Tuesday, April 3rd 2012

Album Review: Nicki Minaj – ‘Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded’

After whipping up a frenzy with her debut ‘Pink Friday’ in 2010, this week sees Nicki Minaj stake her claim as a formidable chart force with the arrival of her eagerly awaited sophomore set ’Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded‘.

A pick ‘n’ mix of genres, the project is split loosely in two; a musical melee, the set finds itself divided between songs rolled in Hip-Hop grit and others soaked in Pop fantasy.

Boasting a tracklist as polarised as the artist performing them, the question on the lips of many remains: beyond the wigs, schtick, and “eccentric”, does Nicki deliver on the most important release of her career?

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Posted By: That Grape Juice Staff

78 Comments

Thursday, March 22nd 2012

Album Review: Madonna – ‘MDNA’

For Madonna‘s twelfth studio album, the Material Girl has ditched the ‘hard candy’ in favor of something stronger, something meaner. Something she bills, her ‘MDNA’.

A Pop triangulation of sorts, the set was primary produced by the singer’s longtime collaborator William Orbit and two contemporary composers, Benny Benassi and Martin Solveig, to inject an air of “fresh” and “exciting”. As always, being the businesswoman that she is, M shares a songwriting and producing credit on every track.

As her first release not to be associated with Warner Bros. Records (the label she called home since 1982), all eyes are on whether the ‘Queen of Pop’ has crafted a blockbuster Pop LP. One which firmly plants her as a viable contender against the Rihanna‘s and Katy Perry‘s of the world. And one which, at the same time, reintroduces her brand to the ‘YouTube Generation’.

Beyond this, there also remains the penultimate question: as a solid body of work, how hard does ‘MDNA’ hit? Swallow the full review after the jump.

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Posted By: TGJ Team

105 Comments

Friday, November 11th 2011

Album Review: Rihanna – ‘Talk That Talk’

Six albums in six years. Say what you want about Rihanna, but that is quite the feat.

Yet, it’s this very fact that has divided fans and critics alike. For, the Bajan star has crammed into her short career releases and achievements her predecessors have worked decades to amass.

Predictably, the 23 year old’s supporters lap up each annual effort. One after the other, after the other. However, growing ever wider is the sect of listeners who attribute her success to being little more than a record label puppet. Indeed, with few writing credits, a limited vocal range, and a “change-with-the-sway” sound, it’s hard to posit the contrary.

Whatever the reality, the singer remains a staple on the tongues of many. A sentiment well captured on the title of her sixth studio album ‘Talk That Talk’.

However, with ample doubt still surrounding Ri’s legitimacy, it quite – literally – is time for her to ‘walk that walk’.

After attending Def Jam’s London playback, That Grape Juice gives you the WORLD EXCLUSIVE first full review of the album everyone’s waiting for.

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Posted By: Sam

166 Comments

Friday, July 22nd 2011

Album Review: Kelly Rowland – ‘Here I Am’

Things really do appear to have come full circle for a certain Kelly Rowland.

It’s almost 4 years to the day that the songbird unleashed her sophomore set ‘Ms. Kelly’ on the marketplace. As history goes; political and managerial mishaps unfortunately sunk that ship. As such, Rowland was seemingly cast to a fate as the lesser child of Destiny.

Fast forward to today, and the climate looks altogether different for the singer. Having severed ties with manager Mathew Knowles in 2009, her career has climbed from strength to strength. Indeed, the time since then has seen her notch up heightened success Internationally, land a role as a judge on the UK’s X Factor, and – perhaps most notably – score her biggest Stateside hit to date with the sizzling ‘Motivation’.

Hoping to legitimate this success, the 30 year old lined up an all-star cast of songwriters and producers to craft her third studio album ‘Here I Am’.

With past efforts not hitting the commercial strides they, perhaps, should have, will it be third time lucky for the songstress?

