Jeremih [Explicit]

I recall Jeremih saying in an interview that "Birthday Sex" was more like melodic talking, but that's the way the entire CD felt to me. If someone was to ask me do I think Jeremih can sing, I really couldn't tell you. I know he can ride the beat, similar to the way Nelly does in songs, but there was never one track where I went "Whoa, he can really blow." None of the songs are bad. There are a couple that are equal to today's pop music in braggadocio, such as "My Ride" and "Imma Star." The video for "Birthday Sex" is a little uncomfortable because the actress in there didn't look like she was into him at all (and vice versa), so I prefer to just listen to the song, which I've loved since it was introduced to me by his label and was the reason I pursued the interview as soon as he was introduced to me. And although "Imma Star" is something we've all heard before, I love the beat to that song and it's my second favorite because I saw one of the sexiest dance routines to it while I was at Flirty Girl Fitness. Now every time I hear that song, I associate it with the dance routine. "Raindrops" is cute too.

I respect him as a musician and an artist after hearing his back story while interviewing him, and the CD was cool. But on a more critical note, there was just nothing major on here for me to truly enjoy. I liked them, but it was just an average CD. With him being a musician, I'd held him to a higher standard considering I knew that he understood music more than your average artist, being that he said he is "a musician first." I do look forward to a sophomore album though. I think with time the CDs will improve and I like this CD just enough to stick around and see what he does next.

Jeremih was a collection of upbeat songs that you could dance to or just sit back on a rainy day and listen to.

My favorite songs Imma Star, My Ride and of course the number one hit single: Birthday Sex.

I highly recommend this album. Jeremih as an artist is great, added to his voice talents are intricate and catchy beats.

mmyfh

Jeremih took the R&B world by storm by seemingly coming out of nowhere with one of the best songs of the year in Birthday Sex. Everyone and their momma remixed that song. Hailing from Chicago, The Windy City, it was clear from the first time I heard that song that Jeremih was something unique. This was confirmed when I saw him perform live and absolutely command the stage and crowd simultaneously singing for real(sounded exactly like the recorded track) and playing the piano. This kid was something to be reckoned with. Following that live performance he reminded me of another young artist in the 90's by the name of Tevin Campbell. I know that's a pretty lofty comparison (Tevin Campbell in his prime was arguably the most vocally talented 90's singer) but that's who he reminded me of.


Anyway I was interested as anyone else to see what he could bring to the table. His self titled debut turns out to be a hit and miss affair. Instead of exercising his inner Tevin, on the album he more closely resembles a younger The-Dream (not a bad comparison either because The Dream already has two classics in my opinion and has been the R&B genres cream of the crop since he debuted). Other standouts where he maximizes his talent besides the excellent Birthday Sex include Raindrops, That Body, Imma Star (2nd single), Starting Over (this is a great song should be third or 4th single...has some Stevie Wonder/MJ influence), My Sunshine, My Ride, and Buh Bye.


I believe Jeremih falls into the trap of trying to make club bangers and crossover pop tunes and that's exactly where he falters. He's not good at it...what he is good at is pure singing. Ballads, midtempos, and slow jams and it's what he should stick to in my opinion. That's the one element where he differs from The-Dream (who's the total package). But Jeremih writes his own lyrics and can play instruments and perform well live and that right there earns him a nice niche. He has enough good songs to ride this album until next year and no doubt I'm eagerly anticipating the next release. The album is well worth the 7 dollars that you will spend on it even if you may use that skip button once or twice. Jeremih has the potential to be the next big artist on Def Jam and he along with the criminally slept on Karina Pasian (her debut is a modern classic also on Def Jam) can usher in the new wave of talent. Look out for him. 3.5 stars

I listened to this album so that I could do a review and nothing stood out other than birthday sex so I put it aside to listen to again. I never could listen to it again. The CD is boring.

