“Boy, you hurt me so bad / I’m scorn.” Uh-oh! Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter Marsha Ambrosius taps into an emotional state that many women can relate to on “Scorn,” the 13th track from her underrated 2018 album, Nyla. Scorn, defined as a noun, is “the feeling or belief that someone or something is worthless or despicable; contempt.” As a verb, it means to “feel or express contempt or derision for.” Safe to say, the former half of Floetry exemplifies both parts of speech throughout the course of this soulful, emotional record. The atonement? Trying to move on from being hurt by that notorious four-letter word: love.
The mood is set early-on with lush production work and perhaps surprisingly, a major-key scheme. Despite some sense of optimism given the ‘happy’ key, it’s clear that Marsha Ambrosius is sad on the ‘struggle bus,’ admitting that she’s in a bad mood and bad place. “Don’t you feel sorry for me / It’s not a question I’m asking,” she sings at the onset, later continuing, “Don’t you worry no more / I’m not sorry, I’m scorn.” She continues to express the pain she’s experiencing, and her inability to adjust, all due to the scorn. It’s capped off by the recurrent lyrics, “And it hurts so bad / Said it hurts so bad.”
What’s interesting about “Scorn” is the lack of ‘traditional’ form. Sure, there are sections, and some repetition, but the looser feel allows listeners to truly experience Ambrosius’ pain more naturally. When we experience something that shakes us to the core, it’s not typically neatly organized, but more ‘all over the place.’ “Scorn” accomplishes the same with the lush sound palette, including celestial backing vocals, a unique harmonic progression, and of course the scorned herself, Marsha, and any other woman who’s ever felt like she’s been totally done wrong.
You can learn more about Marsha Ambrosius here:
About The Curator - Brent Faulkner
Slightly eccentric with interests that seem to know no ends, restless ‘Renaissance Man’ is the best way to characterize Brent Faulkner, a native of Kentucky. A certified music educator, multi-instrumentalist, and composer known for his incredibly sharp ear, he lives and breathes music of a variety of styles. In addition to passion for educating, performing, and writing music, he’s equally passionate blogging and writing about it, managing his own site, The Musical Hype (https://themusicalhype.com). When he’s not intensely analyzing music, you can find him reading or watching a movie, reality television or some sporting event.