I have to be honest, “I’m On A Roll” is not the sort of music I pictured Stefano releasing as a solo artist. It’s just so…radio friendly! Not exactly a glowing review, I know but this is completely unexpected for me. On Idol, Stefano dazzled the audience week after week with renditions of soulful classics like Stevie Wonder‘s “Lately,” Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes‘ “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” and Elton John‘s “Tiny Dancer.” While I realize that these songs were picked based on that weeks preset theme, I always pictured Stefano as a soul/pop artist. “I’m On A Roll” is urban-leaning dance/pop. If LMFAO were to feature Langone on one of their tracks, this is what it would sound like, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
“I’m On A Roll” is a straight up party song. With lyrics like, “I’ve got a fast past to the front of the line,” “I’ve got the Midas touch wherever I go,” and “Pour another shot of whatever you like,” it’s pretty clear that Stefano is having fun with this song. While there’s certainly an overabundance of autotune, Stefano‘s trademark vocal acrobatics still manage to shine through all the clutter. Featuring American hip-hop duo New Boyz and production/songwriting trio (and former American Idol mentors) Rock Mafia, “I’m On A Roll” is destined to be a fist pumping summer anthem.
In the end, I guess I shouldn’t be all that surprised by the Top 40 friendly direction Stefano‘s heading in, given that he’s signed to Hollywood Records, home to a bevvy of tween pop artists such as Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Jesse McCartney, and the Jonas Brothers. In this day and age, it’s all about being a commercial artist and Stefano‘s definitely going to sell records if the rest of his album sounds like this. I just hope we get to hear Stefano belting out some big, juicy ballads as well as his exquisitely beautiful falsetto, because that’s what he does best. I’ve got my eye on you Stefano!