Album- Outta Here
Artist- Esmee Denters
In the year 2008 Esmee Denters emerged as the musical
prodigy of worldwide music best seller Justin Timberlake, as after posting many
videos on YouTube she caught the music maestros attention and become the first
signing to his record label Tenman Records. But after 1 album release, one
moderately successful single release and two modest follow up singles, the
singer recently announced that she is currently unsigned and has not been signed
to the label for over a year. The question is, where did it all go wrong; maybe
her only album release so far, Outta Here , can point out exactly that.
Track 1- Admit It
Album opener Admit It is an up tempo dance pop and RnB
number that was chosen as the records second single. With a funky, punchy and
quite soulful groove, the track has a snappy sound in terms of the production
that simply consists of horns and drumbeats that blend for this vibrant and
infectious sound. The fast paced lyrical quality of the verses nicely contrasts
with the simplicity of the chorus, and Denters gives us a light but powerful
vocal performance that at times is a little bland but for the most part conveys
the songs fun and flirtatious energy quite nicely. Lyrically the track focuses
on the singer telling this boy to just admit that he wants her, as she can’t
stay away from him, and although some of the lyrics are to highly clichéd, the
song features a catchy chorus and easily memorable lyrics, being a song that
ultimately has its issues but is just quite fun.
3.5/5
Track 2- Victim
Co-written with Ryan Tedder (of One Republic fame), Victim
is a mid tempo pop and RnB ballad where we see both a strong but just a touch
fragile Denters firmly brush off this guy from her life. The songs lyrics focus
on Denters telling this boy that he thought she would be a mess but she is just
letting him go and doesn’t go into the role of a victim of love. The hard
hitting edge of the chorus compliments the slightly softer verses and makes this
an almost empowering number, with the singer giving us a commanding vocal
performance that is helped by the use of vocal layering. The forceful beats pf
the tracks production and light guitar rhythms create this partly chilled,
partly really strong sound that is nicely simple but effective, making this a
good post break up anthem.
3.5/5
Track 3- Outta Here
Being her most successful single release to date, title
track Outta Here is a typical RnB tinged pop number that finds the singer in
this fragile but ultimately standing strong state. The song focuses on Denters
singing about the pain she feels over this guy messing her around and just
wishing that she could get out of the place. The song nicely showcases some of
the singers vocal range, although the use of Auto Tune is a little bit of a
hindrance, and with the simple pop chorus, the song has this immediately catchy
quality that is useful for commercial success. Backed by snappy RnB tinged
beats and fun, almost club like sound, this is a solid pop effort that lacks
originality but has enough power to keep you interested.
3.5/5
Track 4- Love Dealer
(featuring Justin Timberlake)
Another typical dance pop and RnB tinged tune, Love Dealer
is a flirtatious musical affair where we find the singer lyrically teasing us
and singing of how she can be our love dealer who can make you feel good. The
message may be a boring love as a drug concept that has been sung about too
many times, but the track benefits through the flirtatious playfulness of
Denters’ and Timberlake’s vocal combination. Denters light vocal performance
are nicely layered to give the song this smooth tone that acts as a catchy
vocal sound, with Timberlake providing little vocal interjections that are fun
and find him on typical suave form. The songs production features a little bit
more of steady drumbeat driven sound and some light synth notes, giving the
song this smooth dance sound that is light enough for an enjoyable listen, even
if it is a typical pop music sound.
3.5/5
Track 5- Gravity
Gravity is a mid tempo, light pop offering that features a
bit more of a grand production and acts as a conflict driven love song. The
song finds Denters singing of feeling love for this boy but not in the way that
it should be, and although she wants too escape, gravity keeps holding her
down. The metaphor simply falls flat but the lightness of the singers vocals
that the sense of urgency that her layered vocals bring to the track makes this
more of an enjoyable listen. The song features much more of a grander
production, with the simple RnB tinged beats being combined with some potent
use of strings and a powerful guitar solo at the end that gives the song this
dramatic feel. It is clichéd and goes on for too long, but the forcefulness of
the sound really grabs you veen if the singers vocals don’t
3.5/5
Track 6- What If
The grand tone of the record continues with this track that
features a bit more of a funky RnB groove and finds the singer’s vocals being
paired with this dramatic string production. Lyrically the track is based in
uncertainty, as the singer repeatedly questions the relationship she is in and
wonders what will happen if it all breaks down. The song goes through all the
emotional clichés, and the repetition of the chorus just makes Denters come
across as a bit of a whiny teenage girl. The singer’s vocals are on point but
are only just there, not truly conveying the intensity of emotion that this
track could have. Production wise the sound of the track also has this strong
tone that is nice to listen but which quickly becomes bland, and which also
feels to reminiscent of the work of Mr Timberlake, suggesting that she is being
moulded as the female version of him when she shouldn’t be.
