X FACTOR: 80s Week

So it's WEEK FIVE and our top eight were supposed to enter into 80s Week. Can I just say, I was disappointed that there were no fluoros, wrist and/or head bands, latex or leg warmers on our stage this week. The only thing that was remotely 80s-like was Nat's dress. Nevertheless, this week was another strong week for all our contestants.

Strandouts:

FOURTUNATE: Although they weren't in the bottom two last week, they did receive mixed comments. But this week the judges were unanimous in their glee (yes, I just wrote 'glee') in hearing just their vocals again this week. I personally agreed with Guy in regards to the second half of the song. I felt like the big-band entrance was unnecessary, but at the same time I do understand that they needed it, considering they weren't busting any moves on those giant boxes - hahaha!

THE COLLECTIVE: After those horrible suits (which would have suited - hahaha, unintended pun - this week PERFECTLY!) last week, The Collective we're back in their grunge-wear and even placed themselves on thrones to anchor the fact that they're here to stay. I loved their rendition of Madonna's Like A Prayer. It was good to see HSC student (yes, he still sat the English paper 1 MONDAY AFTERNOON), Jayden, rock his solo. I was also glad to hear another rap from Will again.


Let downs:

Can I just say, there were no real let downs, I'm just picking on Nat's girls this week because there was just as much waterworks this week as there was dry-ice last week.

Bella and Shiane both sang beautifully last night.  Shiane shared something personal that inspired her to sing as well as she did. But I was more annoyed that Bella showed her nerves even before she started and broke down the moment she was about to get her comments. I know that sounds harsh and I definitely understand that there's a lot of pressure that comes with these public-vote shows, but you have to ask about hidden agendas after two girls from the same category start crying. I just think, that some of the contestants need to enjoy their time in X Factor just as much as they work hard. You need to have a balance of both bliss and hardship, otherwise you just get lost in either the 'big dream' or drowning in a pool of your own sweat.

The Verdict

Bottom Two: Angel and Sammie

After a night of awesome performances, it was a slight shock to see two of the strongest voices in the bottom two. In saying so, I think the judges need to remember that the Australian public is voting in relation to Monday's performance and not their journey. Ultimately, what the judges do every Tuesday night, choosing between the bottom two, is what we, the public, do every Monday night (only we have to choose our favourites from the remaining finalists each week). The only issue I have with this is the fact that voting lines are opened as the first contestant takes to the stage, so ideally, those who have not performed yet could potentially already have votes before they've even stepped on stage. Give me back Idol days where we voted AFTER the show.

This week we entered into deadlock and Australia again had to decide. The choice was Angel. I personally have no thoughts on tonight's verdict. With What About Tonight it was clear that there was something lacking regardless of the constant comparison to One Direction (one I still do not see! I don't care what 1D say, 5 teenage boys who sing does not equal "the next 1D"). But tonight, it could have gone either way. I felt at Week Five we should feel closer to at least all the contestants.

I mean I can admit that Bella annoys me sometimes, but at least I know what she's does that annoys me; and  I'm glad at the fact that she can shock me when she does. Jason has that shy-kid appeal that Australia is falling in love with, as well as his down to earth nature that translates whenever he takes criticism. Nathaniel has the quirky cheekiness about him, but I think we connect a lot more with him because he maintains eye contact when he sings; but I still feel like there's more to him that we're not seeing. Shiane has been a sweetheart from the very beginning and her humble attitude just speaks volumes to an audience looking for someone to depend on. Fourtunate have had a great story from the beginning and we've seen them before, which is probably why they're still going strong - they're memorable. The Collective weren't the forerunners, but they made their mark for three weeks straight and fell slightly in week four, but this week came back; the appeal with them is the "wow" factor - the "OMG, they really are talented together!" element. I think with them, Australia was a little hesitant, but they've made it clear, they belong here.

That's my thoughts for the week!

Much love,

sL xxx

X FACTOR: Legends Week

For a week that was suppose to showcase the Legends of music, this week fell short in comparison to the calibre that the contestants placed for themselves (and each other) last week. Nevertheless, this week showcased the nasty side of more than one judge - not just to the contestants, but also to each other. And yes, Scary Spice was in the house, along with a Fiery Ronan and a slightly Grumpy Guy. There was also an excess on dry-ice, I wonder how cold it was in the studio tonight!

