Album- Perfectionist
Artist- Natalia Kills
Initially beginning her career in the entertainment industry as an
actress before releasing her single ‘Don’t Play nice’ under the name
Verbalicious, the artist that was Natalia Kills wasn’t created until 2008, when
she signed to the label of rapper will.i.am and began performing under the
stage name of Natalia Kills. Kills hasn’t necessarily set the world alight
musically in the way that her mentor has, but is that simply because the
material doesn’t live up to the title?
Track 1- Perfection
Opening track Perfection is a 30 second intro that finds a male vocal
acting like a doctor, in which he states the things that are wrong with the
patient and then concludes by stating that everything will be fine as long as
the patient takes ‘two of these with perfection’. It is a weird but intriguing
intro that is interesting in the way you can gain different meaning from it: is
this intro meant to highlight how this album is like a journey for the singer
to become perfect, or is this talking to us about how we will feel good by
listening to this record?
3/5
Track 2- Wonderland
The first proper track Wonderland was the records second single and is a
dark pop and synthpop based tune that (as the title would suggest) lyrically
plays with the idea of fairytales. The song lyrically focuses upon Kills
telling this guy of how they can be great together, and she doesn’t believe the
typical things that come from fairytales, but believes that they are meant to
be together. The song is lyrically intriguing in the way Kills manipulates the
fairytale idea, almost bringing a feminist aspect to the lyrics in certain
respects. The chorus hook could be more powerful, but this is perhaps because
of the vocal performance. The vocals have this ice cool tone that nicely
presents the singer has this strong woman, but chorus lacks a hint of
sensuality that would make us truly feel as if she means what she says about
her and this guy. The heavy bass and steely synths of the production create a
forceful sound for the song that keeps you attentive, whilst the gritty guitar
rhythms and use of monk like backing vocals give the track this energy that
ties in very well with the wonderland ideology of the song, and so this is a
strong first song offering.
3.5/5
Track 3- Free
As the title may suggest, Kills brings us a lighter musical offering
with this track that is based in a synthpop sound but with more of an RnB
twist. Based around a riff sample of Kate Bush’s song ‘Wuthering Heights’, the
tracks production features a nice use of piano instrumentation and clattering
dance beats to just give the song a vibrant energy that is slightly infectious.
The song lyrically focuses on how the singer really stretches her money and
just lives life as if she and everything else is free, with the bridge
featuring a weird but cool rap from the singer about how she should marry a man
from Bel-Air. The ideology of the song is appealing, and the singer gives us a
light vocal performance that animates the song more than the previous track. It
feels like a song that lacks originality and which gives us a message that we
sadly can’t reciprocate, but at the same time there is just this infectious
quality to the track that makes it appealing.
3.5/5
Track 4- Break You Hard
Opening with a rock guitar sound and declaring that she is about to
break us, this song is a fierce and feisty number from the singer where she is
very firm in her state of mind. Lyrically the track focuses on the singer as
this flitting woman who asks this guy to take her love because she is just
gonna run at the end of the day, because she is that devilish kind of girl. The
songs lyrical concept is interesting but suffers because the lyrical content of
the track is too repetitive and so lacks that true sense of an emotional punch.
The vocal performance is strong as the slow lyrical stresses and steely essence
of the vocals makes the song more believable, whilst the production features a
heavy bass and almost gritty electro beats that elevate the songs ideology, and
so this is a good song but could have been better if the lyrics were more
focused and less repetitive and if the production had an interesting flair.
3.5/5
Track 5- Zombie
Released as a promotional single from the record, Zombie lives up to it
title in terms of the gothic energy of the song. The track lyrically focuses on
the idea of Kills being in love with a zombie, a lyrical concept that seems to
convey this idea of a relationship where the other person is simply cold and
not in the relationship, but the other person can’t help being in love with
them. However the lyrics are cool as listeners can take different meanings from
the track. Once again the song does suffer lyrically because things are too
repetitive. The track vocally finds the singer heavily Auto Tuned: this perhaps
works well with the song in terms of the lyrics, but after a while the vocals
can become a little annoying. And with another synthpop based sound hat finds
the singer in a dark mood with a heavy bass it seems to become clear that this
album isn’t perfection.
3/5
Track 6- Love Is Suicide
Beginning with another bout of monk like background vocals, this track
ups the tempo of the record more and goes more into dance pop territory. The
sound of the track immediately grabs your attention and gets you interested in
the record again, with the frenzied dance beats and forceful synths of the
chorus just creating this vibrant sound that both compliments and contrasts
with the songs lyrical message. Lyrically the track conveys this sense of a
volatile relationship, with Kills coming to the conclusion that it is extremely
dangerous to fall in love. The lyrics are a little clichéd but feel more
tightly structured and interesting than some of the other songs. The vocal
performance of the track is also nice in the way that it shows off the range of
the singers voice a bit more and conveys the emotion of the song, and so this
track makes the album feel like it is living up to the Perfectionist title a
bit more.
3.5/5
Track 7- Mirrors
Kills first single under her new name and the records lead single,
Mirrors is an electro pop song with a gothic edge. Described by Kills as being
about ‘celebrating your own power’, the track lyrically fins the singer
discussing relationships and sexual themes, creating a provocative song that is
simply interesting in the way that it is weird but fun. The track finds the
singer giving us a dominating vocal performance that is steely and sensual and
which elevates the lyrical content of the track. And with a forceful sound in
the production that utilises a grinding synthesised beat and gritty guitar
basslines, this was a good choice as a lead single.
