Even before Loud was released there were rumors that "Cheers" would be a single; after a ton of other songs we've finally got "Cheers" released as a single. And it makes it the fourth song by Rihanna on my blog, more than anyone else.
Rihanna is in a dangerous position right now. She's already pumped out a ton of singles from Loud and people are probably hoping for something fresh by now. On the other hand, "California King Bed" didn't quite reach major success, so being too different is also out. I'd say that she made a good decision with "Cheers" because it's got a signature Rihanna sound, party lyrics, yet has a different smoother style than her usual blaring vocals.
"Cheers" is more subdued than Rihanna's party jams which gives a nice feel of something that you can enjoy when you don't feel like going all out with dancing. Rihanna still blends in some of her familiar sound which all works together nicely.
But that she went into overkill mode... First off is the fact that she's sampling Avril Lavigne's "Yeah yeah yeah"s from "I'm with you," the sound is quite clashing and immediately creates a different mood to the song. The two voices have no blend at all and the "Yeah yeah yeah"s just come out of no where. Then there's the bridge which is a group of voices singing offkey. I can see that she's trying to create the party mood with that, but it really doesn't add anything to the song. It's weird and annoying and just slows down the song's momentum.
This song could have been super, but now it's just annoying. It'll probably still pull Rihanna out of her tumble with "California King Bed" and may even become a number one. After that we should be getting a break from Rihanna for a bit (she's only got like three songs left that haven't become singles.) But of course knowing Rihanna, it won't last long and she'll have another album out in no time.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Alexandra Stan - Mr. Saxobeat
This is another song that's been around for a while, but is only just getting noticed where I live. Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina first broke out of Romania and into the world earlier this year, and now Alexandra Stan is doing the same with a similar song. Like "Stereo Love," "Mr. Saxobeat" has a very european mysterious sound which I say can only help the song.
Musically the song is very interesting and is a great dance song. The saxophone in the background immediately sets up the song to be captivating and Alexandra's vocals carry the feeling. With a catchy hook and repitive beat it's easy to just dance to this song. Alexandra switches between a sexy whisper and a dancy chorus which both make the song strong.
On the other hand, however, the song is not lyrically interesting. The lyrics are quite repitive and feature a lot of breaks where there's nothing but, "Mm yeah!" over and over again. The term 'Mr. Saxobeat' is something that may have deep meaning or is just weird, and I'm leaning towards the latter. Other than that it's really just another invitation to dance sort of song. We've heard it before.
Overall it's a good song that sounds unique if you're looking for something to dance to; otherwise you won't find anything to special in the words.
Also, a little recap on music in general: Summer is nearing an end and it's still unclear exactly what is the song of the summer. Personally I'd say it's "Give Me Everything" which has enjoyed big success, however others would argue that it's LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" which also has been dominating this summer. Don't expect the hype to die down once summer ends though. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars and Jason Derulo, three major artists, have all released new singles, "You and I," "Marry You," and "It Girl." It would seem as though Adele is releasing "Set Fire to the Rain" in America now as it's starting to climb the charts, and I'm betting it'll do just as good as "Rolling in the Deep." Britney has a poll to decide her next single and it looks like it's going to be "Criminal." Rihanna still isn't done with her latest album and has finally released "Cheers." I've heard rumours that Ke$ha's next single will be "The Harold Song." Finally Jessie J is working to emulate Katy Perry with "Domino" in production
Yeah so, it looks like there's going to be another big smash this fall.
Musically the song is very interesting and is a great dance song. The saxophone in the background immediately sets up the song to be captivating and Alexandra's vocals carry the feeling. With a catchy hook and repitive beat it's easy to just dance to this song. Alexandra switches between a sexy whisper and a dancy chorus which both make the song strong.
On the other hand, however, the song is not lyrically interesting. The lyrics are quite repitive and feature a lot of breaks where there's nothing but, "Mm yeah!" over and over again. The term 'Mr. Saxobeat' is something that may have deep meaning or is just weird, and I'm leaning towards the latter. Other than that it's really just another invitation to dance sort of song. We've heard it before.
Overall it's a good song that sounds unique if you're looking for something to dance to; otherwise you won't find anything to special in the words.
