DJ and record producer David Guetta has been releasing albums since his debut in 2002, but he did not gain much exposure in the US until the 2009 release of One Love which featured five Top 100 hits. In 2011, Guetta has just released his fifth studio album, Nothing But the Beat, which was preceded by top twenty hit "Where Them Girls At" featuring Flo Rida and Nicki Minaj. Guetta is one of the best DJs around today and he proves that with this new effort that features many artists that range in their genres of expertise and amazing talent and vocals.
The electropop album kicks off with lead single, "Where Them Girls At" featuring Flo Rida and Nicki Minaj, which peaked at number fourteen on the Hot 100. The track is one strictly for the clubs, assisted by a loud, thumping beat and lyrics that deal with scoping the night scene for a woman. Both artists do a great job, but Minaj steals the spotlight with one the best verses from any song I have heard from her. Rapper Ludacris and Taio Cruz help out Guetta on second and current single, "Little Bad Girl", a track that does not deviate far from what is expected from the producer. Cruz puts his signature touches on the song, ones that made his work a success as well, but they do not prove too successful here. Ludacris does his job well, but it does not improve the finished product. Nicki Minaj returns for "Turn Me On", another hardcore dance track, but it puzzles me that she only raps for five seconds. Besides that, the song is a great one with amazing vocals and an infectious beat that would make anyone fall victim to the dance floor. I feel the track is a hit and others think so since the song is currently climbing high on the iTunes chart. A remix of a previously released track from Snoop Dogg's latest album, "Sweat", keeps the project moving along. The song sounds like any other remix that has been done in the past, so it is nothing new or special. With that said, the song is not bad though. Snoop Dogg actually gives a nice performance while Guetta's skills are top notch and shine bright. R&B singer Usher appears on "Without You", a track that takes the form of a ballad with an addicting pop beat. The song has been chosen as the album's third single and I feel that even though it may not be the best choice, it is the safest. The track is nice, but I do not feel that there was any real depth to it and it did not intrigue me as did the preceding songs. On "Nothing Really Matters", The Black Eyed Peas front man, Will.I.Am, brings his same robotic vocals to the project that made his band's last effort mediocre. I feel the lyrics mean nothing and are uninteresting even though the beat and production are some of the best on the album. The song sounds like something left off a previous album; I know something better could have been created. "I Can Only Imagine" features the vocals of Chris Brown and Lil Wayne in a song that does not sound like something either artist would sign up for. I am not a huge fan of the artists, but I must admit that they created a dance track that goes hard while Wayne's verse is one of the few that I actually approve of. I was pleasantly surprised by the track and was proved wrong. Fellow producer Akon helped Guetta burst out onto the US music scene two years ago, and now he is back for more. "Crank It Up" follows in the footsteps of their last collaboration, "Sexy Bitch", but some noticeable changes are apparent. There seems to be some musical influences from around the world that blend together nicely to provide a great background beat for a fun and energetic song that will succeed as well. Things get a bit naughty and vulgar when Timbaland and Dev exchange verses on "I Just Wanna Fuck". The song is strictly about sex as the listener gets a lesson on the alphabet in a very unique way. The track is actually good, I would not normally say that about a song of this nature, but I cannot help but memorize most of the lyrics. Don't take this song too seriously and it will surely please. Jennifer Hudson may have an Oscar under her belt, but she reminds everyone of her immense vocal talent on "Night of Your Life". The song would fit in perfect with a club playlist but Hudson takes it to a whole new level by keeping it far from ordinary and generic. The track does bare some striking similarities to Rihanna's hit "Only Girl (In the World)", but we all know who comes out on top. After many amazing performances at the 2011 VMAs, British singer Jessie J comes off that success and appears on "Repeat", a track that deals with a broken relationship. At first the vocals do not even sound like they are coming from Jessie, but that does mean there are not exceptional as always. The artist has not made a huge splash in the states, but this will surely help her takeover. The album closes with one of the brightest moments on the entire album, "Titanium". Australian singer/songwriter Sia belts out lyrics that carry a message of empowerment and courage and is a song that is different for Guetta. I think the song is absolutely amazing, will gain Sia many fans, and is the perfect way to close out the party album. Everything about the track works, the lyrics, vocals, the loud production, I enjoyed it all.
Nothing But the Beat is a project that experiments with every genre in the music industry while featuring the talents from an extreme range of amazing artists that give some depth to Guetta’s lyrics. Many of the tracks embody the party/club environment and will prove to be major hits on the radio, but the greatest tracks depend on female vocalists and the exceptional skills from a producer that will only continue to grow. The album balances straight up, fun, pop tracks with beautiful, heartfelt ballads in a successful, enjoyable way. For great vocals and production, the album receives a respectable 85%.
Tracks to Hear: "Turn Me On feat. Nicki Minaj", "Repeat feat. Jessie J" and "Titanium feat. Sia"
Be sure to buy this great electropop project on Amazon now and listen to my favorite song from the effort below :)
David Guetta - Repeat (featuring Jessie J)
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