Lil Ai - Original AI album review
Original AI is a lot more different from various other Lil Ai albums. For starters, the songs are much more extended being that the songs are longer, Lil Ai dabbled more into the enka pop genre of music rather than her usual versatile rap genre or R&B for that matter, and the lyrics have a more sentimental heartfelt mood than most of her other songs on her other albums have.
On Summer Time, Ai wakes up in the morning feeling unusually good. The phones rings and her friends arrive. Ai has been waiting for this day in the summer to come. She hears the beach calling in the bright sunny summertime. Her disheveled hair is being gently blown by the breeze of the waves Ai feels great when it’s summertime. It’s time to have fun!
Ai hears the beach calling as she wants to sunbathe. Ai sings about how the summer is a perfect time for a tan. Standing firmly in the sun will give you a perfect tan. Summer is a perfect time to sunbathe. The beach is an ideal location when it comes to where to sunbathe. Tanning and sunbathing is very fun! Ai seems to enjoy the beauty of tanning.
ŏ鍐 (Saishuu Senkoku) (last words) is a eluded sentimental heartfelt enka pop ballad with Lil Ai’s signature singing technique in place. ŏ鍐 (Saishuu Senkoku) is a ballad that is sung in the Japanese language mainly. Although Lil Ai added bits of English words here and there in the ballad. The “I cry” lines are what make ŏ鍐 (Saishuu Senkoku) a heartfelt sentimental ballad.
Thank U is a song filled with such gratitude to the people we love and that are very personally close to us. She firsts sings in Japanese and she sings in English. Lil Ai transitions from using the Japanese language by transitioning to use the English language next and then back to using her native Japanese language again as usual. Her technique of singing is somewhat unique. Her charm in her singing makes people happy while certainly not too hardcore.
5/5*****!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E - From The Block To The Booth album review
The raps on E - From The Block To The Booth are not that great and are below average on this album. E doesn't really stand out as a rapper. His flows are wack and his lyrics are unintelligent. Subject matter he covers for topics on the tracks are nothing new. It's all rehashed subject material about the lurid tales of street life. Despite all the effort put into graphics and artwork design, the album is rather lackluster. The lyrics are filled with weakness. Not much effort is put forth in songwriting. The concepts are weak.
Despite Bay Area rap heavyweights being on the album, the albums effort is weak. The only good standpoint for the album is the graphics artwork design. If you want to support Bloc Star Entertainment, buy X-Raided albums, Loki, or At All Costs albums instead.
2/5**
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avril Lavigne - The Best Damn Thing album review
Avril Lavigne decided to take a different musical direction with this album. The whole album is more pop oriented than rock. By 2007, Avril Lavigne became an international pop sensation sellout across the globe by having decided to go the pop route. This album is more girly and cheery. The album tackles subjects such as dating and relationships which is what she did on her last album Under My Skin.
The Best Damn Thing is the title track and lead single that is a cheerleader pop song about how Avril Lavigne is “the best damn thing” your eyes will have ever seen toward any man out there willing to be her boyfriend. It is a pop oriented song. Avril Lavigne definitely went all out with this song. It’s painfully obvious she went the sellout route here. Avril Lavigne can create a scene as she is a scene. She’s a drama queen. She’s the best damn thing that your eyes have ever seen! Like it or not.
The Best Damn Thing” was released as the final single on June 21, 2008. The song charted at #7 on the US Billboard Charts under the Hot 100 Singles chart. The song would later peaked at #95 on the Hot 100 Singles chart. However The Best Damn Thing didn’t perform as well commercially as some of her previous singles. Oh the irony.
Apparently a guy not getting the door for her really gets on her last nerves as evidenced in He Wasn’t from the Under My Skin album and on Verse 1 for this song. Where are the hopes? Where are the dreams? Her Cinderella story scene? Anyway peep the first verse.
[Verse 1]
I hate it when a guy doesn't get the door
Even though I told him yesterday and the day before
I hate it when a guy doesn't get the tab
And I have to pull my money out and that looks bad, yeah
Now Verse 2 is where Avril starts to get awkward and quite disturbing. Does this really need an explanation? She is talking about being on her period for fucks sake.