Another hip-hop album about money, sex, women and cars - How unoriginal

That Body - Just terrible. "let me work that body" - How many Times Have I heard that before. 0/5 PASS
Birthday Sex - another lame sex song. Now, if it were Birthday Cake, Maybe I'd like it better. The "Girl you know I-I-I, Girl you know I-I-I" is catchy and that's about it. 1/5
Break Up To Make Up - lyrically not bad. Vocally could use improvement 2.5/5
Runway - Another song about good looking women - 0/5 DONE BEFORE. NEXT
Raindrops - IE The sweat dripping from his forehead during intercourse. 0/5
Staring all Over - A song about starting all over with someone new - Vocally and lyrically the best song on the CD and unlike the others on the album, it's not full of sexual innuendos. 4.5/5
Imma Star (Everywhere we Are) - Another one of those "I got money, cars and Women" songs. 0/5
Jumpin - Song about how the party at the club is Jumpin. Destiny's Child's "Jumpin' Jumpin' ring a bell Anyone? 0/5
Hatin' On Me - Another song for the haters - Jill Scott (Hate on me), Nas (Hate me Now), Chamillionaire (Ridin) have done it before. TIME FOR SOMETHING NEW 0/5
My Sunshine - Another good song off the album about the sadness of a woman who left him 4/5
My Ride - Basically He's saying "If you don't find me sexy, my car is" - 0/5
Buh Bye - A decent song about no longer being in love - 3/5

PROS
1. Lack of samples

CONS
1. Lack of originality when it comes to the story telling.

Songs Tell Stories and Jeremih's stories pretty much say the same thing every thing else Hip-Hop says these days

Not quite sure if Jeremih is supposed to be an R&B singer or a T-Pain type that straddles the fence of R&B and Hip-Hop. First and foremost let me warn you this is all auto-tune singing.

So can Jeremih sing? Not sure; Auto-tune can cover up for being tone-def (J-Lo. anyone). But I digress.

The album all sounds the same with a few up tempo (read techno-type beats) mixed in for "variety". The best song on here is "Birthday Sex" (duh) with the uptempo version coming in at #2. That should be a warning against any other quality tracks. Dare I call him a one-hit wonder (We all remember Silk, Rome, Mint Condition, etc right?). Now I may be jumping the gun. I will admit "My Ride" (reminiscent of Souljah Boy) and "Imma Star" are catchy hence the mediocre rating. One good track and 2 decent songs does not make for a hit album. Bottom line is this is a 2.5star album. Save yourself the grief and pick up the singles you may like.

Highlights
1. Birthday Sex - good
2. Birthday Sex (uptempo) - only if you like technoesque - I swear he sampled "Low" by T-Pain)- decent
3. My Ride - decent
4. Imma Star - decent

pay the $3.96 for these tracks only and save yourself the $3.03 on better music

If you are a fan of electronic music with R&B and mixed together with a 2009 twist, Jeremih Felton's self-titled first album "Jeremih" on the Def Jam label just might fit the bill.

All twelve cuts were co-written by Jeremih and the album's producer Mick Schultz. The single "Birthday Sex" is included in the album. The song hit number four on the Billboard Hot 100. "Starting All Over" shows Jeremih's potential as a pop star. A touch of jazz adds a nice touch to the song. "My Sunshine" tells the story of a down and outer who wishes to see his "sunshine again."

The CD easily earns its "Explicit Content" warning. Be prepared for sexually explicit lyrics, double entendres and a great deal of sexual innuendo. The CD has a sophisticated, smooth and generally well-produced sound. Some songs are bass heavy at times and the lyrics tend to become repetitious. But if you can overlook these flaws, you'll find Jeremih's music fresh and enjoyable.

21 year old Jeremih burst on to the scene earlier this year with the Top 10 hit "Birthday Sex" (here in both original and uptempo versions)and now delivers his eponymous debut CD that despite the hype is only intermittently impressive.

In the liner notes producer Mick Schultz says "Jeremih, it's amazing how far we've come. Starting out im my living room not even knowing each other..." The singer and producer have co-written all the songs here but this CD's major problem is that it sounds like the songs were written and recorded in that living room on an old Casio keyboard (or whatever the current songwriting software is). Whereas occasionally this produces some interesting moments, it creates a soundscape that is cheesy, shallow and soulless which unfortunately is also a perfect description of Jeremih's vocal skills. Less an R. Kelly than a third-rate Justin Timberlake - not deep enough to be soulful and too bland to be sexy, this CD starts in the living room but never makes it into the bedroom musically.

