Ashley Tisdale: Guilty Pleasure Album Review

 Okay, what is up with me and listening to music by artists from Disney channel?  First Lindsay Lohan, then Hilary Duff, and now today Ashley Tisdale.  Maybe I just like pop music too much.  Anyway today I'm reviewing Ashley Tisdale's second album, "Guilty Pleasure".  Here's my track by track review.

1) Acting Out: One of the songs co-written by Ashley.  It's definitely a step up from any of the songs from her last album "Headstrong".  The song is about breaking out and not doing what you're told to do.  I think a lot of teenagers can relate to this.  It was released as the fourth and final promo single from the album.  10/10

2) It's Alright, It's OK: The first single from the album.  The video showed Ashley throwing a party at her ex-boyfriend's house.  The song is a great song to listen to when you're going through a breakup but it sounds very similar to Pink's "So What" and Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You".  9/10

3) Masquerade: This is one of my favorite songs on the album.  It was supposed to be the second single from the album and rumored to be the third single after "Crank It Up" but that didn't happen.  Instead it was only released as the first promo single.  Sad it wasn't released as the third single because it probably would've had an awesome video.  10/10

4) Overrated: Another song co-written by Ashley.  It was released as the second promo single from the album.  Although it has great lyrics, it's not as memorable as the previous three songs.  8/10

5) Hot Mess: This song is about wanting a bad boy and what he does to you.  But like "Overrated" it doesn't stand out as much.  7/10

6) How Do You Love Someone: This song sounds like it was an outtake from Lindsay Lohan's "A Little More Personal (Raw)".  It was co-written by Porcelain Black, who's recording a version of it for her album with Eminem.  Although the song highlights her voice it sounds the song should've been recorded by Lindsay Lohan.  9/10

7) Tell Me Lies: They say honesty is the best policy but not in this case.  In this song Ashley begs her partner to tell her lies because she doesn't want to breakup with him.  Interesting.  8/10

8) What If: Ashley co-wrote this song too.  It highlights her vocal talents perfectly.  It's only downside is that it sounds like a carbon copy of her cover of "Unlove You" on "Headstrong.  It was released as the third promo single from the album.  Even though it sounds so much like "Unlove You", I still really like it.  10/10

9) Erase & Rewind: This song is probably my favorite one off the whole album.  At one point it was going to be the single but that was obviously scrapped.  I love the chorus of this song.  10/10

10) Hair: To me, "Hair" is kind of a boring track.  I barely listen to it at all.  5/10

11) Delete You: "Delete You" returns the album to some rock-like tracks.  It talks about deleting a person from your life.  And destroying some of their property which is always a plus sometimes.  (HAHA!)  10/10

12) Me Without You: When I first got the album, I ignored this song.  But one day I decided to listen to it and I'm glad I did.  This is an amazing ballad and despite the title, the song talks about how she's nothing without her boyfriend.  Another song that Ashley co-wrote.  10/10

13) Crank It Up: The's album second and final single.  For some odd reason it's listed as a bonus track despite being on the standard edition of the album.  Apparently the song was supposed to be on Britney Spears' "Blackout" album, which would explain why the video has a Britney-esque feel to it.  10/10

14) Switch: Like "Crank It Up" it's on the standard edition of the album as a bonus track.  It's also for her film "Aliens in the Attic".  Never saw the movie, but I like the song.  It feels like it could've been on her first album.  10/10

15) I'm Back: This song was limited edition bonus track.  I think it's awesome and I wonder why it wasn't put on the album.  It probably would've been better to have this be the first single instead of "It's Alright, It's OK".  10/10

16) Whatcha Waiting For: Don't make this girl mad!  I'd hate to be the guy who inspired this song.  Like "I'm Back", it was also on the limited edition version of the album as a bonus track.  10/10

17) Guilty Pleasure: Why is the title track a bonus track?  And why is it only on Japanese version of the album.  Written by Ashley and The Matrix, who worked with Avril Lavigne on her first album "Let Go".  It's also a b-side for "It's Alright, It's OK".  10/10

18) Time's Up: Originally titled, "Love Is a Train", was co-written by Katy Perry.  It's not only a bonus track on iTunes, but it's also one of two b-sides for "Crank It Up".  I wish this song was on the standard edition instead of "Hair".  10/10

19) Blame It on the Beat: After so many great songs, this one feels a little like a downer.  Like "Time's Up" it's a bonus track on iTunes and a b-side to "Crank It Up".  8/10

 Ashley Tisdale's "Guilty Pleasure" was much more edgier than her first album "Headstrong" and I love listening to the album.  She's also working on her third album and I can't wait to hear it.  My favorite songs are: "Erase & Rewind", "Masquerade", "Switch", "Time's Up", "Delete You", "Acting Out", "It's Alright, It's OK", "Me Without You", "Guilty Pleasure", "Whatcha Waiting For", "I'm Back", "Crank It Up", and "What If".  Out of 190 points I give it 171 which is 90%, an A.  Awesome job Ashley, love this album and can't wait for your new one!

