India.Arie's fourth solo album, Testimony, Vol. 2: Love & Politics, gives her fans a taste of two different sides of the artist by providing a balanced division between two subjects: romance and social issues.
Most notably, India.Arie has taken on a more global perspective with her tracks about political and social issues. Along with lyrics about current world problems, the album also includes duets with artists from across the globe such as Jamaican reggae singer Gramps Morgan.
A good example of this international influence can be seen on Ghetto,"" a Spanish-flavored track that rejects any difference between poor people living in the United States and those living in third-world countries. She introduces this idea early in the track, singing, ""There are places in Havana that remind me of Savannah / parts of West Virginia that might as well be Kenya / Parts of New York City, parts of Mississippi, parts of Tennessee look like another world to me / The ghetto might as well be another country.""
""Pearls,"" another song that takes on a global perspective, tells two separate tales of women in Somalia and Rwanda who both struggle with hardship in their lives. India.Arie seems equally troubled and inspired by the women's stories.
She sings, ""There is a woman in Somalia scraping for pearls by the roadside / There is a force stronger than nature keeps her will alive / That is how she lives her life / She is dying to survive / I don't know what she is made of / I would like to be that brave."" No matter the subject, she incorporates a touch of hope into all of her tracks.
The album's romantic ballads also seem to feature an undertone of positivity regardless of whether she is singing about a recent breakup or a new, stable relationship.
In ""Therapy,"" she sings alongside Morgan, where her lyrics paint a picture of a healthy and dependable relationship. ""You've taken good care of me / Always been there for me / Boy I cant bare to leave 'cause I need your therapy,"" she sings.
""Chocolate High"" is a sultry and smooth duet with soul singer Musiq Soulchild. Soulchild and India.Arie clearly have chemistry in this song filled with references to Hershey's Kisses and plenty of sexual tension.
Intertwined with her ballads on both love and politics, the soul singer adds a window into her soul by incorporating a hint of her established self-worth and faith in God.
In ""Psalm 23
