Is The Poet II a good place to start with Patti LaBelle?

Yes, The Poet II is recommended as a starting point for new Patti LaBelle listeners. Smooth R&B grooves intertwine with Patti LaBelle's powerful vocals, creating a soulful exploration of love and heartbreak. In 1984, Patti LaBelle released The Poet II as her follow-up to the successful album The Poet, solidifying her status in the R&B scene. This album arrived during a period of both commercial success and artistic confidence, showcasing her ability to blend emotional narratives with rich vocal performances.

Who is The Poet II for?

The Poet II works well if you're into steady emotional exploration throughout, rich vocal performances shine and reflective moments for introspection.

How many songs are on The Poet II?

The Poet II has 9 tracks, running approximately 41 minutes.

The Poet II

Patti LaBelle · 1984

41 min · 9 tracks · rhythm and blues

Smooth R&B grooves intertwine with Patti LaBelle's powerful vocals, creating a soulful exploration of love and heartbreak.

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Top tracks — play these first

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Love Has Finally Come at Last Start here — This track opens the album with a triumphant expression of love's arrival, highlighted by LaBelle's soaring vocal delivery and lush instrumentation that set the tone for the entire record.
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It Takes a Lot of Strength to Say Goodbye — A poignant ballad that showcases LaBelle's ability to convey deep emotion, reflecting on the difficulty of parting with heartfelt lyrics and an evocative melody.
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American Dream — This track stands out for its social commentary wrapped in melodic hooks, capturing the aspirations and struggles of everyday life with an infectious rhythm.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

59 /100

Treeline

Higher than 57% of albums we've rated

The album features strong vocal performances and well-crafted arrangements, but its overall impact is more localized within the genre.

What we noticed

The album opens with a strong lead single that features a lush arrangement of strings and horns, setting a smooth R&B tone.
Each track showcases LaBelle's vocal range, often building to powerful climaxes with layered backing vocals.

Composition 25% of the score: 7/10
Craft 20% of the score: 8/10
Durability 25% of the score: 6/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 6/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 7/10

Influence 4/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

steady emotional exploration throughout
rich vocal performances shine
reflective moments for introspection
soulful melodies for connection

Maybe skip if you

seeking fast-paced excitement
prefer single-track listening

Where this album fits

In the catalog: Breakthrough — Solidified Patti LaBelle's status in the R&B scene after previous successes.
Themes: American Dream aspirations· soulful farewells· hopeful love stories
Career context: In 1984, Patti LaBelle released The Poet II as her follow-up to the successful album The Poet, solidifying her status in the R&B scene. This album arrived during a period of both commercial success and artistic confidence, showcasing her ability to blend emotional narratives with rich vocal performances.
Stylistic neighbors: Gladys Knight· Aretha Franklin· Chaka Khan