First Maroon 5 review on this page, and what better with their new released album along with their new single? But before I get to it, here's the music video of what I'm going to be talking about. You can click here.
Overexposed, get it right now because this is a seriously sweet, tentalising album straight for the ears. Now, before I review the song, I have to tell you the video makes no sense at the start, and seems quite vague which is similar to PAYPHONE. Though, I still am loving this track. ONE MORE NIGHT sounds like those tracks which have been done previously on separate albums by Maroon 5, but I can't argue because the melodic instrumentals coupled with that crazy Adam Levine voice always makes any track sound absolutely subtle. The first listen is what is most intriguing of it all; it sounds electro-pop'ish', reggae at the same time but with the closer ears, you'll listen that it is kind of like the same of MOVES LIKE JAGGER, except that this is less 'fun' than their 2nd number one hit on Billboard. And I can't complain much. When Overexposed is out, we'll see if it is going to get the same comparisons to Hands All Over or is it going to be a renewed album that stands out on it's own, because at this rate, it looks definitely inevitable. At the same time, ONE MORE NIGHT doesn't talks about one-night stands, but basically about this girl that clings onto Levine and so on, and probably one more night to end it off or something. That is, basically my way of 'knowing' the song. But let's face it, if it's a good song, people won't find it exhausting to keep replaying the song. On the summer note, this song is ideal for not exactly break-ups or patch-ups. But it also climbs well on the club charts and that says something different. ONE MORE NIGHT might get more plays than the former single due to it isn't being a club-anthem at all. But because we know Maroon 5 as a much more pop band, this song might serve to come under-fire from critics and fans alike. But as the band takes a different direction, we all need to follow them all you're going to be easily thrown under the rocks. But electrolysed sync to the song serves as a purpose and is basically why the transition in music is so large and different. RATINGS: ORGINALITY: 8/10 - What can I say? Have you ever seen a mix of different genres coming up to become such a wonderful hit? This song is basically that. And what I love about it is that it doesn't pale in comparisons towards the older songs and is quite the hit for many. It's going to replace PAYPHONE, I have a feeling. Or maybe not. SOUND: 8/10 - And that says it all. Electro-pop meets reggae meets some sort of contemporary to create this wonderfully smashed hit. Smash it! LYRICS: 8/10 - I'm not exactly happy with it, to be honest. But it does function somehow to a return of roots for Levine and the band. But some lyrics really advocate that sort of love/hate feeling and still has that deep love or hatred towards that person. "I cross my heart and I hope to die/That I only stay with you one more night" and "Try to tell you no, but my body keeps on telling you yes". OVERALL: 24/30 - The basis of it still tells us why Maroon 5 is still an ever-loving band filled with creative inspirations with susceptible twists but generally engaging tracks that will leave you in awe and crunch. ONE MORE NIGHT is going to take over following PAYPHONE's existence. But that's just my bet.
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Hello guys. This time I'm back with another review, and it's an American Idol alumni this time. Yes, BLOWN AWAY is the track from Carrie Underwood's new album that I'm going to be talking about. I for one, is eagerly awaiting the music video for BLOWN AWAY and the hype hasn't died down. Yet.
