Movie Review – This Is It (2009)

Movie Name: This Is It

Year Released: 2009

Director: Kenny Ortega

Studio: AEG Live

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

What was I doing when the world was suddenly rocked by the news of the sudden passing of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson on June 25, 2009? I was sleeping peacefully then once I woke up, the news of Jackson’s death was the first thing I heard from the television set. Initial feeling from me was “Oh my goodness! This cannot be true.” After a few minutes, the news just sunk in: Michael Jackson is really dead. No matter how controversial Michael Jackson was in his time, he is still Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. Fast forward and four months later and people across the globe can finally see the rehearsals done by the King of Pop for his This Is It concerts in London. Is This Is It a great movie? Well, let us now get the ball rolling, shall we? Do not worry. No major spoilers will be in this entry. If there would be spoilers, they would be kept to the minimum.

Let us get right away to my overall reaction to the documentary. This Is It is absolutely a great one. Seeing Michael Jackson do his behind-the-scenes work is simply an amazing experience. This Is It is simply one of the superb music documentaries ever released. Michael Jackson’s artistry simply shines through all the work he does. One can see how serious and creative Jackson was with his craft in the movie.

This Is It lets one see Jackson in his very open state. Michael Jackson is simply human. The film did show this aspect. This Is It is simply “it” – a film that captures Jackson’s final acts of endless energy and creativity with so much aplomb.

One outstanding scene in the movie is seeing Jackson being happy to be on top of a cherry picker. Jackson really seemed to had a lot of fun when he was on top of the cherry picker. Hearing Jackson scream “Weeeee!” while on the cherry picker was really a great scene to see in the movie. It lets one see how much “childhood spirit” is still left in Michael Jackson’s tank.

I would also like to give props to Orianthi Panagaris, the lead guitarist for the supposed-to-be held concerts of the late King of Pop. The way she riffed that guitar is really awesome. The solo she made on Beat It is one hell of a solo – really special and rich in terms of musical brilliance.

The movie also showcased how particular Jackson is when it comes to details – the biggest up to the minute ones – when it comes to his music. The way Jackson was portrayed in the movie was the highest point of the film. Jackson never thought that the rehearsal footage would be released. In fact, it has been revealed that the footage would simply go to Jackson’s private library and not be shown to the public. Jackson, in the film, was portrayed as an artist who simply loves performing, cares for his employees well, takes control of the artistic aspects of his performances, and simply someone who wants things to be top-notch.

Jackson absolutely performed great in the movie. It must be noted that the King of Pop was not even using his 100% during the rehearsals. The movie presented the sad reality that the world really missed something big – Michael Jackson was already great at 60% to 75% as seen in the movie. What would have had happened if he already performed at his optimum during the concerts? Michael Jackson’s health is still great as seen in the movie. He still got it in my humble opinion.

As for the material shown in the documentary, I was really amazed at all the 3D imagery that the concert producers already made. The background for They Don’t Care About Us is absolutely a stunning one. More stunning were the scenes shot for Thriller. The material shot for the Earth Song is also amazing. Jackson voicing out his environmental concerns was a great touch. I honestly don’t think it was over the top since man’s actions on nature have been over the top as well.

The film does not really totally focus on Michael Jackson alone. Some time is also given to Michael Jackson’s cast of performers, who sadly did not get the time to showcase their talents to the world long enough. The dancers, the singers, and the band really are one of a kind. Seeing how they managed to survive a grueling round of auditions really amazed me. The way they do those dance routines, singing back-up vocals, riffing those notes, and drumming those beats is simply breathtaking.

The editing done for the movie is also outstanding. Managing to combine seamlessly all those footages simply made me awe-struck in the end. Kenny Ortega was a great director (I still dislike High School Musical, sorry.). Michael Jackson was portrayed in a very positive note in the film, I must add. The way the film does it is simply great. The film did a great job in capturing the attention of the watchers without a doubt.

My only criticism for the documentary would be that it still feels the film was made for profiting reasons. However, the documentary is really something that MJ fans and non-MJ fans alike should watch. This Is It is simply a must-watch documentary seeing how Michael Jackson operates when he is not performing for his legion of fans. This Is It is also an elegantly-packaged film filled with content enough to make one appreciate Michael Jackson’s massive amount of talent, if they have not appreciated them before, that is. Sad to say, the world never got to see how Michael Jackson would have performed in his final curtain call.