Also, a little recap on music in general: Summer is nearing an end and it's still unclear exactly what is the song of the summer. Personally I'd say it's "Give Me Everything" which has enjoyed big success, however others would argue that it's LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" which also has been dominating this summer. Don't expect the hype to die down once summer ends though. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars and Jason Derulo, three major artists, have all released new singles, "You and I," "Marry You," and "It Girl." It would seem as though Adele is releasing "Set Fire to the Rain" in America now as it's starting to climb the charts, and I'm betting it'll do just as good as "Rolling in the Deep." Britney has a poll to decide her next single and it looks like it's going to be "Criminal." Rihanna still isn't done with her latest album and has finally released "Cheers." I've heard rumours that Ke$ha's next single will be "The Harold Song." Finally Jessie J is working to emulate Katy Perry with "Domino" in production
Yeah so, it looks like there's going to be another big smash this fall.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Bad Meets Evil - Lighters
Remember last year when Eminem teamed up with major pop star, Rihanna, to create "Love the Way you Lie"? Or how about when Bruno Mars was lending his voice to rapper, B.o.B, for "Nothing on You"? Both songs were pretty big hits, so this leads to the conclusion that if Bruno Mars and Eminem teamed up it would be an even bigger hit. Also there's that other guy, Royce da 5'9, since he's also part of "Bad Meets Evil."
Rappers like Eminem have a reputation of being overall angry in their songs, but "Lighters" is a bit of different turn with a more sentimental emotional feeling to it. Of course you can still expect Eminem to rap with his usual intensity and foul language, but there's a different message behind this song. Bruno Mars sings the chorus and that's probably where most of the emotion comes from; as we've seen before, Bruno Mars, can make anything sound tender. He sets up the song with a very emotional verse, then we get rougher, but still emotional, verses from Eminem and Royce.
The lyrics for the most part have a lot of meaning in them; though for rap it's sometimes hard to tell if lyrics are just weird or have a deeper meaning. But like I said there's plenty of swearing in it, and if you're not into that the censored version is incredibly choppy. However, even without the censor the rapping is still a little choppy sounding, so maybe it's just the song itself.
This song combines many different strong emotions, similar to Diddy-Dirty Money's "Coming Home" with the tender chorus but more intense rap verses. All parts of the song continue the feeling of many dynamic feelings no matter whose verse it is. Bruno Mars has yet to fail to deliver a hit, and Eminem has proven to be capable of massive smash songs. And I'm sure Royce da 5'9 will help too. So overall I can see this song being a major hit.
Rappers like Eminem have a reputation of being overall angry in their songs, but "Lighters" is a bit of different turn with a more sentimental emotional feeling to it. Of course you can still expect Eminem to rap with his usual intensity and foul language, but there's a different message behind this song. Bruno Mars sings the chorus and that's probably where most of the emotion comes from; as we've seen before, Bruno Mars, can make anything sound tender. He sets up the song with a very emotional verse, then we get rougher, but still emotional, verses from Eminem and Royce.
The lyrics for the most part have a lot of meaning in them; though for rap it's sometimes hard to tell if lyrics are just weird or have a deeper meaning. But like I said there's plenty of swearing in it, and if you're not into that the censored version is incredibly choppy. However, even without the censor the rapping is still a little choppy sounding, so maybe it's just the song itself.
This song combines many different strong emotions, similar to Diddy-Dirty Money's "Coming Home" with the tender chorus but more intense rap verses. All parts of the song continue the feeling of many dynamic feelings no matter whose verse it is. Bruno Mars has yet to fail to deliver a hit, and Eminem has proven to be capable of massive smash songs. And I'm sure Royce da 5'9 will help too. So overall I can see this song being a major hit.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Demi Lovato - Skyscraper
One of the most annoying issues with the music market today is that there are too many kid singers who don't even understand the emotion that they're supposed to be singing about (Selena Gomez, I'm looking at you.) However, Demi Lovato is no longer just another Disney kid, she's had some serious trauma in her life, and you can really feel the pain in her song. "Skyscraper" isn't some empowerment song meant to feel you good about yourself no matter who you are, it's a personal song about overcoming obstacles. And that really makes it all the much stronger.
