Album- Music from and
Inspired by The Smurfs 2
Artist- Various
In 2011 the Smurfs film was released, featuring the voices
of pop star Katy Perry and George Lopez, and was a big hit that introduced a
whole new generation to the cute little blue creatures. The film has been
turned into a trilogy and the sequel is about to be released, with this pop
inspired soundtrack capitalising on the films seemingly destined success. But
is this really a good album for the film?
Track 1- Ooh La La (performed
by Britney Spears)
Serving as the films theme song and recorded by Spears because
of her love for the Smurfs and the fact that her children would enjoy her recording
a song for the film, Ooh La La is a fun pop number that is just the right
amount of cute and flirtatious to be a really enjoyable. Co-written and
produced by regular Britney collaborator Dr Luke, the song is a simple synth
pop number that finds the singer giving us the message of loving someone for
their true self as she flirtatiously asks her baby to come with her and be her
Ooh La La. The song is extremely catchy in terms of the unashamedly pop essence
of the lyrics with the catchy whimsical tone, with the singer giving us a light
vocal performance that gives the track this appealing, airy quality. The song
is also fun in terms of the different layers of the song, with the track having
a simple electronica pop sound at times and then going into a vocal rap style
with this electro clash beat, before going into this more acoustic section that
features a light, fluffy guitar riff. The songs breakdown also features some
cool vocal stuttering and a frenzied dance energy that leads to a fun final
chorus. This is pure pop from one of the queens of pop.
4/5
Track 2- Vacation
(performed by G.R.L.)
New girl group G.RL. (formerly build as the new Pussycat
Dolls) provide their first music release with Vacation, a fun pop number that
is very much a girl power number. Lyrically the track is about the girls
getting over a former beau by partying with their girls on vacation and losing
themselves in someone new. The message is sweet if clichéd, and the simple pop
sound of the record with the heavy bass beats and preepy dance energy gives the
track an infectious sound. The problem with the song is that the song doesn’t
show off a sense of individuality in the solo sections, and although the
singers blend together well in terms of harmonisation, there is nothing to mark
them out against all the other girl groups in the band. This may work for a
light, children based film soundtrack, but this group will definitely need to
put in the work if they want to make it in the industry.
3/5
Track 3- Magik 2.0
(performed by Becky G featuring Austin Mahone)
Rising teen stars Becky G and Austin Mahone team up for this
fun pop number where Becky provides some catchy verses whilst Mahone takes
duties on the even catchier chorus. The 2.0 element of the track comes from how
the chorus is taken from the 2010 B.O.B track ‘Magic’, and also how the sound
of the track is pretty much the same as that track. The song is about Becky and
Mahone having that magic that makes them special, a catchy statement that is
given power by each artists performance on the track. Becky G gives us strong,
fun rap sections that show exactly why she is a rising teen rap star, whilst
Mahone provides a smooth a sweet vocal for the chorus that feels light and airy
enough to be believable. The punchy bass and frenzied synths of the production
create a light and equally as fun sound to the track, and so this is another
pop number that is just infectious and fits right into the films narrative,
even if it is a bit too similar to the original.
3.5/5
Track 4- Live It Up
(performed by Owl City)
Owl City seems to be the king of soundtrack songs at the
minute, as he has created songs for two other recently released animated films,
‘The Croods’ and ‘Wreck It Ralph’. Live It Up is a typical synth pop based tune
from the singer that is all about throwing away the troubles of yesterday and
just rising up to live life to its fullest. The message is quite clichéd but
has a pure quality that will resonates with the films young fan base, and the
singers Auto Tuned vocals are used to good effect here to give us a simple and
light pop tune that sort of makes you feel like we should really do what he
says. The frenetic synths of the production and the punchy bass gives the song
a forceful sound that gives us another track to dance to, melding well with the
sound of the previous tracks and perfectly encapsulating the positive spirit of
the films narrative.
