Initially I wasn't sure what Brooke felt she needed to show redemption for. Her mother is the one f**king a 19 year old. Her brother is the one who got himself a DUI. And her Dad is the one making an ass of himself. But after seeing the horrendous album cover and listening to the music of Brooke's second album, redemption is exactly what this trick needs to be asking for.
Brooke is one of many ladies in the music game right now jumping on bandwagons. Electro-pop with only marginal hints of R&B and auto-tune is the lick right now. So cue the album's first full length track "Strip". The song will probably get slated by the critics. But for what it is, the song is hot. Britney would've handled it much better as she has that kind of voice and also the life history which would've suited this song better. The electro-pop bandwagon is hauled to the next level with "Handcuffed", which is a genuinely decent song. It has a nice bounce, and whilst Brooke's vocals aren't the smoothest, the production is so tight you let her vocal shortcomings slide. A chick like Nelly Furtado in her Loose mode would have done wonders with this. "Ruff me up" is an unashamed "Womanizer" tax. The whole time I was listening to the song I was sat in disbelief at how a producer could have so blatantly ripped off Britney's shit. The song really is a mess, and serves no other purpose than to get Internet folk talking about how Britney's "Womanizer" got downright plagiarised. And Flo'Rida ain't no better for featuring on this shit. Though that's Flo'Rida for you. He'll feature on anything, and cares nothing about his credibility which has already been put through the shredder.
The album slows its role for a handful of the albums cuts which have a much more summer feel with less emphasis on synths, warbles, gurgles and digital pulses. "Hey yo" is knock off of Keri Hilson's "Knock you down". And as with "Knock you down", the song features guest artists who outshine the leading lady on her own song. Colby O'Donis out sings Brooke every which way. "Trust me" sounds a little like the song "Beautiful transformation" from her debut, only less cheesy and with more of a kick. The beat is hotness. I could imagine a Ragga, Dancehall or Bashment artist taking it and doing something with it to give it more of an 'urban' club appeal. It would have made a really nice single. I have to give it up for album closer "Finish line" for ending this whole mess a strong note. One of the few Brooke actually hits throughout the whole thing. The song is highly reminiscent of Stargate and Ne-Yo. It's a shame a good song is placed at a point in the album that most would have long given up by.
Brooke can just about hold a song, but she doesn't have a great voice. The vocal layering, arrangements, vocoding and lashing of auto-tune help a bitch. But only to a point, because they can't save Brooke's delivery. Brooke has a very one-singing-style-suits-all-approach on this album. She sounds anything but smooth and sexy when she's asking her officer boyfriend to frisk and handcuff her. And when Brooke calls out ♪ Haters can you hear me!! ♪ on the album title track "Redemption" you just want to turn the song off and throw a slipper at a bitch. Brooke gives haters too much ammunition to really feel sorry for her. Haters are the people giving her attention and keeping her in the spotlight aside from her wrestler daddy. Girl should be grateful to have them.
If Brooke is really serious about a music career, then she and her A&R need to have some words about her musical direction. Because The redemption is all over the place. It sounds as though nobody knew whether to have the album run in the line of Britney's Blackout, a Pussycat dolls CD or something from a Cheetah girls soundtrack. The redemption could have been much worse than it actually is. And in Brooke's defence the album serves up some decent songs. But the problem that Brooke will face (or will have faced already) is that the songs which are good, people don't want to hear from her.
Album highlights:
■ Strip
■ Trust me
■ Handcuffed ★ J's fave
■ Finish line
Brooke just gives haters too much ammunition to really feel sorry for her. Performing arsed out looking like a tranny. Pole dancing in front of her dad. Putting out albums that won't sell and have her not sounding all that good. Haters are the ones giving her attention and keeping her int he spotlight. Girl should be grateful to have them.
ReplyDeleteLMAO!!! Shot through the heart!
I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover (I do work in a bookstore), but that has got to be one of the worst album covers I have ever seen.