COLUMN: LMFAO almost knows how to throw a party
If you read my column consistently, you might see I occasionally get into a rut. Lesser-known indie artists are the ones I get excited about and follow, so they tend to appear in my columns often. For all of you party-rockers out there, I am revealing one of my darkest secrets this week by sharing my personal love for the dance floor.
There is a certain energy that is on the dance floor, a brotherly camaraderie that can’t be found anywhere but when you’re dancing furiously to a DJ’s custom mix. Being drenched in a delightful concoction of your own sweat and the sweaty bodies of hundreds of other people in the room does something to your senses. This feeling led me to review one of my favorite party artists out there, LMFAO.
Their album “Sorry For Party Rocking” has rocked the music scene since the day it was released last June. With great singles like “Party Rock Anthem” and “Sexy and I Know It,” most everyone has seen the hit videos and try to “shuffle ‘ery day,” but has anyone really heard the full album? This week I’m going to dissect the album and see if it is worth six bucks on Amazon or just worth buying the few hit singles from.
This debate over depth and lyrics has been around since the ushering in of the rap era in the 1980s. The question remains: What is more important, what you say or how you say it? I would argue that on a day-to-day basis, people decide to listen to different genres because they have different moods throughout the day.
People demand songs that move the body and songs that move the soul, but sometimes the two don’t mix. Like balancing a scale, there are two musical forces in this world: the party and the day-to-day. With each deep, thought provoking song, there is an extremely shallow song about getting girls and getting drunk to even it out. “Sorry for Party Rocking” is great for partying, but if you want lyrics, search elsewhere, friends. If you “came here to rock the house,” this album is the way to go.
The first step to listening to LMFAO is to get into some leopard jeans and blast it over big speakers. If that is unavailable, go to the club. If it’s a Monday or a Thursday afternoon, then headphones work just as well. The album starts off strong with “Rock The Beat II,” which leads you to believe the album is all about laughs and good times, but then drops you into a dubstep-esque beat to roll into the title track “Sorry For Party Rocking.” The party keeps it real with a stadium-style chanting of the iconic title. After this, “Party Rock Anthem” shuffles through with bubbly catchy beats, great rap and danceable leads. If you haven’t already, watch the wonderfully choreographed video of the song on YouTube. Even if you don’t like dance music, the parodies or the song’s choreography is sure to do something for you.
My favorite song, “Sexy and I Know It,” is a romp about being checked out by everyone in the club and having “passion in his pants” and not being afraid to show it. Surprisingly, not only does it have a well-crafted beat, but it has artfully made lyrics that fly you away to an idealized world of the club. It makes me want to jump up and strut my stuff — even if my stuff is nothing to write home about. It takes a skill to make even the un-sexy of us feel great, and putting on the shoes of Red Foo does just that.
“Champagne Showers” is the next song on the list, ending the singles that make up the first half of the album. Sky Blu takes the lead and raps his and the listener’s heart out, but this song is the end of the greatness. Just like the party where you are getting tired but you want to keep it going, the album keeps the beat, great synths and bass, but it is nothing to brag or even care about. The lyrics aren’t as catchy and the rap beat feels similar to “Party Rock Anthem” and other singles. It’s like the duo is providing aspiring DJ’s with fodder to make a new dance party, but alone it isn’t great. The beat is still fun and keeps it going, but, regrettably, the tracks aren’t worth it.
Bottom Line: LMFAO’s album “Sorry For Party Rocking” is perfect for any party, especially the singles at the beginning of the album. Busta Rhymes makes an appearance in “Take it to the Hole,” but, other than that, the middle songs are bland and are only good to keep the party going. For the price on Amazon of $5.99, it is worth downloading the album, but if you are the breed of people who just likes singles, then buy alone. Overall, I give the album a B minus.
– alexander.h.van_oene@aggiemail.usu.edu