The Bottom Line
Max Martin certainly seems the pop genius of the moment. He is the producer of this first single from this year's American Idol fourth place finisher Allison Iraheta. Her throaty voice is used effectively from the first "Oh yeah!" through the falling apart of a romantic relationship in the course of a week. Snappy drum and guitar figures make the song instantly memorable, and you will be singing along the first time through.
Pros
- Exactly the kind of performance we expect from Allison Iraheta
- Sharp rock attack
- Allison's throaty rock voice
Cons
- A bit overly predictable perhaps
Description
- Produced by Max Martin
- From Allison Iraheta's debut album
- Released October 2009 by Jive Records
Guide Review - Allison Iraheta - "Friday I'll Be Over U"
When high profile producers are hired to put together tracks for the first album from an American Idol contestant it often seems the singer gets a bit buried in the effort of the production wizard to showcase their own talent. Here Max Martin seems to perfectly capture the image and vocal style of Allison Iraheta. She could do loud and bratty with the best of them, but there was always an underlying sweetness and vulnerability to her singing as well. Here the chorus could certainly be sung in an angry, accusatory fashion. However, instead Iraheta's vocals have an almost sweet and wistful quality. It makes "Friday I'll Be Over U" sound more like an expansive song instead of simply a diatribe.
There is plenty of rock fire to go around as well. The aggressive guitar that kicks off the song with Allison Iraheta's "Oh yeah!" echoes some of the best of harder-edged bubblegum of the past. Twinkly synthesizers give way to a wall of sound that kicks the song into an even higher gear. Pop radio programmers should be listening, because "Friday I'll Be Over U" will stick in the minds of listeners.
An element of a number of Allison Iraheta's American Idol performances that is missing here is the bluesy, classic rock sound that created comparisons with the likes of Janis Joplin. It would be good to see material like that included on her first album. However, the style of this song will instantly grab fans of contemporary pop with its easy to grasp and understand arrangement. With more recordings like this, pop stardom could be on the way for Allison Iraheta.