Hilary Duff: Hilary Duff Album Review

 Before Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato became stars on Disney channel with Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, and Sonny with a Chance, Hilary Duff was around with her show Lizzie McGuire.  Over the years Hilary has released a couple albums, done some TV shows and movies, got married, had a kid, and is now working on a new album.  On top of that she's also managed to remain a positive model through the years.  Today I'll be reviewing second album, the self-titled "Hilary Duff" which was released after 10 years ago, so here's my track by track review.

1) Fly: This was the album's first single and in some places in the world it was the only single from the album.  The video featured Hilary performing at her "Most Wanted" concert tour.  Although an uplifting song it failed to chart on the billboard charts.  9/10

2) Do You Want Me?: When I bought the album, this song was one of the songs I skipped.  A year later I gave it a chance and was pleasantly surprised.  The verses start slow with an upbeat chorus.  Very pop/rock and different from her last album.  9/10

3) Weird: This was apparently Hilary's favorite song on the album.  At one point she even wanted it to be a single.  She did get her wish but it was only released in Spain.  The name of the song title says it all.  It's just WEIRD.  No other way to describe it.  7/10

4) Hide Away: An amazing ballad.  Although she struggles trying hit some notes in the chorus the song is great, especially the third verse.  I would've loved to see a video for it.  10/10

5) Mr. James Dean: One of the three songs that Hilary wrote as well as her sister Haylie.  The song was rumored to be about her ex-boyfriend Aaron Carter.  Hilary never confirmed or denied it though.  Lyrically it's great but vocally it's alright.  It'd be great if she didn't shouting the parts she does in the chorus and at the end of the song.  8/10

6) Underneath This Smile: "Underneath This Smile, my world is slowly caving in".  How many people can relate to this?  I know I can.  On this song Hilary doesn't sing the first two verse but instead does spoken word but just saying them.  Although it fits the song it kind of takes away the message of the song.  8/10

7) Dangerous to Know: I wouldn't have expected Hilary to do a song like this since it has a done-undertone to it.  It seems like an outtake that Evanescence or Kelly Clarkson did.  Although it's perfect for Halloween, it's hard to believe Hilary singing a song so dark when she's known for her Disney background.  8/10

8) Who's That Girl?: Another song that I used to skip.  Although the music to the song is great it takes a couple of listens before you think it's a decent song.  It tells a great story though.  7/10

9) Shine: It seems that the theme of this album was self-empowerment with song like this one, "Underneath This Smile", and "Fly".  I like this song and after "Who's That Girl", it's good to hear a happy song like this.  9/10

10) I Am: "I'm an angel, I'm a devil, I am sometimes in between".  With lyrics that are so relatable, it's hard not to listen to it.  It is strange, however that the song was written by Diane Warren who is known for writing songs for Toni Braxton, Brandy, and Celine Dion.  It was released as a single to Radio Disney but didn't have a video.  9/10

11) The Getaway: This was supposed to be the second single from the album but apparently do to what some people called "a sudden drop" in sales for the album, the single ended up being cancelled.  That really sucks especially when it was a great song and probably would've been a hit on radio.  Although it did get some airplay, it's a shame we never got a video or full release as a single for the song.  10/10

12) Cry: This song is kinda boring.  I always skip it.  4/10

13) Haters: This song was also co-written by both Hilary and Haylie Duff.  The song gained a lot of controversy when it was rumored to be about Hilary's supposed rival, Lindsay Lohan.  Hilary said that wasn't about her though.  At one point Hilary had considered releasing the song as the second single from the album (maybe that's why I heard it on my radio a few times in '04), but she changed her mind to releasing "Weird".  I wonder if it was because of the controversy that "Haters" got that she changed her mind.  Hmmm...  10/10

