The Bottom Line
Cheryl Cole is kicking off her second album Messy Little Raindrops with driving, upbeat dance pop. An electronic, nearly robotic "Alouette" chorus will catch your attention instantly. "Promise This" is likely another big hit in the UK for the Girls Aloud member. There are no specific plans yet for a US release, but "Promise This" would fit well on US pop radio.
Pros
- Catchy "alouette" chorus
- Tinkling piano runs
- Uptempo rush
Cons
- Faceless vocals
Description
- Written by Priscilla Renea, Wayne Wilkins, and Christopher Jackson
- Produced by Wayne Wilkins
- Released October 2010 by Fascination
Guide Review - Cheryl Cole - "Promise This"
Listen to this one time through and you are likely to have the word "alouette" running through your head for some time to come. It is instantly catchy, and, coupled with that tinkling piano line, "Promise This" can pull the listener into uptempo pop bliss. There is a certain facelessness to Cheryl Cole's vocals, but building a song around her projected public personality results in a very pleasing creation. "Promise This" was produced by Wayne Wilkins who put together Cheryl Cole's #1 debut single "Fight For This Love."
Pop fans are likely to linger and puzzle over the meaning of "alouette" in "Promise This." It means "lark" as in the bird and matches the children's rhyme about plucking the birds of a wing. This matches the song's lyrics, "Before I pluck your wings cover me please spread your wings cover me." Cheryl Cole seems very concerned in the song's context that she will "ground" her lover by plucking his wings and seeks reassurance that he will remain forever committed.
With X Factor's live performance season well under way, it seems a foregone conclusion that this latest release from arguably the most popular judge will be another major hit. The primary question remains if and when Cheryl Cole will be promoted as an artist across the Atlantic in the US. Will her stardom translate or will she be another Kylie Minogue?
