Lee Ryan - 'I Am Who I Am'
On the new Miley Cyrus album there's a song called 'Two More Lonely People', which is a bouncy, but mournful acoustipop sort of a thing. It has the distinct meaty thrust of a Kelly Clarkson super-normo-ballad, but reduced to a dull roar, as if trying to be friendly.
As is often the way with these things, there's a breakdown section where she sings the chorus - which owes more than a little to 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now' by Starship - quietly over some gently strummed guitars. This is so that she can really bring home the emotional clout of the song, before the rest of the band come steaming back in. And as is also often the case, the drummer does a little fill around the kit to re-introduce the ruckus.
Trouble is, he's playing syn-drums, and the fill he's gone with will be recognisable to almost all UK residents as the EastEnders "doof-doofs". Miley's US fans may feel very differently, because they don't have the same cultural reference points.
(. It's got a persecution complex.)
Which brings me to Lee Ryan. A man who really shouldn't still be allowed to make records, if the arc of success for other former boybanders - particularly former boybanders who've already had a stab at a solo career and have endured a couple of mildly humiliating media scrums - is anything to go by.
He certainly shouldn't be at the Experienced Old Man Of Pop In A Waistcoat stage yet. That only comes with a good few years of attempting to trade off his former success in every medium-to-small nightclub the country has to offer. You've got to pay those dues, maan.
But no, he's got himself a proper grown-up record deal, with a HUGE international record label, and he's making sober, croaky man-ballads like this - written by Ben's Brother, no less - while still dressing like a teen idol and shouting at people on Twitter.
So, to some people, he may be an exciting new talent with something to say, but to those of us with longer memories, that we can't seem to erase, he's effectively become Miley's "doof-doofs", in human form. His media profile gets in the way of his own music. That video doesn't help.
And it's a shame, because this is really rather lovely, and is sung beautifully. Despite boasting a title which is somewhere between Gloria Gaynor and Popeye, it's got all the soft passion, intelligence, hard-won gravitas and quiet dignity you'd expect of...well...anyone but Lee Ryan.
I know! I SAID INTELLIGENCE AND LEE RYAN IN THE SAME SENTENCE!
DOOF! DOOF! DOOF! DUFDUFDUDDLEDUDDLE! etc...
Download: July 4th
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(Fraser McAlpine)
"I think Lee finally got it right with this one."
"Lee's new music will finally reveal his sometimes misunderstood personality, and surprise even the most ardent pop aficionado."
"I've given most of the track a listen, and I'm thinking it's actually amazing."
Comment number 1.
At 29th Jun 2010, OddOne wrote:Weel, at first this song appears to go a bit... round the round-a-bout, doesn't it? It doesn't really go anywhere that hasn't been previously explored, nor does it stray too far into the 'This is interesting' string of things either.
But it's arounf about your fourth listen, that the true beauty of the song comes through - it's not meant to be fun, and not meant to be catchy - it's meant to be heartfelt, emotional, personal, most important of all, honest.
And it's exactly that, but my only concern is the timing - releasing it in the dead heat of the summer amidst the monstrous 'The Club Is Alive' which will no doubt storm somewhere it really doesn't deserve to. Actually, I'm checking the releases on the same week as this one, and JLS appear to be it's only competition... Eliza Doolittle and Kelis may pose some form of threat but in every possible way, this has to be the best week for 'I Am Who I Am'.
One thing I will say about the video though, is it would be nice if, after the eggs were thrown at him, the next screen-shot didn't see him all nice and clean again - if he really wants to sell the song using the video - he needs to keep what's thrown at him on him, like the food etc, etc.
P.S. Thank God he's not going to the 'Secret Love' route again.
4 stars.
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