P!nk – “Raise Your Glass”
Published October 05th 2010
Filed under Reviews
Raise Your Glass, from P!nk’s upcoming greatest hits album, Greatest Hits…So Far!!!, just premiered via her official site.
The Max Martin track is a clear progression from her last lead single, So What, and the perfect single to sell a greatest hits album with.
While there are clear elements of Max Martin and Dr. Luke’s current sound from songs like Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream, P!nk always manages to make these tracks sound like her own with her angry, controversial lyrics and her very distinctive vocals. It’s not trying to be anything other than a catchy pop song and it doesn’t need to be. P!nk has plenty of time for artistic moments with her album tracks and Raise Your Glass perfectly carries on P!nk’s incredible collection of singles.
One lyric that stands out on first listen is a well known phrase reversed in the middle 8:
So if you’re too school for cool
Raise Your Glass is released November 8th followed by Greatest Hits…So Far!!! on November 15th.
McFly – “Shine A Light” featuring Taio Cruz
Published October 02nd 2010
Filed under Reviews
The second single from McFly’s upcoming fifth studio album, Above The Noise, is the Taio Cruz track Shine A Light. Like Party Girl, it continues to showcase McFly’s change of sound but still manages to sound like a McFly song (which is a good thing).
Shine A Light sounds like a more mature Star Girl and a more electronic The Heart Never Lies. It also contains the album title, Above The Noise, in the second verse.
The only small problem with Shine A Light is the production. The song sounds quite empty and seems like there should be a build up, like the long crescendo throughout The Heart Never Lies, but it never happens. It just plods along with no big moment. Taio Cruz’s fifteen seconds of a middle 8 also seems a bit unnecessary but by him featuring the song, hopefully it will attract new listeners and the song will perform better than Party Girl.
Shine A Light will be released on November 8th followed by the album, Above The Noise, on November 15th.
The Saturdays – “Higher” featuring Flo Rida
Published September 17th 2010
Filed under Reviews
Yesterday, second single Higher, from The Saturdays’ new mini-album Headlines, premiered. The Saturdays recently shot the video in L.A. and also got chart rival Flo Rida on board to feature on the track. Getting Flo Rida to feature on the track is quite a clever move since he’s beaten The Saturdays to the number one spot on two occasions which has been a long-running story in the press. They can’t beat him, so their best move is to collaborate, which is sure to gain even more press.
The problem is, while it seems like a brilliant way to increase The Saturdays’ status, the song Flo Rida is featuring on happens to be possibly the best song of their careers so far. From the minute the album dropped, Higher has been a huge fan favourite. It has elements of everything that makes a good Saturdays song since it’s produced by the same people who gave them their big hits Up and Ego. On first listen, a lot of people were disappointed about the heavy use of autotune on the studio version but the middle 8, despite the autotune, remained on the highlights of the song.
The new version of Higher, which now features Flo Rida, sees the middle 8 completely cut in favour of Flo Rida rapping. The rap actually sounds decent but it’s not as good as the original middle 8 it replaced. The ideal thing the producers could have done, would have been to keep both the original middle 8 and add Flo Rida’s rap, as the song is only three minutes and twenty six seconds long anyway.
Another problem with Flo Rida featuring on Higher is that he didn’t record the track at the same time as The Saturdays, and possibly not with the same producers, leading to his vocals sounding considerably higher in volume in comparison to the girls’ vocals. Listening to the track, I find myself lowering the volume when Flo Rida starts rapping, not because he sounds bad, but because his vocals are much louder. It just sounds like sloppy and rushed editing, and also sounds a bit like he rapped over the track while playing karaoke. However, Flo Rida’s intro, despite his cheesy name dropping of the girls, actually sounds good and fits in well with the lyrics of the song.
Flo Rida: What you doing Saturday girl?
Vanessa: I’m doing nothing, ’cause then at least I’m doing nothing wrong
The video for Higher premieres this weekend which looks like it could be their best video yet as seen in their reality TV series The Saturdays 24/7. It looks like they spent quite a lot on the video, leaving seemingly very little of the budget for the cover artwork (seen in the video below) which is a disaster.
Higher will be released November 1st through Fascination Records.
Cheryl Cole – “Promise This” Single Premiere
Published September 14th 2010
Filed under Reviews
Cheryl Cole’s lead single, Promise This, from her upcoming sophomore album, premiered today on Chris Moyles’ BBC Radio 1 show. After the huge success of Fight For This Love, Cheryl returns with another Wayne Wilkins track, this time specially penned for Cheryl.
Promise This is very different to anything on her debut album, 3 Words. It’s more dance-pop and less r’n'b-lite. The only previous work by Cheryl that it could be compared to is the b-side, Boys, which shares similar production styles. It doesn’t sound much like anything else around right now but it sounds very fresh, yet current.
The track samples the well known French song Alouette. Cheryl metaphorically sings about plucking and spreading wings which is then used as a hook during the intro, post-chorus and outro of the song, but in French.
Alouette-ette-ette, alouette-ette-ette, alouette-ette-ette, déployer les ailes
Alouette-ette-ette, alouette-ette-ette, alouette-ette-ette, plumerai les ailes
Melodically, Cheryl’s vocal in the verses has a similarity to the verses of Rain On Me from her debut. The chorus is quite short like Fight For This Love’s chorus, but similarly the repetitive, French, post-chorus is the biggest hook in the song. Promise This, again will be a huge club hit for Cheryl as it’s quite uptempo, clocking in at 150bpm, faster than Fight For This Love’s 120bpm.
Promise This will be released on October 25th, following an X Factor performance and followed by her sophomore album, Messy Little Raindrops, on November 1st, through Fascination Records.
Good Charlotte – “Like It’s Her Birthday”
Published August 03rd 2010
Filed under Reviews
Good Charlotte are finally read to release the lead single, Like It’s Her Birthday, from their long awaited fifth studio album, Cardiology. Having completed the album last year, they scrapped all the songs and started from scratch again this year and they’re now set to release the album in October.
Like It’s Her Birthday is a progression from their electronic sound on 2007′s Good Morning Revival, sounding similar to songs like Keep Your Hands Off My Girl and Dance Floor Anthem, but sounding a lot more polished.
Like It’s Her Birthday will be released on August 24th and the album Cardiology will be released on October 26th through Capitol Records.
