Chaotic Dusk

Sweetbox – After The Lights

1. This Christmas
2. After The Lights
3. Killing Me DJ
4. Piano In The Dark
5. More Than Love
6. Waterfall
7. God On Video
8. Time Of My Life
9. Pretty In Pink
10. Girl From Tokyo
11. O Come All Ye Faithful
12. Silent Night
13. Merry X-Mas

After The Lights is Sweetbox’s Christmas themed album which actually isn’t all that Christmassy. There are a few Christmas tunes but there are also some very dark songs on this album. This is Jade and Geo’s first album that doesn’t have any classical sampling and each song has an original composition. The writing style also differs for some of the songs because Jade focuses on telling narratives in the 3^rd person rather than the 1^st person perspective that she usually writes in.

Starting the album is This Christmas which is a cute and, you guessed it, cheery Christmas song. The song is bursting with that magical holiday feel and it’s just adorable. The lyrics are easy to relate to “I won’t be victimized/by Christmas sales or 2-for-1 offers/won’t max out my credit card/and then convince myself that I deserve to” and the chorus is quite catchy. This is a great Christmas song and one of the one’s I can listen to anytime of the year. The rest of the album, except the last 3 songs, is devoid of any Christmas theme. After The Lights is one of Jade’s most beautiful and heart-wrenching ballads. It opens up with Jade’s soft vocals accompanied by gorgeous strings. The rest of the instruments come in during the chorus and Jade sings in a much stronger tone. The music takes on a dramatic feel for the bridge and Jade’s ad-libbing during it is phenomenal. One of the aspects I love about the song is how tragic it is. The lyrics are incredible and the verse after the bridge makes me shiver every time I listen to it, “but when he sees her ring/his words escape/and he doesn’t say he still tastes her kiss/and she’s too scared to say/ that her child’s eyes are his.” This song is absolutely breathtaking and one of the album’s best. Killing Me DJ, which features Toby, has a very pop sound to it despite being a breakup song, “I’m gonna burn your letters in the morning/put all our fading pictures in a box.” I find Toby’s vocals too deep and they don’t mix well with Jade’s vocals. He isn’t that bad that he ruins the song completely but the demo version without him sounded much better. The chorus is catchy even though it’s slightly repetitive. I adore the bridge, “yeah eh yeah yeah eh yeah oh/if I could turn back time/I would do it again,” it’s definitely the most addicting part of the song.

Piano In The Dark, is exactly what the title implies. It’s very dark with a haunting and dramatic piano melody. Jade’s vocal delivery is strong and the repetition of “daddy always said” gives it an ominous feel. The music changes completely after the first verse and it becomes upbeat and groovy. It’s an interesting shift and Jade sings in a soulful voice. I really like the contrast of the dark and upbeat sound, it makes the song unique. The final chorus is amazing. She sings the end with so much power and her ad-libbing is fantastic. More Than Love is another great ballad and it has a few surprises. The song constantly crescendos as it go on. At first there’s just a piano with Jade’s soft vocals then after the first chorus an acoustic guitar and chimes are added and Jade’s vocals become louder. The song seems as if it’s going to be sweet but as it goes on it starts sounding angst and vengeful. When the song enters the bridge her vocals become extremely bitter, “and you’re still not happy/after all that I’ve done/all I’ve become is never good enough for you.” I like the backing vocals in the final chorus because it resembles a choir and it gives the end a nice feel. My favourite song on the album and one of my favourite Sweetbox songs in general is Waterfall. I love the dark atmosphere and the stalker vibe that Jade portrays. It’s a creepy mid-tempo and the arrangement and lyrics are so mesmerizing. Her vocal performance is eerie, perfectly matches the arrangement, and the lyrics are as equally sinister, “sitting in my car watching you through window panes/they say its sick/but true lovers know no shame.” The chorus is repetitive but I love it to death, “you belong to me/you will belong to me.” When Jade talks during the bridge it gives me goose bumps because of how crazy she sounds, “I told you I’d be watching you/in everything that you do/but don’t worry now ‘cause I’ll take care of you.” This song isn’t that popular but I can’t get enough of it.

