OOC: I'm concerned for TRSG! As we all know in 2017 we're pretty much officially picking back up after almost a year of on and off inactivity. I think a big part of this was our lack of motivation to release albums. When no one releases albums we're all just posting pointless singles and end up kinda floating in and out. I believe it got so bad that we turned into a ghost town for a number of reasons, 1) y'all actually trusted me to keep the album charts active LMAOOO and 2) whenever someone did drop an album, no one really talked about it. I realized the funnest part about spending so much time writing and posting an album is seeing people actually respond to it so I'm gonna bring that back. Hopefully this makes everyone else think about doing reviews again too because I certainly don't want to be the only one reviewing my stuff. But more importantly, I hope it encourages you guys to write and post more albums! Especially the newer members and the ones who've been here for 59 years and have barely posted 2 full length bodies of work COUGH COUGH! Don't be scared to throw something together, have you seen my attempts??? Just stay active y'all, this is the only forum I'm ever gonna put energy into. You don't have to ask, I'm gonna try to review every album. Of course it's gonna be on my own shitty timing but just work with me.

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Dear lovies,

Let's address the obvious: I've really been slacking off in 2017. What can i say? I've been extremely busy! I honestly never thought so many people would reading my stupid blog about.....nothing really! I post pictures with random short stories, tell all my family​'s business and rant about albums I wasn't even gonna buy in the first place. Before now, it's really been anything goes on this site but no more of that. During my hiatus, I've realized that for whatever reason, there are people actually looking forward to hearing what I think about music and so I'm giving the people what they want! Starting today, I will be reviewing EVERY album released in 2017 and onward, starting with all the albums I've missed. Ready to play catch up?

TRACK BY TRACK REVIEW: Cory Dionne - Uncover (EP)


First things first, Cory Dionne. With the Uncover EP, Cory Dionne was the first person to drop an official release in 2017. It's his debut project and he released it all by himself, something he won't have to do anymore seeing as immediately after, Dahlhouse Entertainment snatched him right up! Before he dropped a #1 EP out of nowhere, Cory Dionne was just another backup singer waiting for his turn at center stage. Here's what his fine self brought to the table:

1. Dangerous Word

Dangerous Word is the first song on the EP and I'm already in love. I listen to all kinds of music so I definitely don't hold any bias but there's just something about an R&B songs with just the right touch of synths... The best thing here is definitely Cory's voice. His vocals are soft but they still manage to show so much emotion. They carry the lyrics along well, which don't seem like much at first but really grow on you. In this song, Cory sings about being afraid of the fact that he's starting to love someone. I think we can all relate to how scary it is when you realize you're getting in your feelings about someone and not yet knowing if they'll be returned. It really is dangerous territory and the song does a simple yet powerful way of getting that across. I love how he coos, "Have I told you that love is a dangerous word?" and then goes right to asking over and over again, "you ready?". It really makes me think. Every time he asks for confirmation I start to consider that maybe he's just asking himself.

8/10

2. Talk About

Talk About reminds me a lot of Brad Pitt. Brad is one of those humans that you have to actually sit back and really take in the fact that he's a human. Like wow, that man is really of my species and walking around here looking like a god. He's so beautiful that whenever he's on screen, I don't really listen to what he's saying, I just stare in awe. Are the words coming out of his mouth actually important? Most of the time, sure! But...I think I've gotten a little off topic here. The point I'm trying to make is, Talk About is a beautiful song. Cory's falsetto mixed with the calm guitar strings that just seem to fade in and out really come together to make one hell of a composition. But is there actually anything going on in the lyrics? Nah. As much as I love the second verse (especially the lines: Your silky skin/Couldn't create a better sin) it doesn't make up for the fact that the rest of the song is pretty repetitive. Pressed that he released Talk About first. Especially since the song is...... Nothing to Talk About!! (Yes, I wrote this entire review just to use one bad pun 😥) I don't know, everybody else really seemed to like the song. Is it just me?

