Customer Reviews

Guilty Pleasure (CD/DVD)

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have a confession: As macho as I try to be, pop's actually my guilty pleasure. I'm a big fan of Tisdale as a performer. That said, "Guilty Pleasure" is an improvement over Tisdale's last CD, "Headstrong." GP is much more modern, while HS sounded like a tribute to late 90's pop.

Tisdale knows how to open a CD. While HS started with a cool, synthetic overture that was a preview of things to come, GP starts with the classy sound of an orchestra tuning. This leads into a big orchestral introduction to opening track "Acting Out." Disappointingly, the song devolves into the pop/rock sound that will dominate the rest of the album. Even though the theatricality works with the theme of the song, it's a shame Tisdale didn't opt to actually perform a big, dramatic opening number.

The next two tracks "It's Alright, It's OK" and "Masquerade" are easily the best on the CD. It's no surprise that "It's Alright, It's OK" was chosen as the first single, with an amazingly infectious hook ("Don't waste your fiction tears on me/Just save them for someone in need"), while "Masquerade" is my favorite track off the CD. It opens with a cool guitar riff followed by a chain of short, quick rhymes. Both have choruses that showcase Tisdale's pipes. The only problem with both these songs is they're too short.

While the next track "Overrated" was co-written by Tisdale herself, it sounds like a weak combination of previous tracks "Acting Out" and "It's Alright, It's OK" (possibly because the composers on those tracks are the same.) "Hot Mess" is wonderfully reminiscent of 80's new wave numbers. This continues, to a lesser extent, through "How Do You Love Someone", which seems to borrow the rhythm of a funeral march and contains somber, dysfunctional family lyrics. Tisdale performs it well, but the track's too heavy for the rest of the CD.

"Tell Me Lies" has a little bit of a punk flavor to it. "What If" and "Me Without You", both co-written by Tisdale, are the obligatory love ballads. They serve their purpose, even if they're lacking the sugary-sweet melodrama that redeemed "Unlove You" and "Love Me For Me" on HS. "Erase and Rewind" is yet another break-up anthem. "Hair" is the next noteworthy track. It's upbeat, fun, and sexy. (There's something appealing about 24 year-old Tisdale saying she actually likes getting her hair mussed while making out.) "Delete You" is another break-up song, and the ever-present Diane Warren-penned number, but has a noteworthy techno vibe.

"Crank It Up" takes the techno vibe to another level. Clearly intended for the dance floor, this's one of the most memorable songs on the CD. The CD ends appropriately with "Switch", the ending credits theme from "Aliens in the Attic." It's another stand-out with a fun, catchy beat. Overall, while Tisdale still deserves something more challenging than generic pop numbers, GP's a must-buy for fans of Tisdale, pop, or both.

I've loved Ashley Tisdale since her Suite Life of Zack and Cody Days, and I still believe that she was the best vocalist of the High School Musical team. So, I was eager to buy her debut album, which I enjoyed- but after I purchased this one, I was blown away. This album was stunning, and extremely addicting and wonderful. I am reviewing after a decent amount of time because I have reviewed a week after before, only to have my opinion sour.

A fantastic point of this album is that for every one of the songs on "Headstrong," "Guilty Pleasure" has a stronger one!
Below are my ratings of the album.
NOTE: This will definitely be more helpful to people that have the first CD, because much of the descriptions have comparisons and references to the songs on "Headstrong."

1) Acting Out (8.5/10)
Has a dramatic, fabulous instrumental introduction, and is catchy and I would compare it to Headstrong. Although I believe Headstrong was one of the best songs on Ashley Tisdale's debut album, the strong beats of Acting Out would drown it out in an instant. (both seem to have cello elements and both are about being yourself)

2) It's Alright, It's Okay (9.5/10)
Being the first single, it's the epitome of Ashley Tisdale- classy, with major pop and rock influences. It's comparable to So Much For You. Judging by the lyrics, So Much for You seems to be almost a prequel to It's Alright It's Okay. Where as in So Much for You, Ashley seems weak and the kind of girl that would do anything for her boy (...You know that I'd do anything for you/If you want the world, You Go it/If you want the girl, You got it/ I'll do that, baby/I'll do that... If you want it all/You Got it...)
In It's Alright, It's Okay, it seems like she's finally grown up and gotten over him. (...No matter what you say
I wont return/ Our bridge has burned down/ I'm stronger now/ It's Alright, it's Ok/ I'm so much better without you I won't be sorry...)

3) Masquerade (9/10)
Infectious with lot's of rockier elements, I enjoyed playing this one over and over again! There's unfortunately no comparison because this album has one more song (because I excluded the intro on Headstrong)
A great song that really proves that Ashley has changed her style as well as her look for the better.

