admin @ Fri, 2006-09-08 11:00
YOU MAY HATE PARIS HILTON the ubiquitous celebrity persona, but you cannot deny that Paris Hilton the artist is crafting some of the most catchy, danceable pop music in recent months. Well, you can deny it all you want, but we know how certain music activates gay genes.
The album’s 11 tracks venture through pop, rock, reggae, hip-hop and dance, with Paris co-writing five of the songs — writing that, like, makes us want to cry, it’s so good. Maybe, like, it’s not that good, but it’s still a pretty impressive feat for someone the world doubts could write her own name.
Paris also was one of three executive producers on the album, along with Scott Storch and Tom Whalley. Storch is a golden boy in the worlds of hip-hop, rap and soul, lending his Midas touch to hits by Beyoncé, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg.
Hilton actually spent months recording with Rob Cavallo (who produced tracks by Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls and Alanis Morissette) only to decide she wanted to move in a different direction musically. In the documentary on the DVD special edition, Hilton says their collaborations were too rock-oriented and that she is more of a dance club girl.
ENTER STORCH, AND THE REST IS history. He produced “Turn It Up,” which features Hilton whispering “Yeah, that’s hot” and “Scott Storch” on the album version.
The original gets a little tedious, and Hilton channels cheerleaders in the middle of the song (which some find annoying, some endearing), but it’s still pretty good. The remixes, of course, rock and are a little light when it comes to the whispering, thank goodness.
The debut single, “Stars are Blind,” was produced by Fernando Garibay and made waves on FM and satellite radio with its smooth reggae-flavored beats ideal for summer. Garibay is no stranger to hits, having produced “La La” for Ashlee Simpson, “Summer Sunshine” for the Corrs, “Shake Your Bon-Bon” for Ricky Martin and numerous tracks by Enrique Iglesias.
“I Want You” features a sample of “Grease” by Barry Gibb and the track is pure pop, and a hell of a lot of fun. Paris is flirtatious without being a bimbo and makes her quarry aware of her intentions. “I want you and I think you should know/ I want you and I won’t let you go” makes the message pretty clear. Get it, girl!
The sugary-sweet, bubblegum-pop ballad “Heartbeat” feels out of place on the CD, particularly when you remember Paris made a sex tape. The song is too sweet and cheesy for the rest of the album, but when taken on it’s own, it’s not a horrible pop song, either.
“Screwed,” “Not Leaving Without You,” “Nothing in This World” and “Turn You On” round out the solid pop tracks on the album. Some of the songs sound a little like Hilary Duff, but Paris makes a good showing. If listeners maintain an open mind long enough, she should find a solid fan base, especially among gay men.
PARIS HIT IT BIG WITH DANCE fans due to remixes of “Screwed” being released months ago. “Stars are Blind” and “Turn It Up” followed with stellar remixes from the likes of Paul Oakenfold, Peter Rauhofer and Tracy Young.
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