Oooh, she's all grown up now, isn't she? Three years since she attempted to make "Swagger Jagger" a thing, and Cher Lloyd's sophomore album is dropping in Ireland and the UK within days of her 21st birthday. The album cover is showing off this maturity to, as she finds herself sexily draped in a bubblebath, sultrily smoking a cigarette. Music wise, there is some evidence of maturity to, as we get nothing quite as noisy or irritating as "Swagger Jagger", but also nothing quite as memorable. For as bad as that song was, you still couldn't quite get it out of your head for days afterwards, something that can't be said for the solid, unspectacular collection of pop songs to be found here.
Lead single "I Wish" features the album only contributor T.I., and the throwback sound mixed with timeless lyrics of wanting to change for the boy you like was fine but forgettable for the comeback single. Much stronger was single number two "Sirens", a fantastic power ballad that wouldn't be out of place on a Kelly Clarkson or Pink album, and the clear album highlight.
Elsewhere, things get divided firmly into two camps: bouncy upbeat pop and moody, emotional sad songs. Despite some of the interesting names behind the production and writing, there isn't any evidence of originality here. Not one of the eleven songs gets to the four minute mark, and none of the songs couldn't have potentially sung (and potentially sung better) by any number of pop's current princesses.
Which isn't to detract from Lloyd's unique likability, as she warps her charismatic sneer - a sound that was tried and failed by the likes of Lady Sovereign and Jentina back in the day - around the likes of the manic, J-Pop sounding "Dirty Love", party-starting "Killin' It" or bubblegum love song "Just Be Mine", and the effervescent nature of her delivery just makes it all seem so damned easy.
Throughout the album we're given a healthy mixture of pop Svengalis (Max Martin, Benny Blanco, Shellback, Carl Falk) as well as some interesting co-writing collaborators (Mike Posner, Tove Lo, Beth Ditto), which only adds to the confusion that there isn't really one really great stand-out track that you'll be hearing on the radio and in clubs for weeks and months to come. "Alone With Me", "M.F.P.O.T.Y." and "Bind Your Love" are all blandly interchangeable upbeat filler, while the sad-EDM "Human", acoustic "Goodnight" and all-build-up-with-no-payoff "Sweet Despair" aren't quite what you'd call bad, just … meh.
As a pop album, its exactly what you'd expect; well produced, averagely written, some decent songs, but mostly forgettable. But when we were first introduced to Cher Lloyd on X-Factor, the half-rapping, half-crooning, all-talent wrecking ball, we were right to expect more than just an average pop album. Don't apologise for being late, Miss Lloyd, but more for mildly disappointing us.
Review by Rory Cashin | TWO POINT FIVE OUT OF FIVE