Standouts:

Nathaniel Willemse - “The Scientist” (Coldplay)

Poised and disciplined, with his fingers gliding across the piano keys, Nathaniel hushed the crowd as he played and sang his rendition of The Scientist. Herald as one of his best performances, I have to say, Nathaniel really did step it up a notch this week and really listened to Guy. No muscle showing just for fun, no cheesy dance moves, just his voice and the piano - just the way it should be.

Samantha Jade - “Run to You” (Whitney Houston)

I really wasn't too sure about how Sammie would be this week after seeing the set list, but I have to say, she did Whitney justice and definitely delivered her best performance yet. Last week I said that she butchered Britney's Everytime with her excess ad-libs and extended notes, this week she too showed a lot of discipline in holding back and making sure that she wasn't over doing anything, she was just singing. 


Carmelo Munzone - “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (The Police)

After two weeks of awkwardness and getting used to the loud crowd, Carmelo has finally stepped up to the plate and delivered a much needed 'best performance' since his audition. Finding his feet and only needing to work a little on his timing, Carmelo has finally been able to showcase the same quirkiness and ease in performing that Australia initially fell in love with - a little cheesy with the dancers, but hey - that's reality TV for you.



Odd Choices:

The Collective - “A Hard Day’s Night” (The Beatles)

Ok, it's no lie that I'm a big fan of these guys, but I have to agree with the other judges this week about having to choose a more modern song. I mean, yes granted The Beatles are the greatest 'legendary' band - no argument there - but out of the 27 number 1 singles that they have, Ronan chose "A Hard Day's Night"??? Don't even get me started on those horrible suits! I just felt like this week's song choice was an excuse to throw in some dancing - which was not well executed - and just to make sure that people at home are reminded that these guys are high-energied and can bring a house down. I would have rather they did Hello, Goodbye or Help! at least those would have show cased a different vibe that could be possible for the boys. It would have also been nice to here the boys do a slower song - it's Week Four, this is where they need to showcase a different energy. Biggest let down for me this week.

Bella Ferraro - “Ray of Light” (Madonna)

Did we enter into a time-warp?! I feel like I heard Ronan complain about Nat's song choice for Bella before - oh right when she did What Makes You Beautiful. And why was that again? Oh! I remember, because suddenly it was about re-shaping it to suit Bella's voice. AGAIN - how is she suppose to grow?! Why not pick songs that DO suit her voice that fit into the theme and then let her shine! MADONNA??? Are to kidding me? The Queen of Pop for a girl who's clearly and Indie singer?! Like c'mon! Sure her set is grander and she looked stunning - but there was no enjoyment in the song choice; there was very little commitment; and at times I didn't even know what she was singing! I feel like saying, "C'mon Nat!!! If you thought she was going to have Matt-Corby-like sound, why are you giving her more songs like that!!!"

Angel Tupai - “Dirty Diana” (Michael Jackson)

After being in the bottom two last week, it was a shame to have Angel forget her lyrics this week. Sure I didn't notice - highlighting what the other judges said about being professional and moving forward - but Mel's right, forgetting lyrics is an acceptable in WEEK FOUR especially in a series where so many contestants (in clouding Bella) have either been sent home or had to work extra hard to stay in the competition. Although she sang beautifully, I just didn't think it was her best performance and I completely agree with Mel about Angel taking a step backward rather than forward.


Overall:
I thought the strongest mentor-contestant relationship this week was Guy. Both his remaining contestant have shown their ability to listen and deliver. They have both grown in their personal journey to the finals week and I'm hoping that it's not another Justin case where it's they're best performances and both or any of them are in the bottom two and leave in the eviction night tomorrow. Votes should be based on the performances not looks. Re-watch the footage and make the right choice Australia.

The Verdict

Bottom Two: Carmelo and Fourtunate.

Well, I can't really say I was too shocked this week, last night's performances were anything but "legendary". But I have to say, I was disappointed to see Carmelo in the bottom two tonight, seeing as I thought it was his best performance out of all three live shows that he was able to showcase his talents. Although Ronan was absolutely devastated to see one of his groups at the bottom, Guy's right, they we haven't really seen them do anything more than high-energied performances. Where have their voices gone?

