Sex. Love. Control. Vanity.Lipstick. Lies. Tears. Tragedy.Pretty simple plot lines, really. Or not. Just ask anyone who's followed the first season of Natalia Kills' self-produced "Love, Kills xx" episodic series - a surreal blend of dream sequences, free associative song fragments, and pure femme fatale poetry that'd leave Quentin Tarantino feeling a bit flushed. ..."Some girls want to be a princess when they grow up," explains Natalia. "I wanted to be in a bad bitch girl gang."She also wanted to be a pitch-dark pop star in the time-honored tradition of Kate Bush and Depeche Mode. So to strike a balance between it all, Natalia--a native of England's rugged Bradford area -- left school and moved to London alone to pursue her desire to creatively express herself through music and film at just 14. After 4 successful years on prime time BBC television and radio, and several songs in box office film sound tracks, she set out on a mission to combine her love of music, film and the stage into one frame. Her initial songwriting forays were to develop into the pop gravitas of Natalia Kills' solo material - from the creeping keys and whip-cracking breaks of "Zombie" to the heaven-sent harmonies and Eurythmics-like head-rush of "Mirrors.""I'm really influenced by the way music is applied to films, because it creates drama and suspense," says Natalia. "If you mute a film, you don't know when the killer is coming and without that tension there is no feeling of curiosity or fear. But when you have the pulse of the music, it provokes an emotion. That's what I'm inspired by--creating a full-on experience."And since "Love, Kills xx" is like a backstage pass to Natalia's restless mind, the artist/actress has created an entirely different film as an extension of her debut album, Perfectionist. Co-directed by the same French filmmaker as Love Kills (Guillaume Doubet), it's the perfect pairing for an album that features such Technicolor producers as Fernando Garibay (U2, Snoop Dogg, Britney Spears), Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys), Ron "Neffu" Feemster (Dr Dre, Michael Jackson), Akon and Cherrytree's label boss and Lady Gaga-collaborator Martin "Cherry Cherry Boom Boom" Kierszenbaum (who has also worked with t.A.T.u., Frankmusik and Far East Movement). A-list assistance aside, Natalia's ultimate vision shapes the direction and sound of her debut album, Perfectionist. "Good producers find a way of enhancing an artist," says Natalia. "They don't give you their musical sound, they give you your own.' My album was definitely a joint experience of creativity."That is exactly what made will.i.am want to sign Natalia to his label jointly with Cherrytree: the shape-shifting performer/writer/director that is Natalia Kills knows exactly what she wants, whether it's a stone-faced "Love Kills xx" scene or an all-out assault on what it means to be an all or nothing pop star."I like the way radio music used to be--really direct, wild and expressive," says Natalia. "It wasn't like `I love you baby' or `let's party all night'; it was songs like Queen's `Love Kills.' She continues, "You know, `Drills you through the heart/Scars you from the start'? Artists used to say whatever they were feeling. There was a real freedom of expression. And you know what? It's important to be brave in music, because if you can't be brave there, where can you?"
