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Danity Kane Returns With Heat

By Craig Dewey Stanley III
Black College Wire

Aubrey, Shannon, Dawn, Aundrea and D. Woods are on a mission to get you hot, whether it is by heavy sweating or that familiar, unexplainable feeling within. "Welcome to the Dollhouse," Danity Kane's sophomore album released March 17. It is a powerhouse of high-paced beats that would perfectly suit any hard-hitting workout.

album cover

Unlike many other albums, the first single off Dollhouse, "Damaged," is an accurate representation of the album in its entirety. "Damaged," the up-tempo dance track, blends traditional ballad-worthy lyrics with a bass-filled beat that would make you want to find the nearest floor to dance your sadness away.

Danja, Timbaland's protégé behind Britney Spears' 'comeback,' lends his production credit to "Striptease," "Pretty Boy" and "Bad Girl," three standout tracks. On "Striptease" DK croons, "I just can't stop my clothes from falling down/ and we've only got tonight to make it count."

"Bad Girl," featuring Missy Elliott, is the perfect anthem for the girl next door who transforms by night, or in DK's case, when the red light comes on. "Sucka for Love," "2 of You," "Lights Out" all continue the hip-hop-dance trend with catchy choruses and hip studio voice effects.

"Ecstasy" is the DK album-standard "ride-or-die" song on Dollhouse. Featuring Rick Ross, this track marks the point at which you'll probably want to start the album over from the beginning.

"Poetry," a questionable attempt at a slow-jam, comes off as a confused rock-soul ballad. "Poetry," "Key to My Heart" and "Flashback" contribute to the album's awkward mid-tempo conclusion, along with "Is Anybody Listening?"

If you're daring, you'll get to keep listening with Target bonus tracks "Ain't Going" featuring label mates Day 26 and "Make Me Sick" which seem to have been randomly included but are solid nonetheless.

Collectively, Dollhouse proves itself to be a hot addition to any I-Tunes playlist, but doesn't quite measure up to their debut album, Danity Kane, released in 2006. For the time being, the girls have shaped up their vocal skills and have set their libidos on fire. So take your shirt, shoes and socks off and get ready to enter the Dollhouse.

Reviews reflect the opinions of the individual writers and do not represent the views of Black College Wire.

Posted March 24, 2008