Rapper Flo Rida may not be an “album artist”, with his last effort peaking in the bottom half of the Billboard Top 200, but the artist has dominated the charts with seven top 10 singles, including the first two offerings from his newest project Wild Ones. The rapper’s fourth studio album, originally set as a sequel to his third, showcases his fast-paced skills while featuring beautiful guest vocals from Jennifer Lopez and Sia. Some may criticize the record for sounding too similar track after track, but no one will deny how undeniably catchy they all are. The album already features two hits, and will surely have more.
The album starts off with current top 20 single, “Whistle”, a subtle ode to an act that should only play out in the bedroom. Instead of coming out the door loud and vulgar, an acoustic, soft intro kicks things off and grabs the listener by the waist. It will not take too much imagination to figure out exactly what the rapper wants his girls to put their lips on. Dirty and cute all at the same time.
One of my favorite underrated artists may have been the real reason Flo Rida’s title track single was successful. Australian songstress Sia hits the chorus perfectly as the rapper sings of convincing one to join the wild team. The track is a straightforward, pop/dance tune that serves as a more subtle successor than the album’s lead single. Sia sings “if I took you home” and the duo certainly won me over with this jam.
Opening with a sample of “Let the Good Times Roll”, “Let It Roll” shows the rapper rolling solo. The songwriting may be a little bit generic, simply talking about partying and having a good time, but the beat is somewhat addictive. Flo Rida raps impressively, spitting verse after verse miles per minute. With that said, the track is bland. The sample sounds out of place and the finish product is just a big mess.
Again, the success of “Good Feeling” may be because of a small sample from Etta James, but Flo Rida’s energy and catchy verses really took the project to a whole new level. Vocals, lyrics and production all came together nicely to create one amazing, club-ready, dubstep anthem that took the charts by storm. Sometimes you get a good feeling. The rapper must have realized that to know this song was a hit.
“In My Mind Part 2” is a track I noticed was getting negative criticism from fans, but I do not really know why. The song seems to be a sequel, to what I don’t know, but taking it for what it is, it is not bad. Featured guest Georgia Kay sings the chorus with a low, melancholy vibe which is then contrasted drastically with the rapper’s “in your face” vocals. Strange mix, but I like it.
My Latin queen Jennifer Lopez joins forces with Flo Rida on “Sweet Spot” shortly after the duo’s first offering, “Goin’ In”, was released. This track is good, but there is nothing amazing or spectacular about it. I expected the two to knock it out of the park, but they only score a point with this fun track about candy and sex. Guess I am being a little hard because I wanted too much.
The pace slows down for “Thinking Of You”, a tame cut that would be the closest the rapper ever came to a ballad. “Maybe it was best that we let it go” Flo Rida sings just before he gets into the quick verses he is known for. The song describes the end of a relationship, the possibility of regretting how everything played out. Rida isn’t ready to let go on this track of love and vulnerability.
“I Cry” starts off with a cute, Jackson 5-sounding sample intro, but then turns into another up-tempo, dance track similar to the majority of the track list. At this point one would think the album has had enough dance floor anthems, but this is another great one. Flo Rida’s verses are great and energetic once again, but they are the supporting act to the infectious chorus that becomes quite an earworm after one listen.
The short album ends with “Run”, a track that gets a little help from one-half of LMFAO. Flo Rida and Redfoo close the effort on a very loud and high note. Did you really expect anything else from these two working together? An act of jealously has the rapper doing something wrong with two lovely females. A great hook and chorus mixed in with hip-hop influences create yet another number one worthy track.
Wild Ones may be one of the guilty pleasures of the year. Flo Rida has yet to create a perfect, solid album, but this may be the effort he has been waiting for. While the rapper impressively gives each track his quick signature touch, female guest vocalists take the energy into the top 10 worthy stratosphere. Nine tracks may seem a little short, and I was really left waiting more, but the small track list prevented any slip ups. The album is a fun, party album that will collect a handful of hit singles over the next year. Don’t take it too seriously. The album receives a deserved 83%.
Tracks to Hear: “Whistle”, “Sweet Spot feat. Jennifer Lopez”, “I Cry” and “Run feat. Redfoo”
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