14) Rock This World: This was the third song that Hilary co-wrote and she co-wrote it without her sister.  It sounds like a mixture of bubblegum pop mixed with pop rock music.  The song was later remixed for her greatest hits album "Most Wanted".  I have to say this version of the song is not as good as the version on "Most Wanted".  8/10

15) Someone's Watching Over Me: If you saw Hilary's film, "Raise Your Voice", then you know this song.  It was released as the second single in Australia.  The song did have a video but the video was the performance scene taken from the film.  8/10

16) Jericho: Like the previous song, this song was also in "Raise Your Voice" where it's heard in the beginning and at the end of the movie.  It's my favorite song on the album and I wish it was released as a single in the U.S.  A remixed version of the song was released as a single in Japan though.  10/10

17) The Last Song: Hilary's sister, Haylie co-wrote this one.  The song, being less than a minute and a half, serves as an outro for the record.  I question why it's on here since it's not really needed.  4/10

 Hilary had attempted to make this album more rock than her first album, "Metamorphosis", and although it's pretty good it does feel like she tried to make it sound like something Avril Lavigne or Ashlee Simpson would've released.  But that's probably one of the reasons why I like this album so much.  My favorite songs are: Jericho, Haters, The Getaway, Hide Away, Rock This World, Fly, Shine, Mr. James Dean and Underneath This Smile.  Out of 170 points I give the album 136 which is 80%, a B.  Awesome job Hilary and I can't wait for the album!

Avril Lavigne: Goodbye Lullaby Album Review

 It shouldn't be a surprise that since I reviewed Avril Lavigne's self-titled album that I'd be reviewing her 4th album "Goodbye Lullaby".  "Goodbye Lullaby" was released in 2011 although according to Avril Lavigne she had finished the album a year before but her label at the time wouldn't release it.  Thankfully not only did they release the album but Avril signed a new deal before the end of the year.  Here's my track by track review.  

1) Black Star: Intro to the album. It is the name Avril's first perfume and at one point Avril thought about releasing it as a single.  Weird right?  It's pretty good but it's also pretty short. If it was longer I'd probably like it more.  6/10

2) What the Hell: The first single from the album.  The song is about being bad for once when you've always been good.  It rocks and it's also very similar to her song "Girlfriend".  It was the last song written for the album and was the least personal that Avril wrote.  It's also one of the two upbeat sounding songs.  10/10

3) Push: The song is amazing. It talks about how both people in a relationship have to work together so it won't fall apart.  Evan Taubenfeld, who was Avril's lead guitarist and co-writer of the song, also sings on the track.  Avril wanted this song to be the second single but that didn't happen.  It was released as the fourth single in Japan though, but without a video.  10/10

4) Wish You Were Here: The third single from the album. The name says it all.  It's about wishing that the people you love or care about was with you.  I can't relate to this song.  Awesome ballad. It's downside is she says damn too much in the song.  The video was also very raw, minus her setting a flower on fire but in a way that was expected from her.  10/10

5) Smile: When I first heard this song I thought that this was "I Don't Have to Try" part 2.  That and the opening line reminded me of one of my friends.  It is the second and last upbeat song on the album.  Although I wasn't surprised when it became a single, I was slightly annoyed that it was the second single.  The album is more mellow and slightly acoustic pop, so releasing the only two upbeat pop singles as the first two singles wasn't a good move.  10/10

6) Stop Standing There: It took me a long time to like this song.  When I first got the album I questioned why she even recorded it but over time it's grow on me.  8/10

7) I Love You: It's about loving someone for who they are.  I can relate to the third verse.  I wonder if she wrote about her ex-husband.  8/10

8) Everybody Hurts: My favorite song on the album!  It talks about how everybody has bad days and it's okay to be sad because you'll get through it.  I can relate to this one cause I've had those kind of days...weeks...months...anyway the song rocks.  I question why this wasn't a single since it's one of her best songs, lyrically and vocally.  10/10

9) Not Enough: My second favorite song on the album.  It's about how someone isn't getting enough in the relationship and the relationship slowly starts to crumble.  It's an amazing ballad that showcases her voice perfectly.  10/10

10) 4 Real: Avril wrote this song by herself.  It's not a great song but not bad song either.  Good to have if your an Avril fan but it's kinda pointless to have on an album.  5/10

11) Darlin': Avril wrote this song when she was 14 years old.  I'm really surprised that she decided to put it on the album but I'm glad she did.  I love that it's acoustic.  After "4 Real" it's good to hear a great song like this.  10/10

