Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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28 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's pop, but not as we know it, 21 Oct 2009
When I heard the 30 second song snippets on the album sampler I thought, hmm these all sound repetitive and kind of boring. Having heard the whole thing now, I can safely say I was very very wrong.
Revered and popularised to the point of over-saturation thanks to the X Factor, the backlash against Cheryl Cole has begun in earnest as before anyone had even heard a note of this album the accusations of "she can't sing" and "auto-tuned to oblivion" flooded the internet.
First off, this is not really an RnB album as had been hyped. I mean, there's definitely some RnB flavour going on, but it's mixed in with dancey-pop and is no worse off for it.
The auto-tune argument is a bit pointless, given how prevalent it is nowadays- see Madonna, Kanye West, Britney, and Lady GaGa. Cheryl Cole is never going to be a big-note diva a la Leona Lewis, Beyonce etc. But to criticise her for this would be missing the point. She definitely sounds like a human being throughout though, no overdone Cher-style robot vocals to be found.
As an album, 3 Words is about beats, grooves and catchy tunes. And there's loads of them (9 great ones out of 11) in an album that packs a nice punch at 44 minutes and never outstays its welcome.
Highlights for me are the eerily sparse title track, which kicks in with a nice bit of bass, Heaven, with all it's bells, and 50s style opener, and first single Fight For This Love.
But the whole thing is so damn catchy it's actually hard to pick a favourite. I suspect it will change the more I listen to it. Happy Hour is a quirky sassy tune with a chorus that, somewhat ironically, sounds like it could have come off a Lily Allen record. And while there's no out-and-out ballad on offer, Don't Talk About This Love is probably the mellowest of all the tracks, exuding the kind of chilled out lushness reminiscent of Gwen Stefani's "Cool".
The only song I'm not keen on is Boy Like You, which sounds like they took a bunch of different mixes and spliced them together, not bothering to actually finish the job.
And given that Cheryl is practically a backing vocalist on Heartbreaker, it seems a slightly inauspicious way to end her debut. True, Will.I.am helped pen a lot of the album, but it's a bit over-generous to give him essentially his own track on the thing.
Anyway, to sum up, half of these tunes are suited to getting ready for your night out, the other half you could be hearing in the club. And it gets better with every listen.
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15 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
3 Words - "Slick, energetic, love it !, 23 Oct 2009
Having just received my copy of 3 words today it has only had 1 play, but on first impression I was pleasantly surprised. You can't judge the songs on the 30 second samplers on this site, this is what I did after ordering and I nearly had second thoughts about it, so glad I didn't cancel. There are obvious stand out tracks such as the current single along with Rain on me, Make me cry, Stand up and Don't talk about this love. Cheryl Cole has writing credits on 4 tracks which was also a surprise. I think this album needs a few plays to grow on you, but it is so far from the Girls Aloud material that you can't compare them, this fact will attract new fans which is obviously a good thing for Mrs Cole ! My opinion is that she has been under-estimated, this is a fine effort for the start of her solo career. I don't know why there are people commenting on this review page with negative comments, when it is plain to see they have not actually listened to it. This is essentially an upbeat album with only 1 ballad, but it works and surely thats all that matters.
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24 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
When The Show Is Over, 4 Nov 2009
The most beautiful woman in the world is taking a break-ette from judging a talent show to hoist a music album on her swooning public. '3 Words' is its title, but it actually has many words: "I don't need a parachute, baby if I got you. Baby if I got you, I don't need a parachute.." she trills mechanically and the world gasps at the momentousness of it all...
If I was in Peter Andre mode, I'd cynically suggest that the most beautiful woman in the world has released a cash-in music album; tidily tying up the latest series of X-Factor and the ferocious oncoming of Christmas, and filling it full of odes and conciliatory noises towards her good-for-nothing footballer husband.
Solid marketing strategy but surely no-ones going to fall for it; surely this time, no-ones going to BITE...!?
Brilliantly, around this time of year, a one-star dismissal of some such or similar creation not only attracts the usual, all year round cry-babies but also the Indignant On-Line Christmas Shopper - a far nastier commenting creature, something along the lines of an Alligator Snapping Turtle.
These festive frighteners can chill the heart of even the most righteous reviewer when they come cruising. They'll be a-looking for a quick fix to the frosty problem of what to buy their loved ones - and God help you if your review doesn't match their bone-idle expectations.
When they receive their music album by the most beautiful woman in the world, they and their spawn will be secretly disappointed; her solo work is plain and oppressive. She's fab and teary when she's championing her disgusting sub-pub turns against the vampire-devil, but she should steer clear of writing/recording herself. Her music album sounds like a hundred other cd's released this year by people who - unluckily for them - aren't the most beautiful woman in the world.
Mid-paced, over-produced pop, lined with bits of hip-hop, trance, funk, rock and pretty much everything else proven profitable in the last decade; it's all here on '3 Words' - played by a computer and sung by something not much above a fembot.
Not forgetting of course, the handful of sickeningly slushy ballads, one of which the most beautiful woman in the world will bravely release as her attempt at the lucrative Christmas No 1.
I predict 'Heaven' - "My Heaven's with you, you, you. My Heaven's with you, you, you..." or perhaps even 'Make Me Cry' - "Are you trying to make me cry, are you trying to make me cry, are you trying to make me cry, are you trying to make me cry..."
Even children will see through this.
The idea of the most beautiful woman in the world stumbling her way through 40-odd minutes of samey, fluttery nonsense is an oddly disturbing one. The risible state of popular culture once again shows both its legacy and its intent for the future - and it's not even pretending to be nice.
Bless her and all that, but she appears to be the figurehead of all-things-blanch-and-corporate in our world, and the REALLY disturbing thing is - and '3 Words' is miserable proof - she doesn't care a jot.
* ½ stars.
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