God On Video is much lighter than the last few songs. It’s a spiritual mid-tempo about faith and how “in order to believe/we need to see it on TV or video.” I really like the message of this song and how the arrangement is calm during the verses but picks up tempo for the chorus. The verses are sung softly with Jade repeating “I believe” for each sentence while she belts during the chorus. It’s a good song but if I had to pick this would be one of my least favourite songs on the album. Time Of My Life is a wonderful uplifting song. The lyrics are bittersweet but I love the hopeful arrangement. The verses are sung very softly, it’s almost like she’s whispering. The electronic melody is really sweet especially when it transitions to the chorus. Jade’s singing in the chorus is great and the way she holds some of the notes is lovely. The male backing vocals shouting “whoa” in the bridge add a choir element and I love the optimistic lyrics, “our memories fade but love won’t die/’cause you’re the light left in these eyes/and one day I’ll come home to you.” The next track, Pretty In Pink, has an 80s prom sound to it. I can’t help but think of cliché things when I listen to this. A sparkly and girly vibe dominates the arrangement which is laid-back and it has a slow dance vibe to it. Even the lyrics have references to 80s pop culture with Jade mentioning Bon Jovi, “but you know she doesn’t care/she’s living on a prayer.” It’s a decent tune with a cute melody.

I haven’t heard many songs that deal with the subject matter that Girl From Tokyo does so it’s quite refreshing. This song deals with a girl who gets an STD, “a three letter raven in his touch/funny how it’d give a stranger so much trust.” I had no idea this was what the song was about so I was surprised when I found out. It’s one of the albums more upbeat songs and it begins with dramatic strings that leads into a guitar. The melody remains constant except for the bridge where it slows down and Jade speaks, repeating one of the verses. The album returns to the Christmas theme for the last three tracks which are Christmas covers. O Come All Ye Faithful sounds really nice and Jade vocals are very soulful. The arrangement is pleasant and the strings and electronic beat make it pretty interesting. Jade’s version of Silent Night is an acoustic rendition and Jade performs in a soft and vulnerable voice. It’s very short, less than two minutes, so it goes by quickly and it’s over before you know it. The next song is a live recording of Merry X-Mas. The beginning is cute because they have the start the song over a couple of times since Jade won’t stop laughing. When she does start singing she uses her soft voice and does a great job on the track. There are some moments where she belts out but overall this is a very consistent song.

The Korean version of the album replaces the three Christmas songs with two new songs (the Korean special edition contains all the songs in a 2 disc set). Don’t Wanna Kill You is such an amazing song, it’s twisted and cruel. This is as dark as the album gets and Jade nails her delivery. The guitar in the verses is calm but when the strings come in that’s when the song takes on its dark vibe. I love how after every line Jade sings in the verse she speaks in the background making the song much creepier, “when she’s kissing you can’t she taste me? (those were my lips)/doesn’t my scent linger there? (I know it does)/a minute ago, you still loved me (did you tell her that?).” Jade sounds completely sadistic and deranged in the chorus especially during the final one. This is another one of the albums best tracks and it’s just insane how dark it is. “I don’t wanna kill you/just hurt you a little /I don’t wanna kill you/can I just hear you cry?” Crown Of Thorns is also a dark song and it has a lot of religious references. A dramatic piano opens the song with Jade screaming in the background. During the first verse Jade is just accompanied by a piano and when the chorus starts a drum beat is added. The song really comes to life in the second verse as more instruments are added and Jade begins singing more aggressively. I love the biblical references in the lyrics especially in the chorus, “let them praise you like messiah/while I wore your crown of thorns,” and second verse, “now you wanna cast me aside/well hey it’s an eye for an eye/and I won’t be crucified.” Jade becomes very aggressive during the bridge, “no more quiet woman behind her man/waiting to correct another one of his mistakes/an anonymous Goddess behind her god/parting the waters of the world before it gets too late,” and the music starts picking up speed while Jade belts out. These two tracks are so amazing they should have been featured on all editions of the album.

Conclusion: After The Lights is another solid release by Sweetbox. The album is a nice departure from their usual style and it’s great to see them try something new. Even though the album doesn’t deal with death or suicide I feel that it’s much darker than Adagio. The songs on here are tragic and even the ones that seem bright still have depressing lyrics. Geo is seriously a fantastic producer. The melodies on this album are stunning and there are a number of interesting arrangements. Jade’s vocal delivery, especially in the dark songs, is superb and she actually sounds sick and twisted. If you love Sweetbox’s classical work don’t shy away from After The Lights because it’s just as strong.