3.5/5
Track 8- Not In Love
A moody electro pop song, this track features another grinding
synthesised beat leading the production, and finds the singer in more of a firm
but delicate and emotionally based frame of mind. Lyrically the track focuses
on Kills simply telling this person that the relationship is not enough as the
love that should be there doesn’t exist, and though the lyrics are repetitive,
this time the repetitive quality of the lyrics makes the song feel more
powerful and potent rather than annoying. Keeping the vocals simple gives the
song a firm but fragile quality, with the way the chorus builds a little
vocally having this almost pleading tone. The production a nice blend of
electric guitar with a heavy bass and some stirring strings, creating this
sound that is dramatic and elevates the songs message.
3.5/5
Track 9- Acid Annie
With more of a rock tinged than sound than the previous tracks, this
track finds the singer in an angry frame of mind and features a dominating
persona from the singer. Lyrically the track find the singer putting on this
role of a girl who turns detective on her cheating partner, and then makes him
pay for his way, whilst the chorus focuses on Kills telling herself and us to not
stay bitter forever. The song finds the singing giving us a vocal that is ice
cool and fierce in the verses, but the chorus feels lackluster and doesn’t have
the passion that is needed, perhaps because the conflicting ideologies of the
song leave things a bit lackluster. The tracks production is also powerful with
the gritty guitar riffs and thumping drums, but it doesn’t fit with the tone of
the rest of the record, and so as a result comes across as the singer trying to
fit into a mold that doesn’t suit her.
2.5/5
Track 10- Superficial
With a synthesized electronic opening and
church like background vocals that give the song this 1980’s flavor,
Superficial is a fun electro pop tune that plays with the idea of money and
love. Here we find Kill putting on the role of a materialistic girl who speaks
of such icons as Marilyn Monroe to really express her point, but the chorus
focuses on how you can’t call her superficial because you can’t buy her love.
The singer’s vocal performance is on point and simple, having this steely
quality but light tone that makes both sides of the songs lyrical content more
believable. The electric guitar riff and stomping electro bass of the tracks
production gives the song an infectious and vibrant energy, and so this is a
fun pop song that also nicely acts as an analysis of the idea of
superficiality.
3.5/5
Track 11- Broke
An electro pop tune with a slight urban edge,
Kills brings things down to a more emotional and mid tempo level with this
track that is lyrically based in the theme of heartbreak. The track finds Kills
singing to her former partner of how he has left her in this state of pain
where she can’t heal herself, using the metaphor of money and being broke to
really express her point. The lyrical concept of the track is good, but the way
the concept is carried out isn’t as good, being a little too repetitive and
unoriginal sounding. The tracks vocal performance has a slightly fragile tone
and shows off a different quality of the singers voice, but the use of vocal
layering seems to show the fact that she isn’t such a powerful singer and this
isn’t such a powerful song. The electronic stabs and clattering drum beats of
the production give the song a forceful sound that creates this sense of
emotion, but on the whole this is also unoriginal sounding, and so this track
suffers because many of the elements feel like things we have definitely heard
before.
3/5
Track 12- Heaven
Bringing the tempo down even further and
increasing the emotional intensity, Heaven finds Kills in a weary state of mind
over a lost love. The song lyrically finds the singer in a state of heartbreak
as she wishes her man was with her, with the chorus conveying the sentiment
that heaven must be beautiful now that her man is there. The tracks dark
lyrical content is nicely offset by the lightness of the vocals and production,
whilst the lyrics are also interesting in that you can take the idea of her man
being in heaven in a literal or metaphorical way. The vocal performance of the
track shows of a lighter side of Kills voice that gives the song this true edge
of fragility, with the track also finding the singer employing her falsetto to
nice effect and also providing us with the best rap vocal section of any song
on the record. The scattered bass heavy sound of the track and light twinkling
synth notes create this powerful sound to the song, and so although not really
orginal, this song works on the record and also nicely offsets the darker, more
gothic influenced tracks.
3.5/5
Track 13- Nothing Lasts Forever (featuring
Billy Kraven)
Current hit maker and world renowned producer
Jeff Bhasker takes on both producer and featured artist roles for this track
that brings the record back to an up tempo state and in a more pleasant, (although
still slightly dark) frame of mind. Lyrically the track finds Kills and Kraven
simply wanting to get down to business as they convey the sentiment that
nothing in life lasts forever and so we shouldn’t waste time, with the song
having a prominent sexual edge. The lyrics are simple and pop driven with an
instantly catchy hook, but the song is annoyingly hindered by the use of Auto
Tune which makes the song often lack the sensuality and passion that it should
have. However with the stomping bass and vibrant dance beats this track is
still forceful and attention grabbing, with the softness of the bridge with the
breathy vocal and simple piano melody nicely offsetting the rest of the track,
and so this is a strong electro pop offering, even if it is a bit too
commercial.
3.5/5
Track 14- If I Was God
Ending the album is a down tempo track that
has a bit of a funky groove in the production and finds the singer in a loving
but fragile frame of mind. Lyrically the track finds the singing doubting the
relationship and asking the question of what she would do if she was god and
had the power to change things. The track has more of a poetic lyrical quality
than the other songs on the record, and features a smooth vocal performance
that nicely dips and rises in vocal range and which feels potently fragile. The
tinny percussion and simple drum beats of the track make for a nice sound to
the song, and so although the lyrics could be more tightly structured and less
repetitive, this is a nice song to end the record with.
3.5/5
Final Review
Natalia Kills has produced an album of nice
electro and synth pop based tune that have an interesting dark edge to them
that is a bit unique in today’s music market. However the song is not the
perfection that the singer necessarily suggests, as the songs are very
commercially created for success and so feel bland sometimes. Furthermore, the
lyrical content of songs is often too repetitive, and the use of Auto Tune
sometimes ruins songs and so this is a vibrant and interesting album but
doesn’t necessarily place the singer as a truly amazing artist.
6/10
Best Track- Love Is Suicide
Worst Track- Acid Annie
No comments:
Post a Comment