Customer Reviews

3 Words

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Cheryl Cole is best known for being a member of Girls Aloud but here she is on her own and the result isn't nearly as bad as many think.
1.)3 Words(feat.Will.i.am)- Not a terrible song but not the best way to start off the album ethier. This song makes it easy to assume wrongly about the rest of the album.
2.)Parachute-One of the best if not the best on here(IMO)Many fans agree Cheryl's voice plus the millitary drums backing her up are a great combo. She really shines on this.
3.)Heaven(feat.will.i.am)-Another misstep(IMO)Could have been alot stronger and is ill placed on this album.
4.)Fight For This Love- Very good not nearly as bland or bad as people like to complain.
5.)Rain On Me- A fresh sounding song from CC very nice job.
6.)Make Me Cry- A very nice alomost somewhat disco-esque song. A bit repetative but very good non the less.
7.)Happy Hour- My second favorite on this and many fans fav as well. Mid-tempo and very nice with great backround and beat.
8.)Stand Up- Fun light but very dance heavy track another nice one.
9.)Don't Talk About This love- Some say this is about her much over publicised marital issues but that is left to opinion. Very good song if a little slow.
10.)Boy Like You(feat.will.i.am.)-Not bad but another one with potential that could have been better.
11.)Heartbreaker(Will.i.am feat Cheryl Cole)-Let's make this clear this is will.i.am's song with Cheryl just saying"Your a heartbreaker" the video is great and it is a very catchy, good song but should it have been on CC's first solo effort? I don't know. All in all don't listen to it just to bash it and don't listen to people who hate on it just becuase it is Cheryl Cole. Is this the best she could have done? no, is Cheryl the best singer out there?( or in GA) no but it is a very good decent album don't judge till' you've heard it for yourself. And try to be objective when/if you do.

Now, I only say crossover because this was Cheryl's first attempt into crossing over as a solo artist. I think that the first single released from this album "Fight for this Love" is a great representative of the sound of the album. The rest of the tracks are heavy in the "American R&B/Hip Hop" sound with will.i.am being a producer on the album and featured on a few tracks. It's also obvious that though Cheryl isn't the strongest singer especially when compared to her other GA members, she can definitely carry this album and could have potentially attempted a crossover into the US music mainstream with the help of will.i.am. But, that is still to be seen if ever it will be. Cheryl released her solo project at what I think was more than an apportune time. GA was taking a "hiatus" and she was constantly in the press regarding her personal life with many of the tracks seemingly deriving from her now ended marriage to Ashley Cole. Overall, the album is still a pop album with catching tunes like "Parachute" and "Fight for this Love" and random tracks like "Happy Hour". I get the symbolism, but seriously you guys?

So, it finally happened. A member of Girls Aloud went solo. And it ended up being media darling Cheryl Cole. Everybody wondered whether her album would be any good, as it's known she isn't the strongest singer in the band.

I can tell you, this is a VERY good album, and a fantastic first outing for a girl band member. And Cheryl's voice isn't that bad either - there's some autotune here, but not a lot.

My one complaint is this album relies too heavily on Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am - he features on three tracks and his solo single which Cheryl features on is also included. A little bit less of him and more Cheryl on her own would have been better.

The album's singles all made the top five, with debut single "Fight For This Love" making the top spot and becoming the fastest selling single of 2009 in the UK.

Here's my rundown of the album:

01. 3 Words (featuring will.i.am)
The album's title track and the second single. At first, I didn't like this song AT ALL. I thought it was weird, dull and not single material. But it suddenly grew on me, and I now adore it. I complained about will.i.am earlier, but I like him on this track. He and Cheryl bounce their vocals off each other, telling a story about a couple who are approached by people in a club, and they tell them they're taken and that they have "3 words" for their partner. This song is very dancey, but keeps a pop feel. A great opening track. (5/5)

02. Parachute
When I heard the album for the first time, this was immediately my favourite. And it still is. "Parachute" was the third single from the album, to fans' delight. The track was made even better with a new radio edit that made it sound fresher. The original, though, is an amazing track and was one of my favourite songs of 2009. With it's military style drums and catchy chorus, this is Cheryl at her best. One to definitely check out. (5/5)