4) Overrated (8/10)
Although for me, it's one of the more average songs on the album, many people enjoy it very much. It's like a more level Goin' Crazy with stronger vocals and a catchier tune, and an inspirational set of lyrics.
One reason that I don't appreciate this song to much is that I got bored of it soon, and it blends with the first 3 songs- definitely a sign of it being similar to them which isn't good for an album that is trying to promote diversity and change from the first!

5) Hot Mess (10/10)
Hands down one of the funnest, catchiest, best songs on the entire album. Definitely addicting and I had so many songs to compare it to, and settled on Be Good To Me. Be Good to Me was a favorite on "Headstrong," because it was just so addicting and fabulous. Imagine it hyped up, made catchier, and with better vocals. The result is Hot Mess.

6) How Do You Love Someone? (10/10)
A touching song that, for me, was an early favorite that hasn't worn down yet. Love Me for Me was a favorite on "Headstrong" as well, and both have similar elements. This one probably sympathizes with more people, though, and the different style is both interesting and an excellent improvement and addition to this album.

7) Tell Me Lies (9/10)
It's similar to Positivity in that both are infectiously pop-ish, but the difference is that Positivity became annoying right, and someone listening to them can hear the difference in her voice- the improvements are fabulous!
The explosive chorus in Tell Me Lies is a nice change from the almost monotone songs that were included in "Headstrong".

8) What If (7.5/10)
If the album was a plot chart, it would have climbed to the top in the beginning (songs #1-3), then have gone down (song #4), then shot up to the peak again (#5-7)- the rest of the album after this song follows almost the exact same format, as you will see.
This song is not remarkable, nor is it terrible. Don't Touch (The Zoom Song) was a bit boring, as this one is as well. The only big difference is that the meaning seems deeper.

9) Erase and Rewind (9.5/10)
Like Over It, this songs took a little bit to get used to, but it's one of my favorites now whereas Over It has long since faded into the background. Excellent song to listen to in those "whatever" moments. Ashley's vocals are strong here, and don't overpower the tune, nor is it smothered by it.

10) Hair (9/10)
This song was initially very strange, but it got better with every listening. It's sort of obvious that she didn't write it and she sounds a little bit uncomfortable, but the addictive chorus makes up for everything. It's better than We'll Be Together if judging merely by what is catchier- (although it would lose in the lyrics and voice category) and also, it's probably one of the more unique songs out there.

11) Delete You (7/10)
Not a favorite of mine- it seems to have no meaning at all in the lyrics and I find myself enjoying the verses much better than the chorus. Not a bad song, though, and definitely better than Suddenly, which was one of the low points of "Headstrong."

12) Me Without You (10/10)
Unarguably one of the best songs on the entire album. Ashley's voice is so emotional, and strengthens as the song goes on, and is like a new-and-improved Unlove You. Excellent lyrics, gorgeous voice, and it's nice to see a slow ballad on a pop/rock album.

13) Crank It Up (10/10)
One of the most addictive songs on the entire album and extremely enjoyable and fun. The energy in this is comparable to He Said She Said, which was one of her early hits. A fantastic new song- if I could choose to download one song from the album, it would be either this or Hot Mess. May not be for ballad lovers, though. I could sense a Ashlee Simpson, Britney Spears, and Cascada influence on this.

14) Switch (9.5/10)
I'm glad this was included on the album. Interesting and exciting, like Not Like That was for me in the start. I loved the way Ashley used her voice in this song- unlike Not Like That which just got annoying.


Overall, an extremely solid album. This was surprising to see from a Disney star. I see a slight Lindsay Lohan influence (Lindsay's soulful voice and lyrics, as can be found on "A Little More Personal.")
I highly recommend this to lovers of pop, rock, r&b, and dance.
GRADE: A-

Ashley Tisdale has a great voice, I think the kind of music she does fits her voice. If you like Headstrong you'll love Guilty Pleasure. Guilty Pleasure is different from Headstrong. I think this album has all the goods all in one. If your a new or old fan of her music I think you're going to enjoy Guilty Pleasure. Ashley sure does have talent, and an amazing voice a powerful voice. Some of the songs on this album you can sing along to. All in all this is a great album.
My favorite songs on Guilty Pleasure are:
1. Overrated
2. Hot Mess
3. What If
4. Erase and Rewind
5. It's Alright It's Ok

When I bought this CD, I was so happy with it, compared to her first CD. I did NOT like her first CD. She didn't have good vocals, the songs were repetitive, and it wasn't good music. But now, I'm in love with this CD and I cannot stop replaying it on my ipod! It was way more Ashley Tisdale's vibe and fit her style and her vocals much better. Everything was perfect for her, unlike the first album. Track by track review:

1.) Acting Out - 5 Stars; Really catchy, amazing song. Perfect first song to start this rock-pop sugar album! One of my favorite songs!

