Album- Zendaya
Artist- Zendaya
The Disney channel is notorious nowadays for producing a
range of music artists, with notable singing stars such as Selena Gomez and
Demi Lovato. Singer and actress Zendaya is the latest rising music star from
the Disney Hollywood Records label, releasing her self-titled debut album after
signing with the label and being one of the stars of the hit Disney channel
show Shake It Up. The singer has described her sound as being pop but with and
urban edge, but will her music be enough for her to be a prominent music star
like her Hollywood Record predecessors?
Track 1- Replay
The first track on the record and the albums lead single,
Replay definitely shows of the albums sound as the song is steeped in an
electro pop sound that has an RnB lilt and bass heavy groove that sets it apart
from typical Disney pop offerings. The song is lyrically simple as Zendaya
sings of her feelings for this guy and the idea that their relationship is like
a song that she just wants to replay all the time. The sentiment may be quite
clichéd, but the simplicity of the chorus is very catchy, and the softness of
the verses perfectly compliments the slightly forceful tone of the chorus. The
delicacy of Zendaya’s vocal tone is nicely shown within the track, whilst the
use of vocal layering adds substance to the track and makes for certain
elements to be a bit more potent. The songs best asset is definitely the
production, with the glitchy electro beats giving a vibrant and distinct RnB
tone to the track that is an addictive sound in its own right, and a sound that
may make you want to replay this song a lot.
3.5/5
Track 2- Fireflies
With the thumping beats of the intro and finger snapping
grooves of this track, Fireflies continues the urban tinged pop essence of the
record and finds Zendaya emanating some of her musical idols in terms of the
smooth, lilting quality of her vocal performance, with Michael Jackson being a
prominent example in my opinion. The song is lyrically a bit weak, with Zendaya
singing of the idea that fireflies are glowing in the air because love is in
the world. The message is quite clichéd and is something that a number of her
Disney peers could have sung about. However, the heavy beats and scattered
quality of the production with the club sounding chorus that then dips into
urban based, grinding beats makes for a sound that is quite intriguing, and
coupled with the smoothness of the singer’s vocals, the lyrical content is made
up for.
3.5/5
Track 3- Butterflies
Coming straight after a song called Fireflies, I was quick
to judge that this was just another loved up song that would be a bit too
similar to the previous track. However, Butterflies is more of an antithesis
song to the former track, with the clichéd idea of getting butterflies when you
are in love being nicely inverted, with Zendaya singing of how the butterflies
she feels are just lies and she just wants her heart to be closed off too these
feelings. The songs message is strong and a little aggressive in a good way,
but this time the singers vocals hinder the song a little, because the
smoothness and delicacy of her voice makes the tracks sad emotional tone come
out in a good way, but at times the singers voice is auto tuned to bring out
aggression within the song, and this more just highlights some of her weakness
as a vocalist. The songs production is once again really strong, with the heavy
bass beats being nicely paired with a really catchy guitar loop, creating this
stomping sound that encompasses the songs lyrical theme very nicely.
3.5/5
Track 4- Putcha Body
Down
Upping the tempo of the record a little, Putcha Body Down is
the records first real dance offering, but this is definitely dance with a
strong urban flavouring. The song finds Zendaya telling this boy to show her
his moves because that will mean that he has won her heart. The message just
comes across as clichéd and lacks the catchiness of the previous tracks, whilst
Zendaya’s voice is just vocally processed in a way that doesn’t make the song
feel like a natural extension of her as an artist and once again highlights her
weakness as a vocalist. The songs scattered beats and quirky vocal distortions
post chorus wise gives the track a nice sound, but this is definitely the
records first sub-par offering that feels too Disney and also weirdly at the
same time feels like a song that in some ways is too grown up.
2.5/5
Track 5- Heaven Lost
an Angel
Heaven Lost an Angel sounds like a title that basically
reads as an emotional ballad, but instead the song is a smooth RnB pop jam that
once again evokes that idea of the singer being heavily influenced by Michael
Jackson. The song is all about the idea that Zendaya has met this guy who is
angelic and perfect, and she just wants to sing his praises and be by his side.
The message is clichéd but wrapped around a catchy pop chorus, and the singer’s
smooth vocals make the chorus sound sincere. The rap style vocals of some of
the verses will appeal to some people but will annoy others. But with a toe tapping
groove to the production, a touch of soul sis brought to the record to create
this smooth but also finger snapping musical jam, creating a catchy tune that
is once again less typical Disney and more musically innovative for Hollywood
Records, aside from the beginning sounding a bit too similar to the beginning
of the Miley Cyrus track The Time of Our Lives.
