Up 2016a.
  18. ^ a b c Smith 2016.
  19. ^ Platon 2016.
  20. ^ a b Kellman.
  21. ^ Delenda 2016; Rap-Up 2016a; Smith 2016
  22. ^ a b Buckler 2016a.
  23. ^ Delenda 2016.
  24. ^ a b Chenevert 2016, p. H3.
  25. ^ Vibe 2016.
  26. ^ Beaumont-Thomas 2016.
  27. ^ Azzopardi 2016, p. 22.
  28. ^ Cragg 2016.
  29. ^ a b Johnson 2016a, p. 7.
  30. ^ a b Herimbi 2016, p. 23.
  31. ^ Schwartz 2016.
  32. ^ Buckler 2016a; Johnson 2016c; Julious 2016; Smith; Smith 2016
  33. ^ Smith.
  34. ^ a b Julious 2016.

Citations

  • Azzopardi, Chris (April 7, 2016). "Hear Me Out". Between the Lines (959): 22. ISSN 1080-7551 – via EBSCO Information Services.
  • Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (March 24, 2016). "K Michelle: More Issues Than Vogue review – diamond R&B; that goes heavy on the drama". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016.
  • Buckler, Seriah (March 21, 2016a). "K. Michelle's More Issues Than Vogue: First Thoughts". Revolt. Archived from the original on October 26, 2016.
  • Buckler, Seriah (March 11, 2016b). "K. Michelle 'Mindful' Of The Haters In New Video". Revolt. Archived from the original on April 12, 2016.
  • Chenevert, Bill (April 10, 2016). "K. Michelle: More Issues Than Vogue". In The Mix. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. H3. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. (subscription required)
  • Cragg, Michael (March 27, 2016). "K Michelle: More Issues Than Vogue review – exquisitely raw R&B;". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016.
  • Crowley, Patrick (March 31, 2016). "K. Michelle Flaunts Her Versatility at More Issues Than Vogue Album Release Concert in New York City". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 23, 2016.
  • Delenda, Joseph (March 10, 2016). "K. Michelle Warns Foes To Be 'Mindful' In Colorful New Video". Uproxx. Archived from the original on December 30, 2017.
  • Herimbi, Helen (May 12, 2016). "More Issues Than Vogue". Cape Argus. p. 23. ProQuest 1788139656. Retrieved January 12, 2022 – via ProQuest. (subscription required)
  • Johnson, Kevin C. (July 15, 2016a). "K. Michelle mixes chart-topping albums with reality TV success". Music + Clubs. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 7. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. (subscription required)
  • Johnson, Kevin C. (July 18, 2016b). "Super Jam holds its own with Fetty Wap, 2 Chainz, 50 Cent". Entertainment. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. A15. Retrieved December 25, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. (subscription required)
  • "K. Michelle – 'Ain't You' (Official Video)". kmichelle. June 8, 2016. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022 – via YouTube.
  • "K. Michelle Hits #1 With More Issues Than Vogue" (Press release). Atlantic Records. March 2016. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022.
  • Julious, Britt (April 11, 2016). "K. Michelle: More Issues Than Vogue". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on December 9, 2017.
  • "K. Michelle – 'Mindful' (Official Audio)". kmichelle. February 19, 2016. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016 – via YouTube.
  • "K. Michelle – 'Mindful' (Official Video)". kmichelle. March 10, 2016. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021 – via YouTube.
  • "K. Michelle: My Life: 'The T-Pain of Love'". VH1. March 21, 2016. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021.
  • "K. Michelle Recruits T-Pain For New Collabo, "Mindful"". Vibe. February 22, 2016. Archived from the original on September 7, 2016.
  • Michel, Sarah (March 28, 2016). "K. Michelle's New Video for 'Not A Little Bit' Will Inspire You to Block Your Ex and Move On". VH1. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020.
  • Kellman, Andy. "More Issues Than Vogue Review by Andy Kellman". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 29, 2016.
  • Johnson, Victoria (March 11, 2016c). "K. Michelle Slays and Issues a Warning in 'Mindful' Video". The Boombox. Archived from the original on May 9, 2017.
  • "K. Michelle Turns Up the Sexuality in 'Ain't You' Video". ABC News Radio. June 8, 2016. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022.
  • "Mindful" (Media notes). K. Michelle. Atlantic Records. 2016. 8807904.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • "'Mindful': K Michelle". Tidal. 2016. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021.
  • More Issues Than Vogue (Media notes). K. Michelle. Atlantic Records. 2016.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  • "New Music: K Michelle feat. T-Pain – 'Mindful'". Rap-Up. February 19, 2016a. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016.
  • Parker, Najja (March 10, 2016). "Watch: K. Michelle's 'Mindful'". Jet. Archived from the original on June 18, 2016.
  • Platon, Adelle (March 24, 2016). "See the Many Sides of K. Michelle in Her 2016 Calendar: Exclusive Photos". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021.
  • Preezy (May 17, 2016). "Love & Hip Hop Atlanta Season 5, Episode 7 Recap: Mimi Faust Gets Dumped, Jessica Dime Exposes Scrappy". XXL. Archived from the original on May 8, 2017.
  • Schwartz, Danny (February 26, 2016). "K. Michelle – Time". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017.
  • Smith, Michael. "Album Review: K. Michelle – More Issues Than Vogue". Renowned for Sound. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020.
  • Smith, Trevor (February 19, 2016). "K. Michelle – Mindful". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017.
  • Tan, Emily (May 17, 2016). "Love & Hip Hop Atlanta Season 5, Episode 7 Recap: K. Michelle is Back". The Boombox. Archived from the original on May 9, 2017.
  • "Video: K. Michelle – Mindful". Rap-Up. March 9, 2016b. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016.
  • "Mindful" (Official Music Video) on YouTube
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