T**Y
Excellent pop album with a dark twist
Natalia Kills, labelmate of fellow pop perfectionists Lady Gaga and Robyn, has made quite the name for herself overseas, and with any luck, she'll hit it big here in the United States as well. Perfectionist, her debut album, is, quite simply, one of my favorites to be released this year. Because she does manage to showcase different styles of contemporary pop, I believe a song by song review is appropriate:Wonderland: A dark pop song, definitely one of the best on the album. Natalia does a good job singing the song and the lyrics are definitely one of the highlights of the cd. 5/5Free: This is about as cute as she gets. It's fun to sing along to, but overall it's one of the more disposable tracks. The will.i.am feature on the American edition seems superfluous to me, and I prefer the original. 3.5/5Break You Hard: Another highlight of the album - Natalia strikes a nice balance between dark and fun with this one. One of my faves! 4.5/5Zombie: A slower song about her "zombie" lover. Not one of my favorites, but the lyrics are neat and it definitely showcases the darker side of her music well. 2.5/5Love Is A Suicide: The most uptempo song on the cd is great too. The beat is killer and gregorian chants are always cool (though who would've thought to combine the two?). 4.5/5Mirrors: The lead single is also one of the most immediately striking and notable songs on Perfectionist. Just a generally all around awesome song. I could see this definitely having been a hit if it had been released by someone more known. 5/5.Acid Annie: My least favorite song from the album. Coming off the high point of "Mirrors" it doesn't measure up to it in virtually all respects. Any of the bonus tracks from the digital deluxe or international edition would've been a better selection. The lyrics are cool, though, but that's about all I like from this track. 2/5Superficial: Another slick uptempo that's reminiscient of "Free". It's a decent song, and defintely not the worst on the album, but it gets overshadowed. 3.5/5Broke: Another one of my favorites! Natalia takes the time to slow down the tempo. The lyrics are a bit cliche, but her earnest delivery and the solid beat make this one of my favorites. 4.5/5If I Was God: This is another stellar song as well. The lyrics are relatable and smart, the production is nearly flawless, and the vocals are spot on in both emotional delivery and pitch. Definitely worthy of the album closing position. 5/5Total Average: 4/5Overall, this is definitely one of my favorite albums to be released this year. However, the bonus tracks on the digital deluxe edition are definitely worthy of downloading. These include "Perfection" (a spoken introduction to the album; nothing especially notable but it does help to add flavor), "Heaven" (a sad downtempo about a deceased loved one; like Broke, her delivery makes this song, and it's almost criminal to leave this out in favor of "Acid Annie"), Kill My Boyfriend (a cutesey song made notable only by the juxtaposition between the cheery instrumental and the dark lyrics), Not In Love (another dark track, similar to but slightly better than Zombie), and Nothing Lasts Forever (my last favorite, an uptempo slightly like Superficial but with really great production and great vocals). To me, with these songs included, Perfectionist is absolutely a 5/5 album, but the standard edition sacrifices nuance in favor of a more streamlined listening experience. I would recommend buying the deluxe edition, as I think it's 2011 pop at it's best (It brings the great club beats without being either mind-numbingly shallow or heavy handed with faux-deep messages and lyrics), but if you're trying to save a couple of bucks or simply prefer a physical copy, I still wholeheartedley recommend Perfectionist.
B**G
I don't believe in fairytales....
And so begins the chorus of the opening track on Perfectionist, Natalia's debut album.I haven't listened to this album in its entirety yet, but I have listened to a majority of the songs, and I have to say that I have loved what I have heard so far. Her music contains a much darker element than most pop music, but it still maintains the same catchiness of the music of other pop artists. She also experiments with different themes than others, such as the BDSM-focused "Mirrors," the biggest and most recognized single from this album.Now, for all the comparisons which have been garnered between her and labelmate Lady Gaga, which Kills herself calls "so mean," it is easy to see the great differences in both of their musical styles. Kills has much darker and sinister lyrics than Gaga, and her music is built upon equally dark sounding and memorable choruses (One or two listens through "Mirrors" will leave you singing the chorus repeatedly).Overall, this album does show that Kills has some growing to do in her songwriting, though her vocals are incredibly and impressively polished, even when she does live performances. The new songs she has released ("Saturday Night" and "Problem") in 2013 show that she has indeed grown into her songwriting more and has developed as an artist. So overall, I'm glad to see what Kills comes up with next, and if you prefer the darker tracks on some generally lighter albums, this album will be perfect for you.
D**Y
A very nice surprise.
I got the cut Wonderland from Amazon for free. And the album was recommended to me several times by Amazon. Then Amazon put the silly thing on sale for $3.99 and I couldn't turn it down. Frankly I would have been happy paying the full price. The songs are fun, catchy, some explicit and are a really pleasant surprise. I never expected it to be that good. I was wrong. If you enjoy Wonderland or listen to other songs on her website then please buy this. She deserves our support.
