Nicole Scherzinger - On The Rocks

Nicole Scherzinger hasn't ever reached the pinacles of chart success she might deserve purely based on vocal talent. However, it's not easy to find sympathy when the single releases are mediocre at best with the odd gem. So far, her only number one single is her best single, Don't Hold Your Breath. She's released some odds n ends since that failed to ignite the charts and her last single Your Love was a poor way to launch the countdown to her sophomore album.

New single On The Rocks is lacklustre, predictable balladry with a thumping but uninspired arrangement. She throws in some embarrassingly clichéd lyrics, 'You never miss a good thing till it's gone" rearing its repulsive head at the tail end of the chorus. Why this was chosen as the 2nd single from her upcoming album is beyond me. I just hope it's not a taste of what's to come.

1.5 / 5

Nicole Scherzinger - Your Love - "Skip to the midway mark..."

Boomerang was a bit of a misfire for Nicole Scherzinger last year, which is a shame because it's actually quite catchy and not shit once you play it a few hundred times. She's now back and like her nemesis Cheryl Cole (sounds good doesn't it?) she's releasing a new single just in time for Xfactor fever to carry it to a lower top 10 placing... if she's lucky. Your Love is from her tepidly anticipated sophomore album.

It starts off with lots of caribbean beach flavour, courtesy of Rihanna hit makers Tricky and The Dream. Then there are some "yeah - yeah' bits and a "woo". Going well so far right? Then Nicole jumps in with a really 'shit attempt at being seductive' spoken word segment which includes a line about being knocked out like Michael Tyson. It improves once she actually starts singing but then takes a nose dive when she "doo doo doo"s; this seems to have become habit in the now lazy popscape, throwing in some noises because you can't be arsed to come up with some proper lyrics.

If you make it past the first 50% of the song things do improve vastly. The mid section is brilliant and saves this 4 minute track from being a complete waste of time. The production amps up and the bass thumps under her vocals as for the first time on the track, you actually feel like you're listening to a popstar. Your Love isn't quite what I was expecting after such a lengthy hiatus from the charts. It's nowhere near the epic quality of Don't Hold Your Breath. The production is faultless throughout, however if you're a lyric snob you'll probably guffaw. Skip to the midway mark - it's really a very good mid section.

2/5

Rated: Boomerang - Nicole Scherzinger

She was 'shamazing' on the Xfactor last year; in fact she was the only amazing thing about the whole season. She also had a pretty decent debut solo album called Killer Love which contained some brilliant pop songs like 'Poison', 'Don't Hold Your Breath', 'Club Banger Nation' and 'Right There'. It's been a couple of years since this release and I was feeling a bit parched, until I found out a new single was coming out in 2013, called 'Boomerang'. 

The preview clips were unimpressive and instilled no hope and unfortunately the full length song is just the same as the clips, but the disappointment lasts for 3 minutes 19 seconds. It's not the worst song ever (have you heard Tulisa's abysmal debut?) but it does her vocal range no justice. The production is tinny, weak and pretty anticlimactic. I was expecting a kick in the nuts, I got an unwanted tickle. Fingers crossed single two is a leaping improvement.

1.5/5

PS: The song lost another .5 marks due to the horrendous artwork.

Rated Club Banger Nation.

Nicole Scherzinger's new single 'Don't Hold Your Breath' is an epic slice of poptasticness. However, it's got nothing on the club thumper 'Club Banger Nation'. From debut album Killer Love, the song is as dancey as Scherzy gets and about as dancey as she could possibly get. A mix of dance, glam-rock, techno and electro, this is a Red One produced floor filler, with an anthemic chorus. If this doesn't make it to single release I will be disappointed.

Rated 10 Day Song Challenge - Day 1

There's some new fad on Facebook where my friends are posting a different song everyday for 30 days. I don't have the patience for this nonsense, but I do have the weakness and sheep like qualities that mean I have to follow the crowd in some manner. 10 Days will do and I will do it on here, because I'm cool.

DAY 1

Nicole Scherzinger - Don't Hold Your Breath

It had to be done, as I've already pumped this pop beauty through my ipod and itunes 17 times today. Likely number one this Sunday, this is the break the ex Pussycat Doll has purred for (sorry). While her last effort, 'Poison', was a great pop track, this is a far more poignant moment stunning 32 year old. It isn't ground breaking, but it's pretty damn good, sounding a bit like a classic break-up, mid-tempo, ballad.

LOVE THIS.