I don’t know WHAT just came over me, but I started sweating bullets for Cheryl Cole‘s new album, A Million Lights. Sure, catchy lead single “Call My Name” has a sexy video, but it’s all a bit too generic, isn’t it? I mean I love me some SOLO Calvin Harris but he’s turning into the next David Guetta, isn’t he?
I finding myself flashing back to Cheryl’s appropriately titled sophomore album Messy Little Raindrops. Now, while 3 Words is far from being a modern day pop masterpiece, there WERE a handful of songs that I could (and still can) listen to in succession. Messy Little Raindrops, on the other hand, had two…err…one really.
“The Flood” is lovely and all but “Promise This” was (and is) a JAM! I’m sad to say, the rest of the album was pure bottom-of-the-barrel FILLER with a capital F-I-L-L-E-R. While I’d love to see Cheryl turn it around with album #3, A Million Lights, (due June 18th via Polydor Records), I’m choosing to remain CAUTIOUSLY optimistic, emphasis on the CAUTIOUSLY.
Why the nerves? Good question. I don’t know if it’s the unfortunate prognosis for X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke‘s JUST-RELEASED album’o’generic dance-pop (and just FLOPPED single) or if it’s Cheryl‘s general knack for releasing all of her good songs as singles and leaving the rest of the album to fester with uninspired triteness. Add to that, listening to Cheryl bust into dubstep on the recently leaked “Love Killer” did NOT inspire confidence in A Million Lights. That being said, I will of course reserve my final judgement for when I hear the album in full. Until then, fingers and toes crossed that it’s not all shit.
According to the PR, A Million Lights promises to offer the listener variety in terms of genres and sounds, everything from “Cheryl’s preferred R&B playlists” to inspiration gathered from the Girls Alouder‘s “off road trips into the dance tent.” So it’s R&B mixed with dance. So basically a blend of her first two albums then? OK. That’s a bit more promising, I suppose.
It sounds like Cheryl was VERY hands on with this album (as you’d expect her to be, three albums in), picking the beats she liked and penning the songs to go along with them. After nearly a year in the studio where she worked with some of the industry’s TOP talent, Cheryl is back and ready to take the UK (and hopefully the world) by storm by becoming the new Rihanna. The artist FORMERLY known as Cheryl COLE enlisted the help of respected industry names such as Alex da Kid, Dada Life, Calvin Harris, Hy-Grade, Panther, Naughty Boy, Taio Cruz, will.I.Am and Lana Del Rey…so basically FILLED with potential. Absent from the album are previously rumored collabs with both Rihanna and Christina Aguilera. Pity…how sick would those have been?
With two number one albums and four Top 5 singles (including two #1s), I think I need to give Chezza the benefit of the doubt. Girl has been doing this for a while now. Download “Call My Name” starting on June 10th (iTunes UK) and pick up A Million Lights starting on the 18th (iTunes UK). Look out for “Call My Name” remixes from Wideboys, Richard Vission and Royal T, oh and in case you missed it see Cheryl swan dive onto The Voice stage and mime her way through “Call My Name.”
Tracklisting:
1. Under The Sun
2. Call My Name
3. Craziest Things (feat. will.i.am)
4. Girl In The Mirror
5. A Million Lights
6. Screw You (feat. Wretch 32)
7. Love Killer
8. Ghetto Baby
9. Sexy Den A Mutha
10. Mechanics of the Heart
11. All Is Fair
BONUS TRACKS
12. Boys Lie
13. One Thousand
14. Telescope
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