Album- Tattoos
Artist- Jason Derulo
Jason Derulo has had a strong career in the music industry,
producing a number of hits such as In My Head and It Girl. But after the singer
suffered a terrible injury to his vertebrae, it was a possibility that his
career could have been over. But he has returned seemingly stronger than ever
and with a new mind-set, as Tattoos, his third studio album, was something he
wanted to be truly representative of who is right now, as well as a
roller-coaster ride where each song is different from the last. But is Tattoos
worth all this hype, or is it more just an okay album that is just about Derlup
putting out some new music rather than giving us innovation.
Track 1- The Other
Side
The album’s first track and lead single, the Other Side is a
simple, up tempo pop dance track that is typical Derulo territory. The song
focuses on Derluo telling his girl to take him to the other side where they are
not just friends but lovers who are so intensely in love and are perfect. The
message is sweet and potent and the chorus is catchy in its simplicity. The
vocal performance on the track is nicely layered and kept simple, with the
singer going into a higher register in the chorus to give the track a slightly
more intense feel. The synth laden guitar riffs and clattering beats of the
production gives the track a light if typical, radio friendly pop sound, and
that is mainly the issue of the track, in that it all its elements it feels like
a stereotypical pop track. But with Derulo’s charm and ability to give us a
catchy tune, the typical qualities can perhaps be forgiven.
3.5/5
Track 2- Talk Dirty
(featuring 2 Chainz)
Released as the records second international single, Talk
Dirty is definitely a step in a different direction for the singer, as he is
more bold and doesn’t keep in line with his sentimental, so in love persona
that has largely characterised his singing career. Here Derulo sings of loving
when girls talk dirty to him and how he doesn’t need to understand the language
to understand things in the bedroom. The change of style is pulled of very
smooth and the charismatic Derulo manages to vocally sound cool and a bit
mischievous and not just sound like a weird, sexual person. The chorus is
catchy, but the 2 Chainz rap is a bit to obvious for this sort of track, and he
doesn’t add much too the song. Yet this best element of the song has to be the
production, with snappy bits and killer brass riffs that are addictive to
listen to and make this a song that is great to dance to and an ideal club
tune.
3.5/5
Track 3- Marry Me
After the different and interesting direction of the last
song, Derulo definitely takes a step back with Marry Me, a sickly sweet love
song that is all about Derulo telling his girl of his love for her and how he
wants to spend the rest of his life, and so he will definitely ask her to marry
him. The charm and softness of the vocals is nice, but the use of Auto Tune is
annoying and the smoothness of the singer isn’t enough to hide the fact that
the lyrics are poorly assembled into an a range of clichés that are just
annoying, because you want something more interesting. The clattering beats,
swirling strings and piano of the production also creates a typical love song
pop sound that is bland, and to me it just doesn’t make any sense why this
simple, Disney kind of cute love song was chosen as the records second American
single, and why on earth Talk Dirty wasn’t released in every territory it could
have been.
2.5/5
Track 4- Tattoo
A more forceful mid tempo pop number that is also very
different emotionally compared to the last track, Tattoo finds Derulo singing
about heartbreak and how he doesn’t seem to have more room to have those marks
of heartbreak placed on him. The metaphorical quality of the lyrics are nice
but the expletive qualities feel a little forced, as if Derulo is desperate to
prove how he has grown as a person. Vocally his smooth tone makes the song feel
a bit sincere in a way, with the track nicely showing off the singers falsetto
to good effect. Production wise the song is based in a simple pop sound with
clattering drum beats and an overall light sound that makes this another radio
ready track.
3/5
Track 5- Trumpets
Going back to his so in love state, Trumpets is all about
the singer telling his girl that he has created this song for her and how there
is this kind of symphony in his head when she is around. The message is typical
love stuff and is a bit sickly sweet, although there are some nice topical
references to other music stars. Vocally this one of the weaker tracks because
the singer goes a bit too high in places and just sounds annoying, and by this
point his charisma is channelled in the same way so that it is just boring. The
production is one of the more stand put components of the tack as the horn
heavy sound gives a bit of pizazz to the track, and the twinkling melodies are
nice to hear, although it would have perhaps been nice for more of the song to
have a vibrant and more unique tone.