12) Remember When: My third favorite song on the album.  The song starts slow but gets stronger in the chorus.  Somehow I can relate to this song too.  Why is she writing songs about my life?!  10/10

13) Goodbye: Avril has said this song inspired the name of the album.  She also said it's the most personal song on the album too, which is why she never performed the song live.  It had a video in 2012 as a way of saying goodbye to the "Goodbye Lullaby" era.  7/10

14) Alice (Extended Version): From the Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland movie.  This version has an extra verse that goes "I'll play the game, but I can't stay.  I've got my head on straight, and I'm not gonna change. I'm not gonna change.  I'll win the race, keep up with the pace. Today is the day that I start to pray, you can't get in my way. No."  I think it made the song much better.  The song also reminds of the stuff from her second album Under My Skin.  10/10

15) What the Hell (Acoustic): I was scared when I heard there was an acoustic version of the song.  I love acoustic music but an acoustic version of this song just scared me.  I was surprised that it sounded great.  10/10

16) Push (Acoustic): Awesome but it's surprisingly short than the original despite nothing being taken out.  7/10

17) Wish You Were Here (Acoustic): Good but she needs to stop saying damn in that song.  It's getting annoying.  8/10

18) Bad Reputation: If you bought the Deluxe Edition, like me, you'll get the acoustic tracks and this song.  Avril covered this song, the original singer is Joan Jett.  Joan Jett fans will hate it, Avril fans will either love it or hate it.  I love it but that's just me.  10/10

 Avril Lavigne's "Goodbye Lullaby" is great and although out of all her albums I relate to this one this most, because I can relate to every song on the album, it's not as good as "Let Go", "Under My Skin", "The Best Damn Thing", or "Avril Lavigne" .  My favorite tracks are: Everybody Hurts, Not Enough, Remember When, What The Hell, Push, Smile, Bad Reputation, Darlin' and Wish You Were Here.  Out of 180 points I give it 159 which is 88%, a B+.  Wow a 2% difference from her self titled album.  Didn't see that coming.  But anyway awesome job Avril!

Lindsay Lohan: Speak Album Review

 Ten years ago Lindsay Lohan was known for being a well known actress, model, and singer.  Unfortunately things haven't been that good for her over the years.  From being arrested, almost going to jail, and doing a Liz Taylor movie that didn't get good reviews, it seemed like her career was over.  However she's been trying to make a comeback with not only in documentary series on Oprah's network, OWN, but she's also going to be producing and staring a movie called "Inconceivable" and there are rumors that she's working on a new album.  Until then I'll review her first album "Speak" which was released after 10 years ago.  Here's my track by track review.

1) First: This was released as the third and final single from the album.  It was released to help promote her movie at the time "Herbie: Fully Loaded".  The video for the song showed Lindsay performing while a race was taking place.  It was also the first video she did as a blonde.  I was annoyed at first when it became single since I hated the song at the time, but over the years it's grown on me.  9/10

2) Nobody 'Til You: Like "First" the song was written by Kara DioGuardi and John Shanks who co-wrote and produced a majority of the album.  The song feels like it was an outtake from Ashlee Simpson's "Autobiography" album but it's still a pretty good song.  10/10

3) Symptoms of You: This song was compared to Vanessa Carlton being that it is a piano ballad.  I think if Vanessa sang this song it'd be better but Lindsay does pretty well.  10/10

4) Speak: The title track that was supposed to be the third single from the album.  After that plan was scrapped and "First" was released it was decided that "Speak" would be the fourth single from the album but when Lindsay said that she'd be working on her second album the single release was once again scrapped.  I was annoyed because it was one of my favorite songs on the album.  10/10

5) Over: The album's second single.  When I first heard it I thought it was okay, then I go to watch TRL (Total Request Live) and find out that's video is premiering.  I was completely shocked.  Surprisingly though the video did manage to retire after 50 days which wasn't an easy thing to do on that song.  After it became a single I couldn't stand the song but recently I liked hearing it.  10/10

6) Something I Never Had: This is a great song.  It's about still having feelings for an ex who doesn't feel the same way about you.  Who can't relate to that?  10/10

7) Anything But Me: A song about trying to find yourself and knowing you can't please everybody.  I think out of all the songs on this album I relate to this one the most.  My favorite is the ending of the chorus: "When the everything that they want you to be, is anything but me".  10/10

