Departure [IMPORT]

Taio Cruz

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 6, 2009)
• Original Release Date: March 17, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Indie Europe/Zoom
• ASIN: B0012HLTGY
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #104,555 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
UK pressing of the 2008 debut album from the R&B/Pop artist. The 24 year old singer, songwriter and producer has previously worked with Usher, Britney Spears and Will Young amongst others. In fact, he co-wrote the Brit Award winning single `Your Game' with Will Young. No stranger to the UK charts Taio's previous club singles 'Moving On' and 'I Just Wanna Know' both charted Top 30 based entirely on word of mouth and specialist radio support alone, with 'Come On Girl' he has already smashed any such expectations with massive support from commercial radio and video channels. 12 tracks. Island.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cruz Control!, March 18, 2008

By	Nse Ette (Lagos, Nigeria) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

24 year old Taio Cruz is the latest flag bearer of British soul music. Of Nigerian and Brazilian parentage, the young man has written for various acts such as Usher, Britney, Omar, and Will young (he wrote the Brit award winning "Your game" for the latter).

His debut CD is a string swathed fusion of Soul, Hip hop, and Techno, prime example being his bouncy UK #5 hit "Come on girl" (with a razor sharp bassline and a quasi rap from Luciana). His sound sort of reminds me of Timbaland's (with more pop appeal) and vocally, he reminds me a bit of Lemar or Seal (both of whom are also of Nigerian parentage).

Other standout tracks include "Can't say go", "I'll never love again", "I just wanna know" (which sounds so much like Mario's "Let me love you"), the lovely ballad "So cold" (with nice piano flourishes), the techno/rock "Fly away" (with suppressed guitars), the melancholic but hugely catchy "Moving on" (about the sad end of a relationship with a nice rap bridge and really nice percussion), the dramatic and very Seal-like ballad "Never gonna get us" (which after an intro reminiscent of Madonna's "Frozen" reminds me of Seal's "Crazy", especially the harmonies), and "She's like a star" (which has a little girl's voice constantly going "Like a star" throughout the song, as well as a fitting rap) which tells his girl just what she means to him.

Lyrically the songs rarely depart from the "boy-in-love-with-girl" or "it's over" variety (he does swear quite a bit), and musically he doesn't really break new ground, but "Departure" is a catchy, fun, and stylish debut bestriding Pop and Soul with great aplomb (somewhat like Craig David's fantastic debut "Born to do it" did). It's great that his album isn't lumbered with too many same sounding ballads, a rut loads of R&B singers tend to fall into. I expect bigger things for Mr Cruz in the near future.