3.5/5
Track 5- Everything
Breaks (performed by Sophia Black)
Sophia Black gives us another teen pop tune that has a cute
feel to it, but the song is a little different in that is still a happy tune
but offers a slight tint of darkness. Lyrically the song is all about the
singer talking of how everything seems to break, but not the love her and her
boy have for each other. The simple, hook driven chorus is quite catchy even if
the verses are heavily clichéd, and with the light and swishy tone of her vocal
performance, Black perfectly conveys the songs sentiment in a catchy vocal way.
The jaunty piano rhythm and simple pop bass beats of the production gives the
song a strong if typical pop sound, giving us another light pop song that will
work well for the films fan base.
3.5/5
Track 6- Forget You
(performed by Cady Groves)
Singer songwriter Cady Groves gives us another pop number
that has an acoustic guitar led production sound that is familiar in today’s
pop world (listen to any of the One Direction material). The song is all about
the singer finding love with this boy who has really captured her, and she just
wants to express how she won’t forget him. The song is backed by a catchy and
slightly euphoric feeling chorus, but at this point the clichés on offer just
feel a little ridiculous. The light guitar rhythms and heavy dance pop beats
give the song a fun sound that caters well for the films audience, but whilst
the singers vocals are light enough to make this feel like a sweet number, her
voice also lacks a distinctive flair and sometimes feels a bit whiny, making
this an ok pop offering.
3/5
Track 7- Hey Chica
(performed by Kiana Brown)
Hey Chica is another pop tune that performed by a teen
singer, but the song offers a bit of a change of pace in sound as the song has
a slight RnB tinge to it. The song finds Brown telling this girl to do her
thing as she rocks, giving us a positive and a little bit of an empowering
music number that will be a good song for young, female fans of the Smurfs to
listen to. Browns vocals are light and fluffy enough to make this a fun and
silly pop listen, with her voice being elevated by the use of vocal layering
and in some places auto tune. The punchier musical rhythms combined with the
synth notes and forceful bass gives us a vibrant sound to the song that is
nicely infectious and sweet.
3.5/5
Track 8- High Life
(performed by Nelly Furtado featuring Ace Primo)
Originally from the singers album The Spirit Indestructible,
Nell Furtado song ‘High Life’ provides more of a substance driven piece to the
record, although only slightly. The song’s lyrics focus on chasing success and
what happens when you get there, giving us a potent message of how celebrity
isn’t everything and making this a potent track for the films young fan base
who might be taken in by the glamour of celebrity. However the song is given a
bit of a typical pop energy with the ‘la la la’ hook that just sounds quite
annoying, even if young music fans will like it. The singer gives us a strong
vocal but at times becomes a bit whiny and nasally, and with the punchy electro
bass and hand clapping beats, this is a powerful music offering that is a bit
too bland in some ways and which feels clichéd in certain respects.
2.5/5
Track 9- Tutti Frutti
(performed by Buckwheat Zydeco)
A fun band stand driven number that is just full of energy,
Tutti Frutti is a song that is the most different on the record and is just
designed to get you up and moving. The lyrics are non sensisical but silly fun
that is made infectious by the smooth vocal performance that is given, and with
the funky, up tempo sound of the production, this is a strong, high energy
offering that will work well when young listeners are in a sugar fuelled state.
3.5/5
Track 10- I’m Too
Smurfy (performed by Right Said Fred)
English pop group Right Said Fred rework their biggest
musical hit ‘I’m Too Sexy’ for a silly pop tune that is all about the group
being too much of a smurf that people can’t handle it. The song was recorded
for world smurf day and is just a silly song that only works in the world of
the smurfs, and is something that only young listeners can really enjoy.
2/5
Final Review
The Smurfs soundtrack is full of catchy albeit clichéd pop
songs that work well for the films narrative and the films fan base. Each vocalist
brings a vibrant energy to the album that is infectious, and the production
values of the song are sleek and infectiously light and airy for the most part.
However, ultimately these pop tunes are purely catered for the movies fan base,
and will not appeal to wider musical fans whose tastes have matured, and who
can understand the issues that this record has.
6.5/10
Best Track- Ooh La La
(performed by Britney Spears)
Worst Track- I’m Too
Smurfy (performed by Right Said Fred)
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