dirrtyfeature:

Booty Luv "Boogie 2nite" Album Review

Apr 28th, 2009; 6:18 pm (GMT+8) 0




Ah, finally an Album review eh. Sorry for the lack of reviews last week i guess. So, Booty Luv took the name for their first single for their debut album, Boogie 2nite. Ironically, a cover version by Tweet but more successful than that original. Released on 17th September 2007 in the UK only by Hed Kandi, the album bazed straight into the UK album chart, debuted and peaked number 11.

The album contains Booty Luv's 4 hit singles, 5 of the tracks in the album are cover versions and 7 of the rest are original tracks co-written by the girls themselves, Nadia and Cherise. It's cool that the album is released in the US too,on 5th August 2008, same tracklisting with an exclusive bonus remix of "Shine" and a new colour scheme for the cover art for the album (Blue and Green). I prefer the original Blue and Pink. =)

First Impressions

The genre for this album is mashed with Dance-pop, house and R&B. Basically it's vocal house to me. Most artist usually slaughter cover versions badly, not Booty Luv though. A definite party album that everyone could spin on the weekends, this kinda albums are rare. And now on with the track by track review. =)

Standout Tracks

  • Boogie 2nite
    First single, covers Tweet's original. A reallt good song to set the tone for the album. Also quite popular back in the UK back then. This song introduces us to how Booty Luv sounds like. Already a House Classic.

  • Shine
    Second single, covers Luther Vandross. My fave track of the album. As I've stated in Rickified 's Rants before, this song marries Soul with Disco. Hearing this song would never fail to cause my body to groove.

  • Don't Mess With My Man
    Third single, covers Lucy Pearl. This song is fierce!!! An Anthem I guess. I like the arrangement of the production of the song.

  • Some Kinda Rush
    Fourth Single, an original co-written by the girls. The thumping beats of the heavy bass made me sit up straight. A good song to be played while driving a sports car. Get what I mean?? =)

  • Dance, Dance
    A limited release single. Loves the lyrics. Another one for the dance floor definitely.

  • Be With You
    Covers Mary J Blige. The girls has impressive vocals on this song without being over the top. Given the Hed Kandi treatment. =)

  • Good Girl's Gone Bad
    Not to be confused with Rihanna's GGGB. Both have different vibes. Yeap, this song is dance floor ready too. This song has writting credits by Diane Warren btw.

  • A Little Bit
    Has a middle-eastern feeling to the song. Worth a listen.

  • He's A Winner
    This song has the potential to be a huge hit. The beats are so clubbish. Not the house kinda, but the MOS vibe to it. One of my faves from the album too.

  • Something To Talk About
    A floor-filler. One of the gems from the album.

  • Where You Are
    The girls slow things down with a mid-tempo to close the album. Quite ok.


Final Verdict

Even though the tracks sounds repetitive, each of them still has a signature beat. Great effort even though 5 of the tracks are cover versions. Booty Luv sure knows how to choose their singles well. First 5 tracks of the album are the first 5 singles. This album would definitely make one let loose from all worries (Provided they have a keen ear to this kinda music). This album is on the heavy rotation in my Ipod too. Worth the Purchase. Excited for the Sophomore release from the girls. The girls promised that the album would see more original tracks written by them. "Say It" is so HAWT!!! =)

I’ve included a Megamix by them. First 5 singles in chronological order. It’s an official Megamix btw. =)

Rating

rickified:        


Megamix
Previously Posted Tracks


dirrtyfeature:

Flo-Rida "R.O.O.T.S" Album Review

Apr 9th, 2009; 5:30 pm (GMT+8) 1




Firstly, R.O.O.T.S is an acronym which stands for "Route of Overcoming the Struggle". It is the second studio album by rapper Flo Rida. The album was released on March 31st 2009 in the US.

First Impressions

On first listen through, it's fine. An above average rap album compared to 50 Cent stuff or similiar. The hooks are there. Catchy no doubt, but not really memorable. Standard trashy hip-hop lyrics as usual. This album uses tons of samples from different songs and enlist loads of guest artists.

First week sales are only 55,000. Debuted on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart at Number 8. Seem like sophomore slump is present, even though 'Right Round' stayed at the peak of the Billoboard Hot 100 for 6 weeks straight.

Standout Tracks

  • Jump -
    Featuring Nelly Furtado. Middle-Eastern feel to this song. Nelly sings on the chorus.

  • Gotta Get It (Dancer) -
    Uses elements from 'Private Dance' by Tina Turner. A dance-floor filler. Could see loads of break dancers using this song for breaking. =)

  • Right Round -
    Produced by Dr Luke. Sample is distictively "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive. It gets annoying after awhile.