[Verse 2]
I hate it when a guy doesn't understand
Why a certain time of month I don't wanna hold his hand (uh-uh)
Now the bridge sung in a cheer the way cheerleaders performs their cheers and chants at pep rallies & sporting events. Now this is where the song becomes even more cheery.
[Bridge]
Give me an A (always give me what I want)
Give me a V (be very, very good to me)
R (are you gonna treat me right?)
I (I can put up a fight)
Give me an L (let me hear you scream loud)
(Let me hear you scream loud)
One, two, three, four!
You won’t get rid of her never.
I Can Do Better is someone getting over someone whether it be a friend, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, or a certain crush. Whatever the case, this song certainly is rubbing it in their faces you can and will find someone to treat you the way you deserve to be treated. That you will find someone better. It’s basically that simple.
It is evident and painfully obvious that Avril is tired of this shit. So don’t ask why and don’t deny it.
[Pre-Chorus]
I'm sick of this shit, don't deny
You're a waste of time
I'm sick of this shit, don't ask why
Hot is a “burlesque” pop rock ballad where Avril sings away her feelings about a boyfriend. This boyfriend of her makes het “hot”. It’s so ridiculous. The song uses a heavy punch of rock music.
She wants to lock her boyfriend up in her closet and do some crazy ridiculous things to him. She makes some references to BDSM, bondage play, and sex. The lyrics explain what she wants to do to her boyfriend.:
[Verse 1]
I wanna lock you up in my closet
When no one's around
I wanna put your hand in my pocket
Because you're allowed
I wanna drive you into the corner
And kiss you without a sound
I wanna stay this way forever
I'll say it loud
[Pre-Chorus]
Now you're in
You can't get out
It’s clear he makes Avril so hot. He’s so ridiculous. She can barely stop (or breathe). That gently kiss is what she is longing for.
4/5****!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avril Lavigne - Avril Lavigne album review
Avril Lavigne’s self-titled album from 2013 was highly slept on by the music industry and the general public. The album still contained some of Avril Lavigne’s iconic piano ballads and heavy rock influences. The album itself is a Here’s To Never Growing Up.
However music critics grew tired of her ideas and anthems. Many music critics responded with mixed reviews. Avril Lavigne’s self-titled album was her least successful album to date despite having Here’s To Never Growing Up and Rock N Roll as buzz singles. The album peaked at #5 on the BillBoard 200 yet suffered from low sales.
If the songs What The Hell, Wish You Were Here, Everybody Hurts, Not Enough, and Smile were included on this album, the this album would have been more of a success. Now if Avril paid attention to the backlash of controversy over the Hello Kitty music video, then her career and album sales would not have suffered.
Avril Lavigne went back to her rebellious punk rock roots on the song Here’s To Never Growing Up. It's about being young and wanting to be young forever while living in the moment by having fun. The song itself is a nostalgia trip. Its music video on YouTube received millions of views online. Here’s To Never Growing Up was a hit and the lead single.
This song has a moderate tempo of 82 bpm and is composed almost entirely in the key of F major. This song has a moderate tempo similar to Complicated from 2002. The song has a “punch” in its sound due to constant usage of a kick drum. Guitars and drums are the melody.
At the beginning is where Avril references English rock band Radiohead. Ironically Radiohead is also featured in the chorus. At the chorus, she continues "We'll be running down the street yelling kiss my ass"
Avril declares her celebration to never maturing in the second verse. It is clearly a "celebration of being forever young".:
This is who we are
I don't think we'll ever change
They say 'Just grow up.’
but they don't know us
We don't give a fuck!
And we’re never gonna change
The songwriting on Hush Hush conveys such deep meaning as the song emits a barrage of feelings. Feelings such as regret, anger, hopefulness, and desperation. Hush Hush is a piano driven ballad that is an original song written by Avril Lavigne herself.