6/10

3. Private Show

Moving on to what should've been Cory Dionne's debut single, Private Show! This song is great all across the board. The song is not only a bop but Cory still sounds as good as ever, his vocals really showing out on this one. It's a slow song but it has a good beat to it that would be perfect for radio. But this track exceeds where Talk About doesn't and that's shown all in the lyrics. The whole song Cory is singing to his ex-girl turned stripper and begging her for a "private show". Probably the sleaziest way to ask for a second chance, yes, but the song is so sexy! My favorite part is definitely what I'm considering is the post-chorus where Cory sings, "Give into temptation lets run to tomorrow/Take my hand and my heart, you can borrow/Just for the private show".

8/10

4. Broken Hearts

Broken Hearts is easily the catchiest song on the album and I'm pretty sure that when it first came out, it was my favorite. After better assessment of the song though, it is far from anywhere near the best song on Uncover but it's still pretty nice. On Broken Hearts, Cory sort of sing-raps on top of a dancehall beat. Sounds like a bop right? That's because it is. I rarely like songs like Broken Hearts where people admit to breaking people's hearts just because. I never really see the appeal in the concept, is it supposed to be sexy? Despite my feelings about the theme, Cory makes a cute exception for me, I can't help but get up and dance whenever this song is playing. That in itself is a talent and just enough for me to feel neutral about the track.

7/10

5. Trigger

Trigger is yet another forgettable song from the EP. With the heavy distortion, calm piano riffs and Cory's layered vocals fading into the mix, the music is nice here and he sounds good as always but there isn't much more than that. A song where the tables seem to be flipped as Cory is the one getting hurt in this song, it's kind of just...there. Nothing really stands out about it and that's not a bad thing. It didn't hurt to sit through it but it only makes you realize that there really is nothing special going on. Usually by the time he asks me to pull the trigger, I've already hit the skip button.

6/10

6. Commitment

As the EP winds down, it's kind of clear that Cory Dionne had put all of his best songs in the beginning of the project, probably not expecting many people to get this far because attention spans are laughably short nowadays and smaller artists are starting to realize it affects them most. Little did he know, this body of music would be the biggest EP out for 4 months and counting. I'm mentioning this because one could easily call Commitment a filler just like what Trigger seems to be, but I don't think that's fair. Commitment isn't a filler, its a grower. It takes time to really fall in love with a song and Commitment is a testimony to that. In terms of production, I'd consider this song better than Talk About though in a lot of ways it's the same. Just like in his debut, Cory sings in his falsetto to a stripped down beat with what I'm assuming is some cool guitar playing on top of it. The real difference is that though Talk About sounds fuller, Commitment has a nice bounce to it. I really like the lyrics here. "And now I'm afraid I just threw away/Everything that could pass as an escape/And maybe I took it too fast​" Cory sings, describing his fear of commitment in what feels like the sequel to Dangerous Word.

7/10

7. Power (Alt. Version)

I love the best song on Uncover! Not sure who started those nasty rumors of Talk About being better than Power but I want them arrested for treason. Power was a SoundCloud dance track before Cory Dionne decided to drop the EDM and give us a piano-led vocal performance with a nice 808 drum machine! Gotta love R&B, it's out here doing the Lord's work. The song is a total eargasm but what I love most about the track is the lyrics. All throughout Power, Cory tells us to stay strong in the most beautiful way possible. Haters will say it's cliche, people with sense will call it a work of art. My favorite part is the pre-chorus and chorus but the lyrics, "You call yourself a maniac while screaming my name/Your wounds have been bleeding and your soul is laid/You're changing the story so afraid, so afraid/That you might look back at the old page" really speak to me. What a song. Music like this is what really gets you through some tough times.

9/10

OVERALL RATING: 7.3

If you ask me Uncover was a solid 7.5 but according to the calculator on my phone, 7.3 is the average of all the songs' scores. Math! My favorite songs are definitely Power, Private Show and Dangerous Word while my least favorite are Trigger and Talk About. This is a really solid debut and I cant wait to see what Cory Dionne is going to do next (AFTER he releases Private Show of course)! Cory Dionne has A+ looks, amazing vocals and is a decent writer, we could really squeeze some good music out of this man.

If you want to check this EP out for yourself, CLICK HERE. I recommend it. Be back soon with another review.

Sincerely, Kiki 💋

PS: I'm never doing a track by track ever again. Shit took way longer than I thought it would!

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