3.5/5
Track 6- Cry for Love
Cry for Love is another title that seems suited to being a
ballad, and this time the singer delivers with this mid tempo RnB ballad that
features a frenzied electro bassline and finds the singer in an emotionally
vulnerable state. Here she tells the listener of how she is crying over this
boy who she is desperately in love with and who isn’t treating her right, and
she just doesn’t understand how she can be in love and yet be so upset. The
message is a strong one, but whilst the singers vocals are smooth and delicate
in a way that makes the song emotive, her voice is a little too light and airy
to make this feel like a subject matter that she is fully invested in. The snappy
drumbeats and punchy synths of the songs production creates this smooth sound
to the track that allows for the lyrical content to be more impactful, making a
song that is powerful, but is just attached to the wrong singer.
3/5
Track 7- Only When
You’re Close
Taking things into more of a bass heavy sound and stomping
electro RnB vibe, Only When You’re Close is a forceful electro pop, RnB number
that is based in the idea of Zendaya telling this guy that she feels incomplete
unless he is not beside her. This idea has been heard many times before in
music, but somehow the lyrics are catchy, perhaps in terms of the simplicity of
the songs message. Zendaya’s delicate and airy vocals also bring a sense of
urgency to the track that makes the song a bit more impactful, whilst the
stomping beats and heavy sound of the track with the great dance breakdown
makes for a fresh sound that makes this one of the stand out musical offerings
from the album, and although in many ways this song shouldn’t work, it somehow
does.
3.5/5
Track 8- Bottle You
Up
Another mid tempo ballad that was co-written by rising
songwriter Olivia Waithe, Bottle You Up is a simple and pure love song that is
all about Zendaya wishing that she could bottle up the essence of the boy she
has these feelings for, because she doesn’t like to be a part from him and just
wants to feel his love despite the tumultuous essence of the relationship. The
songs message is sweet and is supported by a solid pop chorus, and with the
light tone of the singers voice Zendaya really brings out the songs sweetness,
with the singers ad libs adding a further airy layer to the track that makes
the song feel more powerful. The stomping bass and scattered electro rhythms of
the songs production makes for a forceful but also quite simple sound to the
record, and although this is definitely one of the more pop offerings of the
record, it is a song that shows that sometimes keeping things simple is the
best thing.
3.5/5
Track 9- Scared
Opening with a dramatic vocal performance from Zendaya,
Scared is definitely one of the more powerful pieces on the album purely in
terms of its dramatic essence. The song finds Zendaya singing of how she
doesn’t want to feel for this boy, but at the same time she is scared to be
alone. The lyrics are dark and powerful and tap into that post break up feeling
of being alone very nicely. The singers vocals are processed and delivered in a
way that brings out the drama of the track in a great way, and with the
simmering, intense beats of the production and the crazed tones of some of the
vocal distortions, this is a really intriguing song that should be considered
as a single purely on the basis that it is really different to typical songs by
Disney channel artists.
3.5/5
Track 10- Love You
Forever
Co-written and produced by fellow Disney star Nick Jonas,
Love You Forever is an airy, mid tempo dance pop number in which the singer
invites this boy to move with her on the dance floor, because if he does she
just might love him forever. The song is vocally strong as the singers light
tone is utilised well to really bring out the euphoric message of the song. The
vocals are also made stronger by the layering of Zendaya’s voice, and so whilst
this could have maybe been too clichéd of a song, the vocals definitely make it
seem more sweet and pleasurable to listen to. The simple dance beats and
squiggly electronic production creates a swaying dance rhythm for the track
that is very simple but effective.
3.5/5
Track 11- My Baby
Final track My Baby is a little flirty slice of RnB pop with
a hip hop tinge. The song finds Zendaya singing of how with her man they will
be great, and this guy knows that he just wants to be her baby. The lyrics are
a bit annoying and repetitive but the lilting vocal style makes the song more
flirtatious and impactful, whilst the finger snapping RnB beats create an
equally as flirtatious, groovy sound to the track that makes this a nice if
clichéd end to the record.
3.5/5
Final Review
Zendaya’s debut album is an interesting piece that infuses a
typical Disney pop sound with RnB and hip hop flavourings, creating a much more
intriguing and vibrant pop piece. The singer isn’t the strongest vocalist in
the world but utilises her voice well throughout the album and knows how to
really convey the sentiment of each of the songs. The infusion of genres makes
for a fun sound to the overall production of the album that definitely marks
out Zendaya as being better than some of her Disney peers. Furthermore, whilst
clichés do creep in, the lyrics are catchy and interesting, whilst not
compromising on an immediate accessibility for the listener. All in all this is
a really nice debut record from a Disney star that might just be the best yet.
8/10
Best Track- Replay
Worst Track- Putcha
Body Down
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