Cheryl Cole - 3 Words album review
29 comments | Published by Rach Read |
As I listened to 3 Words with furrowed brow and disgruntled look, my boyfriend started chuckling away. ‘You’re going to have so much fun with this three words thing, aren’t you?!’ Solo Album Fail, Not Good Enough, Will This Do? and Cheryl… No No No (admittedly four words, but I think he was trying a pun on Sexy!… No No No) were some of his suggestions. But I’m going to contain myself because some things, like sex, death and having good hair, are just too important to pun over. And The Cheryl Cole Solo Album is clearly one of these things. So what I will say is: I didn’t like it much. But you might.
You may remember us calling Fight For This Love ‘inoffensive diet R n’ B… stuck through the pop processor of mediocrity’. Well, Fight For This Love is actually one of the better tracks. So if you really despised Fight For This Love, I suggest: move along, there’s nothing more to see here. Sit back, twiddle your thumbs and wait for the next Girls Aloud album because you’ll search for a Xenomania stomper in vain. 3 Words largely treads along a slick and polished path of downbeat R n’ B and, for a white Geordie whose day job involves her either being the face of primetime Saturday night telly or singing about gift-wrapped kitty-cats and walking primroses, it’s a credible and convincing stab at a market that the Yanks have all sewn up.
The first three tracks are brave in their starkness and stillness. All are haunting, evocative, moody and yes, rather good too. The title track, a duet with the Black Eyed Peas’ Will.I.Am (who is all over this album btw), is the eeriest yet most oddly compelling love song I’ve heard in a while with spooky strings and synths the order of the day; Parachute has a hypnotic drum motif that syncs nicely with a sad-sounding but lovely chorus about Cole’s man being ready to catch her if she falls; Heaven is a ethereal slice of wibbly-wobbly electro beauty marred only by the awful American mangling of ‘my heaven’s wit choo’ (ahoy Will.I.Am!). But after that, things rapidly deteriorate to a road more generic – more listenable, more mainstream perhaps, but a hell of a lot less exciting. Namely, aimless faceless R n B, of note only because Cole is singing it.
Rather like a car with not a lot of petrol left in the tank, 3 Words makes a few attempts to spark the ignition – the Taio Cruz-penned Stand Up is the best and most upbeat of the bunch, whilst the bounce of Happy Hour (‘I’m never happy when I’m sobered up… I’m only good if I can have a sip… I can’t help but drink you up cos you’re my happy hour’ although haven’t they been banned anyway?!) and the Chic 70s-style groove of Make Me Cry come close – but never really gets going.
And if you thought the lyrics of fight (fight) fight (fight) Fight For This Love were banal, then the word banal doesn’t even do some of these choruses justice. Everything is done in multiples – ‘A boy like you’ x4, ‘My heaven’s wit you you you’ x4, ‘Are you trying to make me cry’ x7, ‘My heaven’s wit choo’ x14. I think the Ivor Novello Awards are safe from 3 Words’ grasp.
This is a not an album that will go down in the annals of time as being one of the best ever – but nor will it be deemed one of the most embarrassing either. It’s safe, it’s pleasant and it ticks along nicely. Did I hope for more? Yes. Am I entirely surprised? Not really. Do I still love her to bits? Of course.
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What do you think of 3 Words?
Lottie
What i expected really. a middle of the road, meh album. Pleasant, generic and a little bit boring. Still love her though, but what the **** is she WEARING IN THAT PICTURE. IT OFFENDS MY EYES, GET IT OFF!!
Vanessa
Interesting review!
I’m looking forward to hearing Stand Up, Parachute, 3 Words, Rain On Me and Don’t Talk About This Love the most.
Vanessa
P.S. Lottie, what are you on about?! That picture is HOT.
Mimi
yep, i expected middle of the road stuff… and this is just it. HATE how WILL.I.AM is all over this though!
Jordan
Your review was kind of what I expected from this album and I listened to the sampler, and it sounded very listenable and definitely fun but definitely not anything special. Cheryl has so many resources and opportunities, it’s kind of sad that it isn’t pure pop perfection. That’s how I feel about all of the girls from girl groups who make solo attempts. Well, I look forward to listening to it all the way through!
Thanks for the review!
James - GAWAF.org
Interesting review, was a brilliant read! Absolutley DESPERATE to hear this album! The next 2 weeks couldn’t go any quicker!!!
Olly aka the boss
Rach wrote this review so thought I would add my personal take on the album—and I am rushing to get my thoughts down, so don’t expect anything as brilliant and sharp as my normal writing. Err…
I am a much bigger fan of urban / beat driven music than Rach however it’s a really honest, masterfully written (well, we only work with the best) and on-point review and I agree with nearly of it.
Surprisingly, it genuinely starts as a *very* brave and actually exciting album. Dark, moody, even trancey in the case of 3 Words, they’re great moments of pop and a sound I particularly love. Infact, if this had been a 5 track EP it would have been an incredibly strong debut.
It’s just after FFTL is starts losing its way, apart from the exceptions Rach mentioned. Maybe they ran out of time, money, good songs, Krispy Kremes - whatever happened there are some seriosly dodgy moments after FFTL including a really shitty, never ending tippy tappy intro to Make Me Cry (though the song itself is a quite funky moment) and really useless and aimless sample in Boy Like You.
This all culminates in the rather heinous About This Love which meanders forever around its melody and is only notable for apparently containing the words jew and syphilis (see if you can spot them).
Probably most-disappointingly, for an album from a member of GA, lyrically it doesn’t have a line amongst the whole thing as inventive as GA’s dullest moments.
In short, it is a grower, it isn’t a trainwreck, there are some ruddy good and brilliantly dark pop songs. It’s just an album very much of two parts.
Louisa
Like the album, but agree with Lottie...Ergh that picture may be hot as in she is hot, but im sorry, pink pvc from a marketstall is not hot. so very bad.
TT
yawn. awful pink dress over t shirt number as well. i thought the album would, as a whole, be middle of the road. Well, i havent heard it all yet so I suppose I won’t make my final decision til I’ve got my copy..
Kerry Hamilton
omg right i absoultly love cheryl and i will stand by her all the way give her a break its her first solo cd without any of the girls or help. she is trying her best and i think tbh that she is absoultloy AMAZNG i dont care if the album is crap its her frist go bet non of use could do any better!!!!!!! cheryl cole is my idol and i will love and support her thru anything cheryl cole i absoultly love you to pieces and dont listen to the people saying its rubbish because its your first go and even if they dont like it atleast the people that care actually DO!!!!! ilu lots and lots cheryl xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Kerry Hamilton Again!!
i just listened to that album its amazing omg i love it i going to be one eh the first people to buy it cant wait till sat when cheryl preforms on x-factor might do a shout out for her!!!! cant wait!!! ilu cheryl so much!! ilu xxxxxx
sekouperry
this sounds like any other teen pop album.
Hannah
No need to be so harsh about it! Its amazing ive already pre-ordered it! go Cherly! :D
Hannah
Got my album yesterday, its amazing!!! love it!! x
Adam
Girls Aloud are a long-standing guilty musical pleasure, so of course I had to give this a listen. Nothing on it matches the excellence of the title track, sadly. 3 Words is a phenomenal song, and it’s a shame that more of the songs on the album were not in that startling and exciting vein.
Treehouse
I love Cheryl’s album! I never though her solo would work but it sooo good! Have you guys heard of Bubbel G? OMG I love their new single!! Nearly as much as the new Cheryl Cole single, still not bored of that one!! They are both good for party play lists at the weekend girlies! (and boys!)
lisa
I Love Cheryl but she is becoming an urban music wannabee, her album is oooo shit. It will definitlt sell in the US where they have REAL R&B;singers.
I find her video so uncomfortable to watch, so contrived and so not in a good way. Ciara and Rihanna you are not.
P.S
MiMi Dear, without Will.I.Am there would have been no 3words (album and single), do your research love.
ThePencil
i love cheryl cole !! x
lauren hill
i love cheryl cole and i really enjoy listening to her album. some songs could be better. the once i like are : fight for this love, happy hour, stand up, rain on me heartbreaker.
i wish well for cheryl cole i love her
Pretty Records
I tried to like it, but just can’t as it’s just too dull. I’ve personally come to the conclusion she’s fine in a girl band, but not as a solo artist as her voice is so average. But the truth is, she could have farted on the CD, and it still would have sold by the bucket load due to her high popularity profile, I don’t think many would have bought it thinking it was going to be a monumental solo album of great remembrance, but hey, that’s the way pop often works I suppose! I heard even her hubby isn’t keen on it, I can see why! ( oh, and don’t buy it for the very young, as she seems to like swearing on it! ) How senseless is that? When the record can be bought by kids! Overhall, 0 out of 10.
Shanna
I’ve only heard a few tracks off this album (which I won’t be buying, so I guess that’s all I’m going to hear) - I despise Fight For This Love, her voice is crap. How on earth she got the authority to sit and judge actual talented singers week after week is beyond me. The other song I heard was Stand Up, which I like, but it sounds just like Taio Cruz’s other stuff, and I like the majority of his songs anyway. She just doesn’t have the voice to carry a solo album, and for whoever said “leave her alone, this is her first album”, eh, she’s been popping out albums with Girls Aloud for years, so you’d assume that she would know what works by now. This doesn’t work. Mediocre to the core, not that I’m surprised. Oh, and that pink PVC thing is rotten. Never mind three words - there’s only one word for this album. Blah.
Astar
Uk need to wise up.
She is talentless and laughing all the way to the bank.
y0david6
i love the album
Rachel93
I love Cheryl Cole. I do, she’s lovely and she’s really very pretty… But I’m going to be honest, I would never want to see her live. I prefer to stick the nicely edited version of the songs, I really like Parachute and I listened to half a minute of this version before realising it would ruin everything for me! So I’ll keep to the singles, and ignore the live versions and in my head I can make-believe not only is she lovely and stunning, she’s a good singer too. Honest.
Rachel93
Huh… that last comment was definitely meant to be on the Cheryl Cole Live Lounge Shit or Hit article, I have no idea how I managed to put it on the album review 8-) oh well, at least it’s kinda relevant!
Tommix
I like Cheryl Cole but the only song I really like is Parachute and that 3 words and Fight For This Love was only good when they were hits!
Kaysha:)
I think Cheryls really good and this had an interesting review it seems that there are many singers like Cheryl but she is very brave launching into a solo career, and after the whole ashley thing. My freind dosent like her and thinks shes chavy but ehh we all have out opinions
<3
P.S i agree with Venessa shes stunning, the dress maybe going to far though:L
rosejanice1985
WOW!!!
I love this album.
Thanks .....
rosejanice1985
WOW!!!
I love this album.
Thanks .....