The world of pop music is populated with so many artists who are trying to copy each other. It is not a plagiarism, it is just a promiscuous idea. Yeah right. Only those who evolve or adapt to new streams without corrupting their aura manage to survive. In the era of mass production, there are a lot of pop rookies who are trying to become famous in a way that doesn’t make them stand out from the rest.
That is why we have Ivy Levan – a true refreshment under the pop sun. She definitely brings something new to the table, defining her own music as pop-noir, pop-punk and swamp-pop. It is not a typical pop we all got tired of. Ivy’s debut album may not be a true original (original is a strong word), but it definitely represents an idiosyncratic and vibrant try to showcase how rock and noir elements can be intertwined with pop.
Ivy is a 28 year old singer songwriter. Even though her lyrics are not cognitively spectacular, they somehow manage to attract with simplicity, humor and sarcasm. There is no a lot of experimenting. Lyrics are written to be memorable, but not in a sleazy way. We rather have a nicely sung vision of a young woman who is just trying to find her spot in a music industry.
High quality songs and a vocal range comparable to Christina Aguilera’s make this album a debut bomb. Rock, blue-eyed soul is demonstrating her ability to hit some incredibly high notes in a song called No Good, a beautiful love ballade about the tricky influence a man can have on a woman. Best Damn Thing is another power house song, thematically opposite to No Good. This time, she sings about the woman’s capacity to leave man speechless.
Singles Biscuit and The Dame Says are bombastic pop tracks with catchy, humoristic and metaphoric choruses. The Dame Says brings out the essence of the album in a line ‘’If you like it rough, then I ‘ll give it to you raw’’. A very intriguing narrative suggests Ivy is a mature woman who knows what she is singing about. 27 club featuring Diplo is dedicated to growing up. Killing you, a duet with Sting, is one of the most beautiful songs on the album.
No good is more than good. It proves you can be an interesting pop artist who doesn’t copy others. When you have a strong voice and poetic talent, everything else comes in its right place.
