Wikked Lil' Grrrls
| Untitled | |
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Wikked Lil' Grrrls is Canadian American singer Esthero's second album, her first full-length in seven years. It was released on June 28, 2005 in North America by Reprise Records.
Background
Esthero was dropped from Sony Music Entertainment in late 1999 due to poor sales of her first album Breath from Another. She joined Reprise Records the same year. Orlando Puerta, marketing director at Reprise Records noted: "Somehow she persevered, and she is special enough for us not to let go of her." Esthero begins write material for her second studio album before her departure from SME. It takes over 4 years and in late 2003 she started recording sessions.
In November, 2004 a six-song promotinal EP entitled "We R in Need of a Musical ReVoLuTIoN!" was released. It features 3 tracks that don't included on the album: "The Lull-a-Bye", "I Drive Alone" and "Amber & Tiger's Eye".
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | (57/100)[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    |
| Billboard | |
| Prefix Magazine | |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Slant Magazine | |
| Splendid Magazine |   |
The album received generally mixed reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 57, based on 8 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews". Predominantly positive review came from Sal Cinquemani by Slant Magazine who awared it four out of five stars, saying that album "establishes her as the progenitor of what could be called electro-ethno-pop". Billboard magazine also was positive, calling the album "[an] another eclectic musical trip]]. Rolling Stone gave the album three stars out of five and noted that album "lyrically feisty and stylistically expanded".
Johnny Loftus of Allmusic felt that Wikked Lil' Grrrls is "personal statement, if not a labor of love", however considers that album is "occasionally gets lost between songwriting, thematics, and stylistic flow". He gave the album 2.5 stars out of 4 and highlighted tracks "We R in Need of a Musical Revolution", "Everyday Is a Holiday (With You)" and "If Tha Mood" as album's highlights.[2] In extremely negative review from Splendid magazine, Mike Meginnis said: "A towering monument to Esthero's overpowering sense of self satisfaction, this mess overstays its welcome and abuses whatever attention you're willing to spend on it. In short, it's not a career highlight".
Singles
"O.G. Bitch" was released in April 2004 as CD single. It became first Esthero single without Doc's assistance and also her first Hot Dance Club hit where it reached number one. Single wasn't included on album.
"We R in Need of a Musical Revolution" was released in October 2004 as six-track EP. A music video was filmed to promote the single, however it failed to chart.
"Fastlane" was released in July 2005 as second single from album. It became second Esthero hit on Hot Dance Club chart where it reached number five. There is no official music video for the single.
Uses in media
The title track appeared on the soundtrack to film Miss Congeniality 2.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "We R in Need of a Musical Revolution" | Esthero, James Robertson, Jully Black, Spookey Ruben | 4:06 |
| 2. | "Dragonfly's Intro" | Jemeni | 1:32 |
| 3. | "Blanket Me in You (Never Is So Soon)" | Esthero, Adam Bravin | 4:58 |
| 4. | "Everyday Is a Holiday (With You)" ((feat. Jelleestone & Jemeni)) | Esthero, Sean Lennon | 4:05 |
| 5. | "Thank Heaven 4 U" | Esthero, Camara Kambon | 4:30 |
| 6. | "If Tha Mood" ((feat. Shakari Nyte)) | Doc McKinney, Kobe Eshun, Krista Gonzales | 4:31 |
| 7. | "Bad Boy Clude" | Esthero, Gonzales | 3:36 |
| 8. | "Beautiful Lie" | Esthero, Larry Kline | 5:10 |
| 9. | "Junglebook" ((feat. Andre 3000)) | Esthero, Brian West, Gerald Eaton | 4:49 |
| 10. | "My Honeybrown" | Esthero | 0:26 |
| 11. | "Wikked Lil' Grrrls" | Esthero, Gonzales, Graph Nobel, Malik Worthy | 4:18 |
| 12. | "Gone" ((feat. Cee Lo Green)) | Esthero, Keith Crouch, Green, Jubu | 5:16 |
| 13. | "My Torture" | Esthero, Bravin, Oliver Johnson | 6:26 |
| 14. | "Melancholy Melody" | Esthero, James Poyser | 4:36 |
| 15. | "Fastlane" | Esthero, Gonzales, Doc | 4:53 |
| 16. | "Dragonsfly's Outro" | Esthero, Bill Conti | 4:05 |
| 17. | "Brave Bear Woman" | Esthero | 0:18 |
| Total length: | 67:57 | ||