2.) It's Alright, It's Ok - 4 Stars; Ashley Tisdale's hit song for this album. It was a pretty good song. It wasn't my favorite though. It gets old fast though. But I still can listen to it.

3.) Masquerade - 5 Stars; Ooooh I love this song! Definitely one of my favorite songs. Great vocals, beat, and music! Love this one!

4.) Overrated - 5 Stars; I like this song as well. It shows great vocals and music. Its catchy and I continually listen to it.

5.) Hot Mess - 5 STARS!; Favorite song on the album hands down. It has an amazing beat (especially at the beginning) and I could dance to this song all night. It has catchy lyrics and beats. Definitely a good dance song.

6.) How Do You Love Someone - 5 Stars; I really like this song. Especially the lyrics before the 1st chorus. It has a good message and I enjoy listening to it.

7.) Tell Me Lies - 4 Stars; Pretty good song. Rockin beats and vocals again!

8.) What If - 4 Stars; Love the chorus in this song, especially the vocals. It has a good message and I love this song!

9.) Erase and Rewind - 5 Stars; I really like this song, especially the beginning before the 1st chorus. It has good vocals by Ashley Tisdale and I really like listening to this one.

10.) Hair - 4 Stars; Okay song. Its super catchy and sort of random but I like it.

11.) Delete You - 4 Stars - Okay song again. Its catchy but not one of my favorites.

12.) Me Without You - 3 Stars - I didn't like this song as much. It was a little slow for me and I didn't get into it as the other songs.

13.) Crank It Up - 4 Stars - Very catchy song that I love to dance to and its one of Ashley Tisdale's hits. Love it!

14.) Switch - 3 Stars - I didn't like this song as much. I didn't get into it and it wasn't one of my favorite songs.

Ashley Tisdale can do no wrong musically. I loved her debut album Headstrong, but Guilty Pleasure is even better. Ashley has definitely matured in her sophmore CD, moving from bubblegum pop to more pop-rock numbers. But it seriously works!

One thing that I love about this CD is the fact that Ashley's ballads have improved ten-fold. I wasn't a huge fan of the ballads on Headstrong, they were easily the worst tracks on the album, all drippy and weak. But this time around, the ballads are much stronger and much more enjoyable. This is because the ballads are all more rocky then her previous efforts. The guitars and rockier feels of the ballads makes them so much better.

Every track is enjoyable and I like them all, but let's name some of the ultimate highlights, shall we?

Delete You
This song is probably my overall favourite on the album, and I loved it from the first listen. This is a very angry song for Ashley, but is VERY relatable, especially for me. It's about deleting all reminders of a ex from your life, by destroying all the gifts and things they gave you, and taking back your power. The song is full of crashing guitars and extremely good lyrics, the chorus is VERY catchy. I love this track, easily one of Ashley's best songs to date.

Hot Mess
At first, I was a bit indifferent about this track, it was just ok. That was until I gave it a few more listens and I realised how great it is. The song lives up to it's title, it's indeed 'hot.' Another very catchy track, in this one Ashley sings about a guy making her act crazy and out of character. This song has this AMAZING 'oh oh oh oh' bit in the chorus that is one of the most memorable bits of the whole CD in my opinion. This song would make a fantastic single.

Hair
A lot of people think this song is very silly, but I adore it. The lyrics can be cheesey, but it just adds to the song's charm in my opinion. The song's all about how Ashley's boyfriend loves her hair messy and how he loves her even if she looks a mess. This song is one of the poppiest on the album, and is just a lot of happy upbeat fun. It's good to hear Ashley sing a happy song.

Me Without You
This is probably the album's best slow song. Like I mentioned earlier, her balalds have improved so much. This song is incredibly strong and powerful for Ashley, and has very relatable lyrics about losing a loved one and feeling like you're not yourself without them there. Ashley's vocals sound great on this track, and even though the song is sad, it's not drippy and soppy.

Crank It Up
Slated to be one half of the next single, this is a very fun song. This song features David Jassy, who also featured on Be Good To Me from Headstrong. A great party song, this would sound fantastic in a club. David's rap is great and adds to the song instead of ruining it. Another very catchy track.

How Do You Love Someone
Another ballad, and yet another song I can relate to. This is about a parent's divorce, and Ashley's feelings during it. This also happened to me, so I can relate to the lyrics. Ashley sounds gorgeous on this song, and the lyrics are very meaningful.

