Album Review - Megalomania

It is finally here. Less than an hour ago, I received my autographed copy of Aqua'd latest, and what is shaping up to be best, album. Before we begin, I must warn you all that this review will be very biased. These four talented and beautiful people have come together to form my favorite group since I was eight years old, and they still keep strong in my heart today. If you don't wanna read a biased review about how the members of Aqua are demi-gods, you should probably leave. Joking, read my other posts. Do it. Don't question me.

01. Playmate To Jesus

This song was the lead-in single for the album. How R U Doin', while the first single for this era, was not close enough to the release date to really make an impact. My sources tell me that this is the first song the group recorded when they got back together, and has undergone mix after mix until they found the right sound for it. This is what the Aqua come back should have been. HRUD was not bad, but this song is exactly what Aqua is all about. The new Aqua is about Universal Love -- Oh and great electronic pop music. In my opinion, the song is more of an apology from Lene to the rest of the group. Many fans say it's her fault they broke up in the early 00's. She does say "forgive me" a lot, and in the video, everyone seems to be trying to talk to her, so it all makes sense in my head.

02. Dirty Little Pop Song

Any song that starts out with the lyrics "DJ, DJ, DJ on the floor Who's your slutty little whore" is going to be a surefire hit. Joking aside, I really love the Rene heavy bits of this track. His voice is so perfect here, and the pulsating beat highlights his talents. Lene sounds a bit strained in this song for some reason, but it's all good still the same. This song is one of the spot thats really shows the old Aqua shine through. The chorus features a piano playing on top of a new-age beat. SO Aqua. It also has bits of the new Aqua, though, in that the electronic stutter (made famous by Ke$ha) is used often, and some very amusing vocal effects are placed in.  I wouldn't really call this one single-worthy, but it is still a very fun trip.

03. Kill Myself

This song really threw me for a loop. With a title like "Kill Myself", I really expected it to be a ballad about not committing suicide. What the hell was I doing thinking that Aqua would be so serious? The song is really a quirky upbeat song about Lene loving someone so much she could die. I guess we can all say that we have been over-dramatic like this before, but still, having a bridge of just saying "I would kill myself" over and over makes it really awkward to sing along with. I hope I don't get people thinking I'm suicidal or anything.

04. Like A Robot

Oh dear lord this song. Honestly, if "Playmate To Jesus" and this song had come out at the same time as they did in Denmark, I wouldn't be able to decide which one would be the song of the week. Just as touching and dramatic as PTJ is, this song is equally as good in another way. This song is so peppy and fun, while being snarky, dirty, and crude at the same time. The song offers you two sides of a failing relationship, both of them feeling that their only connection is meaningless sex. This song shocked everyone by it's overuse of the "F word" -- a distinct change from the more kid friendly lyrics from the 90s. Personally, I love the change. It's all about growing up. And what better way to prove you're grown up and mature than to drop an F Bomb every three seconds?

05. Viva Las Vegas

This song... Oh this song. I like it, but it really leaves me thinking. Honestly, how relevant is Las Vegas in Scandinavia? I mean really? That city is barely relevant in the United States, as big as it is, and they decided to dedicate a song to it where most of their audience will never even go there? I guess they just wanted to cash in on the whole Hollywood movie scene. Anyway, the song is quite fun, especially with her off beat "Yay yay yay" s over and over. Once again, I have to say that Rene steals the scene with his very short part towards the end of the song. Maybe I'm just still madly in love with him. MOVING ON

06. No Party Patrol

This is one of the songs I "accidentally" listened to on YouTube a few months back. The live clip was done on a crappy camera, so listening to this song for the first time was still pretty amazing. This would probably be their best bet for a single in the US, as it fits in with the current party scene that seems to be going on here. Regardless, the song has some very unusual lyrics. "Oh god the ice cubes are melting" what does that even mean? It's not really my favorite song on the album, but I bet it would make an amusing music video.

07. Come N' Get It

I can't get enough of this song. It has a stomp-stomp-clap beat, much like "We Will Rock You" and it just makes me wanna dance. It has a good balance of Lene and Rene, which is always a good thing. The one complaint I really have is with their accents it sounds like they are saying "comb and get it". Thus, I will brush my hair as I walk towards them. Suddenly, I have got a Greece vibe. ANYWAY -- This is one of the strongest tracks on the album. It goes in the more rock direction that the group was going in before they broke up. Thus, this song may be my favorite on the whole album.

08. Shaking Stevens Is A Superstar Sucker For A Superstar

This song makes me want to cry. I KNEW ALL THE WORDS ALREADY AND THEN THEY CHANGED IT! It is still a good song, but I miss Shakey. I have a special post planned for this. For now, let me go cry and a corner.

09. Be My Saviour Tonight

This song, slower and more in the vein of PTJ, keeps the same hyper-sexual attitude of the past few tracks. The beginning caught my attention from the get-go, as it was very Rene heavy, but the lyrics are a bit dirty. The song also has a bad case of ADD, half the time it is upbeat and the rest it is slower and bare-bones feeling. I can honestly say I don't like this song. I'm not sure if I like it at all. I'm told it will grow on me, but as for now, I think I'll be skipping this one most of the time.

10. How R U Doin?

It's probably best if I keep my opinions on this song to myself. It's not horrid, but it shouldn't have been their "comeback single" and it feels like a bit of wasted space on this album. We could have had another un-released song instead of this.

11. If The World Didn't Suck (We Would All Fall Off)

Aqua always knows how to end an album. I didn't think anything would be able to top "Goodbye To The Circus" as an ender, but this song is amazing. I was waiting for that slower ballad song, and I finally got it with this song. It rests in the same vein as "We Belong To The Sea" and "Aquarius", only a bit faster and more rock-sounding, but it is still a very touching song about Lene and her father. This song makes up for everything wrong with the album.

I guess saying "everything wrong with the album" is a bit harsh. The album is nearly a masterpiece. I think with the exclusion of HRUD, the un-re-writing of Sucker For A Superstar, and a bit of tweaking on "Be My Saviour Tonight", this album could be one of the best albums I've ever listened to. Perhaps I am just nit picking because I expected perfection from my favorite group of all time? Who knows, maybe after a few more listens I'll be convinced that nobody will ever beat Aqua -- in my heart at least.