Album Review: Kim Cesarion – Undressed
2 min read
Kim Cesarion is a 23 year old Swedish singer songwriter. His first single, Undressed, was a smash worldwide and it attained Platinum status in several countries. Cesarion has stated that when performing live, a true artist should give the audience an experience beyond the record; basically, make songs for the stage. Whilst he already speaks like an experienced artist, will Kim Cesarion’s debut album Undressed meet fans expectations?
The album starts off with the hit title track Undressed. This served as a great single because it really does showcase what this album is about. Undressed, both the album and the song, is definitely not PG rated; the choice of language and sexual themes evident in this single are predominant throughout this mature album. Undressed (the single) is a mid-tempo pop tune that showcases Cesarion’s falsetto. Second single I Love This Life follows a similar pattern, producing a perfect blend of dance, pop, r&b, electonica that is ridiculously catchy. Brains Out features Cesarion’s lower register, and maintains an effortlessly cool vibe throughout the pop track.
However, producing a pop album in today’s music industry runs the risk of sounding like all those that have come before it. Girls is a nice play on Cyndi Lauper’s classic Girl’s Just Wanna Have Fun (“I’m watching them girls/All they wanna do is have fun”). Whilst there is no one thing that is terrible about this song, it finds itself slipping into generic territory. Bad Thing has a cool 80s electric keyboard synth beat as its foundation, but comes across as disjointed in parts. Angel Wings has a pop/r&b vibe to it with an interesting piano melody, but just flatlines and becomes a little boring. One True Lover could have been a catchy hit, except that Cesarion’s great vocals are overpowered by the overproduction of synth beats and the melody.
Amen is a highlight on Undressed. Being a very piano-oriented track, it completely moves away from dance and electronica for a minute to focus on the instrumentals and to showcase Cesarion’s really fantastic vocals. The recording of a preacher before the beginning of the song is innovative and begins to move the track from being merely song to being a piece of artistry that tells an important story. Trade Ya offers listeners a bit of variety with a catchy disco vibe, despite its repetitive lyrics. Come Down To Me is another gem on Undressed; the acoustic guitar piece is a nice simplistic change from some of the more complex pop songs, and Cesarion’s connection to his lyrics is raw.
Overall, Undressed is a solid debut album from Kim Cesarion. He knows the sound and direction he wants to go in, and its evident he’s aware of his niche and demographic. Throwing oneself into the abysmal pool of pop can be daunting for many, but on Undressed Kim Cesarion manages it with an effortlessly cool charisma.
