Thursday, 25 July 2013

Natalia Kills- Perfectionist Album Review


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Album- Perfectionist

 

Artist- Natalia Kills

 

Initially beginning her career in the entertainment industry as an actress before releasing her single ‘Don’t Play nice’ under the name Verbalicious, the artist that was Natalia Kills wasn’t created until 2008, when she signed to the label of rapper will.i.am and began performing under the stage name of Natalia Kills. Kills hasn’t necessarily set the world alight musically in the way that her mentor has, but is that simply because the material doesn’t live up to the title?

 

Track 1- Perfection

 

Opening track Perfection is a 30 second intro that finds a male vocal acting like a doctor, in which he states the things that are wrong with the patient and then concludes by stating that everything will be fine as long as the patient takes ‘two of these with perfection’. It is a weird but intriguing intro that is interesting in the way you can gain different meaning from it: is this intro meant to highlight how this album is like a journey for the singer to become perfect, or is this talking to us about how we will feel good by listening to this record?

 

3/5

 

Track 2- Wonderland

 

The first proper track Wonderland was the records second single and is a dark pop and synthpop based tune that (as the title would suggest) lyrically plays with the idea of fairytales. The song lyrically focuses upon Kills telling this guy of how they can be great together, and she doesn’t believe the typical things that come from fairytales, but believes that they are meant to be together. The song is lyrically intriguing in the way Kills manipulates the fairytale idea, almost bringing a feminist aspect to the lyrics in certain respects. The chorus hook could be more powerful, but this is perhaps because of the vocal performance. The vocals have this ice cool tone that nicely presents the singer has this strong woman, but chorus lacks a hint of sensuality that would make us truly feel as if she means what she says about her and this guy. The heavy bass and steely synths of the production create a forceful sound for the song that keeps you attentive, whilst the gritty guitar rhythms and use of monk like backing vocals give the track this energy that ties in very well with the wonderland ideology of the song, and so this is a strong first song offering.

 

3.5/5

 

Track 3- Free

 

As the title may suggest, Kills brings us a lighter musical offering with this track that is based in a synthpop sound but with more of an RnB twist. Based around a riff sample of Kate Bush’s song ‘Wuthering Heights’, the tracks production features a nice use of piano instrumentation and clattering dance beats to just give the song a vibrant energy that is slightly infectious. The song lyrically focuses on how the singer really stretches her money and just lives life as if she and everything else is free, with the bridge featuring a weird but cool rap from the singer about how she should marry a man from Bel-Air. The ideology of the song is appealing, and the singer gives us a light vocal performance that animates the song more than the previous track. It feels like a song that lacks originality and which gives us a message that we sadly can’t reciprocate, but at the same time there is just this infectious quality to the track that makes it appealing.

 

3.5/5

 

Track 4- Break You Hard

 

Opening with a rock guitar sound and declaring that she is about to break us, this song is a fierce and feisty number from the singer where she is very firm in her state of mind. Lyrically the track focuses on the singer as this flitting woman who asks this guy to take her love because she is just gonna run at the end of the day, because she is that devilish kind of girl. The songs lyrical concept is interesting but suffers because the lyrical content of the track is too repetitive and so lacks that true sense of an emotional punch. The vocal performance is strong as the slow lyrical stresses and steely essence of the vocals makes the song more believable, whilst the production features a heavy bass and almost gritty electro beats that elevate the songs ideology, and so this is a good song but could have been better if the lyrics were more focused and less repetitive and if the production had an interesting flair.

 

3.5/5

 

Track 5- Zombie

 

Released as a promotional single from the record, Zombie lives up to it title in terms of the gothic energy of the song. The track lyrically focuses on the idea of Kills being in love with a zombie, a lyrical concept that seems to convey this idea of a relationship where the other person is simply cold and not in the relationship, but the other person can’t help being in love with them. However the lyrics are cool as listeners can take different meanings from the track. Once again the song does suffer lyrically because things are too repetitive. The track vocally finds the singer heavily Auto Tuned: this perhaps works well with the song in terms of the lyrics, but after a while the vocals can become a little annoying. And with another synthpop based sound hat finds the singer in a dark mood with a heavy bass it seems to become clear that this album isn’t perfection.

 

3/5

 

Track 6- Love Is Suicide

 

Beginning with another bout of monk like background vocals, this track ups the tempo of the record more and goes more into dance pop territory. The sound of the track immediately grabs your attention and gets you interested in the record again, with the frenzied dance beats and forceful synths of the chorus just creating this vibrant sound that both compliments and contrasts with the songs lyrical message. Lyrically the track conveys this sense of a volatile relationship, with Kills coming to the conclusion that it is extremely dangerous to fall in love. The lyrics are a little clichéd but feel more tightly structured and interesting than some of the other songs. The vocal performance of the track is also nice in the way that it shows off the range of the singers voice a bit more and conveys the emotion of the song, and so this track makes the album feel like it is living up to the Perfectionist title a bit more.

 

3.5/5

 

Track 7- Mirrors

 

Kills first single under her new name and the records lead single, Mirrors is an electro pop song with a gothic edge. Described by Kills as being about ‘celebrating your own power’, the track lyrically fins the singer discussing relationships and sexual themes, creating a provocative song that is simply interesting in the way that it is weird but fun. The track finds the singer giving us a dominating vocal performance that is steely and sensual and which elevates the lyrical content of the track. And with a forceful sound in the production that utilises a grinding synthesised beat and gritty guitar basslines, this was a good choice as a lead single.

