Chlöe’s talent is undeniable. With an alluring stage presence and unequivocal vocal range, the “Pray It Away” crooner is undoubtedly Beyoncé’s protégé. Even so, her second-rate singles and lackadaisical album releases have made it hard to envision how she will ascend to megastardom.
Following her widely criticised debut album, In Pieces, Chlöe has released a sophomore record which, unfortunately, has some of the pitfalls of its predecessor: sonic incoherence and superfluous filler songs. Titled Trouble In Paradise, the 16-track offering boasts a handful of calculated features – who, quite frankly, don’t do it any favours.
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“All I Got (Free Falling)” ushers us into the album with a syncopated piano complemented by nuanced songwriting – an upgrade from the generic lyrics that have become synonymous with Chlöe’s music. The tip-top intro showcases Ms Bailey’s vocal prowess, serving as a stark reminder of her star power. Sadly, the propitious opener is superseded by a polarising kaleidoscope.
Enlisting Ty Dolla $ign, who is considered a “cheat code” feature in the contemporary music landscape, “Might As Well” is hollow and devoid of originality. With nondescript lyrics, the song undercuts any attempt at sincerity and vulnerability. Expectedly, its songwriting plays into Chlöe’s notorious “good girl gone bad” persona with the lines “I might as well/ Text that n*gga at 2 AM.” Akin to “Cheat Back” with Future from her debut album, the track is an unsolicited encore.
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Standout single “Boy Bye,” a vibrant pop song overlaid with ethereal falsettos, is flirty and upbeat – a convincing introduction to Chlöe the pop star. Albeit nonexclusive and engineered towards tune-smithery, the song is a better attempt at musicality. Still, it is not enough to sugarcoat the album’s questionable sequencing.
One thing is clear from the onset: Trouble In Paradise is not a concept album. From the knock-off of Doja Cat’s “Say So” that is “Strawberry Lemonade” to the misplaced “Rose,” it’s hard to identify the record’s creative direction. Moreover, the latter feels like an underwhelming sequel of the album’s lead single, “FYS.” At just under 50 minutes, the record simply cannot afford to have such a high proportion of its songs feel so lyrically and thematically flaccid.
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Hope is restored when Chlöe casts Halle as her sparring partner in “Want Me”, which is by far the album’s outlying luminary. The ballad is an impassioned lament about unrequited love with the sister singing: “I got one question, boy, why don’t you want me?” Reminiscent of their Ungodly Hour era, the song is laden with plush harmonies and polished vocals. Above all else, “Want Me” corroborates the longstanding argument that Chlöe and Halle are better off as a duo.
Trouble In Paradise is also plagued by Afro-pop and Dancehall tracks that make a desperate attempt at mainstream viability. One such song is “Redemption”, a rhythmic tune exploring themes of forgiveness, and disillusionment. The Afro-pop indebted ode to romantic instability is frustratingly short, making it easy to disregard as yet another unfinished concept, and thus a needless filler. “Temporarily Single” is the better one of the Afro-esque soundscapes as it boasts a progressive uptempo, a well-written chorus, and more refined lyrics overall.
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Jeremih appears on “Shake,” a chemistry-free experiment that falls flat despite its immense potential. This is a letdown considering that Chlöe has been teasing the song for almost a year now. The same can be said of Anderson Paak-featured “Favourite.” Although it is one of the stronger songs on the record, it flounders because of its short-lived disposition.
Chlöe’s career is at a crossroads and Trouble In Paradise is a testament to this fact. The album comes across as a calculated effort instead of a genuine expression of musicality. Throughout the record, Ms Bailey embraces her carefree “girls just wanna have fun” alter-ego, a role she insists reflects her true identity. Yet, it remains to be seen whether she can successfully shed her previous image and establish herself as a successful solo artist.
Listen to Trouble In Paradise:
