4
Ever since her first hits, like "Genie In a Bottle" and "Come On Over," everyone has been 100% sure her voice could make it big in the industry. Her most recent album (except for this one, of course), "Stripped," proved a mega hit with songs like "Beautiful," "Dirrty" and "Can't Hold Us Down." Now, Aguilera is back, with a new style, and a new album.
"Back to Basics" starts out a little cocky in the intro, which says, "It's the one and only/there will never be another Christina Aguilera," but then the album goes a little boring, until you reach her mega-hit, Ain't No Other Man, which is fun, flashy, entertaining, and a perfect sample of the album to come. Then, you see another side of the Aguilera story: Her childhood. The album grows melancholy with stories of being beaten as a child by her father. Both discs are okay, but not great. However, the style is so unique that this album will be a classic; lose or win.
Songs To Check Out...
Ain't No Other Man
CandyMan
Still Dirrty
Oh Mother
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3 ¼
Okay, it's pretty good, but it's simply not good enough for a "Breakthrough LP." Pharrell spent much revising on the album (which was originally scheduled for November '05), all it better than terrible. He succeeded, but he could have used an extra year of revision. He has great flow, great lyrics, but not enough versatility or "Catchy Tune" ability. At best, the CD is unoriginal. SkateBoard P sampled a line from Snoop Dogg's Drop It Like It's Hot on his song Raspy Shit. The beats are good, but are all the same.
Plus, let's face the facts, Pharrell recorded the song Number One a month ago because he knew the CD had no more potential singles other than Can I Have It Like That and Angel. The Nelly Collab Baby is boring, and if not for Nelly's rap, might be the worst song on the LP between the Re-Use of beat ideas and the boring chorus.
Download: Number One
4½
An amazing writer of R&B and Pop Genres, Ne-Yo has been around for a few years now. However, his vocal abilities were totally unknown. Now, with his debut album, Ne-Yo is commanding respect and recognition from the R&B and Hip-Hop communities. This album has some great songs, like the smash So Sick, which mixes a good hip-hop beat with great lyricism and vocals, courtesy of Ne-Yo. In the follow-up (which was inconveniently released at the height of So Sick's reign), When You're Mad, Ne-Yo explains to his girlfriend that even during fights he thinks she's sexy. However, the song Sexy Love is the most captivating of Ne-Yo's "Love Songs" on the LP.
The album isn't a classic, but it's one of the best R&B albums of the year so far. Songs to download:
1. So Sick
2. Sexy Love
3. When You're Mad
4. Let Go
5. Stay (With Me)
6. Get Down Like That
2½
I'm gonna make you a promise (unlike most iTunes reviewers): I Won't Tell You I loved the album just because We like Promiscuous.
This CD isn't a classic, nor is it that good, but it does have a few Gems. Were it not for the Timbaland beats, this CD would have come in a 1½. Basically, you should stick to Promiscuous, Maneater, Afraid. Don't get the whole album. Period. Look, I'm sorry this review is short, but this is all I can say.
Download: Maneater
3
Busta, a Jamaican MC that's been around a decade, but has never acomplished anything like "The Big Bang." It's not the best album, but it's modest, and has numerous awesome tracks. First of all, Busta should realize that sixteen tracks all about one of two things: The Ghetto & 'Haters,' does not make a good CD. The lead singles, "Touch It" and "I Love My Bitch" are okay songs, but not worthy of the lead single spot. The ideal lead single would have been either "How We do It Over Here" or "Been Through the Strorm," which are Missy Elliott and Stevie Wonder Collaborations.
Some of the album's tracks actually make it seem even worse, especially "Don't Get Carried Away." It starts out with the gangsta Dr. Dre beat, then Busta brings okay lyrics to the stage, followed by Nas. Of course, Nas performs at abnormal lyricism level. "Poetical tyrant/ This Niggas A terrorist/ Mount Everest, I climbed it," and other rhymes that totally blow Busta Rhymes away. This makes you compare the two, and suddenly rather than finishing "The Big Bang," you're starting "Illmatic."
Downloads:
1. Don't Get Carried Away
2. Been Through the Storm
3. Get Down
4. How we Do It Over Here
4 ½
Red Hot Chili Peppers also known as RHCP have never brought down rock quite like this album. It is so creative, new, and yet so RHCP that it will give bands like Pearl Jam and Green Day a run for their money. It begins with Dani California and you're already dancing around your room naked. Then, the double album moves on to the melancholy tune of Snow (Hey Oh), Charlie, Stadium Arcadium and Hump de Bump, which could all easily make it to your "Top 25 Most Played" list. However, as the album reaches part two, it becomes more or less an average album, with the exception of Tell Me Baby.
In the end, this album is definitely worth every penny, and despite the line below which tells you a track to download, you would be best off with the whole thing.
Download: Tell Me Baby
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