03. Heaven (featuring will.i.am)
Will pops up again here, and out of the three tracks featuring him, this is the worst. The song isn't bad, per say, it just gets a bit annoying after awhile. It features vocoded vocals from Cheryl, and a repetitive chorus. And I hate the way they sing "my heaven's witchu" because it sounds like they're singing "chew" instead. It ruins the song for me! But Cheryl's vocals sound nice. Not one of the better songs here, but still worth a listen at least. (3/5)

04. Fight For This Love
Cheryl's biggest song, this was her debut single, and a huge number one hit. This is another song that had to grow on me, but before long, the infectious nature of this track got to me and I was singing along! With ironic lyrics and a addictive chorus, this is a winner. I know people who don't even like Girls Aloud or Cheryl who love this song. This is a great place to start if you want to check out Cheryl's music. (5/5)

05. Rain On Me
Another fantastic track - this song is slower then previous tracks but still retains a strong back beat and some jazzy trumpets. Cheryl sounds great here, and the lyrics are very cool. The chorus is also very catchy. This is favourite of mine, and another one to check out. (5/5)

06. Make Me Cry
Unfortunately, we have another misstep here. The problem with some of the tracks here is that some of the songs are VERY repetitive. A prime example is "Make Me Cry" - the chorus is incredibly repetitive. It's good at first, but gets tiresome towards the end of the song (which is 4:35). Otherwise, I do like the verses here, and the lyrics are good, as is the music. The chorus lets down an otherwise good song. (3/5)

07. Happy Hour
A lot of people think this song is cheesey, but I think it's cute! Cheryl uses metaphors superbly here, comparing her lover to a happy hour, with great lyrics "some days I'm sweet and some I'm sour, but I can't help but drink you up cos you're my happy hour." With cute lyrics, great vocals from our favourite girl and a fantastic beat, this is a very good track. Some won't like it, but give it a try, as it's good! (4/5)

08. Stand Up
This song is a huge fan favourite and was rumoured to be the album's fourth single. Myself, I'm not such a huge fan of this. Yes, it's a good party track and Cheryl sounds great, but I find this song pretty bland. I do admit, though, that it would have made for a different sound for a single, as Cheryl has been pretty serious on her three singles so far. This is simply a fun little track to have a dance to. (3.5/5)

09. Don't Talk About This Love
And we move on from the fan favourite to the least favourite. I've seen many people making fun of this track, as it's the album's only full blown ballad. Most people say Cheryl's voice isn't strong enough for a ballad, but I think she sounds fine here. This is a sweet ballad, and a great way to slow things down. And Cheryl doesn't try to sing outside her range, you won't hear any high notes here - just Cheryl showing emotion. I have to be in the mood to listen to this, but it's still a good song. (4/5)

10. Boy Like You (featuring will.i.am)
Mr BEP returns on this track, and man, it's a stonker. The real end to the album, and Cheryl saved one of my favourites till last! This song is fantastic - it opens with gorgeous music that then kicks into a strong beat. Will doesn't take over the track, only delivering a rap in the middle and some extra vocals to complement Cheryl. Cheryl is slightly auto-tuned but it's not over the top. With great music, a fantastic catchy chorus and great lyrics, this is a brilliant song and Cheryl at her best. Wonderful! (5/5)

The album also features the will.i.am track, "Heartbreaker," that Cheryl featured on in 2008. I wish this hadn't been included, as Cheryl is hardly on it - she only sings some backing vocals, it's mostly all will.i.am. For me, the album ends with "Boy Like You."

Also, if you can, check out the b-sides to Cheryl's singles - "Didn't I," "Boys" and "Just Let Me Go." "Didn't I" is a tender piano driven ballad where Cheryl sounds gorgeous - it should have been the ballad on the album instead of "Don't Talk About This Love." "Boys" is a dancey pop song with a very catchy chorus, while "Just Let Me Go" is a fantastic dance track with a VERY catchy chorus.

My top five ranking:

01. Boy Like You
02. Parachute
03. 3 Words
04. Fight For This Love
05. Rain On Me

Cheryl did some song-writing on 3 Words - she co-wrote 3 Words, Heaven, Make Me Cry and Boy Like You.

The album itself is grey themed, with the full lyrics in the booklet. Cheryl doesn't saturate the booklet with pictures of herself - in fact there's only three if you count the cover! Cheryl looks gorgeous in all three, although the cover is a bit bizarre, I have no idea what that thing on her head is.