But I was devastated when we didn't see a lockdown happen tonight.  Nevertheless, we saw Carmelo's comeback end as Guy decided that he wanted to see more from Fourtunate. I'm convinced that the judges need to stop saying, "Best performance so far," because at the moment that the kiss of death, it's exactly like saying, "You're going to win this competition." Like no. This is a public-voting show, no one is safe.

sL xxx

PS.

This was written over the two days - so the first half was written last night and the second have was written tonight.

X FACTOR: Top Tens Week

This week our Top 10 take on songs that have hit the TOP TENS all across the globe - and no, surprisingly no one sand a Justin Bieber or One Direction song this week...odd. Overall I was shocked by the high standard that everyone brought to the plate and enjoyed the night. Even Mel B gave 'credit where it was due'.

The official twitter for X Factor AU released the set list on their website and I was shocked at how well each judge had matched their contestants with hits that would 100% showcase why they deserved to be in the Top 10 and deserve a spot in next week's Top 9. I have to admit, I had to YouTube song choices for Carmelo and (not surprisingly) The Collective due to unfamiliarity with either the song titles or the artists.

Standouts:

Justin was the biggest surprise of the entire night. Beginning the show with Fun.'s, "Some Nights" with a country twist, his vocals were at its best and I love every minute of it! Having seen the set list prior to the show, I was delighted with Guy's song choice for Justin. He was the only one that really shocked me tonight.

The groups, Fourtunate and The Collective were yet again at the hight of their game as they 'wowed' the audiences and the judges with their excessive amounts of pelvic thrusts. 

Fourtunate not only sang their little hearts out, they're every movement were in tune to the beat of the song. The only thing I really want from Fourtunate in future is to do softer, more ballad-like song to showcase their amazing voices that we fell in love with.

The Collective were nothing short of surprises - no not just a song choice from a foreign boyband from the past, but rather with a medley thrown into the mix! The seemingly 'outdated' "classic", You Got It (The Right Stuff) by The New Kids on the Block, had the black-and-white video clip come to life with Michael Jackson's, Billie Jean (see what I did there? ;P). The boys were yet again in their element and also showcased Julian and Jayden's voices this week - which works as a treat to remind us that they were individual artists prior to the home visits.

The Verdict

After an incredible lineup of guest stars including, The Veronicas, Lady Antebellum and P!nk, it came down to, very shockingly, Angel and Justin.  It came as a shock to see Justin in the bottom two seeing as last night's performance was his best this far in the competition. If the verdict was based solely on last night's judges comments, Angel would have easily been eliminated tonight.

But let's rewind before I talk about the final decision. Judging from last night's performance, the bottom two I was expecting were:

Carmelo for his lack of confidence. Last's weeks performance was forgivable being his first week back into the competition, but this week, it was like he took a step backwards. In stead of getting the hang of the live shows, he seems to have lost himself in the pressures of the competition. Last week he was able to do what any great performer does when they're nervous - smile and keep the show going, but this week, there was very little of that confidence and fear was clearly written in his face. I hope Carmelo doesn't ruin this second chance, otherwise last week's story on the Josh Brookes scandal on Today Tonight may have us seeing Josh back in the competition:

Another contestant who did not do as well as I thought she would have was Samantha Jade:

Singing Britney Spear's, Everytime, it should have been the perfect song choice for the 25-year-old. She started well, but began to get pitchy and slightly screechy towards the end of the performance. The beauty of this song is it's simplicity. The set was perfect - Sammie wasn't in a giant dress or a dome to stop her from moving, but even in her stillness, it would have been an easy ride to a, "brilliant performance" from all the judges. But when she started doing the ad-libs and trills, she lost the heart of the song. I think that even though this show is about showcasing you voice, there's also a need to do justice to the song. There's a big difference between owning a song and trying to tackle it.

Nevertheless the results are what they are. The only reason we saw Angel in the bottom two tonight is because the stakes were so high last night. It's so hard to determine who will and won't be in the bottom two. But for Angel I agree with Mel, I feel like the song choices for Angel haven't been able to showcase who she is as person through her voice. We saw Angel literally struggle with the concept of her song this week in the recap video that plays before they perform, and I think it just became very evident after her performance. Vocally, she was AMAZING!!! But her self-confidence and doubt creeped up towards the end of the song all the way through to the judges comments.