S**Y
not bad, but not memorable
I got this album as it was recommended by a friend who usually has decent taste. Thile it is not "bad", it wasn't overwhelmingly good either. A tad bland and forgettable. I'll admit though, I have only listened to the whole thing about 3 times. I was soon bored with it, so now it's kind of just dead space on my harddrive.I do want to give this another shot though. Sometimes, I'm too quick to judge.
I**Y
Not a bad first album.
No, Perfectionist isn't Perfect. But it's a very well thought-out, balanced first album with a few excellent hits. There are a few tracks that, the first time around, I had to think, "This song could be improved..." but I still somehow loved the songs. All of them. From the edgy dance hits to the more emotional tracks like, 'If I were God" this album kicks some butt.
Z**7
FANTASTIC!
This album is FANTASTIC! Like most I was alittle hesitant about natalia killz,first thought in my mind was,great,another singer with a gimmic...WRONG! This cd has songs that are so catchy you will have a copy in your car,ipod,and home! Tracks to listen to: WONDERLAND,ZOMBIE,BREAK YOU HARD,LOVE IS A SUICIDE,AND SUPERFICIAL. I rate this album 5 stars,its a must have!
R**T
great find
I happen to come across this album and bought it based on the samples. It is a good album with good upbeat dance songs. It reminds of the first album from lady gaga. I say try on the samples and if seems intriguing you should buy it, you won't regret it.
B**Y
hi
I received the album and the cover was very much cracked but overall it's great. :D I love Natalia Kills and I can't wait for another album!
P**D
sensational
What a fantastic album.I bought this a few days ago and just can't stop playing it.Genuinely, not one track that isn't good or great.I am usually into bands and older music(Oasis, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Kasabian etc.), but I do like a bit of pop now and again. So I thought I'd give this a try even though I find most pop a little too manufactured.What a revalation, not only are the lyrics great(sometimes dark, sometimes a little tongue in cheek), but the music, although of a genre, is varied and played and sung beautifully.Perfection, the spoken intro leads in nicely,wonderland, the worst track on here was a single but is a little bland, perhaps a little lady ga ga esquefree, another single, another up tempo track has a beautiful run into the chorus with great girlie lyricskill my boyfriend,is more pop than dance, once again great lyrics.break you hard. has a great intro, a nice slower track, a little similar to katy perry but(may I say it)betterzombie,a slower haunting tracklove is a suicide,another pop track, once again a great hookmirrors, is another single and reminds a little of jessie jnot in love, is a little funkier and builds throughout the song wonderfullyacid annie, the best track on the album,has a more rockier vein that the other trackssuperficial,gets us back into a more pop/dance sound. reminds me a little of madonnabroke, a beautiful ballad once again with beautiful lyricsheaven, a track that grows with more plays, slower but her voice is just greatnothing last forever, gets more uptempo following two ballads.not great but once again different from the previous tracksif i was god, another slower track, some of the singing reminds me of robyn.All in all a great album that deserves as much acclaim as Jessie J. and compares with the aformentioned Lady Ga Ga but without the filler tracks. Give it a try.
K**E
A new favourite
Bought this CD solely from hearing her song Mirrors which I loved. Was a little disappointed when I first had a listen but I seem to find this with most albums on the first listen (is this just me or..?), however after giving the album a proper chance I have to say I love it! A nice mixture of tracks with my personal favourites being Wonderland, Free, Love is a Suicide and of course Mirrors. Can't believe Natalia Kills isn't more well known to be honest, the girl has great potential
M**E
amazing
im in love with this alubm its fun,crazy,scary,edgey and dark all in one with the KILL KILL KILL lricys its edey rocky dark nd nouthing like the whole top 100 in a fab way i abouley love mirrors it sould have achived much higher chart sucsees to sum up natialia is amazing dark fun and someone i dont want to augrue with!!
D**S
... was a big fan soon as I herd this fantastic album I found her on you tube and then ...
I was a big fan soon as I herd this fantastic album I found her on you tube and then decided to buy the cd
D**I
Natalia Kills - Really good vocals
Heard by chance so bought album. Was not disappointed as Natalia has really excellent vocals. CD actually arrived early and it was in excellent condition.
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