Admittedly the guys can write a good hook and have studied song structure but the lyrics were so inane I found myself wishing this were a foreign import in a language I didn't understand. Still the hit and cuts such as "Jumpin'", "Break Up To Make Up" (not the old Stylistics hit) and the new single "Imma Star (Everywhere We Are)" make this listenable in short doses.

It will be interesting to see whether Jeremih can build on this debut and become the multi-talented artist his label would have us believe he already is.

Jeremih Felton's story in his rise to fame is incredible. Just imagine performing at Def Jam for the first time and getting a contract on the spot. That should say a lot about an artist. I enjoy listening to music done by Usher, T.I., Akon, and many other R&B/Hip-Hop artists. Being familiar with his song "Birthday Sex", since it has been playing non-stop on Hot AC and R&B radio stations, Jeremih is off to the right start. He is not a copycat artist and has proven to have his own voice and rhythm. His music is unfailing and enjoyable. Jeremih by far is not going to be another one-hit-wonder. His urban sly style voice is hard not to be keen of. He writes his own songs and his mixture of Hip-Hop, Pop and R&B will prove he has serious potential and make a name for himself.

Being that this is his first album, This self titled Jeremih CD has a variety of songs that might not please very listener, but songs such as "That Body", "Break Up To Make Up" and "Buh Bye" are sure to make an impression on the listening audience and hit the Billboard Charts. This is not a get up and dance CD, it has more of a "grinding" mix to it but most every song has a beat that makes your foot keep tapping. Can't wait to see what the future will hold for Jeremih, his next CD will for sure be bigger and better as he embraces and establishes himself in the music industry.

If you thought the "Birthday Sex" singer was a 1 hit wonder, you weren't alone. The top 40 hit is embarrassing (but catchy) and seemed to me more of an accidental success than due to any real talent. So no one was more surprised than me when I started listening to this album and.. (Lord have mercy) liked it! If you're a hater, don't fret, there are some definite tracks that should be skipped and aren't very enjoyable.. but sadly enough, even those tracks are actually a lot better than the duds by Jeremih's R&B competitors! Here's a track-by-track rundown of Jeremih's debut album:

01. That Body - With lyrics like "I like it naughty" and lots more drunk sex suggestions, this is your typical dirty mid tempo R&B track. It's nothing to write home about, but provides a good introduction to the album. 3/5

02. Birthday Sex - The guilty pleasure. You know it's dumb, but you can't help singing it. 4/5

03. Break Up to Make Up - Really fun synthy production, pretty enjoyable to listen to, one of my faves. 4/5

04. Runway - Great production, but the melody doesn't match the vocals, when it hits it hits, but when it misses it's bad. 2/5

05. Raindrops - Best song on the album, this is a smooth groove at it's finest, the whole production works really well. 5/5

06. Starting All Over - Boring, but I must admit his voice sounds good. 3/5

07. Imma Star - A melodic "I'm rich.. blah blah blah" track that doesn't sound bad but doesn't offer anything to the table. 2/5

08. Jumpin - Party stopper, skip this one. 1/5

09. Hatin on Me - Skip part 2. 1/5

10. My Sunshine - Not exactly R&B, this track is way more pop. The genre mixup doesn't really go with Jeremih's voice, but it's an alright song. 3/5

11. My Ride - "My Ride"... need I say more?? 0/5

12. Buh Bye - 1/5.

13. Birthday Sex (Uptempo Mix) - This is the version the radio station around here has been playing. It's just a dash more upbeat. Personally I like it better than the original, but it doesn't have that fun music box introduction. 4/5

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Okay so overall, about halfway in the album really starts to drop off, but even as I rate many tracks with only 1 (or zero) stars, they really aren't that bad. Jeremih sounds really good on all the songs and even when the production or lyrics die off, you won't have bleeding ears. As far as this album being a must have? Uhm.. no, but if you are one of those people who are amazed by B-day sex, then you'll probably enjoy the whole thing. Tracks like "Raindrops" and "Break Up to Make Up" are good enough I'd recommend getting the mp3, but the others are pretty forgettable.