But when she sang for her life tonight, there was no doubt that she would take the final spot in the fourth week of the live shows. Although Justin did perform at his best last night, it as not enough to get him out of the bottom two, and tonight, he was out shined. 

It just goes to show, that "no one is safe."

sL xxx

X FACTOR: Party Week

Starting with ads that constantly refer to the "Josh Brookes scandal", this week's X Factor did not just change their air time, they also welcomed back a favourite. I was so excited to hear that Josh's replacement is none other then the humble and encouraging Carmelo Munzone.

Although I'm angry with what Josh had done to be kicked out of the show, I'm glad it was Carmelo that Mel chose to bring back.

PARTY WEEK!!!

Ok, so this week's theme was (to) PARTY! So with the balloons in the air and the music ready to blast, this week was nothing short of controversy and let's just say, misinterpretation of the theme. Have you ever gone to costume party with people who walk around and they clearly did not think about their costume? Well, that's how I felt like with some of the song choices for this week. Pre-warnign to anyone who's a Bella fan, I'm going to be really breaking down her performance this week, so skip it if you don't like hearing/reading anything negative.

Alright, first things first, I won't deny that she can sing and she has a great voice. But I just think this week's song choice did nothing for her. It's week two and I feel like she's done nothing to make me think, "Wow!" For many people, I think, Bella's just been singing the same types of songs and keeps getting away with it. I don't think she's growing at all. I say this because yesterday's rendition of What Makes You Beautiful was the most infuriating thing that I had seen the entire night. It wasn't that she slowed it down, because I've hear decent versions of WMYB that have been slow and acoustic, but it was more that it was a selfish rendition of the song.

On Nat's part as a mentor, she had the chance to choose a funky indie song that was upbeat enough to dance to that Bella could've really flourished in vocally. Nat's justification of "One Direction is 'party'" falls short when Ronan clearly reminded her that yes, "the original version" is 'party'. There was nothing party about Bella's performance besides the balloons.

Bella's justification of her arrangement being "prom-like" seems plausible, but only to the extent of the lighting. I found it odd that she had giant boxes on stage and a random guy playing an accordion - although, tops to that guy, he was the highlight of sitting through her performance. If you were going to set that kind of scene, then set it - have a typical cheesy high school band behind you, sing with a stand and have dancers slow dancing around you. What annoyed me even more was that this rendition even had the potential to have a climatic rise towards the mid-section, but it didn't. It was just so linear musically and vocally that at no point did you even want to sway or bring your lighters out.

I thought it was unfair for both Bella and the rest of the contestants. For Bella, I think she's stuck. I personally think that this just emphasises that she's one dimensional and that she's not willing to challenge herself. For the other contestants, I just feel like she got the easy way out with Nat's comment of "not wanting to produce manufactured artist" and that's offensive to not just the show, but also to the rest of the judges who stuck to the criteria. I just think that these themes help shape the individual sounds - it pushed them to the limits and sees where the barriers are and where the untapped potential of their voices lie. For Bella, it's like she's a fixed, one-dimentional singer that really doesn't have anywhere else to go. And I don't really think that's the case. BUT right now, we're just seeing repeats of her first audition, except it's like a re-run that looses the wow factor by the minute.

One group who seem to be getting stronger each week is The Collective. When I heard they were doing Footloose, I was like, "Ooooh..." but when they got onstage I was like, "Yes!" I love that Will and Trent are taking turns in leading the songs and Zack's doing all the trills and ad-libs, but I'm fearing that this format might bore us in the next few weeks. I'm beginning to worry about all the added rapping as well, I mean it's great, but I don't think it should be done each week. I want to be able to see all five boys have their turn in the lime light. I think potentially this is possible and it would really challenge the group as a vocal ensemble.

The Verdict

This week's bottom two were teen favourites, What About Tonight and wedding singer Nathaniel Willemse. I have never been more relieved when I heard What About Tonight's name called out as the group leaving the competition. I have nothing personal against these boys, but based on last night's performance, I have to say it wasn't a shock to see them in the bottom. I was shocked to see Nathaniel there, considering he worked really hard on his choreography and showed that he was willing to take up a challenge.

