-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
POPGAF |OT3| Geo Da Silva > nails on chalkboard > Taylor Swift
- Thread starter Aguila
- Start date
- Status
I'm not willing to call Lotus a flop until 2 things happen:
1) We see how JAF performs.
2) we see what she has planned for when The Voice wraps.
If JAF does not smash and she announces a vacation. I'll admit it's done.
One Direction – Take Me Home
Opening Comments:Let’s start getting things out of the way. Vocally they are not something impressive but for what they are doing (and their target audience) everything works just fine. I’ll be reviewing this album while taking their target audience into consideration.
This is a fun pop group album. While it doesn't do anything groundbreaking, it just works as it should. The songs are pretty simplistic but catchy, enjoyable and pretty playful for most of the part.
Track List and Scores
1 Live Like We’re Young – Fun and catchy 4/5
2 Kiss You – Like the beat and it has a old school Pop Group vibes in some moments 4/5
3 Little Things- It alright but nothing memorable 3/5
4 C’mon C’mon – I think this might be the favorite on the album. It has the right hooks and beat to be catchy. 4.5/5
5 Last First Kiss – It just works. 3.5/5
6 Heart Attack – Fun and catchy 4/5
7 Rock me – Likable probably the second best 4.5/5
8 Change My Mind – Cute and enjoyable 4/5
9 I Would – As usual the fun, simple and catchy 4.5/5
10 Over Again – Good song which isn’t the usual happier song from them 4/5
11 Back For You – As usual another catchy cute song 4/5
12 They Don’t Know About Us – Its enjoyable but just that 3.5/5
13 Summer Love – Best slow song on the album. 4.5/5
14 She’s Not Afraid – More of the usual catchy happy songs. Its sounds more of the same. 3.5/5
15 Loved You First – It’s enjoyable but it’s nothing new to be honest. 3.5
16 Nobody Compared – Good, cute and catchy as usual. 4/5
17 Still The One – Usual catchy song but this one it’s weaker than the others tho. 3/5
Closing Comments: The album mostly follows the same formula which can make things feel and sound a bit repetitive, it simply works for the intended target and its pretty inoffensive compared to other things on the radio
OVERALL SCORE: 4/5
Wafflecakes
Member
One Direction Take Me Home
OVERALL SCORE: 4/5
I approve.
Disagree with a few songs but overall you liked the same tracks I did....cannot complain.
Nice review.
Yas Ke$ha makin' them dicks & tits move
Does this mean the whole album will leak soon tho?
Supernatural
#Slayed
Rumors has it it will leak this weekend.
#Slayed
Does this mean the whole album will leak soon tho?
Rumors has it it will leak this weekend.
I think that's a given.
Get iN and dj: http://plug.dj/pop-gaf/
GET A LITTLE BIT WILD
GET A LITTLE BIT HIGH OFF OF THIS LOVE TONIGHT
GET A LITTLE BIT RECKLESS I CANT GET ENOUGH
Baby when we are touching in the dark, can you feel it?
YAS TRA$HA YAAAAASSSSSS
Yays. 4 and 5 coming soon. XD
Soulscribe
Member
PART 3: TRACK-BY-TRACK REVIEW
PHRESH OFF THE RUNWAY - The most unsubtle, un-nuanced introduction to a Rihanna album so far. The first song on an album holds special privileges: It, out of every other song on the album, has the most means of framing the aesthetic and personality of an album. It's the song that needs to accompany the album art most vividly to the listener, or else the whole album will initially suffer from seeming deceiving, disappointing, or just plain bad. POTR is brash, uncoordinated, and not very appealing. The big hook of the song is a searing cacophony of sounds that make you feel like you should be intimidated, except I wasn't at all. It's another "so you think you're all that, well look at how fabulous I am" type of stinker from Rihanna; it's a theme she's pummeled into the ground by now, and given the saturation of that theme already, it just doesn't stand out as something original, even for her. Furthermore, it does a terrible job of getting you excited for what's next. It's exhaustive, obnoxious, and as far as the music itself goes, not very good. SCORE: 5/10
DIAMONDS - The second song of the album really does tend to be its flagship moment. It takes the setup displayed by song one and drives the point home. It's the tarp that the artist lays on the tentpoles installed from track one. The first imbalance is shown here through the huge contrast in quality and tone from track one to track two, however. Diamonds is an airy, breezy, tone-rich mid-tempo song with a thumping soul. Rihanna's vocals tend to flip-flop between a blaring fog-horn and a delicate, exotic living thing. The latter is on display here, as her vulnerable riffs shine (no pun intended, seriously) for the first time in a long while. Her breathy intonation is brilliantly executed as well, and the juxtaposition of her ache-heavy deliberation in the chorus ("so shine bright, tonight, you and I") and the stiff but powerful Gaga-like delivery of the main hook ("shine bright like a diamond") makes for a transcendent combination. Diamonds stands as one of those rare gems (no pun intended, really!) that will stand the test of time, and can also stand as one of Rihanna's most soothingly perfect and triumphant pop songs. Out of the two songs I've heard so far, it's obvious that there's one style that stands heads-on-shoulders taller than the other. SCORE: 10/10
