Review: Cheryl Cole's Messy Little Raindrops

More from across the pond! As seen on my review on Fordham's The Ram

UK Release Nov. 1, 2010 Fascination Records

Cheryl Cole gained notoriety as a member of Girls Aloud and as Chelsea FC and England footballer Ashley Cole's (now ex) WAG (wives and girlfriends). She is one of the UK's biggest celebrities with her music career, personal life, and her gig as a judge of arguably the UK's most popular talent contest, The X Factor. After her highly publicized separation from the Chelsea fullback, Cheryl has been looking to make a name for herself. While not completely defecting from Girls Aloud, she has now focused on her solo career. Last summer saw her smash hit "Fight for this Love" reach number 1 in the charts along with her solo debut album Three Words.

She certainly didn't waste time in releasing her follow-up album a little over a year after. Cole doesn't have trouble producing hits or selling albums with the first single "Promise This" and the album reaching number one in the charts less than a week after the release. Cole teams up with an array of producers and artists that include will.i.am, Kelis and Travie McCoy.

The album as a whole, though, is decent at best. "Promise This" is a catchy enough tune, but pales in comparison to her solo debut a year ago. The rest of the album seems overly produced, with not a lot of substance. She only helped write two of the songs, and there seems to be an emotional disconnect with most of the tracks. It's a lot of filler songs, and judging by the time frame of the release, the album seems a bit rushed. Although she's known for her upbeat, poppy dance tracks, it's the two slower songs that seem to be the strongest on the album. "The Flood" and "Raindrops" are probably the only two with any sort of emotion and really flatter her vocals (that aren't that strong to begin with).

Messy Little Raindrops is not a bad album, but she can definitely do a lot better. She is not impressing anyone with this effort, and she should take time off her incredibly busy schedule and write her own songs (if she can). It has been reported that she just signed a $6 million deal with Universal Records last week, so we can expect to hear a lot more from her in the near future. She is likeable enough and has enough charisma, which is evident in her success. Now she just has to back it up with the music if she wants to be taken seriously as a solo artist.

RATING: 6/10


Check out the carrier single, "Promise This"