Jessica Sanchez- Me You and the Music track by track review

Hey everyone! On Tuesday Jessica Sanchez's (American Idol 11 runner up) debut album was released, and I'm about to do a track by track review, so let's just jump right in! *Note* Most of my track by track reviews are very short, and if one of these songs is released as a single, I'll review it more in depth.




Right To Fall- Right to Fall is the perfect mix of urban and soul. It beautifully shows off her great vocals, while at the same time is also a very danceable track, with an electric esque beat, another urban element. I
could easily see this on any R&B radio station.

Tonight- Read Full Tonight Review Here

Don't Come Around- Don't Come Around is a much more pop track. This song was more geared toward radio rotation. The quick moving song doesn't show off her impressive vocals as much, but it shows how much versatility she has as an artist, as she can belt out "I Will Always Love You" or sing a pop ditty like "Don't Come Around".

Crazy Glue- Crazy Glue is the 1st ballad featured on the album. This song (so far) is the song that most shows off how much power she has in her voice. The song features a very powerful rhythmic beat, that pairs great with her incredible voice.

No One Compares (Feat. Prince Royce)- No One Compares is also a ballad song, at first, featuring Prince Royce. As the song starts out very slow, it soon transitions into an electric, fist pumping beat. The song stays
at a quicker pace for the rest of the song. So the song is much more urban heavy with only the intro and outro being balladesque. I could definitely see this on the radio soon, and I imagine it will be the next single.

In Your Hands- In your hands is a mid-tempo urban pop song. However, the song quickly picks up, becoming up-tempo, once again paired with an electric type beat. The song is constructed very well, as each verse starts out slow, and then slowly gets quicker and quicker until it reaches the chorus, and I can see all of her fans being pleased by this song.

Plastic Roses- Plastic Roses is a ballad about realizing that the guy you thought was perfect was actually all lies. This is another song that shows off just how much talent Jessica has. This is actually a very meaningful song, and is probably the best ballad on the album (so far).

Drive By- Drive By is a very R&B heavy song, vocal and instrument wise. This quick paced song is very radio friendly, yet still shows off her vocal abilities. The song features a variety of instruments that makes for a great instrumental track that pairs wonderfully with Jessica's voice. This is my favorite track off the album.

You've Got the Love- You've Got the Love features synth instrumentals with Jessica's
vocals. The song features Jessica singing so fast at some parts she's almost rapping. These two elements work together perfectly for a club banger track. But the best part about this song is that even with all that said, it's still able to distinguish itself from all the songs we hear on the radio today that all sound the same. Overall, this song is able to be a catchy radio song that actually has, variety.

Gentlemen- Gentlemen is another heavy urban R&B song. The song features Jessica singing swaggerishly coupled with a quick, equally swaggerish beat. This isn't how I expected the album to be closed, but it actually works
perfectly.

Overall, this album is actually about what I expected  urban R&B led with a few ballads throughout. I think this album was able to capture how much she can do as an artists, and I think everyone can find a track they'll love on this album.

Hope you liked the review, tell me what you think of the album in the comments, and I'll talk to you guys soon!
                                                                                                              -Colby

Beyonce and Andre 3000- Back To Black Listen+Review

On Saturday morning Beyonce and Andre 3000 unveiled their cover of Amy Winehouse's Back To Black, for the Great Gatsby soundtrack. Take a listen here:

The song has more modern feel, as the instruments are chopped and screwed, and have more of an electronic feel to them. The song starts out with, surprisingly Andre 3000 not rapping, but singing. He actually sings for about half the song, and it really doesn't add anything to the song, in fact, it takes away. In my opinion, I really have no idea why he's in this cover, as Beyonce could have handled the song herself. However, after a painful 1 and a half minutes, Beyonce comes in, bringing the song back, and actually not disgracing the song. Beyonce sings beautifully, redeeming the song. She really shows a whole different side and mood to this song, as rather than singing with Amy's more powerful voice, she sings very softly and backed with the different instruments, shows how many ways this song can be crafted, and still work great. However, Beyonce's part quickly ends (in a very abrupt manner) and surprisingly (unlike most Beyonce songs) I'm not left wanting more. I feel like this song could have been remade in a much better way, but overall, after hearing this cover, I think this song just shouldn't have been messed with at all, and they should have just made a new song, with Andre 3000 sticking to rapping, and Beyonce singing. Anyways. thats my review, tell me what you think in the comments below, and I'll talk to you guys soon. Bye!

                                                                                                              -Colby

Paramore's New Album- Paramore Review

Hey everyone! Recently Paramore's new self titled album Paramore came out, and I totally forgot to review it, but I'm here now, so let's jump right in. Note- This won't be a track by track review, but rather an overall review.