This Is It, one of the great concert documentaries of all time, gets a 4 out of 5.

Single Review – Down (2009)

Single Name: Down

Artist: Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne

Date Released: May 31, 2009

Length: 3:32

Genre: Pop

Label: Cash Money Records/Universal Republic

Producers: J-Remy and Bobby Bass

Kamaljit Singh Jhooti, better known by his moniker ‘Jay Sean’, has finally strutted his wares in the U.S music scene with his single Down which will be included in his yet-to-be-released debut U.S album All or Nothing. Jay Sean has already released two albums in the U.K and he hopes Down can set a good tone for his debut in the U.S. In the song, Lil Wayne also makes a somewhat surprise appearance as he raps a few verses towards the song’s end.

Down is a really catchy song filled with powerful and mesmerizing beats only made more gorgeous by the very sexy lyrics of the song. Being the song that finally broke the record run of Black Eyed Peas’ I Got A Feeling, I was somewhat surprised that this relatively unknown singer from the U.K was the one who actually sang it. Down is definitely a very great song that can also be described as a “party song.”

The only downside that I can find in the song would be the somehow annoying appearance of Lil Wayne. Nothing against the guy really. He does not actually tarnish the song. It is just that the rapping gets a little bit annoying after few rounds of listening to the song.

The song is absolutely great. Jay Sean simply managed to make a song that is beaming with the attitude that some songs just lack nowadays. Down has impressively established Jay Sean’s career path in the U.S. Let us just hope that this song actually makes his career bright: A career filled with steps going up and not spiraling down.

The song gets 4 stars out of 5.

Music Review – Wordshaker (2009)

Album Name: Wordshaker

Artist: The Saturdays

Length: 43:04

Year Released: 2009

Label: Fascination Records

Genre: Pop

After the successful debut effort Chasing Lights, The Saturdays return to the scene with a bang with their latest effort, Wordshaker. Coming off the success from their debut effort, fans were left asking if Wordshaker will sustain the momentum that The Saturdays have gathered from all the singles that they have released so far. This writer can say that Wordshaker is actually another great effort from The Saturdays. The question remains though. Is Wordshaker actually better than its predecessor, Chasing Lights?

Wordshaker is opened by the edgy Forever Is Over. In this track, The Saturdays try their chops at a very rocky track and passes with flying colors. However, it must be said that Forever Is Over is not the best track in the album. The track originally meant for Kelly Clarkson does shine but other tracks in the album are simply better.

Here Standing is one of the slow songs included in the album. The song seems contrived though. The Saturdays managed to make the song sound good but the song really is just a contrived power-ballad. Still, the song just showcases enough the vocal range of The Saturdays.

Ego is one of the standout tracks of The Saturdays’ newest effort. The track shows how the group got famous in the place: The presence of the synthesizer and pulsating beats accompanied by a catchy chorus. The Saturdays show some “girl power” through the track; telling man to have a “sit down with his ego.”

No One is another ballad included in the album. However, the song does sound to be a bit clichéd. The song is one of the songs that can be skipped without any moment of hesitation in the album.

One Shot is one of the great tracks of the album. The heavy beat accompanied by the ever-helpful synthesizer makes the song outstanding.

The title track, Wordshaker, utilizes strong pop hooks in order to entice the listener and it actually works very well. A chorus that can really get stuck in the listener’s head for weeks is one of the song’s strong assets.

Denial is one of the best ballads of the album. The Saturdays’ work when it comes to ballads still needs some fixing but Denial shows that the group is taking the necessary steps in improving their craft.

Another strong suit of the album is Open Up. A very upbeat track accompanied by the lovely electro touch can definitely turn listeners into loving the track whole-heartedly.

Lose Control is one upbeat track but one can get annoyed by the screaming that The Saturdays did in this track. Not Good Enough’s introduction is too loud if the opinion of this writer is to be asked. Still, both Lose Control and Not Good Enough are two decent tracks which would have been great if not for some flaws present like the songs being too loud and The Saturdays like they were screaming too much in the songs.

Deeper is just a decent track. Deeper is actually written by all the members of The Saturdays. The group does get an ‘A’ for effort though.

Forever Is Over does have album fillers though. The track 2 a.m is absolutely rubbish. No other word can describe it to be honest. It is definitely the worst track in the album.

