Let Me In

Hot Hot Heat is back with more suck for us to choke on. Their latest single Let Me In comes off a new album that I was hoping would be more akin to their first album Make Up the Breakdown than their sophomore release Elevator.

The Hot Hot Heat situation is a good example of why fans are so against "going mainstream". It's not really about the band becoming well known, selling out, or not signing a billion things after concerts. It's about changing your sound in a way that eliminates uniqueness. Make Up the Breakdown was unique, if not perfect. It was early new new wave, before new new wave was in vogue again, pre-Killers. Elevator was the great leap to mainstream that sounded nothing like the previous album and made up HHH's own let down.

The latest release was a place to reach back or stay the course, and we've seen what they chose. Let Me In is completely indistinct. It sounds like a bunch of noise, I can barely understand the vocals. The music is bland and constant--no highs or lows, no emotion. What happened to the wood block, the funky beats, and the lack of production?

Final Note
HATE

Gimme More Video

Britney Spears's video for Gimme More is building a lot of buzz, not only because it's Britney, bitch, but also because America has been following the drama of her "everyday" life. Despite the devastating VMA performance and mounds of awful publicity, Gimme More is a triumph of pop music even if Britney isn't. It's hot right now, yo.

I'm going to insert a mea culpa in here. I originally said that I did not like the song, but oh how it has grown on me. I turn it up everytime I hear the first beats.

With it's recent debut on TRL and a host of other places, like iTunes, it seemed fitting to review the video. We see Britney in her usual environment as of late--a club. We see her drinking with friends and watching a pole dancer, who turns out to be Britney too! Is this art imitating life?

Let's talk about the dancing. It's no VMA performance. It looks good, but there's a lot of camera cuts and you realize Britney really isn't doing that much. There's no breakdown dance routine, a crushing blow to my enthusiasm for the video. In fact, the video actually seems more suggestive than sexual, if one disregards the revealing dress code.

And there's a part where Britney actually smiles. When was the last time we saw that?

Final Note
HATE

Gimme More
Britney Spears
Live Performance at VMAs

This is the first ever performance review for LMSP, but it only makes sense to expand in this new direction when pop is all about the sound and performance.

There is one problem, and only one problem, with Britney's VMA performance: commitment. Britney is not committed to the performance art--and apparently neither was her hair stylist as her flat, even length hair said over 30 and preggers with more than a hint of a stripper's apathy. Everything, from her robotic body movements to her lack of facial expression said that Britney was not back. She had no plans on playing the role of seductress anymore. She may have wanted to be a slave 4 U, but that time has come and gone, and now she doesn't really want more.

When I watched the clip, I felt like she was outdone by her backup dancers, which would have had a great show without Britney in the middle. There's Britney's pretend cover her mouth giggle, when it's clear she's not giggling. There's 50 Cent's face of confusion and Rihanna's orgasm by way of shadenfreude in the front row. You know who would have been great for this song? PCD.

Final Note
HATE

Gimme More
Britney Spears
Lyrics

Anticipation When America's Mickey Mouse Club superstar turned whore of a mother pop star is staging a comeback, the stakes don't really get any higher. Unless it's divorce. Or child custody battles. Or vag flashing. But then, that's just what it took to get Britney to her new place.
Vocals Britney doesn't really have to try on this song as no talent is required. It sounds more like talking than singing everywhere.
Music Reminiscent of I'm a Slave 4 U's more club oriented sound than radio appeal, Gimme More comes from the same vein. It's flat for a dance track, however. One might wish that the track gave us more.
Verses The song is actually the best in the verses. Britney shines in a low, red light.
Chorus Clearly the worst part of the song. It's only two words. Not even Britney can pull off a two word chorus.
Hook I guess it's the two word chorus.
Breakdown Instead of the breakdown, I'd like to discuss the intro. The first, radio-unfriendly line of the song had me ROFLCOPTERing. It will be the hook that everyone throws around. I already have started.
Lyrics
They're bad, even for a pop song. I don't understand why the slut trys to veil her desires through bad puns:

Center of attention, even when you're up against the wall You got me in a crazy position If you're on a mission You got my permission
Hit Potential I don't think it will be enough to stage a comeback a la Hung Up. This is definitely a Princess of Pop comeback.
Final Note
HATE