To justify my relief, What About Tonight have had no solid footing besides resonating with One Direction. I know the footage shows 1D saying that WAT "reminds them of them", but to be honest that's not at all true. I mean being young artists fine, granted they were of a similar age when they all auditioned separately, but just because 5 boys step onto the X Factor stage - that's important - and claim they want to be the next One Direction does not make them the answer to One Direction. Dressing like them and huddling around together after a song is also just mimicking them - sure, the "best form of appreciation and imitation" - but imitation is exactly that, a copy. Just because your main point of difference is that you're Australian isn't a strong enough basis to claim that you're the "answer to" 1D. What happened with WAT is people were just seeing what they wanted to see - our version of 1D.

That's why I was so against the idea of having a super group and the girl's group proved that at the home visits when they didn't get through. I was even a little shaky about having The Collective in the top 12 because their performance was not as succinct as could've been. When you're thinking of a group that can answer to One Direction you need to look at One Direction's journey. It's not just about moulding a band of individual singers with 'great' voices and a sense of camaraderie to hold it together, it's about about the inner workings of the vocal arrangement. I always revert to the Judges Houses of X Factor UK 2012 when 1D sang Torn as a comparison for any of these groups because that's where we see, not just the hard work that the boys put into their song choice, but also how they individually understood their own voices, each other's voices and how their individual voices worked together which formulated their vocal roles as One Direction. For WAT, I felt like the boys didn't even know their own sound before they had time to get to know each other's. Also, WAT's individual members all have common vocal ranges, so it's hard to really pick out a lead vocalist or someone to drive the song. This isn't usually a problem, but let's face it, every band needs to have a frontman. Not just that, but the dynamics of the song choices could end up becoming one dimensional (that's be a great name change - *kidding*).

Overall, I was really worried about the deadlock, but in the end I think Australia made the right decision, because frankly you can have only have one direction (and that's Jesus - ok sorry, that was inappropriate). 

sL xxx

NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO: One Direction - Live While We're Young

If you still haven’t heard this song then you either a) refuse to listen to One Direction or 2) don’t listen to the radio – either way, you’re reading this review, so hopefully you pressed play and listened to it before you read this – if not, it’s all good, read on.

Pre-Order: iTunes / 1D Website

(Release Date: Friday, 28th September)

This song, in a nutshell, epitomises both these acronyms: “YOYO” – “you’re only young once” and “YOLO” – “you only live once”. “YOYO” because of the title and the theme of the video clip, while “YOLO” is found in the lyrics of the chorus. Positives about this song include the upbeat tempo with it’s light-hearted lyrics and I have to say, after hearing it twice on BBC Radio 1, it was so catchy that I was singing already the chorus at 2am while I was waiting for the video release.

Although it’s a song that I have on repeat and really like singing along to (and occasionally belting out), it’s nothing new. It’s like they took the format (i.e. the delegation of the lyrics as well as the musical arrangement) of What Makes You Beautiful and combined it with One Thing to reproduce a hybrid version of the two. I’m not saying that this is wrong – I mean What Makes You Beautiful did VERY well and One Thing, in my opinion, is still their best video clip from their first album – I’m just saying it wasn’t worth all the hype that people had placed on it – or me staying up. I’m also concerned with the lyrics that seem to contradict each other and are almost borderline inappropriate. (Pre-warning, if you hate it when people read into things, stop reading now!)

In the first verse, Liam sings, “Hey girl I’m waiting on you…come on and let me sneak you out,” but in the chorus they sing, “I know we only met but let’s pretend it’s love.” I mean, if you’re going to sneak a girl, how on earth will that happen if you just met? Well, I guess it worked for Romeo and Juliet - maybe that’s what the writers are going for? You know, “young love” and sporadic impulses – even a hasty marriage, but they’re just pretending, so I guess it’s more like Bruno Mars’, I Wanna Marry You. I’m also not sure if I would say, “Tonight let’s ‘get some’ and live while we’re young,” I mean that just sounds like they’re saying, “Let’s do it, because YOYO.” I don’t know maybe it’s just me, but that arrangement just sounds like – with lack of a better description – a booty call. But I’m open (and hoping) that maybe when 1D say, “let’s get some” they really mean, “let’s just do all the fun stuff that we can, because we’re only young once.” I’m going to choose to believe that this is what they mean when they sing it.