NUMB - Right as I'm still getting high off Diamonds, I'm brought back to gritty urban reality with Numb. It starts with a promising pseudo ode to Naughty Girl, but then re-introduces that same dirty instrumental that made POTR so unattractive to me. Couple that with the heinous synthesized vocal of the guy in the chorus rapping some kind of nonsense... it's the kind of downgrade that had me reach for the skip button, and during a REVIEW! The hook is equally filthy in its production and delivery, and Eminem's presence doesn't do much better to give this song some sheen. It's just a reminder of Rihanna's issues with walking the line between brilliance and trash, and I'm hoping that with this pattern the next song will save us. Pray for us. SCORE: 4/10
POUR IT UP - A song that seems more fitting as a soundtrack for a generic Grand Theft Auto incarnate than something I can use. Rihanna's unfavorable side reaches critical mass with this song, and the lazy, STD-ridden instrumental with the repeating boasts of "still got ma money" makes for a truly gross combination. I can't even articulately describe how much this song proves my point so perfectly. This is the worst Rihanna song I've ever heard (and I've heard them all) and it's disappointing that Rihanna would place PIU as the fourth song on the album, since it's the first five that make or break the entire collective effort. I've seen Rihanna pump out some brilliant material, and it's just a real shame that she insists on creating such lowest-common-denominator material like this. Trash. SCORE: 2/10
LOVEEEEE SONG - Once again Rihanna relies on lazy, uncoordinated chord progressions and instrumentals that do a magical job of turning me off instantaneously. Future's vocals in the chorus are straight up unlistenable, and perpetuate the same laziness that the instrumental was doing on its own. The repeated groans and grunts are hideously unattractive, and this perpetual departure from quality is incredibly disappointing. Placing a song like Diamonds in between these colossal duds does an even better job of selling the quality in Diamonds while reminding me that this album's initial run is the weakest of anything I've heard in years. SCORE: 2/10
JUMP - Another case of lazy lyrical and production choices, this time done with a bit more attention to detail and more catchy hooks. The dubstep breakdown walks the line between unwanted and dance-able, and the quiet pre-chorus propositions to "ride her saddle" is as crass as it is addicting. Out of the six uninspired songs so far in Unapologetic (out of seven, yikes), this is the only one that comes close to reaching my lowest standards of listenability. I skipped Phresh, Numb, Pour it Up and Loveeee Song on my initial listen. I sat through this. Good job I guess. SCORE: 6/10
RIGHT NOW - Rihanna, rejuvenated after an extended stay in Vice City, finally re-emerges with a song that leans more toward pop than hip-hop. Sadly this collaboration doesn't stand quite as tall as some of Guetta's better hits, and the hook in the chorus could have done something a bit more effective production-wise than what the final product became. Her vocals are solid in this one, and mostly the production follows suit as well. Unfortunately, however, Right Now is another generic thumper that doesn't do the album much good in reminding me of Where Have You Been, a club thumper that executed both productions and vocals much better. SCORE: 6.5/10
WHAT NOW - With verses that soothe with interest chord progressions that bring to mind Imogen or Janelle Monae, to a surprising and BOLD chorus delivery, What Now is the real rejuvenation that Unapologetic desperately needed. Some of her unique vocal delivery appear in the pre-chorus verse ("a two sided mi-roar" is irresistibly fun to sing along to) that finally give this album some of her trademark flavor. I absolutely love some of her wonky vocal deliveries, which is what initially attracted me to Diamonds. The closing hook is absolutely stellar, and I'm suddenly reminded of the fact that Rihanna has moments that I really can't resist. This and Diamonds are the only songs so far that aren't painfully disposable from my review listen, and because of that I probably will be putting much more value in it than it might deserve. SCORE: 8.5/10
STAY - A stunning ballad with some truly timeless chord progressions that seem fitting for a Leonard Cohen classic. It blew me away that a song like this managed to find its way onto an album so generally un-classy and uninspired, but Stay is a testament to Rihanna's ability to concede to different kinds of sounds and (occasionally) pull them off beautifully. While the harmonies in the duet aren't always on point, her uneven vocals serve her well here in the vulnerable delivery and the tone-rich sound of the song. Truly one of her best songs, ever. SCORE: 9.5/10
NOBODY'S BUSINESS - Given that our only exposure to a Rihanna/Brown duet is a grossly overstated remix of "Birthday Cake," I wasn't expecting this to be such a feel-good motown-y song that reminded me of some kind of Jackson 5 and Gladys Knight love child. It's only downfall is its over-reliance on instrumental breaks, but the production is nonetheless breezy and warm. Her vocals don't stand quite as tall as Brown's, but their take-turn vibe is irresistible here. The MJ sampling is a welcome throw-back, and it's truly unfortunately that a man so unlikable plays a huge part in creating the most likable song on the album. I suppose it's not my business to ask how. SCORE: 9.5/10