Recommended Tracks: Waterfall, Don’t Wanna Kill You, Crown Of Thorns, After The Lights, More Than Love, Time Of My Life and Piano In The Dark

Rating

Sweetbox – Adagio

1. Liberty
2. Life Is Cool
3. Somewhere
4. Hate Without Frontiers
5. Far Away
6. Testimony
7. I’ll Be There
8. Lacrimosa
9. Sorry
10. I Don’t Wanna Be
11. Chyna Girl
12. Everybody
13. Miss You
14. You Can’t Hide
15. 1000 Words
16. real Emotion

Adagio, Sweetbox’s third album with Jade Valerie, is one of their most popular albums. It’s not a surprise since the songs that were featured in Final Fantasy X-2 are on this album and these songs brought them many new fans. Sweetbox continues with their formula of sampling classical pieces but this time the outcome is vastly different from their previous releases. The album was inspired by world music and contains a hip-hop influence and features guest vocalists RJ, Nicco and Meguo. Adagio is Jade’s darkest and one of her most personal albums with songs about suicide, death and spirituality.

Liberty is a fantastic album opener and samples Kyrie (from Requiem) by Mozart. Haunting music, operatic and Latin vocals that lead into drum beats and Jade’s beautiful vocals make this a perfect mixture of pop and classical. The chorus sweeps in and is aggressive with Jade singing “is there liberty/gravity/do memories remain.” The second verse features a rap by RJ giving the song a hip-hop feel before it returns to its grandiose chorus. This song deals with someone who has committed suicide and it’s a very powerful track. Things lighten up for Life Is Cool which samples the ever so beautiful Canon in D Major by Johann Pachelbel. This is one of the albums more warmhearted songs with Jade singing about appreciating life, “there’s always someone who’s got it worse than you.” Jade’s vocals are sweet and the arrangement is cheerful, dominated by strings and a clarinet. Synths are added just before the bridge along with some distorted vocals and despite a very simple chorus this is a nice inspirational track. “The life you want is the life you have to make.” Somewhere has a fantasy feel to it because of the sample Ave Maria by J.S Bach & C. Gounod. Jade’s vocals are strong and match and elegant arrangement of the strings and oboe. The highlight is definitely the chorus because all the instruments start-up during it and the lyrics “somewhere beyond this/somewhere I know/there’s something better” are beautiful and I love how Jade’s vocals flow smoothly through it. The background vocals in the last chorus become louder and give the song a grand feel before ending.

I’ve always loved Hate Without Frontiers and it samples Stabat Mater by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi. The music is very dark and they’ve incorporated operatic female vocals that add to the dark atmosphere. Jade sings the first verse fast with some distortions on her voice and the lyrics are equally dark “my one temptation/last sensation/is only suicide.” There’s even a background voice that wails/shouts occasionally throughout the song. The second verse features only the operatic female vocalist and this part is intriguing and keeps the song interesting. Even though the chorus is only the title repeated the layering of Jade’s vocals along with the operatic singer are magnificent. Far Away, sampling Oboe Concerto in D Minor by Marcello, opens with a hauntingly beautiful oboe and Jade singing “I love you.” The first verse starts off light but then the music crescendos and it becomes much more dramatic before entering the intense chorus. Jade’s vocals are powerful and she sings with a lot of emotion. The bridge is gorgeous because of the lovely strings that later become accompanied by the rest of the instruments and Jade’s wonderful ad-libbing. Testimony is one of the few gospel inspired songs that Jade has and it samples Cradle Song by Grieg. With a choir, a male gospel vocalist preaching “I’m a living testimony,” and clapping in the background this song lives up to it’s name. RJ appears and offers a rap for the second verse to keep things interesting but his part slightly ruins the gospel feel because of the rap’s hip-hop nature. Jade shines in the chorus and brings the gospel element to an even higher level singing “ooh, ooh, ooh/ooh, ooh, ooh/do you know where to go.” It’s simple but highly effective and is the catchiest part of the track. A choir ends the song with a tune I’m sure everyone has heard before, “whatever it takes/I know I can make it through.” This song is decent but it isn’t as appealing as the other songs on the album.