  • Be On You
    Featuring Ne-Yo. It's more like the other way around that Flo Rida guest raps instead. Co-produced between Stargate and Ne-Yo. It is definitely a Ne-Yo styled song. LOL

  • Touch Me -
    Samples "Satisfaction" by Benny Benassi. Interesting sample choice. Well, since Kanye sampled Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger", this is the answer to that I guess.

  • Sugar
    Samples "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65. That euro trash song. Ironically, it's my favourite song from the album. Addictive. Wynter Gordon does a good job on the chorus.


Final Verdict

This album suffers from not having any personality. It's like a 'sell -out' album to ensure good sales. Riding on the wave of 'Low', one of the biggest singles of 2008, this album follows that template. Hooks aplenty, crappy lyrics. I wouldn't listen to it on rotation but it's good for my jogging sessions when I put it on shuffle mode. =)

Rating

rickified:        


Previously Posted Tracks



dirrtyfeature:

The Saturdays' "Chasing Lights" Album Review

Apr 7th, 2009; 5:00 pm (GMT+8) 1




As we all know, ever since the demise of spice girls, Sugababes and Girls Aloud monopolize the girl group market in the UK. (I didn't consider Atomic Kittens though, they didnt survived till now rite. =P) Having shared the same record label with Girls Aloud, it is inevitable that there would be comparisons being made between them. The Saturdays were also offered the chance to record songs that are rejected by Girls Aloud. Kinda abit of an insult eh.

First Impressions

Chasing Lights is pretty impressive for a debut album. With electro-pop elements and memorable tunes as with the lyrics, the girls are bound to shine. Their stuff is definitely much easy to digest compared to Girls Aloud. The Saturdays are Straight-up Electro-Pop, Girls Aloud are more towards the quirky side. One of the albums that is on heavy rotation on my IPod. =)

Standout Tracks

  • If This Is Love
    First single. WOW!!! It packs with a punch I must say. Addictive on first listen. The hooks are amazing.

  • Up
    Second single. Bouncy Synth. Very High-NRG. This is what I call high quality pop. Girls Aloud should be very scared by now. =)

  • Issues
    Third single. A decent pop ballad. Controversy surrounds this song due to it's lyrics. Some hear it as "stab you or kiss you" and "slap you or kiss you". Listen to the album version though. The radio edit is "leave you or kiss you". You be the judge. =)

  • Lies
    Love the chorus. A single worthy song.

  • Work
    My fave track off the album. I SO LURVE THIS SONG. Was kinda pissed when they scrap it for "Just Can't Get Enough", but was ecstatic when it's confirmed as their 5th single. The tempo is insane. This is a pop song with muscles. Very strong and heavy-hitting. I could practically strut when this song is being played. =P One of the best song that I've ever heard in my life so far.

  • Chasing Lights
    A mid tempo ballad. Soothing. Shows that the girls have versatility and range.

  • Set Me Off
    Bouncy intro. A distinctive Saturdays sound. Reminds me of Goldfrapp electro-glam stuff though.

  • Fall
    Very Subtle and classy for a ballad. Gets me a little emo.

  • Why Me, Why Now
    This song feels very breezy. =) Good for the summer.

  • Just Can't Get Enough
    Fourth Single. A cover of the Depeche Mode original. I'm still sour that this song didn't hit Number 1. Being a Comic Relief single (For charity). It should. Damned Flo Rida. Love the Video. The girls as pin-up girls. =)


Final Verdict

The Saturdays gets 3 F's from me. Fun, Flirty and Fabulous. =) Loves the pastel colours that each girl represents. To me, they brighten up my day no matter what. Bubblegum Electro-pop without feeling sick of them. I must really applaud them. For a debut to be this good. It's rare. Plus from their chart success of their singles. It proves that they are no fluke. They should go down with this route of sound and success would be their's.

A minor complain is that they do not have any writing credits for this album, which they said that they would more involve in the sophomore album. But I guess a solid debut will cement their future in the market. The record company wanna play it safe this time.
Watch out Girls Aloud and Sugababes, The Saturdays are here to stay!!!!

Stay tuned for tmr's Rickified's Rants, there would be an extra extra on The Saturdays. =P

Rating

rickified:        


dirrty feature:

Utada's "This Is The One" Album Review

Apr 2nd, 2009; 2:50 pm (GMT+8) 2




Being Utada's 3rd English studio album ('Precious' was way back in 98/99, 'Exodus' had a cult following in 04/05), this marks another foray into the English market and I must say if this album doesn't succeed, mainstream listeners are definitely deaf in the ears.