Overall, this is a STRONG solo offering from Cheryl, and hopefully her second solo album can live up to this. 4 stars.

Personally, I had never heard of the group Girls Aloud nor Cheryl Cole. I stumbled on her song "Fight for this love" on Youtube. Then "3 words" with Will-i-am and "Parachute". I bought the CD. For me, the music is great for working out in and compliments other songs in a routine or part of a selection of songs for relaxing.

How do I put this??? Firstly, I received yesterday in the mail the "fan edition" of Cheryl's "3 Words", which is nice but kinda unnecessary really...the regular CD (no extra tracks, no bonus DVD, no special packaging like a digipack case), plus a 2010 calendar (the front cover on shiny cardboard stock), a black envelope with 2 postcards (the front cover and the pic of Cheryl on the "Fight For This Love" single...also at the end of the booklet), and an average-sized black totebag with the album's logo in white letters, all placed in a shiny long box, like a giftbox, with the album cover on the top and a black bottom. Like I said, nice, but really unnecessary...

Now onto the album itself...the original 11-track UK edition...the upcoming US version will probably be different...cover, tracklisting, etc...surprised it's in a regular jewelcase, not the sturdier curvy UK-specialty cases used on many Universal artists like Noisettes...this looks like a regular US CD pressing. Overall, at first, I was disappointed, but I love the 3 singles (4 if you count "Heartbreaker")..."Fight For This Love", "3 Words" and "Parachute"...it seemed like an undistinguishable mainstream American R&B record with no distinctive vocals that stand out...not unlike a Beyonce record with a Be wannabe on vocals, or a plain demo singer. Yikes!!! BUT, before you come to any conclusions, the more you listen to "3 Words" top-to-bottom, Cheryl's charms sloooooowly come to the forefront and the album really grows on you.

I like it a LOT now. But it's no match to a Girls Aloud record. Still, it's interesting to ponder what the album would have been like if Xenomania produced it, or if the Girls Aloud catalogue was tackled by American producers or if Will-I-Am got his paws on songs like "Call The Shots", "The Promise" or "Sound Of The Underground".

If you take the album for what it is, and Cheryl in solo mode, and you get used to it, "3 Words" has it's own slinky charm and Cheryl grows on you as a solo artist, with her own vocals falling somewhere between Beyonce, Mariah Carey and Rihanna...and I'm happy "3 Words" is not dominated by boring cliched ballads, as Cheryl has a voice that does not fit the belting balladeer...it's a "smaller" voice, which I prefer, things are more subtle here, a good thing. Her writing on 4 songs is decent too, room to grow. The album has a very prominent American R&B approach...let alone working with many US writers and producers...it feels tailormade for the US market, more than the UK market...for some reason the album's approach reminds me of Cher's 1996 album "It's A Man's World", with the American approach and UK appeal, but with original material, not covers.

Now for the songs themselves...
1- "3 Words" (with Will-I-Am), the 2nd single, an interesting and enjoyable song, to say the least...it has a guitar-dominated sound and approach that is kinda "alternative rock", not unlike Death Cab For Cutie, but mixed with a cool underground-ish beat & groove that would fit in an edgy club...the remixes are really good too...and Will & Cheryl's duet on meeting each other as soulmates in a club has a nice to & fro, give & take...it tells a story and turns a typical cliche of boy meets girl on its head...Will's "I met a girl at the bar" line reminded me of a line Tom Petty sings in the Traveling Wilburys for some reason...Cheryl's and Will's vocals blend in a nice harmony too...a real grower. 9/10

2- "Parachute"...an Ingrid Michaelson cover!!! The 3rd single and it's a really catchy tune with a charming vocal by Cheryl and a cool marching drum beat...I wonder if Ingrid recorded this song on any of her albums she recorded and released independently?? 10/10

3- "Heaven" (with Will-I-Am)...another catchy Will-I-Am collabo, with the 2 bonding and to-and-froing, with a courting duet...meeting, marrying, having babies...er, is he jealous or does he keep forgetting about Ashley??? It is fun to hear Cheryl try on some American clothes and sing "witchoo", really cute actually. 9/10

