Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

Dear Sean Kingston,

Your music is terrible. There, I said it. I’m not tryin’ to start beef or anything silly like that, I just wanted to get it out of the way. First, because I’ve never brought this up with you before, can we talk about your first single?

You know, “Beautiful Girls?” Anyway. In that single you mentioned “Back in 99 . . . when I went away for doin’ my first crime.” But you’re 19 (actually, just a few months younger than I am). Which means that in 1999, you were exactly 9 years old. And you were in 4th grade. FOURTH GRADE. You know the term “Keeping it real?” You are the exact opposite (edit: I just researched, and apparently you spent 21 days in jail as an 11 year old. I’ll assume that the “99″ was just convenient for rhyming purposes. Whatever. Your lyrics are still garbage).

And they kept getting worse. Who has the gaul to sorta-kinda-almost sample Pink Floyd? That’s just absurd. Yes, I am talking about the opening 5 seconds to “Fire Burnin’,” your newest single. RedOne, the producer who produced so many incredible hits for Lady GaGa might be to blame (and this track is awful compared to his other work), but I’m in a ranting mood and you look like a good target.

I could go on for days regarding how much I dislike your music. But I’m over all of that. Because I found a song that I can only assume will be a major hit for you and one I am reluctant to see rise to the top. Not reluctant because the song sucks, but because the song is great and it well get overplayed. In a fake-epic-sort-of-way, but great nonetheless. It’s not listed as your second single on the album (that title goes to the seemingly terrible “Girlfriend” track), but it should be. No, no, your amazing track is “Face Drop.” And it’s like really good.

“Face Drop” has the sort of echo-y big-ness to it that might draw comparisons to “Live Your Life” (now THERE is a song that sucked) or Maino/T-Pain’s “All The Above” track I once sort-of-kind-of enjoyed. Actually, I think there might be a reference to the Maino joint when he goes “This was none of the above.” Or I’m crazy. Whatever.

But the melody is awesome and the lyrics are really okay for about half of it. You still have some songwriting work to do (“You said I would look much better if I was thinner/you should have judged me for my inner”), but the rest of it? Mmmmm, tasty. On first listen, click straight to the chorus @ 45 seconds in. It’ll warm you to this track much faster.

Keep it up like this and I might call you a guilty pleasure. Keep it up like this and I might even play your track in a University of Rochester frat party. That’s major exposure – 300 drunk kids in a basement, in upstate NY no less. Major exposure.

All the best, EM

Sean Kingston – Face Drop [click to download mp3]

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