Wordshaker contains pop songs that are filled with pop goodness and the occasional appearance of the synthesizer. However, the album is not really fully satisfying. Wordshaker simply did not give the joy and the satisfaction that Chasing Lights gave. Still, Wordshaker is not a step backwards. It is just a small step going forward for The Saturdays. It must be said though that Wordshaker is still enjoyable but it does not match the greatness of its predecessor.

The album gets a 3.5 out of 5.

Music Review – Prospekt’s March (2008)

Album Name: Prospekt’s March

Artist: Coldplay

Length: 27:29

Year Released: 2008

Label: Parlophone Records

Genre: Alternative Rock

Producer: Markus Dravs, Brian Eno, and Rik Simpson

After releasing the acclaimed Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, the busy guys of Coldplay decided to release Prospekt’s March, an EP consisting of songs that the band considered to be not too polished enough to be included in Viva La Vida. Prospekt’s March includes 8 tracks all in all – two remixes of tracks that were included in Viva La Vida (The Osaka Sun Mix of Lovers In Japan and Lost+, another version of Lost!, which features Jay-Z rapping three verses of the song.)

Prospekt’s March begins with the track Life In Technicolor II, a continuation of Life In Technicolor which is included in the Viva La Vida album. Life In Technicolor II uses the same arrangement of its predecessor. The difference, however, lies in the fact that it now has some lyrics included. Chris Martin shines excellently through the chorus. “Oh love, don’t let me go! Won’t you take me where the street lights glow?,” said the chorus of the song. What makes the chorus great is that one can clearly see how genius Chris Martin is with his lyrics.

Lost+ features Jay-Z, a good friend of Martin. The song remains unchanged until Jay-Z comes in rapping three verses. Nothing outstanding in the eyes of this reviewer though. “Why fix something that ain’t broke?,” as the saying goes.

The EP also has one instrumental track in the name of Postcards From Far Away. Postcards From Far Away is a short piano instrumental with a total length of only 48 seconds. Despite this, the instrumental is good but it is not really great.

Lovers In Japan (Osaka Sun Remix) is nothing spectacular yet it remains as a decent effort. Rainy Day shines in the EP due to its funky arrangement. Glass of Water lets one see Coldplay in a different light. The arrangement in the said song is somehow heavy. More emphasis on the guitars can be seen in the song. Also, the drums are more intense in the song. The title track, Prospekt’s March, has an atmospheric and serene feeling in it. Not a mind-blowing song but still good enough. Now My Feet Can’t Touch The Ground sounds more acoustic than the rest of the tracks included in the EP.

Prospekt’s March is good but not exactly spectacular. It has a good set of B-sides that can be appreciated by anyone especially the Coldplay fan. Stand-out tracks would be Life In Technicolor II, Rainy Day, and Glass of Water. The EP is a can’t miss for Coldplay fans. For new listeners though, try listening to Viva La Vida or X&Y first.

The album gets a 3 out of 5.

 

New York, New York – 5 Reasons Why The Yankees Won The ALCS

After spending a billion dollars in the offseason for Cy Young winner CC Sabathia, the righty AJ Burnett, and the switch-hitting first baseman Mark Teixeira, the New York Yankees are back in the Fall Classic after defeating the Los Angeles Angels by the score of 2-5 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. Andy Pettitte earned his 16th win of his postseason career – the most in major league history – by pitching 6 and a third and allowing just one run. Pettitte also had 6 strikeouts, a walk, and 7 hits. Pettite’s 16th postseason win also was his 5th closeout win in his postseason career – also a major league record. Meanwhile, Mariano Rivera earned his second save of the ALCS by pitching two innings of relief for the Yankees.

This year’s ALCS absolutely was fun to watch. Two teams just really gave it all. The Yankees, who finished first in the tough American League East, spent lots of money in the offseason after not entering the playoffs last season. Signing CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Teixeira were absolutely key. Another transaction that paid huge dividends would be the acquisition of right fielder Nick Swisher. Eventually, the Yankees returned to the postseason. Meanwhile, the Angels tried to sign Mark Teixeira (who eventually signed with the Yankees) and failed. However, the emergence of Kendry Morales and the best free-agent steal ever in the past offseason, Bobby Abreu, has helped the Angels quiet all the storm that has been at times very turbulent. The death of pitcher Nick Adenhart glued this team and somehow, the Angels have managed to overcome their failure of beating the Red Sox in postseason play. Now, let us talk about the 5 reasons why the Yankees won this year’s American League Championship Series (ALCS):

1. Joe Girardi

In a series where more attention than usual was given to every managerial move, Joe Girardi managed to overcome the talk regarding his so-called “over-management” this series. Letting AJ Burnett remain in the 7th inning of Game 5 is obviously a mistake on Girardi’s part but having faith on the struggling Nick Swisher absolutely paid dividends. Swisher had one hit in Game 6 and contributed hugely to the Game 6 win by scoring a run in the process. Girardi also made a wise move by letting Mariano Rivera close the door in Game 6. Rivera pitched two great innings of relief and eventually earned the save.