4- "Fight For This Love"...the first single & an instant classic of a pop tune if you ask me, with Cheryl here matching anything recorded with Girls Aloud...great New Order-ish intro and killer chorus...it's weird that this song was co-written and produced by one LA-based Steve Kipner...if I recall, he co-wrote Olivia Newton John's love-it-or-hate-it 1981 song "Physical", yikes!!! This song at least does not have that polarizing quality, it's one of the most perfect pop songs recorded in 2009 I think. 10/10

5- "Rain On Me"...in the wrong hands, this mainstream pop song would just be average, and it does resemble something that would be recorded by Natasha Bedingfield, but Cheryl raises it to a higher level and something more listenable and memorable. 8/10

6- "Make Me Cry"...the ballsiest song on the record, with the electro/reggae feel, Cheryl actually digging deeper & spilling actual bile...she even spews the s-word here with pure honesty...is this song about her husband and his infidelities??? If it is, it shows that Cheryl will stand strong...you go Cheryl!! Great song too. 10/10

7- "Happy Hour"...a catchy ditty with a cool hook about if her husband was a cocktail, she'd drink him all up cuz he is her happy hour...nice metaphor and a catchy dance tune... 9/10

8- "Stand Up"...the second clubbish banger in a row and it's just as good, maintaining the momentum...9/10

9- "Don't Talk About This Love"...the only actual ballad on the album, and it's really sweet, with a nice melody and beautiful chorus, and moving lyrics...being this is the only ballad here, it's a nice change of pace and is much appreciated & special...Cheryl is not a big-voiced balladeer at all, which is why I'm happy "3 Words" is not dominated by slowies...but one as nice as this is welcome because it's sweet and not overkill...most mainstream singers, writers and producers don't know when to lay off the ballad gas pedal...Cheryl does as she seems to know her strengths and weaknesses, this is very important, sometimes more than vocals themselves...10/10

10- "Boy Like You" (with Will-I-Am)...the 3rd collabo with Will on her album, this co-write has something in common with Madonna's "Hung Up" in that it samples an instrumental hookline from a major sorta-oldie and the sample becomes a rush of a hook that shapes the song...with Madonna it was ABBA's "Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)" and it was killer...with Cheryl's "Boy Like You", it's the intro keyboard hook on Fleetwood Mac's 1987 smash "Little Lies", written by Christine McVie, and boy if it doesn't work like gangbusters...at first it felt weird, but once that beat kicked in over that hook, and Cheryl does her thing and Will does his, and they blend on that catchy chorus, all sparks break loose, exhiliratingly...LOVE it. 10/10

11- "Heartbreaker" (Will-I-Am with Cheryl & Cee-Lo)...a big UK hit...not sure if it was big in the US...but this 2008 single is pretty dang good...Cheryl sings the hook and Cee-Lo Green (from Gnarls Barkley) does most of the vocals on this song, and it's pretty cool that it's included here, for Cheryl's hookline alone, but it sorta does not belong and I have a feeling it will not be included on the US edition. 9/10

There ya go...very good, very likeable first effort...is it her best work?? Not at all. Will she be doing better work down the pike?? Absolutely, both solo and hopefully Girls Aloud...they have 3 more albums in their new contract, but I still welcome more solo work, possible US success, and TV work on "The X Factor" & L'Oreal commercials, and I hope to meet you one day Cheryl, you seem genuine, sweet and good-hearted.

In having listened to and own all of the Girls Aloud albums, it's a no-brainer to listen to the girls' albums as each of them attain their solo careers and hiatus from the group. As Cheryl is clearly one of the stronger members of the group and is supported by at least 200% from her work with UK's "The X-Factor", Cheryl makes a leap to fight for her own sound away from Girls Aloud's catchy beats and signature effortless sexiness. Cheryl teams up with The Black Eyed Peas' Wii.i.am on tracks like "3 Words" and "Heartbreaker" and puts the focus on her sound towards Hip-Hop and R&B while still filling the tracks with infectious lyrics. "3 Words" has Cheryl exploring new heights, proving to the world she absolutely has what it takes to be successful in so many levels. Tracks I love from this album are: "Fight For This Love", "Heaven", "Parachute", "Rain On Me", "Stand Up", and "Don't Talk About This Love".

