Charli XCX’s “True Romance”

Throughout the last few years, European electro-pop music has sustained mainly because of the growth of young female singers, producers, and chart-hitters. These vibrant electro-pop performers, which include Swedish singer Robyn, Welsh singer-songwriter Marina + The Diamonds, and Norwegian DJ Annie, have obtained praise from critics and huge cult followings from both foreign and American pop fans. But in more recent events, another bright, young musician has also become part of the Euro-pop females: 20-year-old Charlotte Aitchison, known professionally as Charli XCX. Although she debuted unofficially in 2008 without much recognition, she eventually trascended her obscurity with her renowned synth-pop single “Nuclear Seasons” in 2011. Though the critical success of “Nuclear Seasons” skyrocketed in the indie music scene, as well as her feature on pop duo Icona Pop’s summer smash, “I Love It,” the release of her anticipated debut seemed ambiguous and unlikely. Fortunately, it wasn’t until this year, and one mixtape later, that her much-delayed, first major-label record, True Romance, debuted. Despite its original release date of April 2012 and its lengthy recording process (since 2010), True Romance is worth the wait; XCX’s debut is a passionate, powerful, and uplifting album, filled with catchy bubblegum-pop and R&B funk.

Unlike the discordance and disparity of Charli’s continuity, True Romance is refined and tweaked to the point of utmost perfection. At times, True Romance feels a bit lost and out of touch from reality, but XCX’s crystalizing vocals, explicit lyrics, and infectious beats steer clear from becoming too convoluted. Instead, they blend effortlessly and thoroughly into a colorful, mind-melting fantasy. Other than the instantly catchy opener “Nuclear Seasons,” True Romance is also filled with a palette of easily memorable tunes, such as the Gold Panda-sampled “You (Ha Ha Ha),” the blippy, electronic toe-tapper “Take My Hand,” and the seductive and soulful “Set Me Free (Feel My Pain).” In addition, True Romance can also be very sophisticated in sound and in lyrics, resulting in either a gratifying (“Stay Away,” “Grins,”) or a fairly disappointing outcome (“So Far Away,” “How Can I,” “Cloud Aura”). In some cases, certain songs are just plain and simple British electronic club-pop, such as the heavy synth jam “What I Like,” the buzzy “Black Roses,” or the breathy album closer “Lock You Up.”

From an artistic viewpoint, True Romance reverberates the moodiness of 1970s art pop with an early 90s feel. This amalgamation of periods in music also creates a slight nod towards XCX’s prominent line in Icona Pop’s “I Love It”: “You’re from the 70s/but I’m a 90s bitch.” Though True Romance evokes musical influences from the 70s, it mirrors more of a 90s pop album, hence the album’s thematic and euphonic juxtaposition between the past, the present, and the future. This type of retro vibe can be heard especially on one of True Romance‘s standout tracks, “You’re The One,” an oozy ballad, reminiscent of Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera, both of whom are from the 70s and 90s, respectively. Other times, however, Charli XCX easily manipulates synth-pop by mixing hip hop and a universally panned feature from Brooke Candy in the album’s weakest track, “Cloud Aura.” Although “Cloud Aura” derives from XCX’s disjointed 2012 mixtape Super Ultra, its place in True Romance shows that the album isn’t perfect, but that its best songs make up for its flaws.   

Maybe it’s just awkward timing or her naiveté, but Charli XCX demonstrates the complex True Romance with grace and passionate ethos. Like the Quentin Tarantino movie it was inspired by, True Romance is a savvy spectacle of Euro-pop music and a great start for the young Charli XCX.   

Grade: B+
Recommended: Yes
Suggested Tracks: “Nuclear Seasons,” “You (Ha Ha Ha),” “Take My Hand,” “Set Me Free (Feel My Pain),” “You’re The One”

Kid Cudi’s “Indicud”

Around the release of Ohio rapper Kid Cudi’s sophomore effort Man on the Moon II, a friend asked me, “What does Kid Cudi have left to rap about?” Although I was (and still am) a fan of Cudi at that time, the question was seriously racking my brain. Even though both of Cudi’s first two albums were commercial successes (and critical, to a lesser extent), I wondered whether or not Cudi would be able to venture onto a third follow-up that would be just as lucrative and crowd-pleasing. Unfortunately, that’s when Cudi took a huge left turn. His third record, Indicud, is a lazy, inept, and disorienting album, weighed down by his lackluster rapping and monotonus rhythms. It’s more disappointing that the title of Cudi’s third record isn’t Man on the Moon III, marking a cutoff from what seemed like the end of a trilogy. Though his music is intentionally isolated and emotionally distant, this seems like a pretty deceptive and angsty move to do. Even with the huge successes of psychedelic rap songs like “Day ‘n’ Nite” and “Pursuit of Happiness,” as well as electro-rock jams, “Erase Me” and “Revofev,” Cudi’s lack of drive to continue developing new ideas has unfortunately led to the result of Indicud.

Unlike his first two albums, Indicud is solely produced by Cudi, though with some help from WZRD collaborator Dot da Genius on drums. Fellow producer Hit-Boy, who supplied the enticing beats of prior Cudi songs, only co-produced one song off Indicud. Despite the lack of collaborative production, this album is filled with great artists, but some not seeming like they belong on a hip hop album. Although the list of recognizable rappers, such as ASAP Rocky, King Chip, Too $hort, Kendrick Lamar, and RZA, are credible, their appearances don’t create a lasting impression. The artists that don’t fit in on the album are unfortunately featured on the worst songs: “Red Eye” features Haim, an indie-pop trio with great composition but zero chemistry with Cudi whatsoever; “Young Lady” features the alt-rock newcomer Father John Misty, whose sampled “Hollywood Cemetery Forever Sings” would be better left in its original version; the preposterously 9-minute “Afterwards (Bring Yo Friends)” features singer Michael Bolton. Michael. Bolton. Let that sink in. No matter the amount of effort that was put into this album, Cudi fails on almost every level on Indicud.

Understanding that Cudi is considered a self-described “lonely stoner,” it makes sense that he tends to explore and philosophize the concepts of life, loneliness, bitterness, and dreams in his music. However outside his own little world, he’s gained a popular cult following of high school and college kids, several collaborations with Kanye West and other Roc-A-Fella artists, and a charming role in the recently-cancelled HBO show How to Make it In America. Unfortunately, barely any of these aspects are seen in Indicud. Grittier, gloomier, and overly nonchalant, Cudi instead fluffs Indicud with 70 minutes of basic crap. Even from listening to snippets of the album on iTunes is disappointing. The only song that, thankfully, is worth hearing on Indicud is its first lead single “Just What I Am.” Given its decent vocals from Cudi and rapper King Chip and its airy electronic sound, “Just What I Am” is Indicud‘s sole standout. Basically everything else though is a faceplant. Going back to the aforementioned question, I once again asked myself, “What does Kid Cudi have left to rap about?” After listening to Indicud, I’d have to say that he has stuff to rap about, but the question is whether or not he’s willing to share it with the world or if he’s just tired of rapping.

Grade: D-
Recommended: No
Suggested Tracks: “Just What I Am”