The trailer for the music video can be seen here. And for the lyrics, click here. A little bit of craziness here and there as I usually do, BLOWN AWAY is the 2nd track for the album of the same title. Carrie's previous song or single, is GOOD GIRL, which created a lot of great and awesome singing which is what Carrie is capable of doing. In this track, we expect nothing less and I personally adore this track. As Carrie has said in her interviews, BLOWN AWAY creates this drama setting and you can basically feel chills down your body when she screams with insane power and passion. The lyrics of the chorus, 'Shatter every window till' it's all blown away/Every brick, every bone, every slamming door blown away/Till' there's nothing left standing, nothing left of yesterday/Every tear-soaked whiskey memory blown away'. She's isn't just exerting pure force or pressure, but basically raw emotion which she basically does on every track on her latest album, and that is one that I personally felt made the album stand out from her old ones. Apart from what she has done, Carrie didn't write or co-wrote this song which might deserve some little criticism. But hey, who said all singers had to be good writers? We see good writers but not exceptional singers with great voices and examples include the Nashville country-pop singer Taylor Swift. I'm not comparing, but Carrie is just a better singer and Taylor is just a better writer. Bollocks to both of them and they both have superb records to boast. RATINGS: ORIGINALITY: 8/10 - Now this is something we don't usually see from Carrie as a singer on her records. But the way she unravels this mystery in the way of a song is simply outstanding. That is not the only reason, but BLOWN AWAY has it's own powers to smash everyone's ears, mine especially. SOUND: 9/10 - Now this is a 9 rating, and I hardly give 9's. Basically because of the size of the song, the stature - rather - I feel that has become like 'a giant', like Carrie states in her interviews. And she brings about the chorus by not screaming, but rather showing raw emotion, as I've stated, and seriously shows the impacts of all questions answered. Probably the highest I've given. LYRICS: 8/10 - The lyrics show us how dark the song is, why and how Carrie had to basically bring about such power to the song as she basically blows song-lovers away. Her fans are simply loving this moment. OVERALL: 25/30 - Congratulations, Carrie Underwood. The American Idol results means nothing as she's transformed into a radio superstar. Don't just listen to it one time if you still don't understand. POINT: One of the reasons I did Carrie's BLOWN AWAY track review was basically to show the critics or album reviewers in my country some counselling. You have homework to do, so show ALL artists the same respect as you would. Thank you. All I have to say is... a super epic song written by the trio of Fun. Once again, the official music video can be seen here. Yes... SOME NIGHTS is what I'm going to be reviewing today.
When WE ARE YOUNG came out, we all loved it. But it's died down, and personally, I for one felt that it was overplayed on the radio and on the net that created so much hype, and yet when it came on, it was boring again. But what surprised me was when I first heard the album, SOME NIGHTS was the 2nd track right? I felt as though the power and energy zipping through my mind. It was that explosive. All I got to say is that the Queen inspired band definitely created another awesome song. When you first hear Nate's vocals with the piano playing and the way he draws out the words, 'Some nights I stay up, cashing in my bad luck/Some nights I call it a draw/Some nights I wish that my lips could build a castle/Some nights I'd wish they'd just fall off', and the song carries on. So much emotion that has finally made me concluded that, this is probably 2 or 3 times as good as WE ARE YOUNG, whereas the latter is simply overrated and overplayed. Well yeah, what a good way to ruin a good song. And also, SOME NIGHTS also proved the energy which frontman Freddie Mercury had with his band, Queen, that made such an impact around the world. Nate's vocals didn't hurt, but he simply managed to regain our interest and simply grace the song. Although the autotune felt awkward during the almost-going-to-end part of the song, I felt that is wasn't very necessary to include it. I personally is not a fan of autotune and felt that Nate would've done so much better without it. Still, it was great as it punctured most of the higher notes. Before going on to the ratings, I wanted to say that the instrumentals of the song consisted of largely drums and piano, which basically also contributed to half of their first single. All this once again derives to the point that too much instruments can inadvertently ruin a good song. RATINGS: ORIGINALITY: 9/10 - Simply wonderful. You'll never find any other song like this that basically sounds so raw and energetic and at the same time, functional. Pretty much like the Queen days, this is one simple song that defines the character of the band. 9 is probably the highest I've given so far. SOUND: 8/10 - My only problem? Probably the autotuning part of the song. Otherwise, the energy level is pretty intense. Makes you feel like seriously jumping out and scream, 'Riot!'. LYRICS: 8/10 - The lyrics, so beautifully outdone and written, that there probably isn't any case of cheesy words or phrases in there. My favourite was, 'This one is not for the folks at home/Sorry mom, but I have to go/Who the (expletive) wants to die alone, all dried up in the desert sun'. Those lines were like a punch to the face with full power. OVERALL: 25/30 - Throw away WE ARE YOUNG. Because most nights, this song is like a radio anthem. Request it daily! So I just caught Men In Black 3, which was an awesome entertainment movie, so when I got up to leave the cinema - guess what song came on? You're right. BACK IN TIME by Pitbull erupted the room.