Joe Girardi simply managed to counter his mistakes with wise moves. Staying with Swisher amidst Swisher’s struggles paid off. However, one can still shake his head after seeing Girardi put in a pinch runner for Alex Rodriguez in the closing moments of Game 5.

With the Game 6 win, Joe Girardi is one step closer into putting a new dynasty for the Yankees. This guy’s job was said to be in danger before the start of the season. However, he has managed to create a very great clubhouse environment for these Yankees. The Steinbrenner’s faith has absolutely been rewarded.

2. The dominant pitching of CC Sabathia

CC Sabathia absolutely pitched like the ace that the Yankees envisioned. In Game 1, Sabathia set the tone for the series by pitching 8 masterful innings. Striking out 7 Angels was great. Also, allowing just 4 hits and 1 walk was absolutely a key for Sabathia’s Game 1 win. The Yankees decided to go with a 3-man rotation. This meant that Sabathia would be pitching Game 4 in only 3 days rest. However, Sabathia responded to any fears wonderfully as he pitched another gem in Game 4 by pitching another 8 masterful innings – allowing just one run, two walks, five hits and striking out 5.

Had the Angels won Game 6, they would have faced CC Sabathia in a Game 7. Do you think their confidence level would be very high if this happened? Considering the way CC pitched Games 1 and 4, I doubt that the Angels would be very confident.

3. The resurgence of Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez was simply a figure associated with drama before the season started. His split with then-wife Cynthia Rodriguez got a lot of attention. His supposed relationship with Madonna got some attention in the tabloids as well. Then the steroids issue came and that caused another mess in A-Rod’s reputation. Add the fact that A-Rod has struggled mightily in the postseason after Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS and one might think: Will A-Rod blow himself up due to the pressure in New York?

Fast-forward to his first game of the season in Camden Yards and pow! A-Rod re-introduces himself to the baseball legion by hitting a home run. Then at the end of the season, he managed to have two home runs and seven RBIs. In the ALDS, he managed to hit key home runs off the Twins’ pitching staff. Fast-forward again to the ALCS and you see a locked-in A-Rod smashing towering home runs off the Angel’s pitching staff. A-Rod also hit .429 in the ALCS – smashing 3 home runs and driving in 6 RBIs (One RBI which drove in an insurance run in Game 6). A-Rod is simply putting off any notion that he struggled mightily in past playoff runs.

4. The “extra” outs

The Angels simply made lots of mistakes. In Game 6, four mistakes eventually spelled doom for these Angels. First was Vladimir Guerrero’s baserunning mistake. He got doubled off thanks to an intelligent play by Nick Swisher. Second would be the bunt that Chone Figgins attempted. The ball hit the right heel or shoe of Figgins and that immediately made Figgins out. Third would be the dropped ball by Howie Kendrick. That play should have been automatic for any infielder. Fourth would be the throw that Scott Kazmir made. Kazmir basically threw the ball away and that allowed Robinson Cano to score the 4th Yankee run.

The Angels did not only make mistakes in Game 6 alone. The Angels also committed errors in the first two games at Yankee Stadium. These errors gave the Yankees some extra outs and the Yankees capitalized as any team should have done.

5. The “running game” got shut down.

The Yankees basically managed to keep the speedy runners of the Angels from reaching base especially Chone Figgins. Figgins only hit .130 in the series and only scored 2 runs. Figgins also did not have any stolen base in the series. However, the blame is not totally on Figgins in this one. The Angels offense simply struggled. By not hitting, the Angels could not manufacture any runs and their patented “running game” was simply turned off in an instant. Bobby Abreu only hit .160 in the series. Mathis was a great surprise offensively. Hunter and Guerrero showed up but it was not enough as the Yankee pitching was simply marvelous.

