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The Blueprint 3
Jay-Z
Label: Atlantic
Genre: Hip Hop
Standout Tracks:
1. Run This Town
2. Empire State Of Mind
3. Hate
4. Thank You
5. Jockin Jay-Z
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The Blueprint 3 takes rap into a new upland. What I love about this album is that it is handful of chants, anthems, and shout-outs. I cannot compare this to the first two installment of The Blueprint since I haven’t heard the whole albums; however I think this album is pretty amazing. The album’s production is top notch if you’ll compare it to the other rap albums released this year. However, it gets boring at times. The highlights of the album, are
Run This Town,
Empire State of Mind and
Hate – which all has the pop appeal.
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Shock Value II
Timbaland
Label: Blackground
Genre: Hip Hop, Pop, Soft Rock, Dance
Standout Tracks:
1. Undertow
2. Tomorrow in the Bottle
3. Marching On
4. Lose Control
5. Carry Out
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At first I wasn’t really enjoying this follow-up to Shock Value but after a few more spins I realized that it’s actually a nice album, it’s not better than the first installment though. Timbo surprises me on the artists he collaborated with for this album, especially Daughtry and Chad Kroeger. The production for the album is dope, however something is lacking, making it less great than its antecedent. It’s lacking that equation for emulating crossover achievements; the album focuses on pop market instead - which is proven by having Jojo, Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry on the album. However, the Jojo is track is pretty nice, while the Miley Cyrus track is like the less great version of
Party in the U.S.A. , and that Katy Perry track is a mess and over-rated at times. The diversity of the album is extreme that it became nearly - too much and technical. On a lighter note, I praise Timbo’s capabilities of crossing from one genre to another. And it’s not as bad as what other people say.
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Heartbreak on Vinyl
Blake Lewis
Label: Tommy Boy Entertainment
Genre: Electro-pop
Standout Tracks:
1. Binary Love
2. Love Or Torture
3. Heartbreak on Vinyl
4. Rebel With a Cause
5. The Remedy
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Heartbreak on Vinyl is not the type of album people will usually buy because it does not have that pop appeal, but the album completely defines what dance music is. I have to say, that I enjoyed the tracks from this album compared to Lewis’ first effort Audio Day Dream. The use of a variety of dance floor sounds was ‘geniusly’ done. The title and opening track is a combination of a cheery vibe and a fine beat which set the standard for the whole album. Only two songs surpass HOV’s greatness, and those are; the second track called
Binary Love, and the last track
Love or Torture. BL is like the recharged and the darker
How Many Words –which is my favorite track from the previous record, while LOT is a perfect club song. The album is also made-up of 80’s inspired tracks –
Afraid and
Left My Baby for You. Lewis revealed the soulfulness in him on the track
The Point - which is completely a different track compared to the other songs. Lewis’ voice is a perfect match for electronica. Rest assured, Lewis offers dance lovers an album which is well tackled, well studied and well crafted.
Message Corner:
THANKS FOR ALL THE COMMENTS AND RATINGS! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
eteru - it's actually my 6th favorite track.
JaPoY - listen to the whole album
MusicIsGoodForYou - thanks! I hope my other reviews will satisfy you as well.
Next Update: A Platinum album