Will.I.Am ft. Nicki Minaj - 'Check It Out'
In marked contrast there's this. A meeting of two mighty talents, a sample from an international No.1 hit single from 1979 (it's 'Video Killed The Radio Star' by Buggles, in case you weren't sure), and a lot of bragging. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, I don't like to be the one to say this, but there's something fundamentally flawed about a song which demands that we check something out when there is literally NOTHING on display. I've looked and I've looked, and it's the same result every time: Nothing. Zip. Nada. Another-word-that-means-nothing. Zilch.
(I can't even show you the video because it is too sweary.)
And that's not even where the ripeness ends. Nicki Minaj is definitely a force for good in the world of popular song, but it's more than a bit much to sing "I'm a stereo and she's just so monotone" when her voice has been squashed flat by the iron hand of autotune. And really, what we want when Will.I.Am sings "I can't believe it, this beat is banging" is fairly simple: we want a beat and it is going to have to be a good one.
What we get is the most ineffective of boom-buh-boom-boom-kiks. The kind of beat which is probably best to not make too much of a fuss over.
And as a song, it basically forgets who it is about halfway through, taking a detour through some other beats and some other rhyme ideas (some of which are better, to be fair, especially Nicki's second verse) in an imperious fashion, before suddenly coming to its senses at the end.
It's definitely one of those songs where you can picture Will throwing ideas around in a wild fashion, daring people to question his production sanity, just so that he can smirkingly ask that we trust his better judgement, what with him being so fly and all.
Maybe it worked better in his head...
Download: Out now
www.myspace.com/nickiminaj
BBC Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
Digital Spy says: "When you cameo on more songs than you headline, forging a career of your own is a tricky business."
Dallas Observer says: "It'd be great to see Nicki treating the track and Billy's whole strut like the big joke that it is."
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~06~RS~)
Comments
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Black Eyed Peas are so bad now.
The time and this...
So bad
These two new songs should be banned from public radio.
1 STAR
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Oh my god. This song is above and beyond for me! 4 stars, if not 5!?!?
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Huh?
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I really wanted to like this, mainly because Nicki was insanely brilliant on the Kanye West single Monster, but something not working here. The sample works and is enjoyable but the beat is tame and neither Will.i.am or Nicki seem to be talking about anything at all. Disappointed, I expected better.
2 Stars
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@ 1
My sentiments exactly, only I knew I wouldn't like it because of will.i.am and his pretentious "let me produce everything for you and it'll be a BIG hit" attitude. 'OMG' was the most overrated puddle of loose stool water this year, and 'Check It Out' is, as Fraser has said, all talk and no trouser.
1 star.
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Exactly, I totally agree with OddOne.
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I'm personally waiting for nicki to do another solo single and to stop giving her voice to drab songs such as this and 2012 end of the world and as for will.i.am isnt it so sad when a once good artist runs out of ideas and becomes more madness than method another dull iritating song maybe hes been hanging out with cheryl cole too much lol.
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The new Black Eyed Peas single is unbelievably poor . This song is also a good opportunity missed . Expect a Black Eyed Peas backlash soon .
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I don't know how but this is in the top 10 on iTunes. :(
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Its largely to do with the sample of The Buggles , Harry . That is far and away the biggest hook in the song .
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Yeah, something missing. I do like Nicki's second verse. "Competition? Why yes, I would love some".
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