One Direction Review – Carly Davis – 11CHT

One Direction Review – Carly Davis – 11CHT

After battle-cries from teenage girls scenting hot boy-flesh since 2010, the 5 dashing lads seem to effortlessly make girls melt, all smiles and chinos. You would never have guessed that these heart-throbs only came third on The X Factor!

It's easy to sneer at boy bands and assume they’re all the same, but it goes without saying, that One Direction are charming, talented, and absolutely gorgeous. Their catchy number 1 single, "What Makes You Beautiful” is an undeniably cheerful and melodic song, opening with a simple "na na na na”.

For those who are not familiar with the The X Factor, there is no official lead singer, but Harry Styles, a phenomenon of wild curly hair, is a 17 year old alpha puppy. When he chats to the crowd, the girly screeches become overwhelming…enough to shatter any windows nearby.

“What Makes You Beautiful” is an admittedly ridiculously catchy debut single, which kicks off their album ‘Up All Night’. This song is shortly followed by their current single, “Gotta Be You”, which is a rather grown-up love ballad that could’ve been taken straight from a Take That. And talking of mature…The lyrics to “I wanna stay up all night” certainly have everyone blushing! I doubt very much that they checked with their mothers about those!

My verdict? They may have been X Factor runners up, but they are definitely number one in every teenage girl’s eyes! An incredibly upbeat album, full of toe-tappers and incredibly difficult not to like! ‘Up All Night’ certainly did not disappoint the dedicated One Directioners!

So…Do you have the One Direction Infection?

Music Review – Nicki Minaj Album

Music Review – Nicki Minaj Album “Pink Friday”

Nicki Minaj is known worldwide for her quirky, fanatical and flamboyant sense of style and music, and her single ‘Starships’ certainly expresses this perfectly.

Out of all the ludicrous popstars in the charts at the moment, Nicki Minaj easily leads the bunch. In the release of her new album, Pink Friday - which also happens to be the name of her alter ego – her bizarre but hip-hop, crowd-pleasing 'Stupid Hoe', has turned heads, and showed off her outstanding individuality. The song’s rapid pace, choppy beat, and eccentric sound effects have shown that Nicki Minaj has really raised the stakes in the industry, and she is definitely the one to look out for.

But while 'Starships' is undoubtedly more radio-friendly, thankfully it remains just as manic. Produced by some most successful people in the industry, Lady GaGa, Hitmaker, and RedOne, Minaj spits about ‘touching the sky’ and ‘hitting the floor’ using a toe-tapping guitar riff. On paper, it sounds dreadfully generic (it's effectively based on Sean Kingston's 'Fire Burning' and Britney's 'Till The World Ends'), but it still seems to come across refreshingly different. How did she do this? I’m still not sure, but with a mix of her uniqueness and, of course, her bonkers personality, she manages to up her game, and impress her fans, song after song. 

Justin Bieber Album Review

Justin Bieber Album Review

Justin Bieber's album ‘Believe’ isn't just the pop album of the year, it's an iconic symbol for the genre. His progress shines through loud and clear across the thirteen tracks, and he deserves to be recognized worldwide as a 21st century star he is. The album is everything that his fans could possibly want.

In my opinion, "All Around the World" has amazing energy and is perfectly suited for festivals or clubs anywhere. In Justin’s song ‘Baby’, famous guest star ‘Ludacris’ brings a completely new vibe to his music, with his low pitched voice, and fast pace rapping. Bieber is on an entirely new level here engaging a falsetto that will get everybody dancing.

Some of the best moments of his album come when Bieber simply rocks his acoustic guitar with barely any artificial music or autotune. That's where his voice truly shines, as it’s just himself and his guitar.

His single "U Smile" is a massive track that's as insightful as it is soulful. Its acoustic hum gives a melancholy, calming mood, as Bieber effortlessly shifts from the verse to verse, which further highlights his natural singing talent.

His title ‘Believe’ is definitely an appropriate title for this album, as it centres on his inspiring journey from a little boy on Youtube to a Man who’s known worldwide for his music. The word ‘Believe’ was probably chosen to portray a message to Bieber’s audience that if you believe in yourself, you will succeed. This gives a very positive message about perseverance to his audience.