2/5
Track 7- Memories
Turn to Dust
As the title of the song would suggest, Memories Turn to
Dust is an emotional number that finds the singer looking back at a past
relationship but ultimately the memories fade away as she can’t take it
anymore. The nostalgic quality of the lyrics makes the song less of a bland
affair, but whilst the song allows the singer to showcase some vocal power, the
song is also vocally weak, as the singer stretches her voice to far and at
times just comes across as if she is yelling. Backed by a steady, heavy
drumbeat and some nice piano melodies, the songs sound is simple but allows the
intensity of the songs message to be conveyed, and this therefore just feels
like a potentially great song that would have worked better for a different
artist.
2.5/5
Track 8- Getting Over
You
Timberlake takes another vocal position within this track
from the outset, but is not credited as a featured artist. Getting Over You is
a typical RnB pop number that features slightly more of an electronic based
sound in the production. The song sound is also cool in the way that the funky
electro pop grooves have this forceful RnB energy and are nicely melded with cool
guitar instrumentation that gives the song a bit of European flavour. The
singer’s vocals are thin but powerful enough to convey the emotion of the
lyrics, with the use of Auto Tune here coming to the singers rescue and not
sounding annoying. Lyrically the simple tone of the song is very appealing as
Denters focuses on how she can’t get over this person, an unoriginal but nicely
executed concept, although the track still suffers from feeling like another
let’s try and make her the female Timberlake song.
3/5
Track 9- Just Can’t
Have It
Featuring production from Swedish music duo Stargate, Just
Can’t Have It follows the same Rnb pop energy of the previous tracks, but also
offers some musical diversity to the record, as the production is infused with
a bit more of an organic music sound. The track finds Denters singing to this
guy of how he can’t have her because he keeps changing and feels different all
the time, and she comes to the conclusion that she can’t have it both ways
where she hates him and loves him at the same time. The sweet honesty of the
track and the twisting nature of the lyrics makes the song more of an
intriguing listen lyrically, and with the lighter pop sound, the singers vocals
feel stronger and leave more of an impression. Whilst the guitar strumming and
synth notes are typical traits of songs produced by Stargate, the sound of the
track still matches the vocal and lyrical quality, giving us a softer and
all-round better musical offering from Denters.
3.5/5
Track 10- The First
Thing
Featuring slightly more of a soulful, funky pop groove, The
First Thing is another light mid tempo offering where we are seemingly shown
that more acoustic, organic music tones are much better suited to the singer.
As Denters sings about her feelings for this boy, how he is the first thing she
thinks of when waking and wondering what he wants as well, the song has this
infectiously cute quality that is helped by the singers light vocal performance
that makes the song feel more sincere. With the soulful backbeat, stirring
strings and emotional essence in sound, this song perfectly shows that some of
the other songs put her in the wrong place musically.
3.5/5
Track 11- Casanova
(featuring Justin Timberlake)
Making a second credited appearance, Casanova finds Denters
and mentor Justin Timberlake playing off each other, with Denters singing of
being hung up on this guy who she has realised is a bit of a player, with
Timberlake playing the role of the big brother who tells the girl who this guy
really is. The concept of a guy being a Casanova isn’t original but is execute
in way that feels unique through the presence of Timberlake. Yet whilst both
singers give us smooth, light vocal performance, Timberlake’s presence in the
song does come across as a feature for the sake of a feature and commercial
success, whilst Denters’ just doesn’t come across as a hurt girl who was in
love. The clattering RnB beats and funky guitar rhythms give the song a nice
sound, but ultimately it just acts as too simple of a music base that elevates
the songs blandness.
2/5
Track 12- Bigger Than
the World
Final track Bigger Than the World is a scattering RnB, mid
tempo ballad that finds Denters in a slightly delicate state but ultimately
being safe through the help of this person in her life. The little girl in the
big world concept is girly clichéd, and with the idea of the a guy helping her
through, this track feels rooted in Hollywood cliché and will likely appeal to
young, impressionable girls. With the softness and slight wistful quality of
her vocals this song finds Denters on better form vocally, with a sweetness
that makes the song feel a bit less ridiculous. Yet with the snappy production
that feels like another typical Timberlake sound, this track just seems to want
to wallow in its own lack of originality
2.5/5
Final Review
With this record it seems that Timberlake and Denters just
want to prove that the only reason she was signed to the label was for the
singer to potentially become a female version of Timberlake. The songs all fall
into the typical dance pop and RnB sound that is designed for commercial
success and which ultimately fails to sound fun, and the singers vocals are
thinly layered and lack personality that would make the record more of an
addictive listen. Lyrically the record is also clichéd, and so this is very
much a bland album that perfectly establishes why there was a lack of
commercial success, and why she has seemingly been dropped from the label.
3.5/10
Best Track- The First
Thing
Worst Track- Casanova
(featuring Justin Timberlake)
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