8) Disconnected: It's hard to tell what direction Lindsay was going with this album since they're songs that are pop but also songs, like this one, that have a little bit of rock.  This song was apparently co-written by Marion Raven from the pop M2M.  Lyrically it's one of the best songs but it seems like Lindsay's trying too to do a rock song and her voice sounds a little forced.  8/10

9) To Know Your Name: From an okay song to the worst song on the album.  "To Know Your Name" may be the song that summed up Lindsay's life in the spotlight at the time but she sounds bored on this song.  Also is Aaron Carter singing the background vocals?  It's just a boring song that shouldn't have been recorded.  5/10

10) Very Last Moment in Time: After last song was bad it's good to hear a good song.  Rumors are that Kelly Clarkson co-wrote this song.  I don't know about that.  The song sounds like it'd be perfect for a Disney movie.  10/10

11) Magnet: On some editions of the album, "Magnet" was included on the album.  Unfortunately for me it wasn't included on the one I bought.  Thankfully it was on iTunes and quickly got it.  It's my favorite song on the album.  10/10

12) Rumors: The first single on the album.  For some strange reason, even though it was the album's first single, it was listed as a bonus track.  I don't know why but at least it was on the album.  The album version of the song is different from the video version by 9 seconds, taking out the dance break part in the video.  9/10

 "Speak" debuted and peaked at number 4 on the charts and even after almost 10 years it's still one of my favorite albums.  I just hope Lindsay makes a comeback this year.  My favorite songs on the album are: Magnet, Speak, Nobody 'Til You, Something I Never Had, Anyone But Me, Over, Symptoms of You, and Rumors.  Out of 120 points I give the album 111 which is about 92%, an A.  Awesome job Lindsay, hope 2014 is your comeback year!

Lesley Roy: Unbeautiful Album Review

 In 2008 Lesley Roy released her first single, "I'm Gone, I'm Going" and her album "Unbeautiful" followed shortly after.  I started to listen to her  music when I heard the album's second single, "Unbeautiful"and bought the album and loved it.  Here is my track by track review of the album.

1) I'm Gone, I'm Going: This was the 1st single released from the album.  The song is about leaving someone whether it because you're sick of them or you just want leave.  It was the only single from the album to have a music video.  When I first heard the song I didn't like it, but when I got the album I started to listen to it a lot and loved it.  10/10

2) Here For You Now: This song is one of the few happy songs on the album.  It's about being there for a friend when they're sad and/or depressed.  9/10

3) Slow Goodbye: This song was apparently released  as the 3rd single from the album.  It's a sad song about how a relationship is ending and you don't want to hear a "slow goodbye".  This song was co-written by Katy Perry.  I wonder why it didn't have a video.  10/10

4) Unbeautiful: The 2nd single and the title track.  It's about how a relationship originally started good but ended because the person they were with ended it so the other person wonders what made that other person lose interest in them.  This was the song that made me listen to the album.  10/10

5) Psycho Bitch: This is about a person who was wronged and they want revenge!  I think a lot of people can relate to this.  It sounds like a song Avril Lavigne probably would've recorded for her "Under My Skin" album.  9/10

6) When I Look at You: From wanting to get revenge on a guy to just wanting to get with one.  Wow.  In this song Lesley sings about seeing a guy who looks hot and she wants to get him in a room.  A very straight forward song.  8/10

7) Thinking Out Loud: This song is my favorite on the album.  This is about being confused about life.  Many people can relate to this because life is hard and confusing and sometimes the situations were put in don't exactly help with that.  This should have been a single.  10/10

8) Dead But Breathing: Another song about a relationship coming to an end.  In this case you feel so numb in the relationship that in order to be okay you have to end the relationship.  This song highlights Lesley's amazing voice.  9/10

9) Misfit: This is the only song Lesley did not write on the album.  This song was written by Evan Taubenfeld who used to be Avril Lavigne's guitarist.  The song is about an outsider who life is hell every single day.  Another song I relate to.  (Curse junior year of high school!)  10/10

10) Make It Back: Despite it being so rock it's actually a happy song.  It's about doing whatever it takes to get back to the person you love.  I didn't like it much when I first heard it but now it's one of my favorite songs.  10/10

11) Crushed: A sad song.  It's about a person you love and hate and how your life would be miserable if they left.  I think a lot of people can relate to this song.  I know I can.  10/10