RJ provides almost half of the vocals for I’ll Be There. He provides the vocals for the verses while Jade sings the chorus and the bridge. Strings are combined with hip-hop beats to give this song a bubbly arrangement. The highlight is definitely the upbeat chorus, “doesn’t matter when you call me at night/I’ll be there/I’ll be there all the time,” and it makes me wonder how much better this song would have been if Jade had sung more because her parts are the best. This is an adorable song and it’s one of my favourites. The album returns to its darker side with Lacrimosa, sampling Mozart’s song with the same name. RJ’s tone when he raps suits the gloomy atmosphere of this track. The chorus features haunting strings with Jade and RJ singing except her vocals are much more dominant and they sound surprisingly good together. For the bridge RJ echoes Jade’s vocals and I love how the music stops when Jade sings “a million hearts wishing upon falling stars” and then builds back up dramatically. Sorry is an aggressive track that samples Palladio by Karl Jenkins. Jade’s vocals are soft and I like the tone she uses in the verses and the strings are quite interesting. The aggressiveness of the song lies in its chorus where Jade sings “it’s really hard to tell you I’m sorry/I don’t wanna break your heart again.” This is a very edgy track with a lot of energy and Jade sings powerfully especially when she ad-libs. The blaring electric guitar at the end gives off a nice rock vibe.

There are some reggae influences in I Don’t Wanna Be which features guest vocalist Nicco. He contributes reggae styled singing to the song but I don’t really like his vocals. On the other hand, Jade’s vocals are great as usual and I enjoyed her delivery on this track. The chorus is repetitive, “la la la la I don’t wanna be,” but it’s highly addictive. I was surprised by the bridge because the music changes into some kind of old western flick sound with Jade talking. Overall, this was a nice track and even though I don’t like Nicco’s parts there’s something intriguing about this song. A traditional Asian sound and an aggressive electric guitar open up Chyna Girl. The verses are quite tame compared to the song’s in-your-face chorus. The music crescendos with Jade’s vocals as the verse transitions into the chorus and is executed nicely. Aggressive strings are added to the bridge instead of the electric guitar and they add a dramatic sound to the song. After the bridge the music strips down into only a piano and she sings part of the first verse. Her ad-libbing in the final chorus is amazing and I love how she uses a higher tone. Everybody is another one of my favourite tracks and it’s the darkest song on the album. The hip-hop influences and backing vocals, “it’s going down so you know you gotta hold on,” work surprisingly well with the song’s atmosphere. The song opens up with eerie vocalization that leads into Jade’s dark vocals. She sounds absolutely desperate in the pre-chorus, “the angels shut my eyes but/I’m still with you inside so/when you close your eyes and pray/I’m not too far away.” In the second verse they’ve added an electric guitar to add to the song’s dynamic arrangement. I find the chorus to be a little lackluster compared to the verses but the rest of the song is too amazing to even care about this minor complaint. This is a must-listen.

I was never a big fan of Miss You but it has grown on me a lot since I first heard it. The piece used is J.S Bach’s Pomp & Circumstance and this song opens up with a delightful piano melody. Jade sings the verses sweetly and softly accompanied by a thumping beat. What I mostly disliked about this song was its repetitive chorus, “but I miss you/cause I really miss you,” but it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. It’s a nice mid-tempo song but one of the least memorable songs on the album. You Can’t Hide in my opinion is the most unique song on Adagio and samples Hannah and Her Sisters which is also by J.S Bach. The arrangement is completely blissful and has such a magical feel to it. I love how Jade’s vocals ascend and descend with the music and it’s one of the best aspects of this track. It’s not very complicated in terms of music so Jade carries the song with her vocals and she sounds fantastic. There’s one line “you can try” that gets repeated over and over in the verse with Jade singing louder and stronger each time and it’s just stunning.

Now we get to what are probably Sweetbox’s most popular songs, Jade’s extended versions of 1000 Words and real Emotion. I was completely obsessed with these songs when I was younger and like most people they’re the reason I discovered Sweetbox. They were also the catalyst that pushed me into Jpop. 1000 Words is a ballad of epic proportions. A sad yet hopeful arrangement, emotional vocals and stunning lyrics, this song has everything you could ask for in a ballad. I do enjoy Koda Kumi’s version of this song but Jade’s is nostalgic and means a lot more to me. Jade sings the verses very softly and the music crescendos as it transitions into the chorus where she sings in a stronger voice. It took me a long time to get used to the second verse because I was so accustomed to the short version going straight into the bridge after the first chorus. I love the guitar riff in the bridge and how it progressively gets louder. Another reason why I enjoy Jade’s version much more is that she ad-libs in the final chorus whereas Koda doesn’t. It adds more emotion and depth to the song and gives it a much stronger finish. The album ends with the infectious and upbeat real Emotion. Jade immediately begins by asking “what can I do for you” which is followed by an electric guitar. She performs with a lot of energy and it’s nice to have a pure fun pop song after all of the dark and serious songs on the album. My favourite part of this song has always been the final chorus mostly because of the line “and if I find/the real without the motion has surrounded me.” All the other versions of Adagio contain the track Beautiful. This song isn’t as good as some of the other tracks but it is a nice listen. I really like the aggressive bridge because of Jade’s deep vocals when she sings “just make me feel anything at all.” The arrangement of the song is interesting with a piano in the verses that is led into the chorus, which features an electric guitar, by a drum sequence.

