What is it with Nicole Scherzinger? This is one Diva who can dance, can sing and has an eye for the "X-Factor". So how is it that she never seems to quite hit the mark with her own material! New single Boomerang is no different.
Produced by Will.I.Am, Boomerang is unfortunately a rather dull and flat experience. I would have loved to have heard Nicole's tones over his typical, more jagged production, but for some reason Mr I.Am decided to play Russian roulette with Nicole's comeback and dish out this undercooked record when Scherzy came knocking. I only hope she didn't pay full whack for the pleasure.
What Boomerang really needed- if we are to accept the production- was a characterful lead vocal. Katy Perry may not compare to Nicole as a singer, but her style of personality-infused delivery is exactly what this song is crying out for. As it is, Nicole's voice didn't keep this listener's interest for the duration of the track, or leave any memorable imprint once it had finished.
I suppose if Boomerang fails to catch on with the general public it can always be marketed as an anthem for stalkers the world over. Doesn't matter how you make those sales, just as long as you're making em! Am I right?
Rating:C-
Thoughts?
The song is decent. My gripe is with the crazy special effects in the music video.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I'm not too crazy about her delivery. It's just boring.
ReplyDeleteThese Divas really need to learn how to come out with a good comeback single. It needs to be exciting and eye grabbing. I remember when Mariah released "It's Like That" everyone was talking about it. And then "We Belong Together" just skyrocketed her to the top again. I think Mariah's comeback is the epitome of all diva comebacks.
The recent diva comebacks have been very disappointing, lol
It isn't much of a "comeback" for Bey :b she's still relevant. I have a very good feeling about her next album, it all depends on her first single. As long as she doesn't get knocked up, it should do well. lol
ReplyDeletewho's 2ne1 though? o.o
ReplyDeleteAre you a member of ATRL?
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what that it... lol
ReplyDeleteIts a Korean pop group.
ReplyDeleteThey're big in Korea, and they have a noticeable following in America.
ReplyDeleteI listened to their song "I Am The Best", I'm crazy about that beat.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pop culture discussion website. :D
ReplyDeleteOhhhhhh, sounds like something I'd like, I'll check it out :)
ReplyDeleteIn my honest opinion, 2ne1 has much more "talent potential" than destiny's child. You have to follow these girls individually to understand my point. They're latest live performances have been so good.....especially their world tour performances. Let me quit babbling....I just love them too much.
ReplyDeletelmfao, wow, link me a performance of theirs :o
ReplyDeleteIts amazing how many over done cliches has managed to enter such a talented womans career. The song style has been done over and over and Nicole doesnt bring anything fresh. Same goes with the video. And If I see one more reference to whip my hair...
ReplyDeleteIf Nicole could deliver, she probably would have.
ReplyDeleteNowhere close.
ReplyDeleteTalent? Not vocally. I'm listening to one of their songs right now, and IMO, whoever is singing sounds horrible. Her voice is below mediocre, nasal, thin, and light.
ReplyDeleteTHe strongest voice of the group is from Minzy. She's the youngest member @ 19 years old, followed by Park Bom. Park Bom has a very weird voice and her lower register needs tons of work but her upper chest is very decent. CL folows clowsly and she is a dark colored light weight mezzo with a nasal tinge and honestly she can sing very well live. Dara, on the other hand may just be a soubrette. lol
ReplyDeleteAs For Minzy, she is a dark coulored heavy weight mezzo-soprano. SHe is the most well rounded member of the group and a very technical singer.
All of pop music uses very similar chord progressions :b I don't think that's the problem. The beat isn't bad! But I agree, with the cheesy inspirational stuff. If you're gonna try to inspirational in pop music, you need to be original.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the comments here, this song in no way, shape or form touches what Nicole is capable of vocally, in fact her voice doesn't sound very pleasant and comes across as one dimensional, there is little to no dynamic going on!
