Album review: Esmée Denters

From YouTube to Hollywood. Gotta admire the upgrade. But take away Esmée's YouTube phenomenon and stick her in a studio with today's hottest producers being overseen by Justin Timberlake, and what do you get? *Tumbleweed does the Harlem shake across the plain*

From the album opens with "Admit it" you can smell Justin Timberlake. You best enjoy that smell, because you'll waft it on every track. At least half the album sounds like a Justin Timberlake track. A good look for Justin. Because it re-affirms that he has his own distinguishable sound. But on Esmée's album it comes at a cost of her being saturated in her mentors sound.

One thing you'll notice as you play the album through is how bland some of the songs are. "Outta here" was a nice enough song. Many hated it, I liked it. But it wasn't this great, explosive single that would've had piqued your interested if you heard it on the radio. Outta here isn't a complete blandfest though and you do get some songs that shine.

"Love dealer" sticks out because it's the only flat out funky pop record on the whole album where Esmée adopts a sass you'd expect from a girl her age who copped a record deal. The lyrics are pretty quirky: liking to offering love to being a drug dealer. It's not as bad as it sounds. But it definitely made me wish this song had been given to Whitney Houston. Just because. "Love dealer" has a bounce that is seriously infectious, and you'd never think for second upon hearing it that Stargate were behind it. It sounds NOTHING like what you'd usually expect from them. "Love dealer" does have a couple of problems though. Justin Timberlake makes unnecessary appearances in between lines that just come off as over-cheesed. And the bridge section is a mess. It sounds incomplete and off sets the song's bounce. It'd make a hot single and it would go right in a club though. "Victim" is another contender for a single. Hot lyrics, hot beat and hot delivery from Esmée. Ryan Tedder ones again does the damn thing, and the official Timbo biter Rob Knox ensures the drums knock hard.

"Casanova" has Danja on production duties, and as always he comes with a hot beat. This song is the albums dark sexy slow jam, spoilt by a (once again) un-necessary appearance from Justin Timberlake. Him making an appearance at all and the cheesy lyrics he spouts would've been enough to ruin the song had Danja not come so correct with the beat. But between Danja's magic and Esmée's vocal work, the song stays hot. "Bigger than the world" also features on the album. We all knew back when the Justin demo leaked that this had to be for Esmée's album. And I'm glad it made it onto the tracklist, because I loved the song back then. Thankfully it's as hot now as it was when the demo first touched down. Everything is pretty much the same, aside from a change in key, tighter vocal production, an additional bridge and of course: a different vocalist. The song is nothing short of brilliant. This should definitely do rounds as a third single. It has a great sound to it and Justin was on his A-game with the songwriting. The lyrics are beautiful. I'd go as far as to say it's one of Justin Timberlake's best penned song and productions by far.

There is too much focus on trying to make the songs deep, as opposed to just making good pop records. To the point sometimes where the songs are a mix of really catchy verses and then crap choruses and visa-vera. Esmée can write a song. This is certain. But I think she was probably given too much free reign for her first album. She definitely should've been teamed with a collective of songwriters on each song - to help construct the song better.

The production on the album is a mixed bag. Nothing really sticks out because everything bleeds into one sound and so many of the songs sound like recycled remnants of other songs. Justin Timberlake once again goes and recycles "What goes around, comes around", "Rehab" and "Devil wouldn't recognize you" for "Gravity". And every Y's production on the album sounds like a Timbaland bite. "Bigger than the world" is ridiculous. It sounds like straight Timbo. If you didn't know otherwise you'd swear up and down it as him that did the beat.

Esmée's vocals are the only consistent element to this album. She has a really nice voice, which is kept in check. So often when you get young ladies with good voices, they seem to want to throw vocal acrobatics all over the place. But Esmée holds it down. The vocal production on Outta here is damn solid. No doubt as a result of Justin, who despite being a douche, is a talented vocal producer. After all, he was in a boy band - so he should know a thing or two about harmonies and layering. Esmée works her arrangements like a pro. Coming off a little Beyoncé-like on some of the songs.

The problem with Outta here is that Justin Timberlake comes through more than Esmée does. Between Justin, a bevvy of producers which includes Polow Da Don, Danja and Ryan Tedder - Esmée gets lost to the point where she's just a pretty voice on well-enough produced songs. Her personality never comes through and there just doesn't feel like there's anything to the girl. It's almost as though Outta here strips Esmée of any form of persona or originality. When she was just that girl singing songs on YouTube, she had something about her. She had an angle. You take that away and throw her in the studio to sing on tried and tested songs, and she's just a regular chick with nothing all that unique about her. It's ironic Esmée was more original and alluring singing other people's songs than she is singing her own.

Outta here is just an okay album. It's a bit too boring to warrant a purchase and take any real interest in. I cannot see Esmée going the distance unless she switches gears completely for her sophomore album. Justin has a talented girl on his hands, but he needs to let her step out on her own a little, and let other producers help her find her sound. Because his creativity engulfs Esmée to the point where her persona is lost and the whole album sounds like Justin living his fantasies of being a female artist vicariously through Esmee's music.

RATING: 5 / 10

Album highlights:
■ Victim
■ Outta here
■ Love dealer ★ J's fave
■ Casanova
■ Getting over you
■ Bigger than the world