Conclusion: Adagio is considered one of Sweetbox’s best works for good reason. This is the album where they truly perfected their pop meets classical sound. The classical pieces are flawlessly turned into new and amazing songs. Geo definitely worked his magic on the production of this album. Jade’s vocals sound amazing with the dark elements of the music and she has some very interesting performances here. If you’re new to Sweetbox then this is one of the albums you want to start out with because it contains some of their best material.

Recommended Tracks: You Can’t Hide, Everybody, 1000 Words, Hate Without Frontiers, I’ll Be There, Far Away and real Emotion

Rating

Sweetbox – Jade

1. Human Sacrifice
2. Read My Mind
3. Unforgiven
4. Lighter Shade Of blue
5. Utopia
6. Don’t Push Me
7. On The Radio
8. Alright
9. Stay
10. Falling
11. Fool Again
12. Easy Come, Easy Go
13. Always On My Mind
14. One Kiss

Jade is Sweetbox’s second album with front woman Jade Valerie. This album is like a continuation of Classified except they’ve taken everything great from it and made it even better.

Human Sacrifice is one hell of a revenge anthem with Jade sounding extremely aggressive. It’s surprising to hear Jade swear, “ate your bull shit promises and cherished every fucking word” because the lyrics in Classified were pretty tame. That line makes the song so much better because it’s so unexpected. Obviously it wouldn’t be a Sweetbox album if there wasn’t some classical sampling and this song samples Pavane by Faure. The song features fast rap-like/speaking verses and it gives the song an urban feel. The backing vocals consist of Jade saying “I hate you” and the chorus along with the first verse is layered together at the end of the song which results in a nice mix. This is a very in-your-face way to begin the album. Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni is the classical piece in Read My Mind. This track is much calmer than Human Sacrifice and the strings are quite lovely and relaxing. Jade’s sings in a soft manner and her vocal performance is very sweet in this song. When the backing vocals are added to the chorus and as the strings become louder the song takes on a more epic feel.

The next track, Unforgiven, has always been a favourite of mine and Jade immediately begins by saying “unforgiven” while the chorus is being whispered in the background. To be honest I never noticed the whispering vocals until I wrote this review and I can’t believe I never noticed them before. The song features a xylophone melody and some wonderful oriental music. The chorus is catchy and I love the lyrics “input output overload too quick/looking for and searching for climax to this.” The chorus seems as if it doesn’t fit with the verses but I like that aspect of the song. The arrangement of this song is unique and I love its rhythm. Oriental elements appear again in my favourite song and in my opinion one of Jade’s best songs, Lighter Shade Of Blue. Jade sings this song with so much emotion and power making it a truly remarkable song. The vocal harmonies when Jade sings “oh baby” in the chorus are incredible. The lines “I left paradise and I did not even say goodbye” and “I think I’m over you but it’s not true” are sung so passionately and I love how she drags out the former by belting it out which leads right into the chorus. There’s even an electric guitar added towards the end of the track and it makes it more dramatic.

Utopia’s arrangement lives up to its title because it has a very euphoric and carefree feel to it. Jade’s backing vocals repeat themselves during the verses and they compliment the melody well. The music quiets down for the bridge where Jade begins to speak. Overall, this is a nice light pop song. Don’t Push Me samples Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven and at first seems like its going to be a mid-tempo track but then the rest of the music comes in and it becomes very upbeat and aggressive. Jade sings this song with a lot of attitude, “yeah, I suffocate quick/does is it make me a bitch,” and the verses are sung fast. The re-work of the classical piece into an upbeat track is done extremely well. The bridge features Jade belting out and the chorus near the end has Jade singing over it in a talk-like manner. This is one of the albums best tracks. After this high energy track comes the smooth and cool On The Radio. It opens up with a radio broadcast and then the verse comes in which features some “lalalas.” The song is stripped-down in terms of its arrangement and it produces a soothing atmosphere. The chorus has more energy than the verses and features lovely “oohs” in the background. Jade’s vocal delivery is fantastic especially at the end of the first chorus where she sings in a deeper voice.

