Just kidding! Yet another British crossover, nineteen-year-old Cher Lloyd is gearing up for the US release of her album “Sticks & Stones.”
The cover of Lloyd’s debut US single, “Want U Back.”
[Image from http://www.cherlloyd.com]
You may know Cher Lloyd from the seventh series of the UK’s X Factor, a televised music competition similar to American Idol. Though she didn’t quite make top three, she earned the respect of judge, and well-known critic, Simon Cowell. Shortly after the series’ end in late 2010, Lloyd was signed by Cowell to Syco Music, a subsidiary of Sony Music.
In June 2011, Lloyd’s lead single “Swagger Jagger” began getting radio play. Though critics gave the song mixed reviews, it debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart. After a few listens, the song transforms from a mildly annoying jumble of beats and egocentric lyrics to an instant dance track. While the croon of “swagger jagger” will never quite fit with the fast pace of the song, fans know the phrase leads into a beat that can’t be ignored.
The album’s second single “With Ur Love” hit airwaves a few months later. Featuring Mike Posner, it’s a ballad of sorts with an urban pop twist. Laced with innuendo and a casual dismissal of reality, “With Ur Love” peaked at number four on the UK Albums chart.
Sticks + Stones was released in the UK in November 2011, and is expected to drop in the US on October 2, 2012 through Epic Records. A “jukebox” of different sounds, the album is versatile within the synthpop genre, dabbling with a hip hop and R&B feel.
Notable tracks include the album’s opener “Grow Up (feat. Busta Rhymes),” a song that could easily become the party anthem of our generation, and the album’s closer “End Up Here,” a song every teenage girl can relate to.
Check out the video for her US certified Gold track “Want U Back” below.
