Search - Lene :: Play With Me

Our darling Aqua girl has grown up .... beautifully.

Jessica Nicole | Peoria, AZ | 09/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought Lene's solo album based on how much I loved her work with the wonderful (and disappointingly short-lived) pop band Aqua, and I was completely blown away by this album. While she was in Aqua, Lene's vocals were nearly overshadowed by the synth-beats and cute lyrics (not to mention having to compete with Rene! :)), but on Play With Me, Lene's vocal range absolutely shines.



Certain songs definitely stand out - "It's Your Duty" is a very fun and playful ode to - what else? - shaking your booty! The clever, sinfully wonderful lyrics on "Bite You" are very-well enhanced by the sing-songy, almost-childlike chorus - it's odd to hear such dirty lyrics sung in such an innocent voice, but the song works very well. And of course, the range that Lene displays throughout "Scream" is very impressive - we all know that Lene is very good at the high-pitched squeaks and squeals so famously displayed in Aqua's songs, but who knew she could also make her voice so low and sultry? I was definitely impressed. Other strong, upbeat tracks are "Virgin Superstar," "Surprise" and the title track, "Play With Me."



There are a few weak tracks - "We Wanna Party" and "Pants Up" spring to mind immediately, as they seem to be nothing more than mildly enjoyable filler songs, but the rest of the album is as strong, sexy and sassy as Lene herself :)



All-in-all, this album is a must-buy for any Aqua fan, or anyone who's a fan of playful pop tunes."

WOW!!!! This CD is... just WOW!

J. Greenley | Novato, CA United States | 10/08/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From the moment I heard "It's Your Duty" I knew this CD would be worth it, but it's DEFINITELY not what I expected... it's... undescribable really.1. Virgin Superstar (5/5) - Perfect opening track! It's middle-Eastern tinged, and it's an upbeat dance number, and like every song here, amazingly well written. The chorus is irresistible! I'm sure we've all felt this way too.2. Pretty Young Thing (5/5) - ONE OF THE BEST SONGS HERE! It's an upbeat breezy love song, and you cannot deny you've felt this way at once. It's about being MADLY in love with someone. This *has* to be a single!3. It's Your Duty (5/5) - Amazing dance song that we all know (otherwise why are you reading this?). While it's great, it *does* seem out of place on this CD. It's the only raunchy sex song on here. You can't resist dancing ;) admit it.4. Play With Me (3/5) - A rock track, it has a really cool symphony opening. I don't like it though - I hate rock, 99% of the time.5. Bad Coffee Day (4.5/5) - The first ballad, it has some of the prettiest instrumentation I've ever heard. It's really unique. It's dark and sad. The chorus is really rocky. It reminds me of Avril Lavigne's "Losing Grip" --- I hate Avril, but this song takes a more techno approach than Avril has. I can really relate to the lyrics too.6. Here We Go (5/5) - One of the best tracks, it's really Latin influenced, with some amazing beats and melodies, and really good lyrics. Very VERY original! The chorus is perhaps too rocky, but it's still amazingly catchy and unbelievably fun.7. Bite You (3.5/5) - The beat here is a little sluggish, but very creative, and it has a grinding feel to it. I guess it will grow on me. It's really mid-tempo.8. Up In Smoke (5/5) - My FAVORITE song on the CD, PERIOD. It's so angry and fun! The beat is amazing. If that chorus doesn't pull you in and make you melt, get your ears checked. This MUST BE A SINGLE!9. We Wanna Party (4/5) - Something feels missing here. There's no real beat to dance to, that's why it's missing a star. It's meant to be a party track, but there's hardly any bass! It's really 80's, and awesome as heck, so that's why it gets 4.10. Pants Up (5/5) - The funkiest track here! Such a party track!!! So fun to dance to!!! It has a really unique funky beat, and the melody is so awesome, great lyrics too. It's about a man who can't stop cheating. The chorus is amazing.11. Surprise (1/5) - Too punky for me. I don't like it.12. Scream (5/5) - The best ballad here, it's unbelievably haunting and beautiful - this one is a real tear jerker, there's no way to describe it really. It's too beautiful!13. Doin' It To Ya (4/5) - Really awesome beat! It's really catchy and 80's sounding! I love it!! Very techno!14. Paper Bag (5/5) - LMFAO! It has an 80's video game beat, it's so unique! This is one of the best songs on here (tied with Up In Smoke, and PYT). It's so funny... but at the same time, I can really relate to this song. I won't spoil it for you. Just listen to it for yourself. What happened to...
Queen Of The Day?
As Good As It Gets? This song was so pretty!
Pole Position?At least we got Paper Bag!..."

The critics must be crazy...

oosker | Irving, TX | 08/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album wasn't given a fair chance. Lene has lots of potential but critics were all against her after the one hit wonder that was Aqua. Lene comes with a new sound with her solo album that is very comparable to Britney Spears' sound in In The Zone. [I'm not sure if that's a compliment, but I certainly like it, ha ha] The songs are cute and fun and are better than most pop music around here. I wonder how it would have done if it had been released in the USA. [It deserved to be]"