This is a double-disc release, the first being the twelve collaborations, five of which you'll hear across the airwaves. The second album is electronic mixes entirely, six tracks long. As long as I don't have to hear "Sexy Bitch" (only a handful of guys from South Jersey will understand this), I'll be open to hearing the rest with a clear mind.
Follow along on Spotify if you're ready to party.
Oh yeah, this is gonna make me love this. We start off with Nicki Minaj & Flo Rida on board for "Where Them Girls At." Damn it, this was a good club song, if memory serves, before I knew that. Maybe I've heard a mix where she's taken out. Or just a mix without her rapping. It's an insanely catchy song though, and, if the hype lasts long enough, it'll make a serious clubbing song at the beach bars back home this summer. Ahhh, I take that back, the little bridge in there is incredibly obnoxious - maybe if that gets cut, it'll be easier to take.
This might be the first totally weird buzzing sound in music I haven't totally hated. "Little Bad Girl" is a song featuring Taio Cruz and Ludacris (so you know it's gonna be awesome). There's something about this one that makes it not only catchy, but genuinely fun. Okay, so yeah, it's a complimentary song about a girl, though maybe it's not totally a compliment. I don't know. Seriously, I'd love to do a study about why people like pop music - because we all have these little indulgence songs. Also, there's something about being a little bad. Annndddd that's as far as I'm willing to take this discussion in a blog entry.
"Turn Me On" brings back Nicki Minaj. Well damn... I've liked this song for a while actually. I'm desperately trying to keep down my auto-tune walls on this album, because I know it's inevitable, and it's just what's happening in 'music' today. Dear god, we're turning things over to the machines. I would love to see what Belmont's curriculum is link nowadays. Skip the rap ears - accept that it's here. Otherwise, it's a really awesome song. The pause and breakdowns are perfect for the atmosphere it's meant for. Bring on the club, yo.
Whoa, no one mentioned Snoop Dogg was coming. He's here for a remix (?) of "Sweat." Yes, it's a near entirely about sex. Not that that's entirely a bad thing for a song - hell, it's a theme and concept at least. And for a dance, song, it works out well. That's what you want to see out on the floor, right? Ugh, I need to get out more.
But it's all been worth it, just to get to the best single to come off the album, "Without You," featuring Usher. It's a love song and a dance song all in one, and today you just don't see that often. The "Glee" slowed-down version is lovely and moving actually, bringing out the meaningful side of the lyrics. But, even with that backbone beat behind it, this song has such life and wonderful feelings throughout it. It could be for friends, or more specifically, for someone you love that much. It could be an apology, but I think it's just so much more of a song of appreciation for them and how they brighten your life. I heard it for the first time, I mean really heard it, after just a quick conversation with someone who I'm quite positive means the world to me and doesn't even realize it, but this will always be my song for them from then on.
The reason we saw Chris Brown twice is thanks to David Guetta insisting on including him on this album. He and Lil Wayne appear for "I Can Only Imagine." And the only reason this was the song picked to perform was that either (1) Usher was unavailable to do "Without You," or (2) this includes a very recognizable, often-used, drop beat sound right in the middle as the music kicks up. Eh, it's a pretty good song for the most part though. Lil Wayne makes his little walk-on appearance (seriously, watch the video), and then we're close to done after some seriously cranked-up autotune.
Almost didn't realize we'd moved onto a new song, "Crank It Up" with Akon. Whoa, where's Akon been lately? Just haven't heard that name in a while for some reason. It's another good club song, but like I said - I didn't realize we'd moved on from the last one. Not exactly memorable.
Ugh, I would have stuck with the last concept. Next up features Timbaland and Dev with "I Just Wanna F." Uh huh, that's a real song! Lovely morals. Sorry, I was just brought up different where this matter is private, not out there for the world to see, er, rather, hear. I'm not really sorry - I just apologize a lot. Anyway, this song exists for those who want it. As for the rest of us, let's move on.
"Night of Your Life" features Jennifer Hudson, which is an immediate relief. I mean, weird that she's gone all dance-like, but it's cool. Let's branch out. And she makes him earn it, damn it. This is damn impressive vocally - but we all knew she could sing well, right? She brings it to a different level, which I think elevates her even more. Everything on here is pure from her, and David keeps it moving throughout with a great beat to make for an overall cool performance from the duo.
Jessie J, someone could put out her own very good album last year, comes on for "Repeat." Again, we've got someone with a very good voice, and who has, so far, made a career out of doing interesting things with it. It's a cool concept for the song, given the title - she's done and he's still on girls just like her - he's stuck on repeat. The song moves at a faster pace for the backing, but the vocals take their own way, yet it all meshes together really well. There's a kind of strength coming out of the pain from him, as she moves on. He did bury her in that pain for a while though. Damn I need to stop listening to these things so late at night.
"Titanium" features our last singer for the album, Sia. It's a beat that I can only describe as a rising sun, because I think I've seen a video including something like this. Yeah, I know I'm talking nonsense for a second. This was an international single for which YouTube won't let us watch the video in the good ol' US. Whatever. Uh, my mind's being a little screwed with here as the tones come in and are vacuumed out (that's the only way I can explain what I just heard).
Onto the electronic tracks! "Lunar" starts off the second disc and features Afrojack, I suppose mixing with him (it's late - I'm not looking it up). Definitely fitting of the title - if you can't imagine floating off to space with this playing, your nutz. And yes, with a z. The tonation goes up and down in a cool way, and he knows how to maintain a theme. A little Daft Punk influence perhaps? Eh, maybe. You can't beat the real thing though.
"Sunshine," however, doesn't really sound like what I would have expected, given the title. I know, I know, that's not a requirement. Avicii worked this one with him. I swear I could sing "I throw my hands up in the air sometimes..." right along with pieces of this. There's a brightness to it as it continues, and I can't help hearing steal drums throughout.
"Toy Story" is all David Guetta, and it sends us into a video game, or at least the mood for one. He wasn't kidding about this party being an electronic song, er, disc. There's nothing natural at all about these sounds, which is a little irksome, but I have to say, I get more done during this kind of music than just about anything else. I don't know if it's the ability to zone out, or that I don't get caught up in the lyrics by just catching one good line, or what, but it's grown on me in the past couple of years.
Afrojack is back for another collaboration in "The Future." This time we're being launched. Tehehe, this is kind of fun - making up games and scenarios for songs that may or may not have any meaning whatsoever. Like I said, this grows on you after a while.
"Paris" paints a portrait of a Parisian night club in my head, probably much like David's old haunts of the 80's and 90's. No real reason for that in particular other than knowing his background and hearing the title. It's just a generally decent crunk and wind song, and no I don't know where that description came from. I'm just trying to get throughout this like y'all, if you're even reading/listening. It's just steady enough to be on the obnoxious side though.
Finally we have "Glasgow," which would be better if the up-swing of the beats didn't hit quite so hard. It's like a pang to the head each time. The one thing I do appreciate, though, is the use of different notes through the tones - there's a mood to each one that changes the story being told by the song.
Added to My Playlist:
- "Little Bad Girl"
- "Turn Me On"
- "Without You"
- "Night Of Your Life"
- "Repeat"
- "Toy Story"