The song starts with a calm vibe where Avril whispers “hush” repeatedly. She seems to be trying to calm someone down or maybe even herself. This could have been after a fight or a breakdown. The chorus is full of pain and regret. She whispers in a peaceful and comforting way “hush hush” planing to ease the sorrow along with the mood.
Verse 2 is where Avril is now filled with regret.
[Verse 2]
When I try to forget you
I just keep on remembering
What we had, it was so true
And somehow we lost everything
Hush hush, now (Hush hush, now)
The chorus is also filled with pain, sorrow, and regret as well.
Rock N Roll has some fun, rebellious anthems. The song is about care-free non-conformance where Avril sing-shouts lyrics in her usual cadence and piercing voice. Her usual piercing falling cadence shimmers throughout the song. Chords from the guitar are electronically synchronized to a full drum kit.
This rock song is similar to classic rock anthems such as I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll, Detroit Rock City, I Wanna Rock, and We Will Rock You. The song itself pays homage and tribute to the genre of rock music hence the appropriate title.
Avril does not care about conforming to current trends of music set up by the corporate executives who control the music market. She does not care about conforming up to the standards of mainstream hipster music. Verse 1 sums up everything about Avril not conforming to current trends of music.
[Verse 1]
I don't care about my makeup
I like it better with my jeans all ripped up
Don't know how to keep my mouth shut
You say, "So what?" (What)
I don't care if I'm a misfit
I like it better than the hipster bullshit
I am the motherfuckin' princess
You still love it
You know what she’s really all about. She reminds us that she is still the princess of rock ‘n roll. It was due to her success int he early 2000s that she had earned this nickname. Avril Lavigne is the Punk Rock Princess. She stays true to what she does. She does not care about reputation unlike everybody today.
The chorus is full of rebellion as hinted in the lyrics.
[Chorus]
When it's you and me
We don't need no one to tell us who to be
We'll keep turning up the radio
What if you and I
Just put up a middle finger to the sky?
Let 'em know that we're still rock n roll
Hello Kitty as a song was a PR disaster. The Hello Kitty music video was slammed by the news media along with the press. Avril Lavigne was accused of racism and cultural appropriation (or misappropriation depending on how you look at it) over the video's stereotypical depiction of Japanese culture. Avril Lavigne did not take the backlash very seriously which her hurt music career in a sense.
Mix the subgenres of J-pop, dubstep, and EDM, and the result is this song called Hello Kitty. The song is clearly inspired by J-pop. The song uses both the Japanese language and English language.
Bitchin’ Summer is a mid tempo carefree song about harmless rebelliousness. The motto to the song Bitchin’ Summer is “Come and party, do it while we're young”.
The time period of this song takes place just seconds before school is out. Everyone is waiting on the bell. The anxiety and tension is high in the air. The sun is shinin' down. A couple seconds, kids will be raisin' hell.
Now school is finally out! It's gonna be a bitchin' summer. Nothing else matters. So we might as well party while we're young.
Falling Fast is a song that would fit appropriately on a Taylor Swift album due to its melody and pop rock elements. The song seems to be a pop rock crossover. The whole song is about falling fast.
3/5***!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michel'le - Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le album review
Think Factory released this soundtrack album called Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le as a digital download online via SoundCloud in 2016. Michel’le had some input on what songs she wanted to use on the soundtrack for her autobiography/biopic film called Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le. A copule of songs from her debut album were re-recorded and included on this soundtrack album. The first 3 songs are remakes from her debut album and the last 2 songs are new songs.
Her beautiful R&B voice gives life to these great songs. The soundtrack has a bit of that old school late 80s New Jack Swing sound with a touch of R&B/soul. However on ta songs that were re-recorded, Dr. Dre’s vocals were removed. Michel'le flipped the script on Dr. Dre because when Straight Out of Compton came out she was not included the movie. She was left out. So Michel’le had re-recorded the songs with a new male voice instead of using Dr. Dre’s vocals. Plus there was more than high possibility of rights issues when songs were being chosen for the soundtrack.
