Bummed by the bad buzz around Fergie’s new album? Don’t fret; here are the three songs you need to hear

When Fergie released “L.A. Love” in 2014, it seemed she was prepping to drop the follow-up to her massive Fergalicious hit “The Dutchess.” The single was just OK, but maybe the album would be better? Then she disappeared and stopped promoting it. Poof — That’s it. The project seemed like it was doomed —and we had to wait three years to find out if it was even going to happen.

When it finally dropped, it landed with a thud; a disjointed and inconsistent “visual album” that struggles with its identity amid turmoil in her personal life and, it seems, trouble at her record label. “Double Dutchess” tries (Too hard? Not hard enough? The jury’s still out) to get us to care about an inner turmoil that isn’t compelling or all that clear, a divorce that’s public but sorta “meh,” and a once-kickass diva who’s been absent for far too long.

Tracks like “M.I.L.F. $” and “Like It Ain’t Nuttin’” are just plain embarassing as we watch Fergie do her best badass wannabe rap act, which might have worked in 2007 but today feels try-hard and tired. Iggy’s disastrous return to orbit has proven that white female rappers need to bring something to the table other than just a sick beat and a questionable blaccent. Then there’s “A Little Work,” a syrupy ballad with a great message about mental health , but that Dr. Luke helped to create — and that’s just one big NOPE in my book. Sorry, girl. Besides, Gwen Stefani’s flat “comeback” last year proved that it doesn’t always work to eschew your brand of excessive swagger and bragadocciousness in favor of saccharine-sweet love songs and soggy ballads about heartbreak. While “The Dutchess” worked specifically because it was so bombastic and ridiculous, “Double Dutchess” feels weighed-down by its past and unsure about its future.

It’s not all bad, though. A handful of tracks show serious promise and a peak at what makes Fergie great in the first place: her voice and her skill at delivering solid earworm pop. Could they land Fergie back on the radio? One can only hope. Check out the three standout tracks below.

“You Already Know (feat. Nicki Minaj)”

This might be the weakest track on this list, but it has one thing seriously working in its favor: Nicki’s verse. Instead of a tiny sliver of a feature, Nicki lays it down in the middle of the track and lends a healthy bump of credibility to Fergie’s lofty claims. It also gets in your ear and stays there, between the catchy chorus and rapid-fire verses that she and Nicki lay down. I wasn’t prepared to be OK with Fergie-Ferg’s rapping, but this track changed my mind.

“Just Like You”

Nevermind the video, which is a little too choreographed and artsy black-and-white. Doing her best Sia impression, Fergie does her best crooning over a drippy midtempo beat and revels in the manic rebellion of coming out of an unhealthy relationship. “Look what you made me do… a table set for two” is less of a lament for lost love and more of a battle cry. You want to play dirty? Two can play that game. The track also drops excessive production to feature clean, unprocessed vocals from Fergie that feel more natural than most of the other tracks on the album, and the result is power and emotion on full display. After the aggressive first three tracks of the album, it’s a nice break.

“Enchante (Carine) (feat. Axl Jack)”

Say what you want about the Kardashians and Jenners; I think Kendall’s feature in the video helps the track by pairing the model with a simple concept that evokes ’80s and ’90s minimalism and choppy editing that almost feels reminiscent of a French silent film. Aside from the visuals, the slinky bop of a track, sounding like a B-side from Britney’s “Glory,” (and that’s not a bad thing) excels at what Fergie does best: breezy pop. After all, it’s not like Fergie has established herself as the thinking woman’s pop star. Pour yourself a glass of rose, turn up the speakers, and give yourself an afternoon dance party around the house while you blast this bop.

What do you think? Am I overlooking any other gems on “Double Dutchess”?