12) Come to Your Senses: It's about a relationship about how one person wants the other to come to their senses and come back to them.  The chorus is very good, but this is the song that I don't listen to as much as the others.  8/10

13) Come Back: Written about a death and how you want them to come back.  A very sad song and I can relate since my grandmother passed away.  It's hard to listen to sometimes.  9/10

14) I Don't Want to Want You: If you downloaded the album from iTunes or go to iTunes you'll find this song because it's a bonus track.  It's about how you don't want to like a person and have feelings for them but you end up liking them but you can't be with them.  I relate to this song too well.  10/10

 After listening to this album I realized three things: 1) It's an awesome album. 2) It's a very relatable record. and 3) She basically wrote about my teenage years which is creppy!  My favorite songs are: Thinking Out Loud, Misfit, Slow Goodbye, Make It Back, Crushed, Here For You Now, I'm Gone, I'm Going, Unbeautiful, and I Don't Want to Want You. Out of 140 points I give it 132 points which is 94% an A.  Awesome job Lesley Roy and I hope you record a new album soon!

Sugababes: Sweet 7 Album Review

 One of the U.K.'s most successful pop bands is the Sugababes.  They've had a total of 6 number one singles and many top 10 hits.  Unfortunately these days they aren't remembered for their music as much as they are for their line-up changes.  From 1998-2001, the group consisted of Siobhan Donaghy, Mutya Buena, and Keisha Buchanan.  They only released one album in 2000 called "One Touch" along with 4 singles.  Siobhan left the group in 2001 and was replaced by Heidi Range.  It was then that the group gained extreme success with 3 albums called "Angels with Dirty Faces", "Three", and "Taller In More Ways" and 4 number 1 singles: "Freak Like Me", "Round Round", "Hole In The Head" and "Push The Button".  This line-up lasted from 2001-2006 when Mutya left the group.  She was replaced with Amelle Barrabah who re-recorded three of the songs on "Taller In More Ways".  This line-up lasted from 2006-2009 and released "Overloaded: The Singles Collection", a collaboration with Girls Aloud which was a cover called"Walk This Way", "Change", "Catfights and Spotlights", and a single called "Get Sexy".  "Get Sexy" was to be the first single from their next album "Sweet 7".  They were about to release the second single, "About a Girl", when disaster struck once again when Keisha was kicked out of the group and replaced with Jade Ewen.  Because "Sweet 7" was not released yet, The record label replaced Keisha's vocals with Jade's.  "About a Girl" was the first video by the Sugababes to not have any original members.  Despite that Sweet 7 was still released and I'm going to review it track by track.

1) Get Sexy: The first single from Sweet 7 and the last single to feature Keisha's vocals.  Unfortunately, even though Keisha was in the video for it, the album has Jade's vocals on it.  It doesn't make sense to do that, especially since it doesn't make the song any less boring.  It somehow peaked at number 2 in the U.K. despite many fans labeling it as "one of the Sugababes worst singles".  4/10

2) Wear My Kiss: The third and final single from the album.  It was also the second to feature Jade.  This song is much better than "Get Sexy" and it's futuristic video is also good.  I have to say Jade's version of the song is a little better than Keisha's (don't judge me!).  Another shock is that Bruno Mars co-wrote this song as well as "Get Sexy".  "Wear My Kiss" peaked at number 7 in the U.K.  10/10

3) About a Girl: The second single from the album and the first to feature Jade in the band.  The song was produced and co-written by RedOne, who's produced many hits for Lady Gaga.  This song one of the better songs on the album and one of my favorites.  The video however was not as good as the song.  I'm also not sure whether I like Jade or Keisha's version of the song more since they both did great on it.  The song peaked at number 8 in the U.K. without any promotion.  Not bad.  10/10

4) Wait for You: Another song co-written by Bruno Mars.  The song is okay, but not great.  The version with Keisha was much better than the version was Jade.  I usually skip it.  7/10

5) Thank You for the Heartbreak: The song was rumored to be a single at one point and I can see why.  It's one of the good songs on this album.  Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic co-wrote this song and he's written great songs for Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson, Colbie Caillat, etc.  I like Jade's version just as much as Keisha's version.  Another fav.  10/10

6) Miss Everything (featuring Sean Kingston): The first and only song on the album to feature someone else on the album.  The song's pretty catchy but it's only negative is Heidi's vocals on the song.  Amelle, Jade, and even Sean Kingston outshine her.  I'd give the song an 8 but since Keisha's version is better this one I took a point off.  7/10

