David Guetta’s new album “Nothing But the Beat” is good, but definitely not great.
Fans of his know that Guetta’s artistry is unique and that he manages to walk a fine line, placing himself between multiplatinum, multimillionaire DJ and underground jam master. He definitely shows this in “Nothing But the Beat,” using rappers, pop-stars and his tracks to make a few good songs and a few mediocre songs.
On a 13 track album Guetta features over 15 different artists, including rappers Snoop Dog, Chris Brown, Little Wayne, Timbaland, Flo Rida, popstars Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Hudson, Sia, Dev, Jessie J, hip-hop artists Usher and will.i.am and DJ Afrojack.
What’s the result of this incredible variety of artists? A very eclectic and unique album with some songs I love and some that I “very strongly dislike.” (as a teacher might say)
My favorite was “Titanium,” a track with vocals provided by the Australian popstar Sia Furler. It opens with a faux classic rock beat and morphs into a vocal session before ending as an electronica beat. I also liked “Little Bad Girl” featuring Taoi Cruz and Ludacris’ vocals which are anchored by a good beat. I also really enjoyed “Lunar,” the electronica track he did with Afrojack.
“Night of Your Life” with Jennifer Hudson was entertaining and I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t really great, or even that good. It’s excellent beat and good vocals really give this pop song some pop. “Repeat” with Jessie J was better though, its nice vocals and exciting beat made it one of the better songs on the album.
The one song I hated was “Where Them Girls At.” Nicki Minaj and Flo Rida manage to steal the album, scratch the paint, put a dent in the bumper, and drive it off a cliff (in that order). I honestly couldn’t finish this track. I was two minutes into it and said “Nope, absolutely not, no, no, no, no I’m doing this.” We shall therefore, and henceforth call Where Them Girls At “The Song Which Must Not Be Named.”
Overall, I liked many of the songs on “Nothing But the Beat” a lot, but I also listened to some that were mediocre. I would have liked to see some more electronica because while there was a lot of pop and hip hop, there was only one electronica song (“Lunar”) that Mr. Guetta composed with Afrojack. I did like most of the hip hop and pop though so it was actually a pretty good album all things considered.
My suggestion: sample the album and buy the songs you like on iTunes.