The album starts out pretty strong with Fast in My Car, but at some parts of this song the lyrics didn't fit and they just crammed them in, making the song sound really awkward at some points. However, it was a pretty nice start to the album. From there the album goes to the song Now, which has a great beat, is very catchy, and showcases Hayley Williams' beautiful voice very well. Grow Up is titled very properly. That's because this song has very refined sound, and shows how much Paramore has grown over the years. From there the album moves to Daydreaming, which is also titled very properly, as I was daydreaming through this whole, boring song. The album then moves to their first interlude. The interlude Moving On had a very interesting sound, so I was excited to see what the next part of the album sounded like. The next part of the album started with Ain't It Fun, and it had a more upbeat pop feeling to it, which was a interesting sound for Paramore, but they pulled it off with no trouble at all. The album then moves to Part II, which was a bit of a mix of the first part of the album and Ain't It Fun, which made for a very unique sound, which I enjoyed. Paramore then went to Last Hope, which was a much slower, and even though it did speed up, it took too long, and this song just didn't keep my interest. The ninth song on the album was Still into You, the second single of the album. I can see why this song was picked as a single. While it was still rock, Paramore's strong suit, it was very upbeat, and had a great beat, coupled with Hayley William's great vocals, which made for a great song. Anklebiters kept up with Still into You, with great vocals, a great beat, and a quick speed. There the album switched gears again with Interlude: Holiday, which sounded almost folk like, and was very different for Paramore. Probably a bit too different, as it just didn't sound right to me. But luckily, the next song, Proof, didn't sound like the interlude, however, it sounded just like the rest of the album, and didn't really offer anything new. It was the same situation with the next song, Hate to See Your Heart Break, which was a very slow song, which dragged on much too long in my opinion. The rest of the album followed suit, with some stand outs and some duds. Overall, I really enjoyed this album, and it definitely met my expectations, and I think other Paramore fans were probably very happy as well.

So that's all for this review! Tell me what you thought of this album in the comments below, and I''ll see you next time!
                                                                                                                            -Colby

Fall Out Boy: Save Rock and Roll- Hear the full album here + track by track review

                                                   Picture Credit: Island Records

Recently Fall Out Boy put their whole album up for streaming on Soundcloud! Here's my review of the upcoming album- Save Rock and Roll.

Listen to the full album here
Hear all the individual songs here

My Song Knows What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up)- This was definitely the song to come back with. Definitely a standout song, this song has a killer beat and great vocals. The song is structured perfectly around the beat, hitting the highs at just the right point, and also hitting the breaks at the right points. The song really doesn't offer much lyrics wise, as it is mainly just chorus, but the way it's structured definitely makes up for that.

2 Chainz Remix- This version isn't just an extra verse by 2 Chainz, it changes the beat into well, a totally different beat, giving the song a more electronic feel, which somehow blends with the song perfectly. 2 Chainz's verse really doesn't add much to the song, but the beat switch up was definitely welcomed.

The Phoenix- This song starts out... well basically crazy. The beat is absolutely incredible, the instruments are a full out orchestra., which pairs great with Patrick Stumps's vocals. The song starts out very hard and gritty (in a good way) but as the song goes on they know when to pull back and slow it down, and the chorus combines both of those, the grittiness and the pulled back parts, and it works incredibly. The song shows off Patrick Stump's incredible range, and is able to do this while still making a very radio friendly song.

Young Volcanoes- This song is much more slowed down, and toned down from the rest of the album, and a bit folk reminiscent at some parts, although the beat does pick up a bit throughout the song. This song does a great job at showing off Patrick Stump's vocals (once again) and while I'm pretty sure this song won't be a single, I'm sure most Fall Out Boy Fans will really enjoy this song.

Alone Together- Alone Together starts off very different from most of the album as well, just like Young Volcanoes. This song is more on the pop side, which actually surprised me a bit. However, while I do enjoy this song, I don't think this song was necessarily for them, as it just doesn't sound quite right. So while this isn't my favorite song off the album, I don't particularly... hate it.

Where Did The Party Go- This song is also much more pop than I expected, which once again, surprised me. This song does work a bit better than Alone Together, but it really isn't much. It just doesn't really offer as much as it could. It almost sounds like on this song, they were thinking about singles and the radio, and not much else. I feel like this part of the album, including Alone Together, was just a bit of a misstep. Let's hope the next few songs pick back up.

Just One Yesterday (Feat. Foxes)- Yay! The weird pop thing is over! This song changes gears a bit, and features Pete Wentz as the main vocalist, which is nice to keep the album from being monotonous, but his voice really just doesn't appeal to me. However, with a nice beat, and some great backup vocals, this song pulls it through, even if the song is mainly just the same lyrics over and over again. Also, Foxes feature definitely adds some variety to this song.

