Pitbull- Meltdown E.P. Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Album- Meltdown E.P.

Artist- Pitbull

In today’s music industry it would seem that the re-release of a record is just as important as the actual release of an album, with the likes of Ellie Goulding and Bastille doing so in 2013. One artist who perhaps needed the boost of a re-release in 2013 was rapper Pitbull, who had some successful singles but poorer album sales with his last studio album Global Warming. As such the rapper has released an accompanying E.P. for the record in the form of Meltdown, which can also be purchased with the CD. But is the Meltdown E.P. a worthy selection of additional songs, or has Pitbull just given the public a bunch of ok tracks that don’t have that much of an impact.

Track 1- Timber (featuring Kesha)

Acting as the lead single from Meltdown, Timber is a brash slice of dance pop from Pitbull that finds both himself and Kesha telling you to move and dance so that this night is made into one you will remember. The song is lyrically simplistic and trashy but there is a suave quality to the way Pitbull raps in the track that makes the song appealing, whilst the Kesha led chorus is nicely hook driven and instantly catchy. As the token party girl Kesha works well within the song, giving us a volatile and fun loving vocal performance in the chorus that makes the song feel more infectious. What is interesting about the production is the way that the heavy beats and typical dance floor rhythms are intertwined with the use of harmonica for a sound that is both influenced by dance music and folk music. This may not be the most innovative thing coming after Avicci’s hit song ‘Wake Me Up’, but there is something interesting about this sound and just as a whole package this song is indulgently catchy, and for many people it will probably be a secret guilty pleasure.

4/5

Track 2- That High (featuring Kelly Rowland)

Destiny’s child member Kelly Rowland joins forces with Pitbull for That High, another dance pop tune that alludes to the idea of sex, drugs and love. The song is another pop track that follows the familiar formula of Pitbull rapping about girls and money, whilst the guest artist provides a catchy chorus. But whilst it is an obvious formula, it does indeed work with this song. The Pitbull raps aren’t that good but when he uses his Spanish it is cool, whilst Rowland is on fine form with her vocals for the chorus as she gives the song this added layer of sultriness. Producers Stargate and Benny Blanco provide a nice, synth heavy club sound that lacks originality but which is vibrant enough to just make you want to dance.

3.5/5

Track 3- Do It (featuring Mayer Hawthorne)

With Do It Pitbull changes things up a little bit as the song has more of chilled, laidback RnB feel. However we are still treated to Pitbull’s more egotistical led raps, which lack the impact and energy that works when he is in more dance pop heavy realms. Mayer Hawthorne is a great guest artist as he provides a smooth, charismatic vocal performance for the chorus that also brings a bit of funk to the track. Production wise this song is really fun and interesting for Pitbull with the blending of synths and snappy drum instrumentation creating a funky tone that is summery and catchy, with the song definitely having the potential to be a summer anthem if the raps were just a bit better.

3.5/5

Track 4- Sun in California (featuring Mohombi and PLAYB4CK)

Taking us back to a dance pop led sound, Sun in California finds singer Mohombi and Pitbull telling this girl of how great she is and how she is like the sun in California. The song is interesting in terms of starting off with more of a piano led sound before the heavy dance beats kick in and the breakdown begins, but in some places the song is just a mess of dance pop cliché. Mohombi is a nice guest vocalist who brings a smooth and charming vocal to the chorus that feels sincere, but the sampling of the PLAYB4CK song ‘I Don’t Wanna Party Without You’ is just incredibly annoying, whilst Pitbull also really lacks a presence within the track and the chorus isn’t as catchy as it needs to be.

2.5/5

Track 5- All the Things (featuring Inna)

Final track All the Things was co-written and co-produced by current superstar DJ Calvin Harris. Here we find Pitbull and featured artist Inna playing respective roles in a relationship where the guy thinks he is awesome and the girl just runs away from the all the things that he says. The whistling melody is interesting at first but after a while it lacks that fun impact, whilst the rest of the production features a typical dance floor ready sound that is quite bland. Inna is probably the weakest guest artist for the E.P. because although her vocal performance is nice, it just feels like you could have brought a number of female guest artists onto the track and it would have been fine. The chorus also is quite bland lyrically and once again there is a lack of presence from Pitbull, resulting in this final song making you glad the E.P is over.

2/5

Final Review

Sadly with the Meltdown E.P. Pitbull just won’t see any surge in album sales, and more than anything he just proves how he is destined to remain a singles artist. With each consecutive song on the E.P the quality dips, making this a record that might be fun for you at first but by the end you will just be bored. The guest artists are a good selection of features that provide nice vocal performances for each respective chorus of a track, and whilst the raps definitely lack quality and become bland by the end, you can admire some of the charisma that Pitbull has. There are some flourishes of musical change with some of the production, but for the most part the dance pop formula is kept the same, and so I would just not recommend buying this E.P. or the deluxe Meltdown edition of the album Global Warming.

4.5/10

Best Track- Timber (featuring Kesha)

Worst Track- All the Things (featuring Inna)