The soundtrack is about a woman who held on to her dream through poverty, domestic violence, and drugs. In with it came the fame and betrayal from men she loved, dated, “married”, and trusted. These songs are filled with such passion.
The soundtrack for Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le is absolutely amazing but too short to be considered a full album. Only 5 songs are included on this soundtrack album. Think Factory could have used more songs from Michel’le’s catalogue to make this soundtrack into a full album. But then again, there is always a “rights” issue. Nevertheless Michel’le did a great job performing on all of these songs. She truly deserves more fame than this. She is one of the really under appreciated singers out there.
Nicety was re-recorded and rearranged with a slightly different sound yet some of the percussion was left intact. The song is an uptempo song with that late 80s New Jack Swing style. Nicety came from her debut album that was released on Ruthless Records in 1989.
However Dr. Dre’s vocals were left out of this version of Nicety. Michel'le flipped the script on Dr. Dre because when Straight Out of Compton came out, Michel'le was not included the movie. She was left out. So Michel’le had recorded the songs with a new male voice.
The song is about how Michel’le is not like every other girl. She tells men to not get their hopes too high and don't be like other guys assuming that every girl is just like that type. The way she appears to you may not be true to you. Michel’le is not like your girl. She wants to be treated right. Michel’le says men will try anything just to take women home.
The hook clearly explains what type of girl Michel’le is which sums it all up. Read below.
[Hook]
Some people think I'm nice
Some people think I'm nasty
But if you really want to know
Just ask me...
And I'll say I'm nicety
Hooooo-hoooo-hoooo say I'm nicety
No More Lies was re-recorded and rearranged with a slightly different sound but with Dr. Dre’s vocals removed. Her then-boyfriend Dr. Dre produced No More Lies of course. Her unique Minnie Mouse voice can be heard on this song. The song No More Lies has a bit of that old school late 80s New Jack Swing sound with a slight touch of hard rock. R&B/soul meets rock music on this song. No More Lies came from her debut album that was released on Ruthless Records in 1989.
No More Lies is a song aimed at men who are abusive and unfaithful to their lovers. However this song is aimed more at unfaithful men then it is abusive men it seems. Men exaggerate, lie, and are unfaithful at times. Michel’le states there's a little exaggeration in almost every man.
Something in My Heart was re-recorded and rearranged with a slightly different sound. Her beautiful R&B voice prospers through out the song. Percussion and woodwinds are still the same. This song came from her debut album that was released on Ruthless Records in 1989.
The song was basically about the feelings she had towards Dr. Dre. Michel'le was truly in love with Dre. She had no limit to the love for him. Her love for him during that time was unconditional. Dr. Dre knew that he had all of her love.
So Glad I'm Standing Here is a new song that was recorded in 2015 by Michel’le for the Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le soundtrack. This song is a Michel’le solo and a piano solo. Her vocals are still on point.
So Glad I'm Standing Here is an inspirational song of life and love. Michel’le encourages people to come together and raise up their voices in this song of hers. It is very refreshing to hear Michel'le sing about positivity. Overall So Glad I'm Standing Here is a powerful song!
There were times Michel’le remembered where she had to fight just to hold her head up. There were times when her friends tried to make a fool of her. Things her heart attack that people just couldn’t see. Some said she was hopeless. Strong willed she was. That’s why she is still standing here today. Michel'le is finally at a happy point in her life.
Michel’le encourages people to come together and raise up their voices close to the middle of the song. If you’re lost in your troubles, this song is perfect for you. It will uplift your spirits.
Her voice is just as powerful was ever on Moonlight. The song has a bright cheerful mood. An angelic chorus backs up her vocals.
Sometimes she wish the world would spin slow. But she can’t decide. The fast life is the only life Michel’le knows. Time knows no limitations. She knows theres more to life than this. We were born to live. Tonight’s a full moon. Let the light shine through. Michel’le says all you have to do is let the light find you.
Her past life is nothing like the one she knows. She hopes for a bright future. Michel’le is just trying to make something out of her life. There is no easy answer for that. She has to keep moving on in life.
5/5*****!!
No comments:
Post a Comment