Welcome to the latest installment of Jake’s Take’s New Music Reviews! (Bitmoji property of Jake’s Take)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Welcome to the latest edition of Jake’s Take’s New Music Reviews! We have a lot of music to unpack, so let’s start this party!
Rita Ora’s You & I would have been much more enjoyable if she and her production team did not overtly use too much sampling in the production process. (Album cover property of BMG Rights Management UK)
You & I by Rita Ora
It was a different world when Rita Ora released her second full-length studio album: Phoenix. Six years since its release, the singer and actress has become a staple on international talent competition stages. She is a The Masked Singer UK panelist and a coach for The Voice Australia. You & I is the former X Factor UK judge’s latest offering, and the record is an okay album. While fewer superstars are on the roster than Phoenix (only Fatboy Slim is the only featured artist), You & I has a lot of sampling, showcasing the lack of creativity between the Detective Pikachu actress and her production team. Rita Ora has talent, but the challenge for her and the production team is not to use sampling as a security blanket. C-
Tracks to Download: “Don’t Think Twice,” “Praising You,” & “Shape of Me.”
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) continues Taylor Swift’s re-recording process of her masters. (Album cover property of Taylor Swift)
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s re-recording series continues as she tackles her 2010 breakthrough album: Speak Now. I am amazed how the “You Belong with Me” singer-songwriter co-wrote all the tracks for this album. Now, 13 years later, Taylor teamed up with Christopher Rowe to produce the tracks. What I love about Taylor’s Versions are the “Behind the Vault” sections. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) features “When Emma Falls in Love,” which allegedly is about her longtime friend Emma Stone and two new collaborations, “Electric Touch” (with Fall Out Boy) and “Castles Crumbling” (with Hayley Williams). Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) showcases The Eras Tour headliner’s growth as a recording artist and will satisfy all Swifties. A-
Tracks to Download or Stream: “Sparks Fly (Taylor’s Version),” “Back to December (Taylor’s Version),” “Mean (Taylor’s Version),” “Never Grow Up (Taylor’s Version),” & “Electric Touch (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault).”
An all-star group of recording artists and producers crafted songs to commemorate Barbie’s silver screen live action adaptation. (Album cover property of Atlantic Recording Corporation, Warner Bros Entertainment & Mattel)
Barbie: The Album by Various Artists
One of 2023’s most highly anticipated films, Barbie, is now in theatres! Starring Margot Robie in the title role and Ryan Gosling as Ken, the Greta Gerwig-directed film showcases the dolls’ journey into the real world after being expelled from Barbie Land. To accompany the movie, Atlantic Records assembled an all-star team of producers, songwriters, and recording artists to craft the soundtrack. Andrew Wyatt, Ava Max, Billie Eilish, BloodPop, Dua Lipa, Finneas, Ice Spice, Khalid, Lizzo, Mark Ronson, Nicki Minaj, Ricky Reed, and Sam Smith are some of music’s heavy hitters that were involved with the project. Barbie: The Album features superb tracks such as Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” Ryan Gosling’s surprisingly powerful character anthem “I’m Just Ken,” Sam Smith’s “Man I Am,” and Billie Eilish’s haunting “What Was I Made For?” There are some duds on the soundtrack as Charli XCX’s “Speed Drive” and Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World.” Barbie: The Album will satisfy the legendary fashion dolls’ massive fanbase despite these duds. B-
Tracks to Download or Stream: “Pink,” “Dance the Night,” “I’m Just Ken,” “Man I Am,” & “What Was I Made For?”
“Save Me the Trouble” by Dan + Shay
Country music duo Dan + Shay kickstarted their latest album cycle for their fifth studio album, Bigger Houses, with the revelation to People Magazine that they almost split up! The “From the Ground Up” performers dropped a new song: “Save Me the Trouble,” I immediately got chills. Between their amazing harmonies and the superb country rock guitars, “Save Me the Trouble” reminded me why I became a fan of them in the first place! Well done, gentlemen! A+
“I’m Yours” by David Archuleta
David Archuleta continues brightening 2023 with his latest single: “I’m Yours.” The Masked Singer: Season Nine runner-up teamed up with MONOWHALES (Zach Zanardo, Sally Shaar, and Jordan Circosta) to write the lyrics while Zanardo worked on production duties. As I listened to “I’m Yours,” I was in awe of how the quartet combined romance with delicious pieces of EDM ear candy. “I’m Yours” is a work worthy of being a top song on radio and streaming playlists. A
“Overdrive” by Post Malone
Rapper-singer Post Malone dropped his final single: “Overdrive,” from his July 28 album: Austin. The “Sunflower” performer reunited with Andrew Watt, Louis Bell, and Billy Walsh to compose and produce the track. “Overdrive” is a revelatory song that showcases the Los Angeles transplant’s desire to be cool for a love interest. “Overdrive” has the potential to be one of Post Malone’s best songs to date. A-
“Mind Your Business” by will.i.am & Britney Spears
10 years after will.i.am and Britney Spears released their third collaboration, “It Should Be Easy,” the duo released the highly anticipated “Mind Your Business.” This song perfectly takes the listener inside the “Till the World Ends” singer’s world as the paparazzi and tabloids aggressively pursue her. It is a perfectly executed track that will hypnotize fans and potentially dominate the charts. A
Artists to Watch:
Jake’s Take’s Artists to Watch is back! Here are the recording artists and bands that have potential to take the music world by storm!
Resilence by Big Boss Vette
St. Louis-based rapper Big Boss Vette’s music has been used in social media posts by Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Nicole Scherzinger, and Reba McEntire. Resilience is her latest extended play, and from the first note of “Another One,” her bombastic talent made my jaw drop. All the songs are executed exceptionally well. I genuinely believe Big Boss Vette is on her way to being named one of 2023’s breakout artists. A-
Tracks to Download or Stream: “Another One,” “Get It,” “Can’t FWM,” & “Dollas.”
“Gwendolyn” by Altered by Mom
Canada’s musical power couple, Gina Kennedy and Devon Lougheed, are known as Altered by Mom. “Gwendolyn” is an epic pop-punk song that will transport Millennials back to their antsy middle and high school days. From powerful rock guitars to the “Stacy’s Mom”-esque lyrics, “Gwendolyn” will make listeners dance and put smiles on their faces. A-
“365” by Bren Got Hits
Chicago native Bren Got Hits is gaining a following in his hometown and parts of Atlanta, Indiana, Las Vegas, and Orlando. His latest single, “365,” reminds me of a classic mid-2000s pop-rock anthem with a twist of hip-hop. “365” is an addicting piece of ear candy that many listeners want to replay repeatedly. B+
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