I'm a Flirt
R. Kelly vs Broken Social Scene
Lyrics

Anticipation As opposed to the usual mashup problem (good song + good song = shit), I was told this one was more like good*good=good^2. And this was from a person without mathematical qualifications.
Vocals Do you remember Trapped in the Closet? The vocals are like that at the end of each line--an extension toward higher notes, similar to asking a question. So annoying. The MCing is pretty fast, though, R. Kelly doesn't do any of it.
Music Broken Social Scene brings the house down in this one. It makes the song both interesting and unique.
Verses Underwhelming. Most attention is focused on the MCs who spit words deadpan.
Chorus Clearly the best part of the song. Particularly the later chorus that also takes the place of the breakdown.
Hook The song really lacks a hook. "I'm a flirt" maybe singable, but it doesn't get stuck in your head.
Breakdown See chorus.
Lyrics There are a lot of words to this song, but none of them particularly interesting. I don't really wanting to worship R. Kelly by singing his ladies man warning to all the b/fs out there.
Hit Potential None. Mashups have no potential.
Final Note HATE

Ayo Technology
50 Cent feat. Justin Timberlake
Lyrics

Anticipation With all the 50 Cent/Kanye West drama, all releases are getting loads of attention to see who wins most first week sales. 50's solo career could be over if his tracks aren't hot enough.

Vocals By the slow saying of the words in this song, it sounds like 50's getting a bit lazy. He'll give you this hit since he has to. Similarly, Timberlake gives a good performance as the featured artist, although there's no challenge here as it sounds exactly like a track off FutureSex/LoveSounds.

Music A bit too Atari for my tastes--it has crazy synths in the bg like "Do It". Obviously they're supposed to represent technology, but it's too trite and not very interesting. And more importantly, WHERE IS THE BEAT IN THIS SONG?!

Verses Such a snooze. No interest in the vocals or lyrics.

Chorus I like the chorus in the way that anything off FutureSex/LoveSounds is great, but it doesn't really offer anything except for more of Timberlake's recent sound.

Hook Same as chorus.

Breakdown 4 x "Your hips, your thighs, they got me hypnotized, let me tell you" is a fuckin' weak breakdown.

Lyrics I'm not going to knock it for sticking to hip-hop's typical themes--girls, sex, sex with girls--but there are no bonus points for cleverness. Perhaps the worst part of the song is that it's not particularly clear why its called "Ayo Technology"; it's not like the song is about supertechy, sexy spying.

Hit Potential It's 50. It's Justin. We'll see it in the top 20.

Final Note HATE

Body Language
Heidi Montag feat. Spencer Pratt
Lyrics


Anticipation
We weren't hoping for much here since Heidi is best known for being the bad best friend on The Hills. We had no idea she was trying to become a recording artist either. The one thing this does, though, is boost our interest in Jo from The Real Housewives of Orange County's recording career.

Disclaimer: Heidi's track carries as much baggage as the three seasons of Laguna Beach and two seasons of The Hills that launched her to fame. While I'd normally ignore the drama, it is a big part of this track's success and timing.

Vocals
It's really the vocals that break the song. If nothing else, it's clearly the inexperience that spoils what could have been a hot track. The vocals are weak; every line sounds like it should be sung much harder, especially in a dance single. Heidi's voice is barely audible above the sampling. Moreover, when we get to the rap, one can hear Pratt's gasps for air--a hallmark of poor MC-ing.

The song is really trying, though. With no high notes to miss, Heidi catches a break.

Music
The song smartly relies on a sample of Yazoo's "Situation" to distract from the vocals and recall feelings of good times. And relies it does as the music goes nowhere. And it is the music that makes the song grow on you before you're finally over all of it.

Verses
Boring and empty. Filling time until the chorus with the sample.

Chorus
The bridge is where we really hear Heidi:

let me follow your lead
baby come on control me
come over take on me
take me

When you finally get to the chorus it's more bland, and sounds like someone else's vocals masked as Heidi.

Hook
"Read my body language", as a command, fails.

Breakdown
In this case, it's Pratt's rap. Not particularly fast, but it does a good job of breaking up the song, although the subsequent climax isn't as high as I'd expect.

Lyrics
They seem to follow the audience's view of Heidi's on screen personality--focusing on being controlled and inviting male attention--and play on these control issues as though being sexually dominated.

boy whatcha waiting for
come and take control over me me
show authority

Nothing aside from the lyrics, such as Heidi's tone of voice, convey an understanding or interpretation of this satire.

Hit Potential
We might see it break onto the charts, but a lesson for Heidi: drama doesn't sustain a radio hit.

Final Note
HATE