The song starts out tender but it builds and becomes stronger and stronger. Demi sings about losing everything she has, and by the pain in her voice I find it quite believable. The emotional edge holds true throughout the song and builds into a very moving climax. The song's style fits very well with Demi and it seems like she's forming her own identity. The style itself is similar to a Kelly Clarkson ballad, and considering how powerful Kelly Clarkson can be, I'd say that's a good sign.
The song has already achieved positive reception by the world, and I wouldn't be surprised if it grows into a major hit of the year. 2011 certainly has the feeling of a more emotional songs, instead of nothing but dance, which we've seen by P!nk's "Perfect" and pretty much everything by Bruno Mars; so "Skyscraper" should fit in there. As for the future of Demi Lovato, I'd say that it could go two ways. One: With the momentum from "Skyscraper" she could launch herself into a successful followup; or two: Considering how it took a breakdown and trip to rehab to get this emotion she might have run dry and fail to come up with another hit.
The song starts out tender but it builds and becomes stronger and stronger. Demi sings about losing everything she has, and by the pain in her voice I find it quite believable. The emotional edge holds true throughout the song and builds into a very moving climax. The song's style fits very well with Demi and it seems like she's forming her own identity. The style itself is similar to a Kelly Clarkson ballad, and considering how powerful Kelly Clarkson can be, I'd say that's a good sign.
The song has already achieved positive reception by the world, and I wouldn't be surprised if it grows into a major hit of the year. 2011 certainly has the feeling of a more emotional songs, instead of nothing but dance, which we've seen by P!nk's "Perfect" and pretty much everything by Bruno Mars; so "Skyscraper" should fit in there. As for the future of Demi Lovato, I'd say that it could go two ways. One: With the momentum from "Skyscraper" she could launch herself into a successful followup; or two: Considering how it took a breakdown and trip to rehab to get this emotion she might have run dry and fail to come up with another hit.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Black Eyed Peas - Don't Stop the Party
I've been really impressed with the last two singles from "The Beginning," The Peas' latest album, because they were anything but boring and offered a lot of variety for everybody. I'm afraid that "Don't Stop the Party" has put a stop to my adirmation and reminds me why I hated the Black Eyed Peas before this album. Sure, the start of the song sounds a bit exciting and might get you dancing, but it doesn't go anywhere. Like I was saying, the Black Eyed Peas can add a lot of variety, especially with the two distinct sounds of Fergie and Will. I. Am. But this song only features a little bit of Fergie, in fact it doesn't feature much else than Will. I. Am shouting, "Don't Stop the Party!"
At first you might like, but it's a high chance that by the end you'll just be wondering, "Is it over yet?" then if radio stations start playing it nonstop (like they do with every other BEP song) you will really grow to hate it. Lyrics are also pretty repetitive, they go from weird to just play old "Don't Stop the Party."
I know that the Black Eyed Peas' obnoxious style has worked before and I know that dancy club songs are popular, yet this song just offers absolutely nothing. I suppose I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up that the Black Eyed Peas might have stayed good. The sad part is that since it is a Peas' song it's probably going to get super popular and we'll be stuck with it for the rest of the summer.
At first you might like, but it's a high chance that by the end you'll just be wondering, "Is it over yet?" then if radio stations start playing it nonstop (like they do with every other BEP song) you will really grow to hate it. Lyrics are also pretty repetitive, they go from weird to just play old "Don't Stop the Party."
I know that the Black Eyed Peas' obnoxious style has worked before and I know that dancy club songs are popular, yet this song just offers absolutely nothing. I suppose I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up that the Black Eyed Peas might have stayed good. The sad part is that since it is a Peas' song it's probably going to get super popular and we'll be stuck with it for the rest of the summer.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Craig Smart - 123
Craig Smart had a major time to shine last year when he collaborated with Longo and Wainwright on "One Life Stand." I didn't really find that song too interesting, but "123" is a step up for Craig Smart and is showing strong potential.
The song has strong vocals which is the first sign of improvement. This powerful singing is backed up by an equal emotion behind the adoring lyrics. For a still emerging artist it's not always common to have a powerful voice and real emotion, but this song is defintely showing the best of Craig Smart. This is why I say that it has stong potential; as we've seen lesser artists emerge with a minor hit, so it should be no trouble for Craig to do just as well if not better.