Before I go on, the music video for the song can be found here. Now, let's take the Black Suit franchise out of our topic since we're talking about music, and not movies (though it's hard to argue for the fact that both of them are equally important in our lives). Firstly, let's take a Pitbull interview. Anybody remember the chorus for the song, or felt any familiarity when you first heard it? Yep, it's actually 'LOVE IS STRANGE', which Mr. Worldwide himself said it before, by Mickey And Sylvia. Now, chorus aside... so we're basically left with only the verses, instrumentals/beats and the originality, which I'm going to be discussing - right now. Now, on the verses, surely Pitbull couldv'e done much, much, much better than his previous other songs? His lyrics, I know, 'Miami equals, black mask, black gloves and a little bit of rope attached - I flipped it'. That's the first line. What I'm trying to say is, it doesn't matter what you rhyme or what word you use - but how you say it. Because Pitbull isn't American, the way he says those words felt very foreign with a sense of distinct American flavour in it. Familiar? GIVE ME EVERYTHING? Kodak with kodak? Otherwise, Pitbull could've done much better. On the other hand, I really love how he expresses the work of the Men In Black. Black suits, white shirts, black gloves - precisely what endorses the franchise so much that we all love it today, 10 years on. And to include them as lyrics in the song, man, it just makes me want to re-watch the trilogy once more. On a whole, it was actually good and great for Pitbull to use LOVE IS STRANGE as (spoiler alert, or not) Will Smith actually goes back to the past to save his partner, Agent K, in 1969. And we all know the memories it brings back just listening to it. Hey, I was grown listening to past time hits as well. RATINGS: ORIGINALITY: 7/10 - Okay, it feels like Pitbull's verses have been heard millions of times... but that's just how he raps. I mean, get accustomed to it and you might feel that BACK IN TIME is still a favourite on radio and clubs. On originality scale, LOVE IS STRANGE doesn't add much, but at least they changed the way it was written, it doesn't go, 'Love, love is strange'. 7 is still great. SOUND: 7/10 - This song, is seriously very catchy and can cling on to you for quite a long time. Always look at it from different angles, and you might see that it is quite different with a unique sound standing out from today's hit records. LYRICS: 7/10 - Average, though most of them sound as if they've been heard before, I must say it brings out that extra-need in the Men In Black franchise, as said before. OVERALL: 21/30 - Still a hit. Give it a few spins; it'll grow on you. I'm planning on doing a few more reviews before I go for the break. So for today, the review is NEVER CLOSE OUR EYES by Adam Lambert.
Before I start, you might want to check out the video here. And also, here is a preview of Adam Lambert's new album, Trespassing which is dropping next week, so Glamberts, remember to buy it! On to the music, so personally, I am a fan of Adam since his American Idol days. Though, some songs on For Your Entertainment are my favourites and are hard to forget, I'm thinking that Trespassing might be another great hit. You've heard BETTER THAN I KNOW MYSELF, and when I first heard NEVER CLOSE OUR EYES on the radio, I was thinking again that Adam is really trying hard to fit into today's pop culture; in a very good way. NEVER CLOSE OUR EYES is a song, which, to be honest, blew me away the first time I heard it. Not as electronic as you'd like when comparing it to BETTER THAN I KNOW MYSELF, I felt the same type of connection just like when I first heard WHATAYA WANT FROM ME and IF I HAD YOU - both of which were fantastic hits. The video is also quite exciting in the sense that it is sort of like a watching a movie in the form of a music video with the song in the background. Also written by The Smeezingtons including Bruno Mars, what more would you expect? Catchyness, absolutely fit for the dancefloor. Don't be surprised if your mom or your sisters sing along to this song because it is that good. The lyrics offer something more which we've never seen from Adam before. Not because it is written by someone else, but probably because it basically deals with life and to never sleep, or so the lyrics suggest. Okay, so that was a joke. I mean, though the lyrics might be quite cheesy, they are still fair enough and very well-written on the fact that the beat gives it up-tempo and therefore syncing perfectly. RATINGS: ORIGINALITY: 8/10 - This is another jam by Adam Lambert, ladies and gentlemen. All of the instrumentals and vocals delivered by Adam definitely rocked the record, stimulating you to keep pressing replay, replay and reaply. SOUND: 8/10 - Tense, gripping vocals solidify this track as a great up and coming boost for Trespassing. LYRICS: 8/10 - Cheesy as I might have said, these vocals are superbly written on the fact that they do try to reflect on a real world, where everybody would never close their eyes, 'never!'. OVERALL: 24/30 - Adam has delivered once again. Consider hoping that this record might creep into the Billboard top 10. Let's all pray. This week's music we're talking about is... LIES GREED MISERY by Linkin Park.