7) She's a Mess: WTF?!  The title of this song should be called "This Track's a Mess".  TOO MUCH AUTO-TUNE!  The upside to this song?  The beat and Amelle singing "everybody go mad, everybody go psycho" other than that the song's horrible!  3/10

8) Give It to Me Now: The upside, there's no auto-tune.  The downside, the song is boring!  3/10

9) Crash & Burn: An uptempo ballad that was supposed to be the 4th single but was cancelled.  Unlike the rest of the songs on the album, this song was recorded after Keisha was kicked out of the group.  But there are still 2 versions of this song.  The differences are the first half of the second verse which is "We lost it all in the fire we can't get it back, there's no way to recover anything we had, we're on the outside looking in at our aftermath, now it's too late".  One version has Amelle singing it and the other has Heidi singing it.  I prefer the version where Heidi sings it.  It's much better than the previous two songs.  10/10.

10) No More You: Another ballad.  The version with Keisha has yet to be released however there is a version were she's singing it live with Heidi.  This song is okay but not as good as "Crash & Burn".  8/10

11) Sweet & Amazing (Make It The Best): Sugababes go acoustic pop?  An uplifting ballad that's kinda boring and feels like it's been played on radio several times before.  5/10

12) Little Miss Perfect: This was Heidi, Amelle, and Jade's favorite song on the album.  It showcases their voices beautifully and it's pretty good, but not as memorable as the other songs.  6/10

 Overall Sweet 7 ended up getting not only negative reviews but peaked at number 14 in the U.K., their lowest charting album since One Touch.  This many have been because no original members were in the band and a lot of the songs weren't as good as their previous songs.  My favorite songs on the album are: Wear My Kiss, About a Girl, Thank You for the Heartbreak, and Crash & Burn.  Out of 120 points, I give it 83 which is 69%, a D.  The Sugababes have apparently broken up but the original members: Siobhan, Mutya, and Keisha have gotten back together as "Mutya Keisha Siobhan", "MKS" for short.  They'll release an album later this year.

Vanessa Carlton: Icon: Best of Vanessa Carlton Album Review

 In 2002, we introduced to the amazing, piano-playing, songstress Vanessa Carlton when she released her debut single, "A Thousand Miles".  The song became a huge hit and to date is Vanessa's best selling single.  Since then she's released many singles, a couple albums, and has signed to many different labels.  Today I'll be reviewing Vanessa Carlton's album, "Icon: Best of Vanessa Carlton".  Here's my track by track review of the album.

1) A Thousand Miles: The debut single by Vanessa Carlton from her first album "Be Not Nobody".  Before it was released as a single, the song was initially called "Interlude", until Ron Fair, the head of A&M Records (which was the label Vanessa Carlton was signed to at the time), told her to change the title.  Like I said earlier, the song became her biggest hit to date peaking at number 5 on the billboard hot 100.  The song's video involved Vanessa playing the piano while it moved around different parts of the world.  Still an amazing song to this day.  10/10

2) Ordinary Day: The second single from Vanessa's first album "Be Not Nobody".  The song was initially called "Divide and Conquer" and had a different lyrics at the end of the chorus.  The original ending lyrics of the chorus were "If we walk now, we will divide and conquer this land." (Hence the original title for the song).  The final version of the song has the ending lyrics of the chorus as "Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of you hand", but Vanessa has sang the "Divide and Conquer" part of the song in some live performances.  "Ordinary Day" is Vanessa's second best selling single as well as her second, and to date, only other single hitting the top 40 on the billboard hot 100 chart by peaking at number 30.  The video featured a solar eclipse while Vanessa played the piano in a field with many people hugging and kissing.  The song is my favorite on "Be Not Nobody".  10/10

3) White Houses: The first single from Vanessa's second album "Harmonium".  Unlike the previous songs, "White Houses" wasn't as successful.  This was attributed to her label, A&M, refusing to promote the single as well as the album because it was much darker in contrast to Vanessa's first record.  On top of that some radio stations censored the song's lyrics, not because of swear words (because there weren't any) but because the song talked about a woman losing her virginity.  I get it, not something people want to hear on radio but considering the songs that get played on radio these days and even back then I have to say it was unfair for the song.  The video showed Vanessa playing the piano as well as doing ballet dancing.  The song peaked at number 86 on the charts.  Sad because it was a great song.  10/10