Alright is a laid-back track about feeling fine despite all the bad things happening to you. The lyrics are quite humorous and the line “I keep hearing stupid Britney Spears’ songs” is priceless. Halfway through the song random Italian male vocals are added which have nothing really to do with the song. They don’t ruin the song but it’s just random to hear them placed into the bridge. Stay is a Shakespeare’s Sister’s cover and Jade remains faithful to the original. Even the notes that she hits are identical to the original. She sounds vulnerable with her soft vocals accompanied by the ballad’s simple yet gorgeous arrangement. The chorus is emotional and there’s a desperate tone to Jade’s voice that works with the aspect of life and death that the song portrays. During the bridge the music becomes dark and Jade’s sweet vocals take on a menacing tone. The high note that she hits after the bridge is absolutely incredible. This has always been one of my favourite tracks on the album. Falling has a nice melody that speeds up for the chorus and slows down for the verses. Each line in the verse begins with “it’s a shame” and I thought that was a pretty neat thing to do with the lyrics. Jade’s vocals are great as usual and even though the song isn’t as memorable as some of the other tracks on the album it’s still a nice listen.

Fool Again is a mixture of aggression and simplicity. While the verses are sung with a lot of attitude the chorus is sung in a much softer way. The strings are lovely and at first may not seem like they go with the aggressive verses but in the end it works out well as the beats do become heavier as the song progresses. Easy Come, Easy Go features Jade speaking at the beginning along with thumping beats. Just like Falling and Fool Again this track is very laid-back. The chorus is repeated frequently but since the track is just under three minutes it doesn’t end up being too repetitive. Jade tackles Willie Nelson’s Always On My Mind and does the song justice. The acoustic arrangement is wonderful and Jade’s voice really shines in this stripped-down song. I love how Jade’s vocals and the instruments become louder as the song progresses. The backing vocals near the end give it a lot of strength before it closes off softly. Both covers on the album are done well and I’m impressed that Jade was able to capture the beauty of the originals while adding her own little touches to them. One Kiss is an acoustic live recording and it’s simply elegant. You get to hear just how great of a singer she is on this track. Jade’s live vocals are just as good if not better than her vocals on the rest of the album. She sings with so much emotion in this song and she has great control of her voice.

Conclusion: Jade is a step up over the already excellent Classified. Geo’s productions on this album were much better and each sample fit in perfectly with the modern twist he gave them. The end of the album for me is the weakest part because those last few songs aren’t as great as the ones at the start but other than that I don’t have any other complaints. This album is solid and manages to have a completely different flavour than Classified. It’s a shame that they only release their music in Asia because they deserve much more recognition then they get.

Recommended Tracks: Lighter Shade Of Blue, Don’t Push Me, Stay, Human Sacrifice, Unforgiven, On The Radio and Read My Mind

Rating

Sweetbox – Classified

1. Cinderella
2. For The Lonely (Radio Version)
3. Everything’s Gonna Be Alright (Jade’s Version)
4. Boyfriend
5. How Does It Feel
6. Interlude – Every Time
7. Every Time
8. Superstar
9. Sacred
10. That Night
11. Brown Haired Boy
12. Crazy
13. Trying To Be Me
14. Interlude – Not Different
15. Not Different (I Laugh, I Cry)
16. For The Lonely (Geo’s Remix)
17. Trying To Be Me (Remix)

Sweetbox was formed in 1995 by Heiko Schmidt, executive producer, and GEO, music producer. The group has had many leading women since it was formed which includes Kimberly Kearney, Dacia Bridges and Tina Harris but the most successful and popular front woman would have to be Jade Valerie Villalon.