Before I start, you might want to check out the video here. As we are all anticipating for the new album, Living Things, from Linkin Park, I have got to say that we were all satisfied, great and awed by the effects, vocals and songwriting that Mike took, and brought BURN IT DOWN to a higher level which we will all love. And probably the most awkward thing to say was that, did they rush into the new album too fast? When LIES GREED MISERY came out, I was thinking, 'maybe it could sound like Burn It Down for a particular reason'. If they wanted to stay on tune, they had to try and replicate the same thing. But what Linkin Park fans got was something different. Firstly, I've got to just say that Mike was honest and great in writing his lyrics on this record. Laying down punchlines, one by one. Examples like, 'I'mma be that nail in your coffin'/sayin' that I softened/I was duckin' down to reload' and 'what is it What is it you want me to tell you/I am not the failure/I would rather live than let be'. This is probably not the finest songs fans were wanting for, but all I gotta' say is, fans probably got what they deserved. Didn't they wanted some awesome screaming from Chester like those 'Hybrid Theory' days? Well they got what they wanted. The way Chester delivers the hook was so intense, it sends chills down your spines and it is one experience that is different from the rest of the records you've heard before. I have to be honest, I was shocked when Mike rapped the verses, and Chester was singing, or rather, screaming the hook because it is something you don't see much on their previous albums. Compared to BURN IT DOWN, I must say this lacked a bit of effect or instrumentals building up to it. And as I said, this is not the finest song by Linkin Park, and I can tell you that you won't expect less when Living Things comes out in 3 weeks or less. Though for credit, Mike and Chester shines as always. Remember to buy the album when it comes out! RATINGS: ORIGINALITY: 7/10 - With much respect, it definitely sounds a bit different from Hybrid Theory and fans will not be pleased, but I might object. I am a fan of them for quite a long time, and the ratings are not on personal preference. Linkin Park have shown that they always set themselves apart from other artists in what they do. Due to that, they've instantly protrayed themselves as a much-changing and ever-evolving group. Kudos to that. SOUND: 6/10 - Though, I got to be honest with you guys, I'm not a fan of Chester singing. BUT, the intensity of the record is there and this is like those high-powered songs which packs a whole lot of punch, and one song to make you feel like a beast. My biggest complain was probably because the song was too short (2 and a half-minutes). I was hoping Chester or Mike could sing or rap more respectively. LYRICS: 9/10 - This is probably where I feel the song is totally, really, very great. It shines in this category. The way which Mike delivers those hefty punchlines really make you feel like as if you're the one saying or rapping them. The same type of intensity is also great on this part and I have to say that the hook, which sounds as if Chester is probably gonna' kill someone anytime, was worth it. The lyrics executed so perfectly just like on BURN IT DOWN. They basically just represent hatred and anger to that someone they hate or despise. OVERALL: 22/30 - Overall, this song is a good one if you give it a few more spins on it. |
AuthorBenny Ong: Just your regular guy who likes soccer more than most people, and also a little downtime is pretty nice. Archives
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