Overall it’s a great party song and I genuinely to like it, but it’s nothing new – and obviously I have an issue with the overall message that they’re trying to put across. I just think, if you’re going to recycle a format – in both the lyrical and musical arrangement – then it’s the message that matters. And I hate to say this, but it’s that one line that really mixes what they’re trying to bring across. I get that the boys are all adults and what they choose to sing/say is appropriate to some personal degree, but, for me it’s just too suggestive within it’s lyrical context. Like I said, I’m hoping that that’s not what they mean, but I do understand if that’s how other people will interpret it. To end on a positive note, the video clip epitomises all the members of One Direction. It’s a lot more vibrant than their previous video clips, which is nice and the song in itself, like One Thing, show cases ALL their voices – which is a great sign for their upcoming second album, Take Me Home.

sL Star Rating:

Song: 3

Video: 5

X FACTOR: LIVE SHOWS Begin

So we're all in front of our screens for the THIRD season of X FACTOR AU for 2012. Our top 12 consists of:

Groups

Fourtunate

The Collective (Super Group)

What About Tonight

Girls

Shiane

Angel

Bella

Boys

Josh

Adil

Jason

Over 25s

Nathaniel

Samantha Jade

Justin

Ok, let me just start by saying, this X FACTOR overview is just an added bonus that I want to write about after each Live Show and Live Eviction show. I just thought I tweet about  X Factor enough to be able to talk about what I tweet about.

LIVE Show (Numero Uno)

So 2012 kicked off with a bang! This has been one of the best starts to the season I've seen on the X Factor stage - in all honesty, the calibre of the contestants all the way from the nation-wide auditions has just been ridiculous! But last night was just PHENOMENAL! So much energy, excitement and anticipation. The theme was "Judges Choices" and I have to say there were definitely some hit and misses that were clearly evident with tonight's eviction show.

But let's go through some highlights first. I particularly loved Josh Brookes' and The Collective's performances.

Josh was just incredible! Coming  along way from losing a spot for the Home Visits to Johnny Ruffo last year, Josh has made it to the Live Shows and has declared that "the lasting that [he] wants to do is go home". Last night's performance saw Josh engulfed with backup dancers and a massive set of headphones to define his iconic style. Above all else his voice and personality were at home with Jason Derulo's dance floor anthem, Don't Want To Go Home. Great song choice by Mel B and kudos to the choreographers!

The Collective surprised me the most out of all 12 performances last night. Not knowing what to expect from Australia's attempt of Simon Cowell's 2010 superstars - One Direction - it was nice to know that The Collective have spoken and have separated themselves from 1D with a hands-down, mind-blowing performance, complete with a sky dropping entrance and high energy vocals that brought every one to their feet and let every jaw hit the floor. These guys looked and sounded fantastic singing Jessie J's, Domino. Risky, yet brilliant set design and song choice for Ronan!

The VERDICT (12 become 11)

Tonight's Live Verdict show heard all of Australia gasp as two favourites, Adil and Samantha Jade, were announced as the bottom two. Before I talk about the outcome, I just want to say that, though I was gasping along with everyone, we are at the LIVE shows - NO ONE is safe. Last night was Judge's Song Choice - their mentor's perspective of what kind of artists they will be - so they're ideals my not actually be what the contestants had in mind or what Australia had fallen in love with up to this point.

Out of the 12 I thought Fourtunate, Adil and Samantha Jade were the ones who stood out the most in terms of unlikely "sounds" for their futures in the music industry. Fourtunate's take on Maroon 5's, Payphone was not as vocally appealing as their previous performances where they chose their own songs. For Fourtunate it was just about misplacement of trills, harmonies and extended notes, which are easy to fix for the following weeks. In the case of Adil, it was about whether the guitar was a good choice for the first night. I agree that it added another dynamic and Adil handled that aspect of his performance really well, although, lyrically he struggled to deliver by losing his diction and at times the tempo of the song. Samantha Jade tackled Katy Perry's, Wide Awake and Ronan deemed it "better than Katy", which Australia did not seem to agree with. Being the only contestant who knows what it's like to be in the industry, taking on a Katy Perry song without her iconic deep vocals is dangerous - especially for someone who's already honed-in her own sound.

