Search - Various Artists :: Sex and the City 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Terri L. from BEVERLY HILLS, CA
Reviewed on 5/8/2012...

The CD is great. I enjoyed almost every song. The good songs are really good. Very upbeat with a New York state of mind. I skipped over a few tracks but very few.

Get Carried Away In New Music from "Sex and the City 2"

Antoine D. Reid | Durham, NC United States | 05/25/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With a new movie on the horizon, there's a new soundtrack for "Sex and the City" fans to enjoy. I have to say that having listened to the first movie's two volumes worth of music, this is one soundtrack I feel like I could have on replay for a while. Yes, not all of the tracks are strong and repeat-worthy (ahem, Liza Minelli's take on Beyoncé's 'Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)') but to me, "Sex and the City 2" is a pretty decent, well put together collection of songs. There's a little bit of everything style wise - some old classic standards like "Sunrise, Sunset" and "If I Ever Would Leave You" performed by the 'Sex and the City' Men's Choir to accompany a big unexpected engagement, some tracks with an Arabian/Middle Eastern flair to accompany the much hyped exotic trip that's promoted in the movie's trailers, and some appearances by current artists like Dido, Alicia Keys and a duet between Jennifer Hudson and Leona Lopez. There's a wide range of music featured on this soundtrack, unlike in the first movie's tracks that all sounded a bit too similar and tried hard to feature off-the-wall artists. This sounds like a real movie soundtrack, not just music you'd expect to hear in the television show. I liked the vibe of the album: it's far more lighter, fun and exciting unlike the first movie's music that felt a bit darker, moodier, depressing to fit the movie's plot.



The Good: Even though there are a lot of cover songs featured, the songs are arranged differently or given a fresh new outlook. Take for instance the often-covered and sung "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered". I've heard it done a million times by now but what I like about the version featured on this soundtrack is that it's performed by three artists and the collaboration gives it a really nice, appealing and romantic vibe. Alicia Keys covers Blondie's "Rapture" but even that track has been given an update: listen to the lyrics and music and you'll be surprised to hear the "Sex and the City" theme remixed into the music and the lyrics (thankfully) changed to mention the girls and their New York lifestyle. Some have complained about the track but really, there's nothing wrong with it. It's fun, it's different and I'm glad the producers chose to re-invent and find a new way to re-introduce the audience to the now well-known "Sex" theme song. What I found most enjoyable about the music were the tracks that will probably accompany the gang's trip to Abu Dhabi. Yes, the group is, like in the first movie, heading outside the confines of New York and into exotic, non-U.S. territory. I have no problem with this plot point and love that it opened the door to music that you've never heard on the show. This is a real movie, big event, vibe. "Language of Love" by Cee Lo by name and artist seems like an odd fit but once you listen to the lyrics and the very sensual, loving vibe of the song, you feel like it's a perfect selection for the film. I also found myself enjoying "Euphrates Dream" even though it's mostly instrumental. I really think there's a bit of something for most of the audience and the music isn't as off-putting as the first movie's soundtrack's attempt to find and feature unknown and somewhat independent artists.



The Bad: While there's a lot of styles and genres of music at play on the soundtrack, there's distinctly two different acts to the soundtrack: the first half has the exotic, sensual, sexy music that I'm guessing goes with the trip and the second half has something of a gay vibe: you have show tunes, two tracks by Liza Minnelli and "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper. I'm hoping this soundtrack will not be like the first movies where there are tracks left off that will end up on another volume. I'd rather have seen different tracks featured than having two tracks each by Liza and Alicia Keys. At this point, who hasn't heard Alicia Keys' "Empire State of Mind Part II" or has purchased it? I'd rather they have found a way for her to do a full upbeat version of the song or to have chosen to feature the upbeat version of the song with Jay-Z. At this point, that track feels overplayed and a bit of a waste of space. And Liza's "Single Ladies" ... I'm sure that performance in the movie will be awesome and amusing but seriously, after listening to it once, I can't find a reason to listen to it again. It's meant to be fun and gimmicky and hits the mark - but it's not the best track. The duet by Leona Lewis and Jennifer Hudson really feels like a let down and nothing more than a rehashing of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" (another track that I think most of this films' audience probably owns and could have been left off for something different). There were a few tracks that I just couldn't get into - the ones by Erykah Badu and Dido, but others may enjoy it more than I did. The more upbeat tracks definitely made for better music in my opinion.



In all, a strong soundtrack with a few weak points, but in terms of variety of styles and genres represented, I think it's still better than the first movie's music. The first half of the soundtrack is definitely better in my opinion because the second half feels as if you've left the club and have entered into a glee club performance. Overall, the vibe and feel is much lighter and happier on this release which makes for a much more enjoyable listening experience in all. Definitely worth checking out.



Listen to These: "I'm A Woman", "Divas and Dunes", "Can't Touch It", "Language of Love", "Rapture"

"

Better than the first...

Nse Ette | Lagos, Nigeria | 05/25/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The soundtrack to the new "Sex and the city 2" movie aims to please everyone, displaying a diverse collection with similar sounds grouped together.



Opening is Alicia Keys' remake of Blondie's "Rapture" which starts off similar to the original (with Lauryn Hill-style "Yeahs" and "I like that") but where the original had Debbie Harry rapping about a man from Mars, Keys raps about Carrie and her pals. The final minute takes on a chilled Dance sound which is followed by a beautiful haunting Dance number by Dido "Everything to lose".



Cee-lo's "Language of love" starts off with some chanting in some exotic language before a breezy summery Soul song sweeps in. This is followed by Erykah Badu's lilting Neo Soul "Window seat", the one with that infamous video.



Following are a pair of Arabic Pop songs, "Kidda" by Natacha Atlas, and "Euphrates dream" by Michael McGregor.



Next is Liza Minelli's remake of Beyoncé's "Single ladies" which largely stays true to the original till the bridge where strings and horns sweep in and transform it to a Jazzy Broadway-style song, especially with her quivering husky vocals. Following is the rythmically similar and catchy "Can't touch it" by Ricki-Lee who even manages to sound like Beyoncé.



Following are a pair of power ballads, Alicia Keys' piano-driven "Empire state of mind (Part II broken down)", and a fiery duet "Love is your color" by Jennifer Hudson (who also appeared on the first soundtrack and movie) & Leona Lewis. These are followed by a clutch of fun songs; a remake of Helen Reddy's feminist anthem "I am woman" by Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis & Cynthia Nixon, a trio of lush Jazzy ballads by the Sex and the city men's choir, the lounge Jazz "Bewitched, bothered and bewildered" by Shayna Steele, Jordan Ballard & Kamilah Marshall, and a live-sounding comical "Ev'ry time we say goodbye" by Liza Minnelli (who has a cameo in the movie, so I'm guessing she performs this in it).



Cyndi Lauper's tender acoustic 1986 hit "True colors" follows, and closing the set is the Arabic-tinged instrumental "Divas and dunes" by Aaron Zigman.



A thoroughly enjoyable affair!"