The album opens on a cute note with Cinderella, which samples Trumpet Concerto by Telemann, and it’s a pretty cheesy song with lyrics like “Cinderella got a prince and a kingdom/Cinderella got the dream she was dreaming” but I do like the way it sounds. I absolutely love the build-up in the verses and when the backing vocals sing “is the queen of the kingdom” right before the chorus starts is amazing. Cinderella is very uplifting and it’s a cute way to start off the album. The second track on the album is a song most people who have heard of Sweetbox are familiar with and samples La Califfa by Enrico Morricone. For The Lonely is a gorgeous song and has such a wonderful melody. Jade’s vocals are fantastic especially during the bridge of the song. The song’s message is very sweet and the lyrics “we all live underneath the same blue sky” are easy to relate to. Everything’s Gonna Be Alright is a cover of Sweetbox’s previous front woman, Tina Harris, and samples Air on a G String (Suite No.3) by J.S Bach. Not many people enjoy Jade’s take on this song but she pulled it off really well. It’s not a good as Jade’s Reborn version but it isn’t bad by any means.

Boyfriend is a fun up-tempo track that has Jade singing in the chorus “I don’t want your boyfriend.” This song is quite catchy and is very reminiscent of 90’s pop music. I’ve always loved How Does It Feel and it’s one of the best tracks on the album. Jade’s vocals are very strong throughout the song and I love her tone when she sings “how does it feel to see me pass you by.” Another very popular Sweetbox song, Every Time, is a gorgeous ballad. Jade’s vocals are on-point in this song and she showcases just how great of a singer she is. The instruments in this track are lovely and they blend wonderfully with Jade’s powerful vocals. The next three songs on the album are all amazing and some of the best tracks on the album. My favourite track on the album hands down is Superstar. This song is full of attitude with lyrics like “don’t even know that you’re full of shit/there are no billboards of you” and I love it.  It’s great to hear Jade sing with some attitude and she sounds amazing in this track. It’s catchy and definitely one of the highlights of the album. Sacred samples Scene from Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky and this is another fantastic track. This song has a music box quality to it and the lyrics are simply wonderful, “when so many lovers never find each other/I’ve found you.” Concerto For Oboe in D Major by Leonardo di Gioforte is sampled in That Night which has Jade singing about a special night with a lover. The sample used in the song works wonderfully and suits the content of the lyrics really well. It really does give off a special feeling like the one described in the song. Jade’s vocals are sweet just like they were in Sacred and it was a great to have these songs together on the album.

Brown Haired Boy is the cutest song on the album, sampling Fur Elise by Beethoven, and the way Jade hums in the chorus is so adorable. The song has a nice summer vibe to it and I enjoyed the parts in the song when Jade talks especially during the last chorus. Even though the song is cute it’s not cheesy like Cinderella was. Jade returns to her aggressive side in Crazy, sampling 5th Symphony by Beethoven, and this song opens up with some strong and hard beats. I enjoyed the “Na na na’s” throughout the song and Jade’s playful vocals. Jade sounds wonderful when she sings aggressively and I’m glad she continues with this tone in Trying To Be Me. This song samples Solveig’s Song by Grieg and starts off with a man saying “you believe you are special that somehow the rules don’t apply to you” and with Jade answering “Yes.” You can already tell this song is going to have a lot of attitude. I like this song more than Crazy but it doesn’t come anywhere close to Superstar. The final song on the album, minus the remixes, is a great closing song and samples Largo (Oper Xerxes) by George Friedrich Händel. Not Different (I Laugh, I Cry) is a song that many people can relate to with lyrics like “I laugh, I cry/I need, I try/sometimes I hide.” They’re very simple but they’re also very effective and the choir featured adds a nice touch making the song much more enjoyable. The final tracks are remixes and they’re really not that different from the originals.  The only really noticeable difference in For The Lonely (Geo’s Remix) is that the instruments have been replaced with sythns. For Trying To Be Me (Remix) the opening dialogue is removed and it’s not as aggressive as its counterpart. The “nananas” are toned down which removes the spunky feel of the original.

Conclusion: Jade Valerie’s debut with Sweetbox is fantastic. Jade has a strong and wonderful voice which is showcased nicely throughout the album. The album is well-balanced with ballads, mid-tempo and up-tempo songs and Jade shows how versatile she is which each song. Sweetbox’s major selling point is the fact that they sample classical music and infuse it with pop music. The result is a wonderful album filled with brilliant melodies and memorable hooks. Jade is an extremely talented songwriter and even though a few songs on the album may come across as cheesy they are still well written. I highly recommend this album to anyone who wants to listen to great pop music.

Recommended Tracks: Superstar, Sacred, That Night, How Does It Feel, For The Lonely and Every Time

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