The Mighty Fall (Feat. Big Sean)- The Mighty Fall definitely puts this album back on the rock course  which was definitely needed, and it doesn't just get the job done, it gets the job done well. This song has a great beat, awesome lyrics, and a killer speed, which of course, all blend together very well. Big Sean's verse felt very out of place here, really out of place. Like seriously, I can't stress this enough, that verse had no business being there, and was probably just there to pull some rap fans over to this album. But besides that verse, this is definitely one of the powerhouses on this album.

Miss Missing You- Oh Fall Out Boy, why do you do this to me? I'm not exactly sure what genre this is, but it isn't rock, at least, not the harder rock I wanted from this album. And even though the lyrics are powerful, and do tell a story, this song just doesn't do it for me, like unfortunately, many of the other songs on this album.

Death Valley- Ok, maybe I've been a bit too hard on this album, maybe I haven't. Whatever the case, this song brought the album back in my opinion. Another great beat, like all the songs on this album, contributes greatly to this song. But the vocals contribute just as much, and both elements work well together to make this a standout on the album. The end of this song features a nice switch up, which wasn't long, but added some variety to the otherwise monotonous song.

Rat A Tat (feat. Courtney Love)- Well, Courtney annoyed me, pretty much through the whole song, but this is the kind of song I wanted to hear, and this brings me back to the old Fall Out Boy. It's a quick paced, hard song, which I really enjoyed. And well, pretty much all the beats on this album are great, and all work great with the vocals they are paired with. This song does have a lot of variety as well, and as much as I hate Courtney Love's parts of the song, she does add variety as well. What do you think of Courtney's parts? Tell me in the comments down before after you listen to it!

Save Rock and Roll (Feat. Elton John)- Well, this song's beat definitely takes the cake... the... beat cake. This song is very powerful, and was a great way to end off the album, and while I was really hoping there weren't any slow songs on this album, this was a slow song, but I really enjoyed it. Elton John and Patrick Stump also harmonize very well together, and while I didn't expect them to harmonize together, it sounded great. surprisingly. Overall, this was a great closing song.

Overall, I was expecting a lot more from this album, and while it didn't meet my expectations, it was a good album. I was expecting (and hoping for) some more rock on this album, and I wasn't given that, I was given a lot of variety, some of which just didn't work. Overall, while I liked this album, I thought it could have been much better than it is.

                                                                                                                        -Colby

Double Review! Ariana Grande ft. Mac Miller: The Way Review and Will.i.am ft. Justin Bieber- #ThatPower Review

                                                      Credit: Republic Records

Hey everyone! Today I'll be reviewing two songs, let's start with Ariana Grande's The Way. The song starts out with Mac Miller rapping behind someone singing who honestly, sounds nothing like Ariana, but, it is her. I'd actually like to say right now that I think she uses a lot of auto tune in the studio, but she really doesn't need it, as she can sing fine on her own. Anyways, the song starts out with a short, quick paced rap from Mac Miller coupled with a great beat, originating from the song A little Bit of Love by Brenda Russel, which matches this song flawlessly. After Mac Miller's verse abruptly ends, Ariana starts singing. She sounds very Mariah Carey-esque, and this song is also much more R&B oriented than her previous songs, which is a nice direction for her. The song is very up-tempo, but she's able to show off her beautiful voice at the same time. Then, Mac Miller comes back, delivering a longer, yet still very quick paced verse. Surprisingly, he talks about the bedroom a lot. This song really does show a more adult side to Ariana, which shows her career is definitely moving in a new direction. The song finishes off there with the chorus. However, Ariana starts to sing over the chorus, at an extremely high pitch, and just when you think her voice can't get any higher, it does, and she goes into dog whistle mode, which was very unnecessary, and only takes away from the song. To me, this song was definitely a step up from her previous single Put Your Hearts Up, and I could see this song on the radio in no time. 

                                                            Credit: Interscope Records

Next, I'll be reviewing Will.i.am's new single, #thatpower. Yeah, there are hashtags in song titles now. Our world is being destroyed. Anyways, let's start! So, the song starts out with the less than stellar, slow hook from Justin Bieber. I call it less than stellar because this song really doesn't add anything to the song. It's not necessarily bad, but it doesn't contribute anything either. But after that, the beat kicks in. As with, well pretty much every Will.i.am track, the beat just makes you want to dance, fist pump, or something. Just move. Unlike most of his songs, Will.i.am moves away from his slower raps, and goes pretty fast. Paired with the great beat, the song really picks up. Not for long though, because we end up right back at the chorus. That's really what I don't like about this song. There's really no variety, it goes chorus, rap, chorus, rap, bridge, chorus  That's it, and thus, there is very little to review. I really expected a lot from this song, especially with a big name like Justin Bieber in it, who they definitely didn't use to his potential. So as for this monotonous song, well, I definitely wouldn't call it great, or even good for that matter. To me, it is a very average song, that seemed like it was really only half finished, which is disappointing.

Anyways, I hoped you guys liked our first double review, and I'll see you soon!

                                                                                                                          -Colby