Seeing Adil sing for his life was uncomfortable as he let his nerves show, leaving lots of room for Samantha Jade to declare her claim for the final spot for next week's Top 11. It's a shame to see a talented boy go, but there's still room to grow for Adil. The competition doesn't end just because Luke Jacobs doesn't  call your your name out; it just means you have to work harder to have it heard again and again.

sL Out! xxx

NEW ALBUM: Justin Bieber - Believe

First of all, let me just say, it took me TWO years to get to this point, nevertheless here I am. I am giving Justin Bieber a second chance. For all of you who have been following and reading my reviews for the past two years, you know how much I’ve taken every opportunity to degrade this underserving boy. And for that, I will personally apologise to Justin (if you’re reading this): I AM VERY, VERY SORRY. You didn’t deserve it; I was bias and immature.

With that done, let’s move forward and let me tell you why I got to this point. You know when you listen to a song enough times it either becomes the ‘Best Song Ever’ or ‘Worst Song Ever’ – well As Long As You Love Me was one of those songs. At first I was disappointed that it wasn’t a Backstreet Boys cover, but after a few times, I actually enjoyed listening to it. After seeing Justin preforming it LIVE on Australia’s Got Talent I was convinced that I had to give Bieber’s music another chance. And I’m glad I did! So much so, I even ‘YOLO-ed’ and bought the DELUXE version of the album.

I’ll do the ‘overall’ section here because I think it’s better that you know what I think of the album as whole before I break it down song-by-song. First of all it’s an eclectic album ranging from Pop, R’n’B, Hip Hop, Dance and Techno. In a world where nothing fits into one particular genre, it’s not too surprising. One thing that many have already noticed is Bieber’s maturity from his first single ‘Baby’ (2010). Believe is a massive step up from My World in the sense that he wrote 11 of the 16 songs on the deluxe version and co-writing 2 other songs on the album. Adding his own flair to his music, the majority of his album is written so that it can dance to, showing that Justin and his producers weren’t just thinking about what it would sound like, but also what the album would look like on stage. Believe has shown Bieber to be following the footsteps of his mentor, Usher along with Usher’s idol, the late Michael Jackson. It’s reminiscent of Jackson’s classics and Usher’s 2004 album, Confessions. Featuring big names such as: Ludacris, Big Sean, Drake and Nicki Minaj, it shows the scope that Bieber’s derived from and made his own.

Let’s break this down…

Believe by Justin Bieber

All Around the World ft. Ludacris

The first song on this album is a definitely a summer-party club anthem. It’s one of those songs that you pump through your speakers when you want to get the party started and set the mood for everyone to have a good time. That feel comes from the techno beats that encompass the entire song. Lucacris’ rap supports the lyrics of the song about loving that one person who’s beyond compare. It’s a nice reunion since Baby.

Boyfriend

This first single from the album got tweens all over the world saying, “Oh I wish!!!” Who wouldn’t want a boy with ‘swag’ wooing them with the thought of being their boyfriend? (Especially, if it’s Justin Bieber!) The verses are seductively said-sung and the chorus oozes with Bieber’s iconic falsetto. Since the lyrics are so simple it’s catchy and leaves you singing along no matter where it’s played. I particularly like the, “Na, na, na” ending.

As Long As You Love Me ft. Big Sean

As I’ve said – THIS IS MY FAVOURITE SONG on the album. It’s Bieber’s current single and it’s got this beautiful arrangement where the silences and the fullness of its musicality holds the song in the balance of both completion and moments of anticipation. I’m not sold on the rap that breaks through the song; I don’t particularly like the lyrics and I think it takes away from the song rather than adds to it. Nevertheless, this song is still my favourite song.

Catching Feelings

Fourth song in and we get a break from the techno beats and settle for an acoustic serenade. It’s light on the ear as Bieber sings about slowly falling in love. It’s not ‘cutesy-ootsy’, it’s actually pretty mature lyric wise as it covers the persona’s caution in knowing the danger of losing the girl altogether as a lover and a friend. The lighthearted combination of percussion and acoustics mirrors the wooing nature of the lyrics and the idea of swooning.

Take You

Bringing together the techno beats for a bit of a dance and the beauty in the laid-back dimension that the acoustic guitar has, this song has a Spanish feel to it. It’s like the tango and the samba all in one. It’s a real dance between the two different sounds and it’s strongly supported by the lyrics and falsettos. Justin doesn’t even sound like Justin in this song!

