http://www.noizemag.com

noizemagazine - Index

noizemagazine - noiZe Magazine Issue 58 October 2008 - Index

Rihanna
Disturbia
I literally haven't been able to get
enough of this song since I first
heard it back in May. But anyone
who says people don't change for
the one they're with is full of it. Ri's
been dating Chris Brown for a while
now and, surprise, surprise, her new
single was written by her current
bed buddy and sounds identical to
everything he's been doing of late.
Rihanna's got a tolerable voice,
but, under Brown's influence, has
elected to go with Danity Kanetype
auto tuning, vocodering
h e r p i p e s i n t o s o m e t h i n g
unrecognizable. But "Disturbia" is
ear candy rivaling the radio pop
perfection of Cher's "Believe"—it's
not meant to be deep, it's meant
to be fun, and more catchy that
chlamydia. The remixes capitalize
on that quality beautifully, with
mainstream club rubs from Jody
Den Broeder and Craig C., and a
dense tribal barrage from Craig C.
and Nique. Jump on this one, ‘cuz
it's gonna be your new favorite.
Read more NEW Zingles reviews on
www.noiZemag.com!
I really hated this when I first heard it. But like most pop, it's written in such a way
that it wheedles its way into your heart like a manipulative boyfriend and finds
some cunning way to hang around and eventually make you love it. And as usual,
I didn't personally care for it until I heard the remixes, the scope of which is almost
overwhelming. Of course they went with Ralphi Rosario, as he was responsible for
making club accessible the Dolls' lead single from the first album, but then they
added to the cast list Dave Audé, Dirty South, The Wideboys and Digital Dog,
totaling 10 mixes, dubs and edits, and making this what was probably one of the
most expensive single releases in months. The album has since been released,
including what are probably several songs taken from Nicole Scherzinger's
cancelled solo album. From here, it looks like this album's gonna keep the girls
right where they've been for the last few years: a rock-steady pop staple.
49
Happy Am I! Healthy Am I! holy Am I!
Keri Hilson
Energy
The woman behind the curtain finally
drops a spotlight on the starlet and takes
center stage. Keri Hilson, the songwriter
behind pop radio hits like Britney's
"Gimme More" and "Break The Ice,”
Omarion's "Ice Box,” Timbaland's "The
Way I Are" and Usher's "Love In This
Club,” finally gets her chance and goes
solo with a forthcoming Timbalandproduced
(read: mandatorily successful)
album and this debut single. The original
is somewhat electro-flavored urban
pop (please, what would Timbaland
be without stealing dance music's
hallmarks and repackaging them?), but
the gay’ed up version comes from the
go-to remixers The Wideboys, who
do a perfect job of leaving everything
from the original intact and adding just
enough kick to translate it cleanly.
Pussycat Dolls
When I Grow Up (Remixes)