After a failed attempt in releasing her solo debut album Her Name Is Nicole in 2007, Nicole Scherzinger is back on the music scene with an entirely new project titled Killer Love.
Following the disappointing reception towards her first two solo singles, Scherzinger decided to put her solo career on hold and come back with a whole new direction after she departed from The Pussycat Dolls. With hit producer, RedOne, Killer Love is filled with pop gems as well as beautiful ballads, including lead single “Poison”, and UK number one hit “Don’t Hold Your Breath”. The time and effort put into this new project pays off in this debut that gives a great start to the much deserved solo career of Scherzinger.
The long-awaited album begins with a club-ready pop monster “Poison”. The track is something that the artist would have recorded with the Pussycat Dolls, but Scherzinger is able to do it all alone, and successfully. The song was a good choice as a first single for the new project because it allowed the audience to get a taste of the music direction that the album was taking. It is catchy and something different that contains great vocals.
One of my favorite moments on the entire album comes from the dark, sexy title track, “Killer Love”. The vocals that are present are amazing, but what really sets the song apart from anything else are the lyrics, the songwriting quality that is genius. The production is sort of similar to that of the first track, but it is turned into something completely new once Scherzinger starts belting out powerful notes and keeps a strong performance throughout the entire song.
The album changes its pace a little once the current second single “Don’t Hold Your Breath” begins to play out. Even though the song is still sung with an accompanying club friendly beat, the lyrics are something more personal and carry more meaning. Scherzinger is telling the one that she loved that there is no feeling left between them. The track is a beautiful, emotional, “ballad-esque” song that really shows that a solo career was needed for this artist.
Unfortunately the album hits a bump in the road with “Right There”. As soon as the song started I quickly thought that it was a song that R&B singer Rihanna rejected from her recent release. The song just does not work for Scherzinger and she never makes it her own, there is no originality or creativity present on the track which should not happen with your first release. Scherzinger is known for sexualized tracks and performances, this is just not her best.
All loud beats and production are toned down for “You Will Be Loved”. Scherzinger has the talent to let her vocals be the true star of her music and this track is evidence of that. The song carries an empowerment message dealing with love and how everyone will find the one they are meant to be with. An interesting element, yodeling, can be heard throughout the track and somehow it just seems to work with the song perfectly.
“Wet” is a nice, radio friendly song with some good guitar instrumentals thrown in, but its downfall is the fact that people will quickly compare it to Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In The World). Both of the songs contain similar beats and flow the same way which leads me to believe again that this track was leftover from Rihanna’s recording sessions. The song is good and everything about it works, I just feel like I have heard it already.
Another highlight off the new effort is the powerful “Say Yes”. When you listen to the lyrics at the beginning of the track, one will assume that the song is going to be strictly about sexual fantasies, but once the chorus starts the song turns into something else. Scherzinger is pleading to her man, with an amazing vocal performance, to tell her she is his one and only. The production is done just right, never overshadowing Scherzinger. Just a great pop song.
“Club Banger Nation” is a great song to play at the club or blast on your radio; it will get anybody on their feet to start dancing. The track is a well crafted dance song similar to Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” and Jennifer Lopez’ new hit “On The Floor”, not shocking that RedOne produced them all. The song is fun and enjoyable, but I am afraid other critics will slam Scherzinger negatively for trying to copy other artists out there now.
With the help of Sting, Scherzinger was able to record the beautiful ballad “Power’s Out”. Both of the artists’ vocals are the best they can be and they complement each other very well, but they make the song what it really is. The written material is not the greatest, sometimes Scherzinger and Sting are putting their all into lyrics that do not make that much sense. The song is good; it is a nice change of pace for the album, just nothing amazing.
The heartfelt “Desperate” is a track that I would say is stuck right in the middle when compared to all the other songs on the track list. The vocals that are provided by the artist are beautiful, the message contains deep meaning and I respect that, however, the track did not blow me away. It is a shame that the song will get lost and overlooked, but it did nothing for me, it was just there to fill up space.
If you want to see the vulnerable side of the ex Pussycat Doll, then “Everybody” is the track that you must turn to. With one listen I was drawn to everything about the track and got a bit emotional myself. Scherzinger shines very brightly on this song; her true vocals are able to come through on a song that is nothing about love. The track is truly something special and I think this is where the artist is most comfortable.
I like the fact that Scherzinger is trying to give “Heartbeat”, a song present on Enrique Inglesias’ latest release, more exposure, but the fact is that it is still technically not her song. This new remix gives the amazing song something extra, but it is not that much different from the original version. The song is beautiful, a favorite of mine; it should not be included her though.
The ending of an relationship is the subject that is explored on "Casualty". The artist sings that one will feel the heartbreak more than the other in a voice that is just right for the kind of song the material was turned into. The song is sung with so much emotion an conviction, a trait that is not seen in most artists today. It is a powerful ballad that shows that Scherzinger can stand on her own as a serious artist.
The album closes with the simple yet beautiful ballad "AmenJena". The artist is able to show the amazing vocal range that she is capable of. The song is all above love and that is what makes the track so special when released along everyday pop tracks. I feel that the song was the best way to end the successful album on a very high note, Scherzinger saved her best performance for last which was a smart choice on her part.
Killer Love is an amazing pop debut from an artist that has been on the music scene for many years as part of a girl group. The album is half club-thumping dance tracks and half simple, emotional ballads, but it is all brought together to form one cohesive gem that should not be overlooked. Scherzinger has the vocal talent and abilities that any artist today could only dream of having, it was no shocker that she would eventually pursue a solo career. The project may have been a long time in the making, but it was worth the wait. For amazing pop songs and powerful ballads, great vocals and production, the album receives an 89%.
Tracks to Hear: "Killer Love", "Say Yes" and "Everybody"
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