Insatiable. That’s the only way to describe my appetite for Blake Lewis music. That and undying, never-ending, and incalculable. I literally can’t get enough.
Fortunately his new album, tentatively titled “A.D.D” (Audio Day Dream), is set to drop Thanksgiving weekend. Industry hype sees it poised to turn heads and conquer charts. Blake proved his musical originality and skill in front of 30 million Americans on last spring’s American Idol 6 and we’re all hungry for more of his “electro-funk-soul-pop” sound.
Lewis told chron.com in mid-July, “I’ve got a track that’s very Erasure-sounding, a track that’s Sting-meets-Neverending Story and a track that’s very electro-poppy Depeche Mode. It’s all over the map.” Collaborators include BT, Doug E Fresh, 4th place finisher Chris Richardson, Gnarls Barkley, and Will.i.am.
On August 24th E! Online got the scoop from Arista Records. “Blake has a strong music sensibility and knows who he is and what his music should represent,” said Clive Davis, chairman and CEO of BMG Label Group, Arista’s parent. “His collaborators are all knocked out by him.”
Well all seems gravy in Blake Lewis’ world….. Almost…
Arista also mentioned the album’s producers, S*A*M & Sluggo (who?), Ryan “Alias” Tedder (A Timbaland pal= score), and Jonathan “JR” Rotem. You may know JR from his blink-and-you-missed-it stint as a Britney boy-toy and as a producer on hits for…. prepare yourself….
Rihanna and Sean Kingston!
No wonder I hate them both. They have the SAME producer.
It’s also worth noting that they share him with Kevin Federline. Rotem produced Fed-ex’s “hit” 2006 album “Playing With Fire,” and by “hit” I mean I’d rather hit myself in the face than listen to that garbage-with-a-beat.
Rottem’s work has had chart success, but there’s a precedent for bad music selling well. Have you ever thought of the “Macarana,” by Los Del Rio, and pretty much ANYTHING done by Sean Paul as great music? It’s good for a dance party but void of substance, innovation, taste, unique flavor…
I have faith that Blake’s artistic vision will ultimately prevail above even the most irritating producer’s musings. He’s too talented to be brought down by mediocrity or sell out to the “Beautiful Girl” recipe. Come November, Blake’s serving up a beat-boxing billboard breakthrough that will top the charts on its own merit.
Delicious. I know I’ll be back for seconds.