The Closing Pitches: Yankees

With the win, the Yankees are back in the Fall Classic. Also, the Yankees will certainly now use CC Sabathia to start Game 1 of the Fall Classic. The Yankees will now enter in their 40th World Series with the Game 6 win. Alex Rodriguez still has to be locked in for the Yankees. Nick Swisher’s struggles have to be solved. The starting rotation of the Yankees for the World Series are also a concern. Will the Yankees go for a 3-man rotation again? If not, who will be the 4th starter? Will it be Joba Chamberlain, who has been great as a bullpen guy? Or will it be Chad Gaudin?

Also, roster moves might be made. Currently, Freddy Guzman and Brett Gardner are the designated speedsters in the Yankee roster. However, the World Series is interleague play and once the series shifts to Citizens Bank Park, the importance of a pinch hitter who can hit the ball will be important. Guzman might be dropped in favor of Eric Hinske, who got dropped from the ALCS roster of the Yankees.

Questions still remain for the Yankees. Who will catch for the Yankees when AJ Burnett starts? That will be dictated by a great Game 1. If the Yankees win, it will almost be certain that Molina will catch. However, if the Phillies win Game 1, then the catching dilemma will only get more intense. Will Alex Rodriguez carry the Yankees into Championship No. 27? If he continues hitting like he has been this postseason, then he might. The World Series will certainly be a great one.

The Closing Pitches: Angels

The Angels did a great job in defeating the Red Sox in 3 games in the ALDS. However, their running game simply did not get going against the Yankees. Also, the defensive errors contributed a lot to their series loss. The Angels are considered a very fundamentally sound baseball team and seeing them shooting themselves in the foot is an absolute shocker. The impending free agency of Bobby Abreu might cause some worries. Abreu might want a higher contract than his current one. Considering Abreu’s performance, the Angels might just give in to his demands. Abreu is simply a perfect fit for the Angels. He takes a lot of pitches and also has power. Abreu can also steal a bag and that’s a perfect contributor to the Angels offense. Vladimir Guerrero’s days with the Angels might also be over. The free-swinging slugger might leave and this can cause some problems offensively even though Mike Napoli can just be slotted in to Guerrero’s DH spot. Gary Matthews Jr. is certain to be gone from the Angels in my opinion though.

Pitching-wise, John Lackey is one main concern. Lackey will also be a free agent and it has been rumored that Scott Kazmir was brought in order to be the future ace of the Angels staff. However, Kazmir still has some lingering control problems. This is one reason why the Tampa Rays finally lost patience with Kazmir and basically traded him to the Angels.

The Angels will definitely be better with this experience. They will be hungrier in the next season without a doubt. However, the upcoming offseason will be an interesting one. Angels fans should be prepared.

Music Review – Bad Romance (2009)

Single Name: Bad Romance

Artist: Lady GaGa

Year Released: 2009

Label: Interscope Records

Writer: Lady GaGa and RedOne

Producer: RedOne

Will be included in The Fame Monster

Lady GaGa has returned with new material that has only left fans asking for more. Bad Romance is the sixth released single for Lady GaGa’s debut album “The Fame” and the first single released for the re-release album which is named “The Fame Monster.”

As with previous material released by GaGa, RedOne is again involved heavily in Bad Romance. One may know RedOne because Lady GaGa mentioned his name in her debut single Just Dance. RedOne also produced the smash hit Poker Face. RedOne’s work in this song is simply amazing.

Bad Romance is an upbeat song with fused elements from the pop, rock, and electronic genres respectively. The song can captivate the listener through a very catchy lyrics. Another amazing thing is that Lady GaGa actually sang one line of the song in French.

If Poker Face had ‘Po-po-po-ker face’, Bad Romance matches it with ‘Ra-ra-ra-ah-ah-ah, roma-roma-mama.’ The line looks stupid when seen in this entry but the line does sound great in the single.

The track is definitely sheer genius. Lady GaGa absolutely is one of the most creative artists of the present generation of artists. The ability to stamp out her class in the music industry with convincing fashion is simply amazing. Bad Romance only continues Lady GaGa’s path to more success. Bad Romance definitely made this writer anticipate the release of the re-released version of “The Fame”, “The Fame Monster.” The track only tells that Lady GaGa is indeed back after a short period of silence. A track that is simply amazing, Bad Romance deserves a 5.