3/5
Track 6- Vertigo
(featuring Jordin Sparks)
Featuring the singers current, long time girlfriend and
American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, Vertigo is a simple love duet between the
two where the two artists respectively tell each other of how they get them in
this vertigo state because they are so in love. The fact the song is a duet
makes a nice change because this would have been another boring love tune if it
was just Derulo, and vocally the two artists nicely compliment each. Lyrically
things are quite clichéd, but there is a sweet and sincere quality to the
beautiful vocals, and with the simple production value of the piano, this is a
sickly sweet but pleasant track.
3.5/5
Track 7- Fire
(featuring Pitbull)
After the simplicity and sweetness of the previous track,
Fire takes a 180 turn of direction and finds Derulo giving us a full on dance
track, with a little assistance from rapper Pitbull. Lyrically the track is all
about the singer telling this girl that she is on fire (presumably because of
sex appeal) and how he wants to go back home with her and have a good time. The
song lacks a strong chorus and is something that has been said by other RnB pop
artists (in particular Usher), and although the smooth vocals are nice, the
clattering dance floor ready beats and stomping groove of the track is a
typical dance sound, and with Pitbull giving us a typical I love girls raps,
this is a simple dance track that is unfortunately too bland and simple.
2.5/5
Track 8- Side Fx
(featuring The Game)
Side Fx continues lyrically in the same vein as Fire because
he tells this girl/s of how they/she looks great and how there is this quality
of side effects that comes from loving her/them. The chorus is catchy and this
time rapper The Game actually provides a good rap section for the track that
doesn’t feel like it is tagged on for commercial appeal. Vocally this is one of
the stronger offerings because the singers range is shown off to good effect,
whilst the snappy rhythms of the production and the way the sound builds
intensity makes for a more interesting and different kind of tune from the
singer.
3.5/5
Track 9- Stupid Love
Bakced by twangy guitar rhythms that wouldn’t feel out of
place on an Enrique Iglesias track, Stupid Love is lyrically summed up in the
title, with the typical use of a radio friendly ‘bum bum ba de ba dum’ hook.
Vocally the singers nicely employs the higher register of his voice to make the
track feel believable, and the light pop sound of the production with the
frenzied beats and preppy, pop driven guitar is nice if something that pop
radio is maybe a bit too full of at the moment, so whilst it has single
potential, it doesn’t have any quality that makes it stand out it and is a song
that would likely get buried in the current pop landscape.
3/5
Track 10- With the
Lights On
With the Lights On finds the singer definitely giving us a
change in sound and energy that is interesting, as this is a pop tune with a
particularly strong hip hop quality. The lyrics are a bit dodgy and the song
perhaps lacks a really great, but the fast paced vocal delivery and the
difference in energy of the track makes the fact that it is a bit dodgy to hear
the singer sing about how he wants to get freajy with the lights on that touch
less weird. Vocally the song is also interesting because the singer employs a
cool rap style vocal that is a nice change for him, and with the frenzied hip
hop edge beats and punchy electro beats, this is definitely a different and
better kind of song from the singer.
3.5/5
Track 11- Rest of Our
Life
Ending things on a loved up pop note, rest of Our Life is
all about the singer telling his baby that they will have this night for the
rest of their lives, and in the process telling her of his love once again. He
produces a lovely catchy chorus very nicely that he makes it seem easy, and the
vocals are on point, but the light guitar pop sound is too safe and familiar
and makes the song feel like something other artists like One Direction could
have sung, which makes sense when the tracks producer s are two people largely
responsible for the success of One Direction. A sweet but poor way to end the
record.
3/5
Final Review
Jason Derulo is a nice guy with a charismatic personality
and smooth vocals that are cool to listen too. The guy also knows how to create
songs filled with catchy hooks and memorable choruses. But all too often the
sounds of each track are paint by numbers of their respective genres, and it is
only on the odd track that we seem to see any artistic growth or anything that
grabs your attention in a really good way. So whilst this is an album full of
good songs, overall there is just a lack of originality, too much cliché and
not enough of an enjoyable, cohesive quality to make Derulo an equally
successful album artist as he is a singles artist.
5.5/10
Best Track – Talk Dirty
(featuring 2 Chainz)
Worst Track- Fire
(featuring Pitbull)
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