As compared with 'Exodus', (Entirely produced by Timbaland!!!) which is kinda dark sounding, 'TITO' (Short form for 'This Is The One') is that one record that is absolutely divine in mainstream stardards. Released in Japan on March 14th physically and digitally and in the US on March 24th digitally and a physical release on May 12th. The album is doing well on the Itunes chart in US btw. =)

First Impressions

rickified - PERFECTION!!!! With her wicked sense of humour in the lyrics (Utada writes all of her songs and co-produced them), it's a breathe of fresh air in the stale English Market in recent years (with the exception of Lady Gaga). =)

This album has a soul of it's own and the essence is in the lyrics and the melodies. Born in the US, she has Japanese Blood and her English is very fluent. 'TITO' is very smooth sounding, track after track. Destined to be a classic, this album is a MUST listen for anyone at least once in their lives. And for the first time, I'm gonna go a full track review. It's only 10 tracks, believe me that once you listen, you won't regret. Once you acquired the album, read the lyric book and listen to the Cd at the same time. You'll discover magic.

dirrtysean - Rickified seems very enthusiastic with this album. To me, PERFECTION (all caps) is a very strong word to use. LOL. But i have to say, im liking this album. Definitely way more than BoA's. To be perfectly honest, i dont know much bout Utada at all. Automatic was the only song i knew. Which i happen to hear while watching her music video when i was very very young. Maybe 10 years ago?

So how would i describe this album? It's Urban-ish with a hint of Pop. Thanks to Stargate and Chris Steward (better known as Tricky) she managed to archieve someting more mainstream as she wished. Although this album is not bad, but it suffers from a ton of slow paced songs (a total opposite of BoA's). It can be a bit boring for me. This album in general is very Stargate-y -A typical Stargate project. Which leaves me a lil blend at times.

Tracks

  • On and On
    rickified - An excellant album opener, a pulsating club-ready song. Sounding abit like Ciara in her '1,2 Step' days. 'Honeys, if you're gay, burn it up, like a gay parade / Honeys, if you're straight, bump it up, take it away'. The lyrics are fabulous with a capital F.A.B. Need me say more. My fave track btw. =)

  • Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - FYI
    rickified - Samples Ryuichi Sakamoto song with the same name. Listen to the song. You'll find the sample familiar. =) Utada puts the FYI for tongue in cheek purposes. Sounds strange at first, but it's great. 'We're sipping Chardonnay from 2pm on a working day', that's so me!!!
    dirrtysean - The title songs weird to me! I thought it would be a Merry Christmas song! With Happy Holiday cheers thrown in! But its a christmasy song at all. I like the "chingaling chingaling what what" hook!

  • Apple and Cinnamon
    rickified - Simple and innocent rhymes with apple and cinnamon. This is the Utada we come to know and love. Her brillance is incomparable.

  • Taking My Money Back
    rickified - 'Every day every night you were out with your boys getting high. While I worked hard to pay the rent, and my girls said I should lose you. But I'm stuck with you, cuz you promised to change.' I'm sure everyone could relate to this. =)
    dirrtysean - Sounds like Destiny's Child's Bills Bills Bills. The title almost sounds the same aint it?

  • This One (Crying Like a Child)
    dirrtysean - A VERY stand out track. Ever wonder why she named her album, This is the One? Probably from a lyric of this song, "This, This is the One". Indeed this is the one which will either make her or break her.
    rickified - A midtempo R&B track. A song pining for your other half. Kinda heart-wrenching.

  • Automatic Part II
    rickified - An introductory song about Utada, always knew it that capri has a sense of humour. =) 'Do you like the way I rhyme, it's pretty darn clever. Used to be a virgin, now I'm with Island Def Jam.' IDJ better promote this album well!!! Or else....
    dirrtysean - I was hoping it to be more bouncey and dancey. The lyrics of the song makes a good opening song for this album or mayb a lead single. But if produced properly it will make a good single. I prefer the beats of the original Automatic. Fave line "Used to be a virgin, now I'm with Island Def Jam".. if you get wat she means...

  • Dirty Desire
    dirrtysean - Utada loves our site dirrtyremixes.com that she makes a shout out to us and called us a dirrty desire ;) LOL! I CAN SO WISH RITE!
    rickified - 'During my 9 to 5, I'm thinking 6 and 9s.' I'll leave the imagination to you people. Heh. =)

  • Poppin'
    rickified - Another club-ish song. Cute lyrics. =)

  • Come Back To Me
    rickified - This song is 'We Belong Together' with more rhythm. A good first single choice. The remixes are da bomb though. Especially 'Haji and Emanuel' and 'Tony Moran' remixes.
    dirrtysean - When i was reviewing this album, this song came up while i was walking through an underpass. i got chills while imaginary flashbacks started playing on walls. The song does reminds me of a true story.. kinda ;)

  • Me Muero
    rickified - In Spanish, this song is about lamenting the loss of a lover. Another song that we all could relate to. Actually, we all could relate to this album. =)


Final Verdict

dirrtysean - Lyrically ingenious. She likes to rhyme her lyrics. She even confessed it in Automatic - "Do you like the way I rhyme, it's pretty darn clever"... Finally, after listening to this album so many time, I felt that Utada is very Tech Savvy!. Words like Blackberry, Myspace, j-peg, harddrive, ringtone and mp3 are in her lyrics.

rickified - With correct and entensive promotion, Billboard Number 1. If only people took the time to listen to it, they'll love it. That is, if it's promoted enough so that the masses knows there's this album out there. The online community is very supportive of this album.