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Posted By: Sam

171 Comments

Wednesday, March 23rd 2011

Album Review: Chris Brown – ‘F.A.M.E’

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Fame. It is earned by people for either remarkable achievement or scandalous behaviour. However, for Chris Brown it occurs as a result of both.

Whether being praised for his brilliant live performances or scolded for his notorious actions, Brown has been the focus of media attention since his debut. However, the entertainer has managed to channel these pressures into a body of work that may very well be his best album to date.

Aptly entitled ‘F.A.M.E’, the 13-track LP demonstrates the versatility of an artist who, regardless of the tabloid headlines, has both the talent and passion to become a lasting figure in the music industry.

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Posted By: Trent

168 Comments

Friday, December 3rd 2010

Exclusive Album Review: Ciara – ‘Basic Instinct’

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cicii Exclusive Album Review: Ciara Basic Instinct

Ciara has experienced several commercial struggles during the last 2 years. Her 2009 release, ‘Fantasy Ride’, performed poorly on the charts, selling less than 200,000 units in the US to date, despite producing the top 10 hit ‘Love Sex Magic (Ft. Justin Timberlake)’.

Additionally, instead of being praised for attempting to diversify her sound, Ciara endured a backlash from her listeners who argued that she had abandoned her Urban roots. So how has Ciara decided to respond to her critics? By giving them exactly what they want – a return to basics.

‘Basic Instinct’ features the Atlanta entertainer unleashing her sexuality over 11 bass-heavy tracks crafted by the likes of Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, Kenneth ‘Soundz’ Coby, Ester Dean, Tyler Williams, Nelson Kyle and Hilton Humphery. However, Ciara’s attempts at reclaiming her title as the Princess of Crunk N’B prove to be more lukewarm than the audio fire that some would desire.

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Posted By: Trent

141 Comments

Monday, November 15th 2010

Album Review: Rihanna – ‘Loud’

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Open any dictionary and next to the word ‘loud’ you will find several definitions including ‘noisy’, ‘offensive’ and ‘vulgar’. If these are the type of meanings that Rihanna wants her listeners to derive from her new album then she has effectively achieved her goal.

‘Loud’ is the fifth studio album to be released by the Rihanna in as many years and it features the red haired vixen doing what she does best – attaching herself to the latest trends in Pop music. However, despite being bolstered by tight production and catchy melodies, Rihanna’s blatant lack of vocal skill and originality causes the 11-track LP to be far less impressive than those of her peers.

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Posted By: Trent

363 Comments

Thursday, October 28th 2010

Album Review: Mariah Carey – ‘Merry Christmas II You’

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Mariah Carey’s first Christmas album, ‘Merry Christmas’, is widely regarded as one of the best Holiday-themed collections of the last 20 years. Comprising some of her most impressive vocal performances and the now classic ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’, the record managed to be a top seller every year since being released in 1994.

Fast-forward exactly 16 years, to a time when Carey’s career is at a commercial standstill, and the diva finally delivers a followup in the form of ‘Merry Christmas II You’. Facing widespread speculation that her time at the top of the Pop roost is over and her famed 5 octave vocal range has faded into memory, Carey manages to do what she does best: prove her critics wrong. In fact, this 13-track LP almost achieves the impossible – matching its predecessor.

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Posted By: Trent

96 Comments

Wednesday, August 18th 2010

Album Review: Fantasia – ‘Back to Me’

In 2006 Fantasia’s self-titled sophomore album received generally mixed reviews from critics and even less favourable responses from her fans. The record barely managed to achieve gold status in the US; a far cry from the 1.8 million units that the Grammy-nominated singer’s debut album, ‘Free Yourself’, sold in that territory.

Now, amidst public controversy and personal turmoil, Fantasia is back with a new album, aptly entitled ‘Back to Me’, which features a true return to form by the uniquely talented R&B singer. On this 13-track LP Fantasia manages to combine the raw passion of her Soul influences with her spine-tingling vocals and contemporary productions, creating one of the best releases of the year to date.