The whole album is fantastic though, I like every single song in some way. If you can, check out the b-side to first single It's Alright, It's OK, which has the same title as the album, Guilty Pleasure. I have no idea why it's not on the album, but if it was, it would possibly be the best track. This song is FABULOUS. It's very catchy and very sexy, I love the chorus and Ashley's vocals. Seriously track down this song, it's amazing and one of Ashley's best tracks ever.

This album has three bonus tracks which are all great, especially Time's Up, Ashley's vocals are very strong on it.

If you didn't like Headstrong, you'd probably like this album because it's nothing like it. If you liked Headstrong, you'd like it also cos it's still Ashley but in a different style.

Guilty Pleasure is one of the best albums released in 2009 thus far, and I wish it had been more successful, because Ashley worked so hard to make this excellent CD and deserves to be huge! 5 stars.

This album has a lot of fun songs. I especially like "It's All Right. It's Okay."

Yay! The album is finally out! I couldn't wait to get the album as I enjoyed the singles and the other tracks are just as catchy. I like that there's a bit of alternative and rock elements. Ashley definitely delivers a great variation of pop music. Everyone should give her a shot. What do you have to lose?

Ashley Tisdale rocks so hard on her new album!
I love it!
Many Ashley fans will enjoy this new CD plus new listeners.

Ashley's definitely not like anything that has came out of Disney before, probably Britney, but, minus the chaotic ways. Think "music".
GUILTY PLEASURE is definitely a pleasure to hear and I think many Pop fans will love it!

This album is amazing!! I started to like Ashley Tisdale during her time with the "High School Musical" series, and her music is very good.
This new album is way better than her debut, Headstrong, which was also a good album.

GREAT SONGS:

It's Alright, It's OK
Masquerade
Overrated
Hot Mess
What If
Erase and Rewind
Hair
Delete You
Crank It Up
Guilty Pleasure*
I'm Back*
Whatcha Waiting For*

I absolutely loved this album overall. From her voice, to the amazing beats. It's a really fun party album!

*Bonus Tracks available on [...]

Actress and music artist Ashley Tisdale has grown up since quite a bit since her "High School Musical" and "Suite Life" years. In 2009, Tisdale has been working on her second solo album "Guilty Pleasure" which would show off a more rock and roll and edgier side to her music. Inspired by artists such as Pat Benatar and Kate Perry.

For the first album, I guess one could have looked at another attempt to cash in on a popular Disney-related actress-gone-singer but with "Guilty Pleasure", I would see this new album as important for Tisdale to show off her vocal range without the glitz of TV and film too boost her credibility as a music artist.

With "Guilty Pleasure", the album was quite enjoyable and I have to admit that I have listened to this album many times since it was released and I'm quite confident to say that I actually enjoyed "Guilty Pleasure" much more than her previous album "Headstrong".

Where the first album, I can easily pick which tracks are solid, I actually enjoyed nearly each song from this album.

There are some tracks that feature that cutesy side of Tisdale's voice which is quite evident on the opening track "Acting Out" but the first single from the album "It's Alright, It's OK" definitely shows that Tisdale's move to a more rock side actually works quite well and the music is catch, addictive and overall, well-sung. This is repeated with tracks such as "Masquerade" and "Overrated".

You do hear that Kate Perry influence with tracks such as "Hot Mess", "Tell Me Lies" and "Erase and Rewind" but where Tisdale really shines vocally is on ballads such as "What If" and "Me Without You".

It's important to note that Tisdale doesn't completely shed her pop and R&B music as the latter tracks are more pop driven. Tracks such as "Hair" "Delete You" and the bonus tracks such as "Crank It Up" and "Switch" are catchy and sugary pop driven tracks.

Overall, Ashley Tisdale has improved greatly with "Guilty Pleasure". A mix of rock and pop tracks, the album is well-produced and there are tracks where Tisdale really does shine vocally and if anything, I felt that you hear various sides of Tisdale. From serious vocals to cutesy, catchy type of vocals... It all depends to what the listener is into. But for the most part, the diverse tracks adds to the enjoyability of "Guilty Pleasure" and solidifies Tisdale as a music artist that is not pre-packaged solely for her teen fans but a young woman that has musical talent. There are tracks with lyrics that are definitely more mature but for the most part, this works well with the musical change and the overall, direction of the album. This is a sign of maturity and for the most part, I welcome this new direction for Tisdale's music.

Overall, "Guilty Pleasure" is an album that helps solidify Tisdale as a musical artist and possibly better things to come in the near future!