4) Heroes & Thieves: The title track from Vanessa's third album, "Heroes & Thieves".  The album was Vanessa's first, and only album, to be released through The Inc., a record company she signed to after leaving A&M Records.  The song was not released a single which makes it strange that it would be put on a "Best of" record, but it makes sense since she hadn't released many singles.  Plus the song was rumored to be the third single from the album since she performed it many times.  I love the lyrics and I wish it had a video.  10/10

5) Nolita Fairytale: The first single from Vanessa's third album, "Heroes & Thieves".  The song's initial title was just "Fairytale" but it was changed to "Nolita Fairytale instead.  It was Vaness's first single released through The Inc. and mentioned her leaving her previous record label A&M as well as thanking Stevie Nicks, who she went on tour with.  The video began almost exactly like "A Thousand Miles" except that she stopped playing the piano and the piano got destroyed by a moving car.  It also featured a man with butterfly wings, a wolf, and a policeman riding a unicorn.  This was also the song that got me listening to Vanessa Carlton.  10/10

6) Who's to Say: An album track from Vanessa's second album, "Harmonium".  Although "White Houses" was recognized as the only single from "Harmonium" in the U.S., "Who's to Say" was actually the third and final single from the album in Asia.  The song asks the question "who's to say we can or can't be together?".  I really wish her label at the time gave this song a chance because it's a beautiful song that would've been a hit on radio.  10/10

7) Home: An album track from Vanessa's third album, "Heroes & Thieves".  The song was one of two songs to be the second single from "Heroes & Thieves" along with "Hands on Me".  Eventually "Hands on Me" became the second single instead.  When I got the album "Heroes & Thieves", I ignored the song but these days I listen to almost all the time.  I love the piano part at the end of the song.  It's very uplifting and inspiring.  10/10

8) San Francisco: An album track from Vanessa's second album, "Harmonium".  After "White Houses" failed on the charts, Vanessa was told to write and record songs for a re-release of "Harmonium" because there apparently was a "radio hit" on the album.  I find that funny considering "San Francisco" was probably the one song from "Harmonium" that sounded the most like something that could've been on "Be Not Nobody", so it probably would've been a hit.  Instead of a re-release of "Harmonium" Vanessa left A&M records.  Shame the label didn't release this song.  10/10

9) Pretty Baby: The third and final single from Vanessa's first album, "Be Not Nobody".  The song was remixed for radio when it was released.  Unfortunately unlike "A Thousand Miles" and "Ordinary Day", the song failed to gain the same chart success.  The video also showed a different side of Vanessa by tying her boyfriend to a chair.  CRAZY!  The version that's included on this album is the original album version from "Be Not Nobody".  10/10

10) Hands On Me: The second and final single from Vanessa's third album, "Heroes & Thieves".  The song was originally called "Put Your Hands on Me" but was shorted to "Hands on Me" because Joss Stone had a song with the same title.  "Hands on Me" performed better than "Nolita Fairytale" but it also missed the billboard hot 100.  After promotion ended Vanessa left The Inc. and later signed onto Razor & Tie.  It's video was very simple.  10/10

11) Twilight: An album track from Vanessa's first album, "Be Not Nobody".  I question why this track was picked for the album instead of "Wanted", "Rinse," Sway", or her cover of The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black."  The song was the last song on "Be Not Nobody" and was also the darkest (which may have been a clue to why "Harmonium" was so dark as well).  Although it has great lyrics I mainly ignore this track.  7/10

12) Private Radio: An album track from Vanessa's second album, "Harmonium".  "Private Radio" was supposed to be the lead single from "Harmonium" but for unknown reasons that was scrapped.  Instead "Private Radio" was released as the second single in Asia, but it didn't perform very well because of lack of promotion.  (No surprise since A&M barely promoted the album at all.)  The song was an upbeat song that talked about insomnia.  It's one of my favorite songs on "Harmonium" but it took me forever to figure out the lyrics she sings in between the chorus at the end of the song.  10/10

 Overall, Icon: Best of Vanessa Carlton gets 117 points out of 120 which is a 0.975 which rounded up to a 98% an A+.  Awesome job!  My favorite songs on the album are... well all of them!  Although the album its self doesn't offer anything new, it's still good to have if your a die-hard Vanessa Carlton fan.

 After this album was released, Vanessa released her fourth album, "Rabbits on the Run" and it ended up being another great album.  She's now working on her fifth album and I can't wait!  Vanessa you rule!