Christina Grimmie With Love Review
Christina Grimmie is a YouTuber with an amazing voice. Her debut LP, With Love, displays Grimmie's vocal talents well. She wrote or co-wrote half the songs on the album.
01 Over Overthinking You
The opening track is fun and catchy, and gives the listener a taste of Grimmie's pop twist on the Motown sound. The song is driven by "na na na's" and drums and quickly gets stuck in a person's head. A strong track.
02 Absolutely Final Goodbye
This track is somewhat sassy and sultry, and has excellent harmonies. It's another catchy song that has strong percussion and the synths and horns have a nice effect. It's a fun breakup song.
03 Make It Work
"Make It Work" is a somewhat slower song compared to the first two tracks but is still a fun and upbeat song. The lyrics are fairly simple but very effective. The ad libs at the end display Grimmie's vocal talents. One of the stronger tracks.
04 Get Yourself Together
At this point, the tracks may start to sound the same for some; however, the song is extremely catchy. Again, Grimmie's use of harmonies really help to tie the song together.
05 With Love
The title track provides a nice break from the previous upbeat songs, both lyrically and sonically. The song is written for Grimmie's "frands" (fans) and is a beautiful piano-based ballads that showcases Christina's vocals. It's a sweet song and is one of the album's highlights. It's also the most popular song on the album, according to iTunes sales.
06 Tell My Mama
"Tell My Mama" is the album's first single, which was released exclusively to Radio Disney. However, I believe that Grimmie should have released it to pop radio to gain popularity. Furthermore, the song is sonically not typical tween music and may do better on pop radio. The song is another upbeat and catchy song, especially with the repeated "Imma tell her"
07 Feelin' Good
This track is upbeat and insipring. Grimmie sings, "I got that sunshine; it's like the world is mine. I can't deny I'm feeling good." The effective lyrics and fun beat possibly make it the catchiest and most feel-good song on the album.
08 The One I Crave
"The One I Crave" is the least creative song on the album. The lyrics and sound are like something straight up from the Motown era. The gramophone comparison is a little passé. It's not a bad song. It's good, but it could benefit from a little originality.
09 I Bet You Don't Curse God
This song is the saddest track on the album. This is another piano-based ballad and the strings help to convey the emotion. The verses sound slightly awkward at times but the chorus is absolutely beautiful. However, the religious implications of the song make it less accessible for some. Despite that, it remains a solid track.
10 Think of You
"Think of You" is a personal favourite. Its effective lyrics and strings make the song very emotional and perhaps the best track on the album. It's a simple song that shows off Christina's amazing vocals.
11 My Anthem (Bonus Track)
Possibly the cutest song on the album, "My Anthem" references Grimmie's YouTube career. The song is written for her fans and almost sounds like Christina's speaking to the listener. This song is also inspirational since it's a "living for the moment" song. The ukulele and finger snaps make it light and catchy. The ad libs show how high Grimmie can sing. The track is a great closer for the album as it's a "thank you" song and ends the album on a positive note.
This album shows that Christina isn't just another typical YouTuber that goes off to make typical teen pop music. With Love shows that she's ready to make more adult-sounding music while staying true to herself. Overall, it's a great album for anyone who enjoys a catchy album that's not the typical "Top 40" sound.