ReplyDeleteI feel its just another stab at trying to be current production wise, I would much prefer her to push the envelope musically with a different genre that we have not heard from her before, maybe alternative dance or rock! Something fresh....I still think she is awesome, she really grew on me on the X Factor despite the fact I hate the show!
well ...i dont like the song.....i do like her ,though she never seems like a "young" singer as she gives off a older diva feel to me and this bland affair does her no justice. im a fashion student so i feel inclined to comment on the fashion , its 2013 not 2008...that hounds tooth jacket?...no hunty that aint cute and the saggy black dress made me want to ask susan boil why she gave it up. amid all this mess there is hope....that crazy glow in the dark neon jacket was awesome if not abit out of place in the shambling effects and lack luster beat. all in all boomerangs fails sonically and its fashion dosent do much to revive it.
ReplyDeleteInteresting angle on it and I wouldn't really have noticed about the fashion unless you (very well) elaborated on it.
ReplyDeleteI also agree about the older diva feel. She should be releasing stuff that she can also properly communicate, this seems like it has been a chore for her to deliver without any kind of connection to the lyric of the song!
I like her too, and really want her to do well...I just don't think it's going to happen with material like this!
ReplyDeleteyes i also feel this isnt quite her song, i liked her last song poison as it was her first well produced single and she really got into it and i know she has the ability to deliver but im not sure what she needs to really get into a song. maybe she should do a really powerful ballad and see if it works, beautiful turned xtina's career around and it might be what Nicole needs after her less than classy pussycat dolls past .at the moment i feel she is taking the easy route and pushing mass produced pop/dance
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, it seems to be the way to go for those desperate to chart and sell even if it means slacking on any kind of genuine artistry. As DD says I think she deserves to do well, she is an all round talent! I only wish the people around her would let that artistry breathe!
ReplyDeleteWell Britney Spears had a spectacular comeback with Circus and the lead single Womanizer in 2008, after all her public crap.
ReplyDeleteI kinda meant the 2011/2012/2013 comebacks
ReplyDeleteBut you mentioned The Emancipation of Mimi in 2005 :P. Anyway I was just saying loll.
ReplyDeleteI said recent comebacks were disappointing. Divas should look back to 2005 when Mariah had an amazing comebacks. When you mentioned Britney, I thought you meant that she was an example for a recent comeback. Sorry :x
ReplyDeleteWell Nicole has never been super successful without the other Destin's pussycats XD. I'm kinda scared for Cher's comeback. Woman's world is very average, the only thing that makes it enjoyable is her voice lol. I hope she comes up with somthing better on her album.
ReplyDeleteCher's voice is very unique, but I'm sure that she would have a negative reception in today's music market.
ReplyDeleteWell she's already a legend so she doesn't really have to make her proofs again. But she would do better with good music LOL
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb_OD-LN-tY
ReplyDeleteThis is Minzy's Christmas Special thingy....
Well, one has to consider that none of the divas attempting comebacks- bar Mariah herself- has a voice even approaching the godliness that Mariah possessed, even after much decline. Though obviously not her vocal peak, in the TEOM era, Mimi could still outsing the vast numbers of 'imitators (Christina, we're looking at you) she was competing with. None of the other divas are capable of this.
ReplyDeleteMaybe inspite of the talents the artistry simply isn't there? If it IS there...she should take the breathing room rather than wait for record execs to give it. Like that's gonna happen at any major label lol
ReplyDeleteWhile that's definitely true, I don't think the best voices necessarily have the most successful careers, otherwise, Mariah would have outsold Elvis, The Beatles, and MJ combined! These divas can't really improve their voices, but they can make catchier, better produced music.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Mariah's comeback was because of her voice, it was because TEOM was a bit of a sell out album. Now don't get mad, I love that album, but when you compare it with Charmbracelet, in terms of personality, TEOM is very shallow. As Mariah was given the ability to have greater in her releases, she made her albums more personal. That was obvious, I mean Daydream is more personal than Music Box, Butterfly is more personal than Daydream, Rainbow is even more personal, and Charmbraclet is even more personal than that. However, each album sold less than its previous release. I think Mariah sold out to some extent, and made TEOM more focused and urban, with less personal content. It's fine though, E=MC2 and Memoirs both were more personal. I don't think Mariah really wants to be the biggest name in pop anymore, she's just making music that she loves.
