Summer is amongst us and we all know that means its time for some of the hottest album releases. This summer has provided with no heat shortage as the last few weeks has seen albums released by Usher, Metric, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Linkin Park, Maroon 5, Wisin y Yandel, Flo Rida and many, many others! I've had a chance to listen to some of these, and although at first I was going to make some individual album reviews, because there were so many albums I wanted to comment on, I decided I would collect some of the good and bad highlights, and merge them all into one post. After the jump, you will find my thoughts on new albums by Justin Bieber, Linkin Park, Maroon 5, Wisin y Yandel, and Flo Rida.
Justin Bieber - Believe
Release Date: June 19, 2012
I've never been a fan of Justin Bieber's. Despite liking a few songs here and there, I always thought he was overrated and would face the same fate as other tween stars like Aaron Carter, the Jonas Brothers etc. This all changed when I heard lead single Boyfriend from his third studio album Believe. Although I didn't want to admit it was good. It was something that N'Sync could have easily sung in their earlier days (actually the song really does bare many similarities to their single Girlfriend). At that point, his albums was actually one of the most anticipated summer release for me as I was excited to see what more he could bring. He did not disappoint.
This album takes a bit of a departure from his tween-friendly songs, and shifts to a more mature audience while still maintaining an image for his younger fans. The album has more of an urban and R&B feel, which is helped by features from some of the biggest hip-hop artists in the game right now (Drake, Nicki Minaj, Big Sean). These features don't steal the song, but simply add to the amazingness Justin adds to it. The lyrics to the songs are also slightly more mature and seem to deal close with Bieber's life (i.e. Maria talks about his baby scare), while others seem a bit cheesy ("we gonna party like its 3012 tonight"). Regardless, the album has a good mix of uptempo, and downtempo songs. Highlights include the lead single, Boyfriend, As Long As You Love Me, Maria, She Don't Like the Lights, and Fairytale (a bonus track on one of the international releases).
All in all, I never thought I'd say this about a Bieber record, but this is actually a must listen album. The album not only shows Bieber's vocal and writing talent (he's co-written almost the entire album), but also shows the longevity he'll have in this industry if he plays all his cards right.
Rating: 4/5
Maroon 5 - Overexposed
Released Date: June 26th, 2012
Maroon 5's fourth studio album, Overexposed, fared to be a little bit of a disappointment for me. Being a huge fan of It Won't Be Soon Before Long, and mildly liking Hands All Over, this album seems to be taking the band from an album band to more of a singles band. From their last album, Misery, and Moves Like Jagger seemed to be highlights, and with Payphone being a huge song this summer, I had high hopes for the band to revive themselves after the lacklustre Hands All Over.
The album takes a bit more of a pop/electro/dance approach in comparison to traditional Maroon 5 material. This is likely due to the popularity of the genre in the mainstream right now. Starting a strong open with One More Night, and Payphone, the album's first two singles, the album starts taking a more downward spiral when Daylight begins. Many of the songs begin to sound repetitive, and dull. If it wasn't for Adam Levine's distinct voice, the song could fit perfectly with any other pop artist out there right now. The album picks up a little bit mid-way with Fortune Teller but remains average at best. It also seems more of a solo effort by Adam Levine, rather than an album by Maroon 5. I guess this is where I was most disappointed with the album. With many artists trying to fit the mainstream dance/pop vibe right now, its nice to see when artists stick to what they are known for best. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with Overexposed.
Rating: 3/5
Linkin Park - Living Things
Release Date: June 26th, 2012
After hearing the lead single from this album, Burn it Down, I was a little worried. It seemed as if Linkin Park might be doing what Maroon 5 was. Shifting slowly to the pop/dance/electronic vibe of every artist out there. However, after hearing the album, all my worries were alleviated. Linkin Park not only pushed out an amazing album, but they stayed true to their original sound we heard on Hybrid Theory and their earlier works. This album is a classic Linkin Park record that fits perfectly into their catalogue. Although they do incorporate a little bit of an electronic feel into the album, they don't it in just the right way for it to sound innovative. Some highlights on the album include Burn it Down, Castle of Glass, and In My Remains, among many others. The album is a great listen from beginning to album, and is a very cohesive album. Linkin Park fans will not be disappointed.
Rating: 4/5
Flo Rida - Wild Ones
Release Date: July 3rd, 2012
When Flo Rida first entered the scene in late 2007 with club banger Low, I was unsure of how he'd do in this industry. Was he a one hit wonder or would he have longevity? Five years later and I'm still asking myself the same question. His first two albums spawned some pretty successful singles including the above mentioned Low, as well as Elevator, and the unforgettable smash Right Round. Despite being on fire with all his singles, all his albums seemed to be lacking any sense of cohesiveness or any organization. Minus R.O.O.T.S which I was actually a fan of, the rest of his albums have just seemed like an unorganized mess of tracks. Wild Ones, his fourth album, is the exact same.
Fuelled with many hit singles preceding its release, Good Feeling, Wild Ones, Whistle, the album doesn't offer much more than these singles do. Although the album sounds promising opening with Whistle, and Wild Ones, the rest of the album soon starts sounding exactly the same. Replace Sia with Georgi Kay and then Georgi Kay with Jennifer Lopez, the album starts sounding like a recycled mess. There's not much creativity and innovation to the album and thus I feel like Flo Rida will be one of those artists like T-Pain who sounds better on features, or soundtracks rather than one to create a full length album.
Rating: 2.5/5
Wisin y Yandel - Lideres
Release Date: July 3rd, 2012
To be honest, the only reason I ever gained interest in Wisin y Yandel was after finding out they'd be opening for Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez on their upcoming summer tour. Although I had heard of them before on remixes or features of different artists (Enrique Iglesias, Paris Hilton), I had never taken an interest into their albums as I was never a huge listener of reggaeton music. However, upon listening to their first single from the new album Lideres, Follow the Leader featuring Jennifer Lopez, I was highly impressed and thought I would give their album a chance. I'm glad I did.
I'm not huge into reggaeton, nor have I listened to any of their albums, or even understand the language, but somehow, upon first listen, its like the album reached out to me. Music is universal and thus the language barrier didn't really affect me. An upbeat, and fun album, with features like Jennifer Lopez, and Chris Brown, the album is a party from beginning to end. It features, up and mid tempo tracks that have great arrangements and vocal delivery. Its definitely something you could hear in a club, on the beach, or anywhere tropical. The album is very feel good and is definitely worth a listen if you're down and need something to cheer you up. Or perhaps if you're getting ready to go to party, or want to have one of your own. Highlights of the album include Follow the Leader, Tu Nombre, and No Te Detengas
Its such a shame the duo dropped out of the Enrique / J-Lo tour as they would've been great to see live.
Rating: 4/5
What are some of your favourite albums of the summer?