 

3.5/5

 

Track 8- Not In Love

 

A moody electro pop song, this track features another grinding synthesised beat leading the production, and finds the singer in more of a firm but delicate and emotionally based frame of mind. Lyrically the track focuses on Kills simply telling this person that the relationship is not enough as the love that should be there doesn’t exist, and though the lyrics are repetitive, this time the repetitive quality of the lyrics makes the song feel more powerful and potent rather than annoying. Keeping the vocals simple gives the song a firm but fragile quality, with the way the chorus builds a little vocally having this almost pleading tone. The production a nice blend of electric guitar with a heavy bass and some stirring strings, creating this sound that is dramatic and elevates the songs message.

 

3.5/5

 

Track 9- Acid Annie

 

With more of a rock tinged than sound than the previous tracks, this track finds the singer in an angry frame of mind and features a dominating persona from the singer. Lyrically the track find the singer putting on this role of a girl who turns detective on her cheating partner, and then makes him pay for his way, whilst the chorus focuses on Kills telling herself and us to not stay bitter forever. The song finds the singing giving us a vocal that is ice cool and fierce in the verses, but the chorus feels lackluster and doesn’t have the passion that is needed, perhaps because the conflicting ideologies of the song leave things a bit lackluster. The tracks production is also powerful with the gritty guitar riffs and thumping drums, but it doesn’t fit with the tone of the rest of the record, and so as a result comes across as the singer trying to fit into a mold that doesn’t suit her.

 

2.5/5

 

Track 10- Superficial

 

With a synthesized electronic opening and church like background vocals that give the song this 1980’s flavor, Superficial is a fun electro pop tune that plays with the idea of money and love. Here we find Kill putting on the role of a materialistic girl who speaks of such icons as Marilyn Monroe to really express her point, but the chorus focuses on how you can’t call her superficial because you can’t buy her love. The singer’s vocal performance is on point and simple, having this steely quality but light tone that makes both sides of the songs lyrical content more believable. The electric guitar riff and stomping electro bass of the tracks production gives the song an infectious and vibrant energy, and so this is a fun pop song that also nicely acts as an analysis of the idea of superficiality.

 

3.5/5

 

Track 11- Broke

 

An electro pop tune with a slight urban edge, Kills brings things down to a more emotional and mid tempo level with this track that is lyrically based in the theme of heartbreak. The track finds Kills singing to her former partner of how he has left her in this state of pain where she can’t heal herself, using the metaphor of money and being broke to really express her point. The lyrical concept of the track is good, but the way the concept is carried out isn’t as good, being a little too repetitive and unoriginal sounding. The tracks vocal performance has a slightly fragile tone and shows off a different quality of the singers voice, but the use of vocal layering seems to show the fact that she isn’t such a powerful singer and this isn’t such a powerful song. The electronic stabs and clattering drum beats of the production give the song a forceful sound that creates this sense of emotion, but on the whole this is also unoriginal sounding, and so this track suffers because many of the elements feel like things we have definitely heard before.

 

3/5

 

Track 12- Heaven

 

Bringing the tempo down even further and increasing the emotional intensity, Heaven finds Kills in a weary state of mind over a lost love. The song lyrically finds the singer in a state of heartbreak as she wishes her man was with her, with the chorus conveying the sentiment that heaven must be beautiful now that her man is there. The tracks dark lyrical content is nicely offset by the lightness of the vocals and production, whilst the lyrics are also interesting in that you can take the idea of her man being in heaven in a literal or metaphorical way. The vocal performance of the track shows of a lighter side of Kills voice that gives the song this true edge of fragility, with the track also finding the singer employing her falsetto to nice effect and also providing us with the best rap vocal section of any song on the record. The scattered bass heavy sound of the track and light twinkling synth notes create this powerful sound to the song, and so although not really orginal, this song works on the record and also nicely offsets the darker, more gothic influenced tracks.

 

3.5/5

 

Track 13- Nothing Lasts Forever (featuring Billy Kraven) 

 

Current hit maker and world renowned producer Jeff Bhasker takes on both producer and featured artist roles for this track that brings the record back to an up tempo state and in a more pleasant, (although still slightly dark) frame of mind. Lyrically the track finds Kills and Kraven simply wanting to get down to business as they convey the sentiment that nothing in life lasts forever and so we shouldn’t waste time, with the song having a prominent sexual edge. The lyrics are simple and pop driven with an instantly catchy hook, but the song is annoyingly hindered by the use of Auto Tune which makes the song often lack the sensuality and passion that it should have. However with the stomping bass and vibrant dance beats this track is still forceful and attention grabbing, with the softness of the bridge with the breathy vocal and simple piano melody nicely offsetting the rest of the track, and so this is a strong electro pop offering, even if it is a bit too commercial.

 

3.5/5

 

Track 14- If I Was God

 

Ending the album is a down tempo track that has a bit of a funky groove in the production and finds the singer in a loving but fragile frame of mind. Lyrically the track finds the singing doubting the relationship and asking the question of what she would do if she was god and had the power to change things. The track has more of a poetic lyrical quality than the other songs on the record, and features a smooth vocal performance that nicely dips and rises in vocal range and which feels potently fragile. The tinny percussion and simple drum beats of the track make for a nice sound to the song, and so although the lyrics could be more tightly structured and less repetitive, this is a nice song to end the record with.

 

3.5/5

 

Final Review

 

Natalia Kills has produced an album of nice electro and synth pop based tune that have an interesting dark edge to them that is a bit unique in today’s music market. However the song is not the perfection that the singer necessarily suggests, as the songs are very commercially created for success and so feel bland sometimes. Furthermore, the lyrical content of songs is often too repetitive, and the use of Auto Tune sometimes ruins songs and so this is a vibrant and interesting album but doesn’t necessarily place the singer as a truly amazing artist.

 

6/10

 

Best Track- Love Is Suicide

 

Worst Track- Acid Annie

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