I also don't think her voice is ordinary. I still think she can outsing most of today's singers. I mean, not in terms of power, but she's more dynamic definitely.
Just to get this straight...you are saying Mariah's voice in itself is better than Elvis' and Michael Jackson's and even combined?
ReplyDeleteAnd you consider the Beatles to be succesful because of their voices? And the voices of Lennon and mcCartney to qualitively fall in the same category as those of Elvis and Jackson?
Well I mean, there's no way to combine peoples voices, so I don't actually mean that. It was a hyperbole :b I do think that Mariah's voice is better than any of the previously mentioned artists though. In fact, I think she arguably has the best voice in the history of pop music.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course not! I specifically said "the best voices don't necessarily have the most successful careers." I only mentioned the Beatles, MJ, and Elvis in the same sentence because they are the three highest selling music groups of all time.
Very very arguably. Though I am not going to bother in ths case.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm probably only saying that because she's my favorite artist. Even if she's not "the best", which is a matter of opinion, she's definitely up there with Whitney, Babs, Aretha, Sinatra, and the bunch.
ReplyDeleteWell, Opie, I stan for Mariah so i'll have to say... something :D
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Mariah has the best voice in recent pop history. In addition to the average diva pop-gimmicks (aka melisma and belting) Mariah also has a very individual sound. None of the mainstream pop singers in the last thirty or forty years has a voice as unique as Mariah..
Also, Mariah's voice is capable of vocal gymnastics that other divas simply cannot imitate. The whistle register is an an obvious example- and while you can probably argue that other divas too possess this characteristic, Mariah is the only one since Minnie Riperton (and maybe Debelah Morgan) to be able to access it with such ease. She can flip from chest to whistle in no time at all. I can't recall exactly which one, but youtube "Vanishing", and she does it in one of them.
In addition, Mariah has a very interesting (at least, compared to the other Whitney clones that fill the industry,) style that suits her voice IMO. Listen to "Forever"- I don't know HOW to describe the runs in that song other than slippery. She just slides down the runs in a fashion I've never heard another pop singer even attempt to imitate.
Lastly, Mariah is very adept at changing the teture in her voice. She can do this in seconds. Listen to "Lead the Way"- she can change from a whispery, airy tone to a full and rounded one. She even does this while doing melisma.
I understood with ''voice'' the voice itself( even specified it thus). Not what the singer can accomplish technically.
ReplyDeleteA lot of what you mention falls under the ability.
''Pop history'' is also a difficult one. Since arthur includes Aretha..he seems to be taking the wider definition.
And you narrow the time to ''recent''
Anyway ''the best'' is a silly term. It is almost always arguable. No matter which name you put forward. Favorite..that's a qualification on the other hand which cannot be agued at all. :-)
Pure voice...most certainly a lot of names can be mentioned which imo at the very least equal Mariah.
If we are talking singer rather than pure voice, the field becomes more narrow but for my money, she comes close but doesn't surpass Streisand or Sinatra. All things considered.
Mariah as a Whitney clone,imo, easily surpasses Whitney herself though. Speaking of each at their prime.
See above reply to Reiko.
ReplyDeleteOpie, what's your criterion for a good voice? Because you said you know many singers who equal or exceed Mariah vocally... and in Pop music, I can count those kinds of people on one hand...
ReplyDeleteYeah, she can do things that I've never heard other artists do.
ReplyDeletePlus, one thing that everyone forgets about her, she writes her own music. Not only lyrically, but melodically. Did you know she's among the top 5 PRODUCERS (not singers) who have produced the most number 1 singles. That makes her more than just a singer with a divine voice, it makes her an actual musician. Listen to songs like "Fantasy" or "Honey", she (along with other people) made that song. There are only a handful of artists in the history of pop music who actually write their own songs.
