Search - Anastacia :: Heavy Rotation (Bonus Track Version)

Pure retro mainstream.

Grover | Atlanta,GA | 11/12/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"On her fourth album, Anastacia has taken advantage of the appetite for Winehouse-style jazzy yowling and worked a musical arrangement that suits her alleycat tone.

The brassy-voiced US singer recently fessed up to turning 40, considered ancient in pop years.

Some sinuous Stevie Wonder-style funk hints at what Anastacia could do if she stopped trying to compete with the kids.

Emphasising pop production over soulful substance, she compromises her talent for mainstream radio accessibility.

Collaborators and producers on the album include such music heavyweights as Ne-Yo, Lester Mendez, JR Rotem, Guy Chambers and Rodney Jerkins.

She sounds like a whole different (and bearable) performer on the sultry "Same Song", but stops short of delivering an entire album of "Back To Black" 1960s soul pastiches.

"Absolutely positive" mines the slick soul sound of later decades; "Defeated" is a Christina Aguilera-style survivor song, which is knowing in its use of clichés.

Songs like "The Way I See It" contain a deliberately retro vibe that's reminiscent of both Amy Winehouse (vocally) and Mark Ronson (courtesy of its trumpet background). It's inferior to both and feels like a jumping on the bandwagon type of track.

"I called the album "Heavy Rotation" because it's a phrase that originated with DJs", Anastacia explains. "Also, for me, the meaning is that life can be heavy, but it all turns around and goes into something else. It seemed to be the perfect title for where I'm at in my life".

"Heavy Rotation" is, like the artist, simply powerful, sexy, funky and cool.

And sometimes, a little over the top.

As she sings in closing track "Beautiful Messed Up World", 'Life's like music, don't wanna turn it down. Gotta live it loud and love the groove that keeps spinnin' around', this is an album you won't want to turn down or switch off.

On the title track, she resorts to the bog-standard come-hither dance pop sound in which Madonna and Kylie have taken refuge, before rounding off like an unhinged Enya on "Never Gonna Love Again".

Pure mainstream.

Pop,pop, pop."

Upbeat and Soulful

Mh | Fort Wayne IN USA | 11/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is hard to comprehend that this talented artist is being overlooked in her home country. She is a top selling artist around the world. I prefer to buy her music over that from Britney,Fergie, Madonna or Gwen. If you like Taylor Dayne, you will also enjoy Anastacia. This would be a great addition to any music library."

Pop? Yes. Mature? Yes. Anastacia? Definitely!

Jon Berg | West Hollywood, CA USA | 11/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Anastacia's fourth full-length endeavour finds her delving into the mainstream sounds that have worked so well for Madonna, Kylie, Girls Aloud and the Sugababes. However, the sound is still pure Anastacia.



"I Can Feel You", the first single from the album, resonates with a 70's funk sound, and (of course) her soaring "I'm Outta Love" style vocals. A great song with great dancefloor potential.



"The Way I See It" pays homage to both Amy Winehouse and 60's Motown. Definitely has "single" written all over it.



"Absolutely Positively" is a nice little pop song with a definite 70's Stevie Wonder feel.



"Defeated" is an anthem of survival that resonates with a Mary J. Blige sound.



"In Summer" is just a happy little pop song about the joys of being in love. See if you don't smile listening to this one. Go on -- you know you want to.



"Heavy Rotation" is a great dance song. Very Justin Timberlake.



"Same Song" again, sounds very much like any great Amy Winehouse song.



"I Call It Love" is another pop gem, and one of the only songs on the album that sounds like the "old" Anastacia.



"All Fall Down" is another light, fluffy pop toe-tapper.



"Never Gonna Love Again" is a powerful ballad that reminds me of Celine Dion.



"You'll Be Fine" is in my opinion, the most beautiful song Anastacia has ever done. Though many probably won't agree with me, I think it's the best song on the album, and a perfect closer (unless you buy the 12-track version).



Because this album is a venture into new territory for her, and because it's not a territory that hasn't already been covered by countless other artists, I doubt this album will catapult her back into super-stardom. However, it has several tracks that will almost certainly become successful singles; while no song here resounds with the power of "I'm Outta Love" or "One Day In Your Life", the album is definitely her most consistent, and probably the only one without a bad track.



Definitely a five-star effort."