Not everything is perfect about this song though. The lyrics are pretty cheesing, but that can be forgiven since it still has strong emotion. On the other hand you will notice that the song is incredibly similar to Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are." A sweet love song telling a girl how great she is, sound familiar? Furthermore, both Craig Smart and Bruno Mars have smooth tenor voices and both songs have similar background music. So overall it's hard to miss the similarities and this can take away from the effect of the song.
Considering how impressive the vocals are on this song I say that that can cancel out the fact that the majority of the song is borrowed from Bruno Mars. I'm sure it's still bound to have success, afterall "Just the Way You Are" was able to win over the population. If Craig Smart is going to continue a successful career he'll need to keep up his progress as a singer, but find his own style.
The song has strong vocals which is the first sign of improvement. This powerful singing is backed up by an equal emotion behind the adoring lyrics. For a still emerging artist it's not always common to have a powerful voice and real emotion, but this song is defintely showing the best of Craig Smart. This is why I say that it has stong potential; as we've seen lesser artists emerge with a minor hit, so it should be no trouble for Craig to do just as well if not better.
Not everything is perfect about this song though. The lyrics are pretty cheesing, but that can be forgiven since it still has strong emotion. On the other hand you will notice that the song is incredibly similar to Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are." A sweet love song telling a girl how great she is, sound familiar? Furthermore, both Craig Smart and Bruno Mars have smooth tenor voices and both songs have similar background music. So overall it's hard to miss the similarities and this can take away from the effect of the song.
Considering how impressive the vocals are on this song I say that that can cancel out the fact that the majority of the song is borrowed from Bruno Mars. I'm sure it's still bound to have success, afterall "Just the Way You Are" was able to win over the population. If Craig Smart is going to continue a successful career he'll need to keep up his progress as a singer, but find his own style.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Britney Spears - I Wanna Go
It's funny how I heard all of Britney's new songs this year and planned to post about them, but always found something moer interesting. But not this time, "I Wanna Go," is clearly one of the best songs off of Femme Fatale and is certain to make even bigger waves than it has already.
The song is similar to Rihanna's "S&M" in several ways such as the pounding background music, the smooth creep into an explosive chorus, and the idea of being dirty. However Britney pulls off this idea a lot better in my opinion; while Rihanna is just been blatantly obvious that she's into dirty stuff, Britney shows a more personal side by revealing the need to express a dark side of herself to the world.
This song has a lot of content to it and its clear that a lot of work went into making this a hit. There's scooping lines similar to Pussycat dolls' "Buttons," there's a catchy whistling tune, and of course there's the classic Britney sound. The song's final chorus is quite powerful; there's a brief gap of silence, but we know that this doesn't mean it's over, sure enough it speeds into a final explosive ending. I can see a lot of Britney trademarks in this song's music and lyrics and I feel like this is a sign that this will be the big Britney song for 2011.
Britney has really caught my attention with this song, and she seems to have grabbed a lot of others' attention as well. I feel like this is one of her truer to herself songs and it's got the same style that has recurred throughout her career. Overall I think it's going to be a huge hit.
The song is similar to Rihanna's "S&M" in several ways such as the pounding background music, the smooth creep into an explosive chorus, and the idea of being dirty. However Britney pulls off this idea a lot better in my opinion; while Rihanna is just been blatantly obvious that she's into dirty stuff, Britney shows a more personal side by revealing the need to express a dark side of herself to the world.
This song has a lot of content to it and its clear that a lot of work went into making this a hit. There's scooping lines similar to Pussycat dolls' "Buttons," there's a catchy whistling tune, and of course there's the classic Britney sound. The song's final chorus is quite powerful; there's a brief gap of silence, but we know that this doesn't mean it's over, sure enough it speeds into a final explosive ending. I can see a lot of Britney trademarks in this song's music and lyrics and I feel like this is a sign that this will be the big Britney song for 2011.
Britney has really caught my attention with this song, and she seems to have grabbed a lot of others' attention as well. I feel like this is one of her truer to herself songs and it's got the same style that has recurred throughout her career. Overall I think it's going to be a huge hit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)