Music Review – Outta Here (2009)

Album Name: Outta Here

Artist: Esmee Denters

Year Released: 2009

Genre: R&B

Label: Tennman

Executive Producer: Justin Timberlake

Outta Here is the debut album of Dutch singer Esmee Denters. Esmee Denters is the first artist signed under Justin Timberlake’s new label named Tennman in assocation with Interscope Records. Timberlake discovered Denters’ talent through the video-sharing site YouTube and signed her to a deal by 2008. Outta Here is the fruit of her efforts with Timberlake.

Outta Here is a pop record with a mixture of uptempo and ballad tracks. The album opens with “Admit It”, an upbeat track that properly utilizes Denters vocals. After the first track however, this writer’s feelings for the album became mixed mainly because some tracks induce boredom.

“Sad Symphony” is one of the slow tracks found in the album. The arrangement for the song was fine but eventually, the verses killed the fun included in the song. “Victim”, a Ryan Tedder-produced track, can be a potential single for Denters. This is one of those Tedder tracks that are not over-the-top and too cheesy. Great arrangement and the synthesizer reminds one of the synthesizers used in Jordin Sparks’ “Battlefield.”

The title track, “Outta Here”, is pretty upbeat and one of the best tracks of the album. The track’s beat is one of the best in the debut album of Denters. The catchy lyrics add some punch to the song as well. Meanwhile, “Memories Turn To Dust” is another ballad from the album. The track is poor outright. The arrangement is not exactly mind-blowing but it is decent enough.

“Gravity” surprisingly sounds like that of Rihanna’s “Rehab”, only more upbeat. A solid track but not one of those songs that can totally blow minds away. “What If” will certainly be appreciated by all those people experiencing love. The lyrics of the track are simplygreat.

What makes the album unlikable is that some tracks are too slow to enjoyed. Also, some arrangements are not exactly great. However, one positive thing going is that the album properly showcased Denters’ vocals.

However, the album does have its highlights. One track, “Bigger Than The World”, came out perfectly. A great track that first came out as a leaked Justin Timberlake demo, Denters stamps on her own efforts into the song and the result will convincingly turn one doubter of Denters into a believer.

“Love Dealer” is another plus from the album. The track is actually a collaboration featuring Denters and Timberlake. Timberlake’s “Midas touch” worked wonders for the song. “Casanova”, another collaboration with Timberlake, is also another great track. The verses done by Timberlake certainly gave the song some needed flavor.

All in all, the debut album of Esmee Denters is pretty decent. Her vocals are actually great. A simple fine-tuning can do wonders for the singer. Notwithstanding the boring tracks, “Outta Here” is great. Tracks like “Casanova”, “Bigger Than The World”, “Victim”, and “Love Dealer” have the potential to be huge singles. Justin Timberlake did a good job with Denters and he knows that the potential is there for Denters.

The album gets a 3.5 out of 5.

Music Review – Somebody To Love (2009)

Single Name: Somebody To Love

Artist: Leighton Meester feat. Robin Thicke

Year Released: 2009

Genre: R&B

Label: Universal Republic

Writer: Rico Love

Producer: Mike Caren and Oligee

Credits: The Beat Review for the album art. Thanks man!

Leighton Meester simply continues to make waves in the music industry. The renowned Gossip Girl invaded the music industry by lending her vocals to the smash hit “Good Girls Go Bad” of Cobra Starship. Meester has already signed a record deal with Universal Records and her first album is currently being produced with the help of RedOne (The man who produced Lady GaGa’s “Poker Face” and “Just Dance.”), Kara Dioguardi amongst others. “Somebody To Love” is the first official single released for her debut album.

“Somebody To Love” has electronic touches included in it. One can notice the synthesizer in the track. The synthesizer manages to give the track that electronic touch which has made Meester appreciated by the listening public. Meester’s debut single however does not fully capitalize on Meester’s vocals. Meester’s vocals in the track sound plain and boring. Meester’s vocals lacked the needed energy in order for the song to be great.

Robin Thicke did his best in trying to save the song. His efforts almost saved the song but eventually, the song is simply lacking the “fun” factor that makes songs very enjoyable and appreciated by the listening public. However, Thicke’s efforts did not go for naught. He made the song very interesting and added the energy that Meester’s vocals cannot provide.

Considering that Leighton Meester introduced her musical talents to the listening public by lending her vocals to the energetic song “Good Girls Go Bad” of Cobra Starship, her debut single came as a total surprise. Her vocals lacked energy. Her vocals seemed tired and plain. However, the song is still enjoyable and can be considered as a decent debut. However, Meester has to step up with her next efforts.

