The Female Boss - Tulisa
  • Band Name: Tulisa
  • Record Label: Island
  • Release Date: Dec 3, 2012
Metascore
35 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 6 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 6
  3. Negative: 2 out of 6
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  1. Q Magazine
    Dec 11, 2012
    40
    Tulisa struggles to get to grips with the predictably generic R&B ballads, but when the pace is upped and she shouts along to Young and the feisty M.I.A.-lite Live It Up, the personality that has turned her into a phenomenon of out times transcends her obvious limitations. [Jan 2013, p.112]
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  2. The Observer (UK)
    Dec 3, 2012
    40
    The few redeeming moments come when she ceases her bellowing and shows a little restraint, as on the surprisingly likable Skeletons.
  3. The Independent (UK)
    Dec 3, 2012
    40
    When she sticks to the disco-pop staples of celebrating youth and dancing and fun, in tracks like "Young", "Live It Up" and "Live Your Life", once the energy dissipates, so do the songs, evaporating as if they never existed.
  4. The Independent on Sunday (UK)
    Dec 3, 2012
    40
    Like most pop albums, it's front-loaded. The banging club tunes, like the chart-topping "Young" are at the start, then it slumps into a series of obligatory ballads on which her unremarkable voice is somewhat stretched.
  5. All Music Guide
    Jan 7, 2013
    30
    A lamentable debut all round.
  6. musicOMH.com
    Dec 3, 2012
    20
    For the most part, however, The Female Boss is a cynical and dire product which invites the riposte: Tulisa, you're fired.

User Reviews

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User Score
3.1 out of 10

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 26 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 4 out of 7
  1. StrawberryBlond
    1
    I'm not keen on Tulisa. Even before she was a judge on X Factor, I didn't rate her highly and considered her judging placement so random. But, after taking Little Mix to victory last year, Tulisa has really established herself and after several years in the barely successful band, N-Dubz, she's decided that it's time to go the solo route. And after hearing the first few singles, I knew this was going to be a great listen purely for comedy value, so I tried it. And boy, is it a stinker.
    We start off with Tulisa speaking some cliched "inspirational" feminist speech (with a weird pause, I might add) over a piano composition, which automatically sets her up for failure as already she's taking herself far too seriously. And what follows are tracks that define scraping the bottom of the barrel. There's the We Found Love rip-off #1 single, Young, the cheesy faux-urban Live It Up and the bland, lifeless Damn. But then we get the Holy Grail of bad music, the cringey, epically bad British Swag (if ever there were two words that should never be coupled together...) where Tulisa brags to a non-existent American audience: "I'm all about my dollars, but I specialise in pounds." She is truly one of the finest un-intentional comedians ever. Then there's the bizarre ballad, Foreigner, that's meant to be anti-racism but is executed so badly that it comes off like the opposite with analogies that really make you feel uncomfortable. Speaking of ballads, it may surprise you that, not including the interludes, half of the album consists of ballads and dear me, they're as bland and boring as watching paint dry and her voice is average at best, not the type that can be showcased on a ballad. Even the Diane Warren-written song, Counterfeit, couldn't be salvaged. I'm sure that such tracks will not impress Tulisa's fans who were expecting lots of dance music, considering that Young was the lead single. The only upsides are club banger Live Your Life, the spiritual sounding Skeletons and the genuinely sad Habit. But even then, they're not amazing, just not bad. By the time Tulisa rounds it all off with her cheesy Outro, you just want to laugh at her delusions of fame. She needs to drop this "Female Boss" alias schtick. No one, not even her fans, are buying into it. While she co-wrote almost the entire album, she is not an artist as she always insists on calling herself. She is a product, nothing more.
    Tulisa is way out of her depth and it looks like the dream's over before it even got started. The album debuted on the UK singles chart at an appalling #35 with just over 15,000 copies sold and where it'll chart next week is anyone's guess. And it wasn't like she had no promotion, she had the best promotion she could get and it still wasn't enough. This proves that Tulisa is in no position to be an X Factor judge. How can she give contestants advice about how to be successful when she doesn't know how to achieve it herself? Even Dappy's solo album managed a surprising #6 on the charts with no X Factor or Britain's Got Talent promotion. If rumours of an N-Dubz reunion are true, it looks like Tulisa needs them more than they need her. Here's a comeback to the last words on her outro: "If it doesn't work out......give up."    … Full Review »
  2. Maltaquas
    8
    In recent years, it has sort of become the norm for X-Factor judges to release their own material once on the show. Tulisa is no exception. However, this led to speculation about the quality of her music. She has an unremarkable voice, but in "The Female Boss", something actually struck me.

    The listener is introduced into the world of female bosses by means of deep, emotional piano notes. What's really not deep is the cliche speech Tulisa gives about "inna beauty". After Young, Live It Up and Damn conclude, the dance feel of the album is dissipated. I'm not saying that "British Swag" is not infectious (because it is indeed an album highlight), but it was misplaced in the album. As the album progresses, I became intoxicated with certain songs such as Counterfeit and I'm Ready. All in all, I found the album to be quite an outstanding collection of music.

    HOWEVER..........if you don't have an eclectic love for pop music, DO NOT purchase the album because it doesn't suit you. There's a sound for everything on this album, which makes it so love-able.

    Personally, I would have left some songs out. Steal My Breath Away, Foreigner and Kill Me Tonight were songs which I felt do not go with the rest of the album. I think they are the filler tracks on "The Female Boss".

    Conclusion: Excellent debut with songs which can become hits effortlessly (Live Your Life, Visa). An enjoyable and warm collection which can have huge success depending on its management.    … Full Review »
  3. Stanbase
    9
    Opening with some cheesey lines in "Intro", first impressions leave you skeptical as to what else is in store on "The Female Boss" -- then Tulisa's chart-topping "Young" kicks in. One thing that makes this album stand out from the crowd is the variety of different sounds, from ballads like "Skeletons" to urban-esque tracks like the infectious "British Swag" and "Visa". There are some sure hits on the album if dealt with correctly. With an almost perfect blend of slow and fast jams, "The Female Boss" is deserving of more praise than it has had; if only it was given the chance to be judged on the merits of the album rather than Tulisa's misjudged character, unfairly portrayed by the media. "Scream and Shout" would have earned it a deserving 10/10, if only Britney didn't take that hit from beneath her feet! A brilliant album overall -- "let's drink to it!"… Full Review »
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