It's hardly unusual for hip hop tracks to have collaborators all over them or to borrow a famous pair of lungs for their choruses, but Bobby Ray Simmons Jr or B.O.B to you and me, has made more use of guest vocalists than most.
His first track "Nothin On You" featured the vocal talents of rocketing soul singer Bruno Mars in its gentle litlting hook and his second release and breakthrough hit, "Airplanes" crossed over into a whole new market, thanks to Paramore's Hayley Williams heartfelt chorus.
Both singles did superbly, with "Airplanes" in particular sticking around in the charts for nigh on three months.
Third time out, B.O.B has turned to a more experienced man to supply the chorus. Weezer frontman and famous mental person Rivers Cuomo, who's approaching his twentieth anniversary in the music industry, sings the catchy as you like chorus of "Magic".
It's not a bad track, full of bouncy keyboards and it's got a hook that's very hummable. Cuomo is at his poppy best, with the charm and enthuiaism that make Weezer such a likeable rock band all over this track.
It has a summer party feel to it and is the kind of track you'd think Travie McCoy would be proud to put his name to.
The trouble is for B.O.B, the best and only memorable bit in this song is the chorus. The rap, which is delivered at a ferocious pace, is rendered forgettable by the track's glossy production and as a result, it'll pass most people by.
This isn't the first time this has happened. "Airplanes" might have stuck around for a long time, but that was because of Williams' vocal and the impact of Paramore's ever widening fanbase. B.O.B's verses served as nothing but build up, with his rhymes reduced to bum notes against William's earnest vocal delivery.
On each one of his releases, B.O.B has basically been reduced to a guest artist on his own song. He lets his collaborator become the track's focus and dominate the listener's attention, so whether his words are worth listening to or not, they're buried in the background.
B.O.B needs to strike out on his own next time round and see the public responds.
He was due to do so on his next track single "Don't Let Me Fall", which is a solo track in its album version, but guess what? It's being remixed as we speak to feature rising star Heather Vesey. Someone said once that if you something isn't broken, there's not much point in repairing it. Chances are, B.O.B's label have been guided by the same logic.
If you read the lyrics to "Airplanes", you'll learn of a man craving to go back to a time when he wasn't famous. If he's not careful or he runs out of luck in finding collaborators, his wish will be granted.
Check it out here:
No comments:
Post a Comment