2008 Woodie Awards
Simpson hits highs, lows with latest album
Issue date: 5/2/08 Section: College Life
Staff writer Charlotte Kyle writes the music reviews.
I was tired of Ashlee Simpson's new album before I even heard it.
That's the problem with over-promoting and over-hyping an album - or, in this case, over-promoting one's self. The majority of news and media sources kept Simpson in their reports, but rarely was "Bittersweet World" mentioned.
Instead, every article and segment focused on her engagement to Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz and the "is she or isn't she?" pregnancy speculation.
Needless to say, I was not looking forward to an album by the smaller Simpson.
However, I was pleasantly surprised. Sort of.
The first track, "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)," is addictive and fun, the perfect club track thanks to the work of producer Timbaland. The vocals don't sound like Simpson, but rather possess a certain Latina flavor you wouldn't expect from the self-proclaimed punk.
None of the songs seem to sound like Simpson, but rather feature the starlet trying to emulate other industry females. "Boys" has a reminiscence of when Paris Hilton tried to start a singing career with "Stars Are Blind."
The sixth track, "Ragdoll," has a watered-down Gwen Stefani feel to it. "Hot Stuff" has a breathy Britney Spears feel to it, and while it might be tongue-in-cheek, it doesn't work.
"Rule Breaker" almost made me turn off the album only three songs in. I typically can handle cheesy lyrics - I love old Avril Lavigne and cheesy boy band tracks from the '90s. What I can't stand, however, is songs so self-involved and faux-hardcore.
"You don't want no problems," she scratchily says over a stale beat, "You don't want no beef. I don't wanna fight tonight, but I ain't goin' home for no one."
I honestly wonder who read the lyrics to this song and decided it was a good idea to spend money recording it. The younger Simpson has always tried to secede from Jessica's original good girl image, but proclaiming herself as a "black sheep" seems fake.
I was tired of Ashlee Simpson's new album before I even heard it.
That's the problem with over-promoting and over-hyping an album - or, in this case, over-promoting one's self. The majority of news and media sources kept Simpson in their reports, but rarely was "Bittersweet World" mentioned.
Instead, every article and segment focused on her engagement to Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz and the "is she or isn't she?" pregnancy speculation.
Needless to say, I was not looking forward to an album by the smaller Simpson.
However, I was pleasantly surprised. Sort of.
The first track, "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)," is addictive and fun, the perfect club track thanks to the work of producer Timbaland. The vocals don't sound like Simpson, but rather possess a certain Latina flavor you wouldn't expect from the self-proclaimed punk.
None of the songs seem to sound like Simpson, but rather feature the starlet trying to emulate other industry females. "Boys" has a reminiscence of when Paris Hilton tried to start a singing career with "Stars Are Blind."
The sixth track, "Ragdoll," has a watered-down Gwen Stefani feel to it. "Hot Stuff" has a breathy Britney Spears feel to it, and while it might be tongue-in-cheek, it doesn't work.
"Rule Breaker" almost made me turn off the album only three songs in. I typically can handle cheesy lyrics - I love old Avril Lavigne and cheesy boy band tracks from the '90s. What I can't stand, however, is songs so self-involved and faux-hardcore.
"You don't want no problems," she scratchily says over a stale beat, "You don't want no beef. I don't wanna fight tonight, but I ain't goin' home for no one."
I honestly wonder who read the lyrics to this song and decided it was a good idea to spend money recording it. The younger Simpson has always tried to secede from Jessica's original good girl image, but proclaiming herself as a "black sheep" seems fake.
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