Regular Columnists

Artist: Renee Sebastian
Album: "Deliciously Dangerous" (single)
CD Review: Genre: R&B
Sounds Like: ?
Technical Grade: 10
Production/Musicianship Grade: 8
Commercial Value: 7
Overall Talent Level: 7
Songwriting Skills: 7
Performance Skill: 7
Best Songs: Single
Weakness: Song structure
CD Review: There are certain songs that you hear on the radio just once and you can't wait to hear them again. There are also certain songs that you hear on the radio, over and over, and they just grow on you. Renee Sebastian, who is from Danville, Ca (of all places), delivers a CD single that has this potential.

While I'm impressed with the test marketing that they put into the song (results concluded that 9 out of 10 females would buy it and 5 out of 10 males would buy it) I'm more impressed with the song's potential than I am with the actual track. While the single is well produced and benefits from a plush vocal arrangement that would make Jennifer Lopez envious, it fails to "stick" because the chorus is too wordy. This is not to say that the song is without commercial merit. The production values on this single are high enough to place and keep it in rotation on the top radio stations in any market..but it will have to happen with a great deal of fan support.

Advice: I know you have already released this single but I would advise that you remix and restructure it! Make it shorter. There are pockets of "dead space" in the song where nothing happens to propel it forward or bring it continuity, and as a result it loses interest until that plush chorus comes back in. Or...make it longer and speed it up so it can be danced to. Add some musical fills (or a rap) to keep it interesting.

www.reneesebastian.com