Right Here ft. Drake

Reminiscent of Usher’s tunes, you almost forget that this is Bieber’s album! Drake complements Justin so well in this song that it’s more of a duet than a ‘feature’. It’s a song that you can slow dance to as it talks about making promises to be each other’s one and only. Soothing and simple, it’s one that anyone can sing to and really enjoy.

Fall

A song that’s full of ‘anothers’. It’s another acoustic song; only this time the acoustic guitar is only accompanied by the bass and snare drum, along with the occasional cymbal – leaving room for the vocals to control the song. It’s another love song about falling in love with your bestfriend, except this time the girl’s been scared by previous relationships and the boy is trying to convince her that he’s different. And it’s another song that I really like. It’s simple and the lyrics are amazing.

Die In Your Arms

Resonant of the Jackson 5’s, “ABC” (only a little slower), this song carries a soul vibe that keeps you tapping your feet. It’s an easy-listening song that takes you into that summer feeling. The choir in the background lifts the dynamics of the song a bit more as they support the cheekiness of this song. It’s about loving someone so much that it hurts bad enough to dying in their arms would be heaven. It’s a cute song that has a 50s feeling to it.

Thought Of You

This song is about the whole idea of ‘love at first sight’ and the power of imagination and thought. The persona is in love with the thought of the girl that he’s perceived. It’s got a fast paced nature to the accompaniment that paints the picture of being in a dream and running with the imagination before it disappears and reality kicks in. It’s literally a song about infatuation where you can almost see Justin chasing a girl and doing a metaphorical and literal dance of the heart.

Beauty And A Beat ft. Nicky Minaj

Another dance anthem that has very strong influences from Minaj’s own sound. But what I love about this song is that Justin makes it his own and it really defines the whole artist and featuring artist boundary – i.e. defining the line that says, “This your part in my song.” Minaj’s rap stays true to her cheeky personality and compliments the lyrics of the song about life being complete with that one person and a dance.

One Love

This song is another one of those songs of only having (as the title suggests) one love. It’s another catchy song that’s simple and demands you to sing it out loud and dance to. Coincidently it’s another one of my favourite songs on the album. (How many is that now?!)

Be Alright

Through away the decks and the drums; and stripped it down to an acoustic guitar. That’s exactly what this song does. Talking about being away from home and letting the people you love that you miss them and you’re doing just fine, this song gives a glimpse of tour life for Justin. You can almost see him alone in his hotel room playing his guitar and composing this song to keep him grounded when he’s away from home.

Believe

A ‘thank you’ song to primarily his mum (and now also to his fans), this song talks about the one person who’s been there from the beginning. It’s about the voice that’s kept him going and encouraging him to dream big and leave out that dream. The choir is brought back and it gives it this uplifting dimension as you listen to Bieber’s simple thanks. It’s so humbling to listen to and to think that everyone has a person or persons who do believe in them no matter how big or small their dream is. And yes, it’s another favourite of mine.

Out Of Town Girl

This song has a bit of attitude to it from the first beat. It’s definitely written to be danced to as a pair on the stage. As the title suggests, it’s literally about falling for a foreigner. So the lyrics talk about getting to know as much as you can about the girl. Not my favourite song, but I can hear the appeal to the possibilities of what choreographers can put on a stage.

She Don’t Like The Lights

Another song I don’t really like, but then again it’s another one with potential to look better than it sounds. The added layer of camera snaps really brings the lyrics and title of the song to life, but otherwise they’re really annoying – which is probably the point. It’s another dance anthem, but not one that you’d pump anywhere. The layers are really for performance rather than clubs or parties.

Maria

Written from a real life experience (as the media snippets at the beginning of the song state), this final song talks about a lie that spun Bieber’s world into havoc. Written about a fan who claimed that Justin was the father of her baby, this song simply says, “Why? Like, seriously, why?” Not just ‘why’ to Maria, but also ‘why’ to the press. Why on earth would you believe this girl? It’s got a ‘Billy Jean’ feel throughout it and was first thing that I thought of when I heard the chorus. Again, this is another one of my favourite songs.

sL Star Rating: 4 Stars

Next on sL: TBA