As taken from an article, John Farley of the Wall Street Journal says, "The only thing that stands in the way of Utada and stardon in the English market is really good marketing because the talent is there."

Buy this album. I swear with my name that you all won't regret it. At least spin it once before you guys pass the verdict. Something this good doesn't comes frequet in one's lifetime. For a perfect album like this, it deserves a perfect score. And I have evidence to support it. =) When in doubt, comment about it and i'll gladly reply. =)



Rating
dirrtysean:      
rickified:        



Purchase "This Is The One" on Itunes



dirrty feature:

BoA's "BoA" Album Review

Mar 31st, 2009; 1:30 pm (GMT+8) 0




'BoA', originally titled 'Look Who's Talking' (a track name off the album), is BoA's debut English album and her 12th studio album (inculding Japanese and Korean albums). This album marks her foray in the US market. It is released on March 17th in the US.

rickified - Being an all uptempo track album, it suffers slightly as there's no ballads/slower songs to showcase BoA's vocals. This gal can really sing, as I'm sure most Asians are familiar with her. Backed by top notched producers like Sean Garrett and Bloodshy & Avant, this album is of a certain standard, definitely. As a dance-pop album, it leans towards the Urban side. The Bass is sufficient enough for my liking, which is essential for an addictive song/album. I actually like every song to be honest. =X

dirrtysean - This album reminds me of Britney Spears' Blackout 2.0. You'll sure going to get a blackout from it. As what rickified said, its an uptempo album. With tracks tailored for the clubs. There's not a single slow song!

Tracks
  • I Did It For Love
    rickified - 2nd single. If this song doesn't set the clubs on fire, I dunno what else could.
    airotcivqueen - Sung with Sean Garrett is my favourite in the whole album.
    dirrtysean - To me, its the bestest and hottest track in her album. If her album has only this song. i will give it a full 5 star rating...

  • Energetic
    rickified - Another club banger. As stated by it's title. Uncredited vocal contribution by Sean Garrett.
    airotcivqueen - As the title suggests, the song is ENERGETIC.
    dirrtysean - The lyrics of Energetic is cheesy but a lil bit addictive. But this track sounds just like her other track - Hypnotic Dancefloor. Sometimes i'm not sure which track i'm listening too.. lol

  • Did Ya
    rickified - My fave song of this album. "You shoulda love me right when you had me." "You shoulda love me right but you didn't, did ya." It gets stuck to your head immediately. As the lyrics suggest, it's about moving on and for those who doesn't appreciate you.

  • Look Who's Talking
    rickified - For commenting purposes, this song is co-written by Britney. Sounds like it could fit in the 'Britney' album era. BoA carries this song well though. =)

  • Eat You Up
    rickified - 1st single. Love the Asian version of the vid to bits!!! I wanna dance like her. LOL. A warm up single, it is very successful among the online community even without any promotion back then except for the vids. The song peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play.
    airotcivqueen - Produced by Henrik Jonback who also wrote for Britney and Madonna, has interesting beats and is easy to get the song stuck in your head, however, if you are the type that is anal about bad English, BoA would sound less than good here.


Rating
dirrtysean:      
airotcivqueen:
rickified:        


Final Verdict
rickified
An obvious flaw that I could complain about this album is the vocoder used. She sounds like a female counterpart of Kanye in comparison with his recent album. HELLO!!! She can sing and dance at the same time and she doesn't need to sound robotic, unless it's about the effects, which sounds distorted at times. This album is a grower too. Once it hits you, it would be on heavy rotation and you can't stop. Trust me. Otherwise, it's a good album for a night out and to warm up before clubbing. =)

For the haters out there, try putting your own shoes in hers and see that it's tough to sing and dance at the same time. At her age now, she's uber professional and she deserves the success that she has now. =)

airotcivqueen
Overall, I think the album has energised, jumpy tracks, which are easy to listen. Although, Boa could really do with some language improvement, but we can't blame her. She is Korean. Anyway, I'd say this is a pretty good album, basing on the fact BOA only does Korean/Japanese albums usually. As for whether to spin it or trash it, I'd say spin it, fortunately, her songs are pretty fast beat mainly, which covers up her not very polished English, but the tracks are still groove worthy, also, for a fact the videos for some of the songs are really hot, she possesses
great dance moves! Also, her plan to enter the US market has proven to not be a failure, because her lead single has charted up to number 8 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play.

dirrtysean
BoA, also known as Beat of Angel... Judging from this album, i dont see or hear any angel.




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