As a U.S. citizen hopelessly in love with Brit Pop, there are only so many bands that don't have decent stateside record deals that I can keep up with. While I was busy ordering pricey imports from The Beautiful South, Pulp, The Zutons and The Coral, a sleek vocal group called Girls Aloud ruled the UK pop charts for a decade. I never heard a single one of their tracks, and honestly didn't pay attention until one of the girls, Cheryl Cole, became a judge on the X Factor. While Lady Gaga certainly has madder skills, Cheryl is arguably the most beautiful pop star on the world stage these days. But can she sing and hold her own when not flanked by four other aloud girls?

3 Words starts strong as thunder. The title track is dark, alluring and deliciously weird and insanely catchy. It's a tango between Cheryl and King Pea will.i.am. The lead-single, Parachute, is one of the best pop songs of the past decade. By this point, I was thinking, wow - this is a paradigm shifting pop masterpiece on par with Bjork's solo debut.

And then we get hit with track three, Heaven. If you decide to have a drinking game to sip every time they slaughter the line "my heaven's with you" - your liver is toast. They repeat the line so often, I headed to FAO Schwartz to cleanse my ears with their constant-loop "welcome to our world of toys" theme song. At one point, I swear she's singing "my heavens white chew" and he's saying "my haven's wit Jew." Ugh, awful next.

The album gets back on track with some decent teen-targeted pop. Rain on Me is a high energy banger - as cliche as the lyrical metaphor is. Most likely, it was an excuse to soak Cheryl in the video. Make Me Cry and Stand Up return the album to high energy greatness. The album closes with more will.i.am duets, one with Cheryl in the lead, the other is basically all him.

All in all, it's a solid start. I can't wait for her new album to arrive in the mail. I heard she just got a US deal as well, so both of these discs should soon be available in more affordable versions - and if the label was smart, they will include all of Cheryl's b-sides on both.

The first time i listened to this i was like boring! but after a few more listens, i reallized how good the instrumental is, plus they are super catchy!

When "Fight for this Love" was released, I couldn't wait to hear it and found a snippet to listen to. As a huge Girls Aloud fan, I had high expectations but instantly disliked it and was very disappointed. After the album was released, I saw the mostly negative reviews from fans & press, and I wasn't too interested in hearing it. When my best friend said how much she loved it, though, I thought I'd better check it out. I had absolutely no expectations after my disappointment in "Fight for this Love", but I was shocked by how good the album is. From the first song ("3 Words"), I was instantly hooked. Even "Fight for this Love" was fantastic on second listen... I'd thought that song would have to grow on me, but I liked it immediately when hearing the entire album (I still don't know why I disliked it so much upon first listen). This is a really solid album and the only song I skip occasionally is "Heaven" (but even then, I enjoy the ridiculousness of Cheryl singing "witchu" over and over again). When it comes to pop, ballads can kind of drag the album down, but on Three Words the only real ballad ("Don't Talk about this Love") fits in perfectly and is a great song.

This album has a definite r&b influence, but overall the album's sound is very different. I can't say that I've ever heard a song like "3 Words" before, certainly not on the radio. I am definitely impressed with this album and it's been the only cd in my car for months now. I just can't stop listening to it! I definitely feel like this album shows Cheryl's potential and it makes me really look forward to what the other Girls Aloud members can do outside the confines of the group and Xenomania.

I will admit to being a fan of Girls Aloud, the British pop group and was upset at Cheryl Cole's prolonged sojourn in California that prevented GA from creating another album. But following her shambolic treatment at the hands of "X Factor" producers I decided to get her solo CD, Partially as a show of support and partially because I was curious.

I bought it. I listened to it. I'm not curious. I'm disappointed. It's not that "3 Words" is bad, or good, or not my taste it is just forgettable. Nothing really stood out. It was the nice stuff you have on in the back ground at a party that no one objects to but no one will really remember either. I'm sure when I listened through I thought "Oh that's cute.' But a day or two later, I honestly can't remember any of them. I'm sure that was something about love lost or a relationship down the drain but I have no motivation to check.

I know Girls Aloud were not the Beatles or the Stones but they were fun and clever and had songs with good hooks and absolutely none of that is in 3 Words. Ms. Cole has produced a CD that stands out from nothing, says nothing and is remembered for nothing.

I still like her work with GA and after her handling at "X Factor" I do not intend to watch that show- she was the draw for me, but I try to look on the upside. Maybe now She'll call her mates in London and we'll get another Girls Aloud CD. Maybe soon?