LOVE WITHOUT TRAGEDY + MOTHER MARY - What a strange choice to combine two asymmetrical songs into a two-hitter, especially considering the first half is so much better than the second. Love Without Tragedy is a perfectly good song, with a memorable chorus and verses that stand as one of the better moments on Unapologetic. Mother Mary sadly is a bit too stand-offish of a song; its detached declaration of religious retribution is a bit too familiar, and it stalls so much that the listener expects something explosive just around the corner. It doesn't quite happen. Overall the song stands as one of the better songs on the album instead of the worst. SCORES - LWT: 8/10, MM: 6.5/10
GET IT OVER WITH - The production is soothing and well-paced, and the hooks in the verses are equally well-done. Overall, however, the entire song slugs along while I wait for something dynamic to happen. It's a welcome addition to the album however, it's a nice ocean breeze of a song, though it doesn't do much to help define what Unapologetic is trying to be, or to inspire the listener in any way. A nice break from it all, I suppose. SCORE: 7/10
NO LOVE ALLOWED - As I'm expecting the album to crawl its way to the finish line, No Love Allowed comes along to shake me up and slap me across the face. This is the definitive song on Unapologetic, and I consider No Love Allowed to be one of the best songs Rihanna has EVER RECORDED. Period. The subdued beat lets her tell her story in a welcome compromise, and the pseudo-acapella production is something I've never heard her try before. The well-constructed lyrics are fabulous, and her beautiful Barbados dialect lets itself breathe, beckoning the listener to hang on to every accent and intonation. The balance between the melodrama ("I'm crying murderer!") and the humorous ("Nigga is you blind?") is explosive and nuanced, and the overall package is absolutely irresistible. It's too bad a moment as spectacular as this is hidden toward the last fourth of the album, but No Love Allowed should have been headlined from the mountain tops. A brilliant pop moment. SCORE: 10/10
LOST IN PARADISE - This is a perfectly good song with a well-done, catchy chorus. The vocal delivery is solid in the chorus and the second verse, but not so much in the first. It's an obvious downgrade from No Love Allowed, and beside the catchy chorus, the rest of the song doesn't do much to hook the listener. It's still a jam though, and the production is interestingly refreshing. As an album closer it's perfectly average, but doesn't do much in defining this album any more or less than the other songs on Unapologetic. Overall it contributes to the imbalance of Unapologetic to me, but compared to the almost-offensive starter to the album, Unapologetic finishes stronger than it began. SCORE: 7.5/10
Unapologetic is the spiritual successor to Talk That Talk, the one Rihanna album that really didn't need a sequel. Regrettably, Unapologetic takes the worst aspects of Talk That Talk, over-emphasizes them, and leaves out era-defining magic like We Found Love. The good, however, is that it's the unusual, unexpected pop songs on Unapologetic that serve it the best. From the beautifully damaged "Stay" to the laid-back and edgy brilliance of "No Love Allowed", the best songs on Unapologetic are probably the songs that won't get much mainstream attention. Given the stalled success of Diamonds however, I hope that its radio play will inspire her to lean more toward that flavor of music than the inferior sound that plagues the first half of this album.
Wafflecakes
Member
An HQ version of Supernatural would be amazing. *.*
What kind of thorough reading? Lovely review tbh.
PART 3: TRACK-BY-TRACK REVIEW
What kind of thorough reading? Lovely review tbh.
<+)O Robido O(+>
Member
Idk if I'm prepared to live on a world where Ke$ha is hailed as some kind of visionary talent.
Especially not after these snippets.
PopGaf has got to be on some big inside joke I'm not privy to. Lawdamercy.
Especially not after these snippets.
PopGaf has got to be on some big inside joke I'm not privy to. Lawdamercy.
this would be the time someone found the footage in Scary Movie 2 of Tori Spelling getting banged in the ceiling by a ghost and make a gif lmao
Idk if I'm prepared to live on a world where Ke$ha is hailed as some kind of visionary talent.
Especially not after these snippets.
PopGaf has got to be on some big inside joke I'm not privy to. Lawdamercy.
Nobody is hailing her as a visionary talent.
And you stan Rihanna, let us not.
Wafflecakes
Member
Crazy Kids has leaked
Meh....I like most of the songs so far. C'mon and Die Young I really enjoy.
Crazy Kids is very meh for me.
December is going to be rough if you dislike Ke$ha.
<+)O Robido O(+>
Member
Let's! The only difference I can see between them is that Ke$ha sings worse.
Soulscribe
Member
First platinum star!
Great review soulscribe. No Love Allowed is definitely THE stand out track on Unapologetic, for me. *.*
Thanks sis!!!
No sis. That ain't fierce.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked