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Bratz: Forever Diamondz By: Robyn Barnette
Now this is how an album by the Bratz should be made. After enduring the edgy hard rock of Bratz Rock Angelz and the breezy Middle Eastern appeal of Bratz Genie Magic, here is an album that represents what the girls with a passion for fashion are really all about. "Bratz: Forever Diamondz" is as brilliant and funky as a music album by the Bratz was meant to be, and it's the type of album that demonstrates the way you shine in the spotlight and feel confident about yourself. Okay, I know that sounds cliché, but we're talking about Bratz, and those two attributes are elegantly packaged in the Bratz' trademark urban attitude throughout "Bratz: Forever Diamondz." Although "Bratz: Forever Diamondz" was not intended to be an official soundtrack to the Bratz DVD movie "Bratz: Passion 4 Fashion Diamondz," music audiences will certainly find plenty to enjoy in "Bratz: Forever Diamondz," since some of the music in this album can be heard in the movie. The music in "Bratz: Forever Diamondz" emphasizes the feel of stepping out and strutting your stuff down the modeling runway, showing off your flair for the latest styles and trends. You wouldn't know that when you hear the album's opening track "Ooooh Fashion," with its unusual combination of both hard rock and R&B. It's the type of track that would have you thinking the Bratz have returned to being the Rock Angelz again, or perhaps there is still some Rock Angelz left inside the Bratz. Whatever the reason, the Bratz will assure you that they have moved on from Rock Angelz and that "So Good" is so yesterday. The track itself was modified from the original 1970s hit song "Fashion" by David Bowie, to reflect the Bratz coming to town and bringing the fashion around, and it's a solid start to what is otherwise a fun and enjoyable album. What really gets "Bratz: Forever Diamondz" going is "Keep It Up," a funked-out reggae infused track that will certainly move and groove the dance floor. And if you can keep it up like that, you can most definitely do it like the Bratz. But if you thought that track was good, the next one after that is even better, and I can easily predict that it will be everyone's most favorite track on "Bratz: Forever Diamondz." In fact, "What's Goin' On" is my most favorite track on all three albums released by the Bratz, and what I love about this track is that it brings back nostalgia of a bygone era in the music industry with its creative blend of both classic 1960s and current mainstream R&B. I especially love the stylish charm and soulfulness of the Bratz' vocals in the track's engaging chorus, since they're very reminiscent of some early music by the legendary Motown female music group The Supremes. You can play a track like this on a jukebox at a malt shop, and every teenager in town will wanna hang up their phones and get on down to this before it's come and gone. The music on "Bratz: Forever Diamondz" is a pure delight to listen to, and much of that can be attributed to Matthew Gerrard. Gerrard is one of the most successful writers and producers of pop music, and his work includes writing songs for many renowned music artists, including Kelly Clarkson, Hilary Duff, and Jessica Simpson. His most notable achievement and one that made him the most recognized figure in the music industry was his work for the soundtrack to the Disney Channel Original Movie, "High School Musical." On "Bratz: Forever Diamondz," Gerrard's songwriting abilities are evident on six of the album's fourteen tracks, including "Hang On." The track is powerful in its delivery, but simple in its message about hanging on to your dreams despite the difficult circumstances in life that stand in the way of making those dreams a reality. And in "Just Havin' Some Fun," the Bratz have some fun singing about....well, having fun. Gerrard's songwriting is not the strongest on this track, and it's almost as though he's taking a break from his superb songwriting style. However, the track sounds so infectious with its dance club beat that the lyrics don't really matter. Then again, Gerrard's got a songwriting style that is his very own, and he isn't afraid to let it show in the album's title track "Forever Diamondz." The track is different than the version heard in the "Bratz: Passion 4 Fashion Diamondz" DVD movie, but the themes of being who you are and believing in yourself are still crystallized within the track's catchy R&B groove. Of course, "Bratz: Forever Diamondz" is not without a couple of mediocre tracks that could have been better: "Beautiful," which is a remake of the popular hit song by Christina Aguilera; and "Express Yourself," which is not a remake of the popular 1970s tune by Charles Wright and The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, but it would have been interesting to hear the Bratz remake the track in their own way. Those are minor infractions from the overall solid production on "Bratz: Forever Diamondz," since everything is put together very well and runs on all cylinders from beginning to end. The fourteen tracks on the album represent some of the best music we've heard from the Bratz in a long time and showcase that they have grown up from their days as hard rock divas. "Bratz: Forever Diamondz" is the Bratz' statement to the world that they always have been and always will be the only girls with a passion for fashion. They seem to interpret that in the track "My Attitude": "Can you handle my style / Can you handle my attitude / Are you ready for me / I guarantee / What ya get is what ya see and that's the truth." Damn skippy. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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