The song gets a 3 out of 5.

Music Review – Friday I’ll Be Over U (2009)

Single Name : Friday I’ll Be Over U

Artist: Allison Iraheta

Year Released: 2009

Genre: Pop Rock

Label: Jive Records

Writer: Max Martin

Producer: Max Martin

Friday I’ll Be Over U is the debut single of American Idol alumnus Allison Iraheta. As most people know, Allison Iraheta was the fourth placer of the eighth season(Which was won by Kris Allen by the way) of the famous show American Idol produced by Simon Fuller. After the conclusion of Idol’s eighth season, Iraheta was signed to a record deal by 19 Entertainment and Jive Records. Her debut single, hopefully, will be the first of many singles to come from Iraheta.

Opening the single is Iraheta’ throaty voice saying “Oh yeah!” accompanied by an edgy guitar riff. This greatly sets the tone for the rest of the song which can be described as a song filled with enough charm amidst all the rock contained in it.

The song is not filled by guitars mind that. There is a surprising inclusion of the synthesizer which only adds a layer of creativity to the song. The inclusion of the synthesizer helped in establishing a danceable beat to the song. Such beat absolutely paved way to this writer’s enjoyment of the song.

One may remember that Kara Dioguardi, one of the judges of American Idol, saying that she wants to do a record with Iraheta. This song somehow explained why Diogardi said such. Iraheta’s voice is really versatile and shows some certain levels of vulnerability. One may link Iraheta’s voice to that of Pink or another Idol-produced talent, Kelly Clarkson. Iraheta’s voice was greatly used in the song. The song clearly showed Iraheta’s powerful voice which has been the reason for her great long stay in the eighth season of Idol. Kudos to Max Martin for doing a great job in producing Iraheta’s debut single. Martin did not take any risks with Iraheta. He simply used whatever was there and did a masterful job.

The single was clearly great in the eyes of this writer. Iraheta convincingly established the roots of what could be a very promising career. Another plus for Iraheta is that she worked with original material for her first single. This avoided the possibility of Iraheta being compared to other artists’ works had she done a cover. The song, filled with enough edge and pop goodness, boldly proclaimed that Allison Iraheta has definitely arrived.

The song gets a 4 out of 5.

Music Review – Keep Holding On (2009)

Single Name : Keep Holding On

Artist: Glee Cast

Year Released: 2009

Genre: Pop

Single Length: 4:04

Sung in Glee’s Throwdown episode.

Originally sung by Avril Lavigne.

Glee is an American musical-comedy drama television series aired by Fox, the company that brought us the massive show American Idol. Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan, the show has garnered an average of 9.619 million viewers. Murphy has stated that he intends to create a balance of show tunes and pop tunes. In this review, we will be focusing on one of the latest pop tunes that the show has covered: Keep Holding On.

The single is dominated vocally by Lea Michele, who reprises the role of Rachel Berry in the show, and Cory Monteith, who reprises the role of Finn Hudson in the show. The duo did their best in making the cover sound great and in the eyes of this writer, they succeeded.

Vocally, Michele and Hudson did a good job in blending their voices for the duet. The backing vocals done by the rest of the Glee cast add a certain degree of richness to the song. The symphonic feeling added by the backing vocals is a huge plus to the Glee cover.

The arrangement is absolutely great. Backing vocals were great. The combo of Monteith and Michele did wonders. A great Avril Lavigne song has turned into a great show tune courtesy of the Glee cast. One may feel that he is listening to some theatrical song once he hears the great arrangement done for the cover.

However, the song does run into some problems. Monteith’s voice sounds like it has been “auto tuned” too much. A suggestion of this writer would be to stop the abuse of the “auto tune.” Monteith has the talent to sing. Stop using the “auto tune.” It only hurts Monteith’s rep. When someone has the talent, why do something that can hinder the talent from flowing continuously? As one adage said, “Why fix something that ain’t broke?”

Highlights of the song would be the great blending of Michele and Monteith’s voices. Add a stunning job done by the backing vocalists and you have a great cover knocking in your doorsteps. However, the abuse of “auto tune” on Monteith must be stopped immediately. Still, the cover is great but it does not match the greatness of the cast’s rendition of “Somebody To Love.”

Overall, the song gets a 4 out of 5.