Anastacia Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
Far more successful in the U.K. than in her native America, big-voiced Anastacia's self-professed sprock sound has helped her first three albums to sell over a million copies each. Her self-titled previous record was her biggest to date, thanks to a harder-edged sound that often recalled the dramatic rock/pop of Evanescence. However, Heavy Rotation, her first studio album in nearly five years, tones down the guitars in favor of a more eclectic collection of songs that take in everything from glossy soul-funk to acoustic pop and even techno. Lead single "I Can Feel You" misleadingly suggests that this doesn't seem like a particularly wise decision. Written by man of the moment Ne-Yo, its promising opening funky beats and squelchy synths are let down by such a non-event of a chorus that it's hard to believe it's penned by the same man behind Rihanna's recent infectious chart hits. A prime example of using a star name just for the sake of it, it's arguably the most underwhelming comeback song of the year. This is made even more frustrating by the fact that the rest of the album is packed with potential hit singles written by a team of equally accomplished songwriters. Lester Mendez (Shakira, Enrique Iglesias) works his magic on the delightfully retro soul stomper "The Way I See It"; the Guy Chambers collaborations "In Summer" and "All Fall Down" perfectly combine his trademark melodic guitar pop sound with Anastacia's powerhouse vocals; and the Rodney Jerkins-produced title track is a thumping Hi-NRG floor-filler that recalls Britney Spears' recent electro reinvention. Of course, no Anastacia album would be complete without a big power ballad, and the piano-led "Never Gonna Love Again" certainly doesn't disappoint in the overblown and overwrought department. But despite its occasional lapses into schmaltz and generic R&B, Heavy Rotation is still a charming and versatile record that has her unmistakable voice and personality stamped all over it. ~ Jon O'Brien, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Following two majorly successful albums as a dance queen all over the world, the alto pop diva extraordinaire Anastacia released her third album, a self-titled one, to huge reception practically all over the globe. Interestingly enough, the only location where the album was never released was in the United States, where the American singer's flame never burst into wildfire. It's a real shame, though; Anastacia was a transition album for a multi-dimensional artist as she shifted from disco flavor into passionate power pop, and this haunting presentation would've been her ticket for gold in the States. Written, recorded, and produced while Anastacia was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer only helped the dazzling singer to create a more personal, painful piece of work that suits her unique voice perfectly. Packed with pop numbers that overlay into rock and soul, Anastacia envelops the listener into a painstaking reality that horrified the singer -- that this might be the end of her career, and her life, and she wasn't going to go down without a fight. Stronger tracks on the album include "Left Outside Alone," a global smash that was the number one single of 2004 in many European countries, on which Anastacia berates the listener with cries of frustration in pop/rock at its finest, and "Heavy on My Heart," a shimmering ballad flushed by pain, love, and bombastic sounds that collide like tidal waves in what can only be described as a magical four minutes. The hits don't stop there, as Anastacia is packed with not only personal musical anecdotes (every track on the album was either written or co-written by Anastacia), but radio-friendly, grit-influenced dark pop hits like "I Do," "Seasons Change," and "Time." Plus, she seams R&B into her mix of melodies on tracks like "Pretty Little Dum Dum" and "Sick & Tired." Overall, Anastacia is truly an artist's record, where listeners get a bird's eye view into the minds of a covertly dark Anastacia whose musical imagination is finally allowed to blossomed due to the catalytic effect of a terrible tragedy that overcame her. Luckily for us, she is 100 percent cured of her disease; now it's time to take this new hauntingly gorgeous Anastacia and give her some credit like she truly deserves. ~ Matthew Chisling, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Anastacia's sophomore outing, Freak of Nature, continues with the late-'80s bombastic funk/soul/pop revival ushered in by her debut, Not That Kind, but this time there's a few more ballads in the mix. Anastacia also leans more toward straightforward rock on this outing, while still maintaining the irresistible dance grooves that made her debut an international success. The album kicks off to a rocking start with the title track, which boasts a sinuous guitar solo reminiscent of "American Woman" and then leads into the soulful, bombastic rocker "Paid My Dues," a massive European hit. Other shining moments include the dramatic "One Day in Your Life," which follows the same formula as her previous hit, "I'm Outta Love," but better, with more soaring, epic vocals, and sounds like a rock version of a forgotten disco classic. The feel-good soul-funk vibe of "Don't Stop (Doin' It)" is a massive hit waiting to happen, and perfect for a breezy summer afternoon. When Anastacia slows down the tempo for the ballads (some organic and acoustic, some bordering on power ballads), she succeeds by utilizing her strong vocal chops without venturing into vocal histrionics. Reminiscent of Taylor Dayne at times, Anastacia successfully avoids the sophomore slump by delivering an album full of raw emotion, power, and musicality which manages to improve upon its predecessor. As a final note, the Destiny's Child-sounding "Why'd You Lie to Me" and the sassy "Don'tcha Wanna" both appear on the American version of Not That Kind. ~ Jose F. Promis, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As revealed in the multiple pictures in the CD package and in the video featured as part of the disc's multi-media content, Anastacia is, in appearance, yet another teen dream with cascades of blonde hair and an exposed navel (though perhaps her ever-present, and ever-changing, spectacles are supposed to signal a higher intellectual content). But her musical models aren't Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera, they are Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, and Martha Wash. Anastacia possesses a big, expressive alto voice that her many co-writers and producers (primarily Rik Wake [Celine Dion, Mariah Carey] and the team of ex-Color Me Badd member Sam Watters and Louis Biancaniello, though Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers, authors of 'N Sync's "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You," have two tracks) use in updated R&B, dance, and funk tracks. "I'm Outta Love," which just missed topping the dance charts, is an aggressive dancefloor item, and its follow-up, the title song, is in a funk style reminiscent of Aretha Franklin's '80s work. "I Ask of You" is one of those slow, deliberate big ballads that recalls "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" as well as that song's singer, Jennifer Holliday. And so it goes. The only real misstep on the album is the inevitable Diane Warren adult contemporary romantic ballad, "Late Last Night," which forces the singer to rein in her voice, though even then she doesn't really negotiate its lyrical complexity. Despite her toothsome appearance, Anastacia may be too old school to break through in the U.S., though this album has been a commercial success overseas. (The American version has been altered from the foreign one, with a couple of tracks added and dropped.) But Macy Gray demonstrated that a broad audience may respond to an older style if the singer herself is distinguished enough. Anastacia doesn't have the kind of unique timbre that Gray does -- in fact, the minute she opens her mouth she starts reminding you of other singers, especially Aretha Franklin -- but she is clearly a big talent, and that should count for something. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