Pure voice and in the course of pop history..aside from Streisand...Doris Day, Dusty Springfield, Shirley Bassey, Elkie Brooks, Kate Bush, Shelby Lynne, Allison Moorer, Karen Carpenter to name a few females ( generally the female voice has my preference) who ''officially'' have sung pop.
ReplyDeleteIf I took the definition wide enough it would also include Aretha....well, I could name even my favorite Alison Krauss and a whole lot more names.:-)
Lol Opie, I'll have to look into these people sometime... never even heard of most of them...
ReplyDeleteExcept for Shirley Bassey. I heard her Bond songs and remain unimpressed. How do you define a good voice Opie? My definition must be lacking somehow...
Only a terrible lamb wouldn't know that Mariah produces her own music lol. But it's totally irrelevant in regards to the conversation, as we were speaking about vocal ability in particular.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I edited the above after you replied already with a definition of a '' good voice''.
ReplyDeleteHere are some links to the people mentioned ( but surely you know Kate Bush at leastt?)
Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRp1LZOk05o&feature=youtube_gdata_player
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByqXqz7Tvqo&feature=youtube_gdata_player
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqxMXlqCFZw&feature=youtube_gdata_player
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY8Es9GWE0s&feature=youtube_gdata_player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ha2za1c7AA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX0b1BvE9Yw&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Really? Off the top of my head...linda Perry, Kate Bush, Marina and the Diamonds,
ReplyDeleteImogen Heap is a another great example. She has essentially written, composed, and produced all her songs ( a few co-writes on one album), which is something not usually done with electronic music.
ReplyDeleteLol like I said...heaps! Given some more thought I also came up with Tori Amos,Carol King, Joni Mitchell, Carol Bayer-Sager, Norah Jones, I hear Britney Spears also writes.
ReplyDeleteI just think it makes her so much more of an artist, but you're right it has nothing to do with voice.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I think it's Nicole! I have yet to like any of her singles. Her voice for the most part is above board(her upper register is too twangy for my taste) but there is something about her and her singles thats a major turn off. I also believe she will never live down the Pussy Cat's drama.
ReplyDeleteOpie, your definition is totally different from mine lol.
ReplyDeleteYou go with "universally appealing voice" while I go with "voice capable of feats no other could execute". These obviously make very different results. While these singers obviously rank highly on your own list, they don't rank quite as high on mine.
And I'm still unimpressed with Shirley. Her voice is an acquired taste, IMO. I still find her screechy and annoying.
Incredibly valid point there! Shame she (like many many others) is just another label puppet. A big reason why I am loving Charlotte Churches new output is that she has total control over what she is dropping and is fearless to test new sounds out without worry of being dropped or forced/manipulated by money hungry execs. That kind of pressure cannot be pleasant as an artist, however on the flip side it probably works for those just desperate to hit it big...do as you are told and we will (often fail) in providing (often generic) "hits" ;)
ReplyDeleteLike your list, of those mention, Elkie Brooksis the only one that has a voice that can cope with Rock, Blues, and Jazz.
ReplyDeleteGo Listen to Elkie Brooks.
ReplyDeletelol you are obviously batty when it comes to Shirley. ;-D
ReplyDeleteAnyway...again I was talking timbre/essential ''sound'' of the voice itself. You are talking technical ability. And also very much genre.
Thanks. :-)
ReplyDeleteHave to slighty disagree with you though.. I dare say Shelby is also very capable of tackling all three of those genres. Don't know how familiar you are with her body of work?
For a great vocal check out Elkie Brooks.
ReplyDeleteNot familiar with Shelby, will check her out. Go to Youtube and check out Elkie Brooks singing . " Make you Feel my Love" for me it's the best version.
ReplyDelete