{"id":1864,"date":"2014-04-02T17:44:55","date_gmt":"2014-04-02T21:44:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/~reviewing\/?page_id=1864"},"modified":"2014-04-02T17:44:55","modified_gmt":"2014-04-02T21:44:55","slug":"micheles-louder-is-emotional-tribute","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reviewing\/?page_id=1864","title":{"rendered":"Michele’s ‘Louder’ is emotional tribute"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted April 2, 2014<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By ROXANA MAZA<\/p>\n

Bronx native Lea Michele, best known for her role as Rachel Berry on FOX\u2019s hit TV show, \u201cGlee,\u201d released her first solo album, \u201cLouder,\u201d Feb. 28. True to its name, it\u2019s pretty loud in a good way, with emphasis on Michele\u2019s powerful vocals to deliver a feel-good album that is both moving and catchy.<\/p>\n

\"Leah<\/a>

Leah Michele’s “Louder”<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cLouder\u201d was originally due out March 4, a date that was meaningful for Michele because of its wordplay with \u201cmarch forth,\u201d indicative of her moving forward in her life with strength and hope.<\/p>\n

Its meaning was tied to her tragic loss of \u201cGlee\u201d costar and boyfriend of two years, Cory Monteith, to a drug overdose in July 2013.<\/p>\n

The album screams pop with influences from hit pop artists, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift \u2013 all who Michele said inspired her new record in a recent interview with Billboard. A deluxe album is also available, which features three additional tracks: \u201cWhat Is Love?\u201d \u201cGone Tonight\u201d and \u201cThe Bells.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s different about this pop album\u2019s plausible party anthems is that they\u2019re not meaningless in terms of their lyrical value and messages. The title song, \u201cLouder,\u201d with lyrics such as, \u201cWanna be remembered? Stand out in the crowd, don\u2019t choke on the fire, it\u2019s trying to burn you out,\u201d keeps true to being a catchy tune with fast beats not only promotes confidence and individuality.<\/p>\n

For Michele, it was important to begin and end her album with songs that spoke of different life experiences and dealing with the pain of losing Monteith and gaining the strength to pick herself up from the ground and march forth.<\/p>\n

\u201cCannonball,\u201d the album\u2019s lead single released last December, tells of Michele\u2019s need to rise above her grief-stricken self with strong, upbeat instrumentals which don\u2019t drown her strong vocals out.<\/p>\n

Michele completed her album in June 2013, but because of Monteith\u2019s unexpected death, she put it on hold to decide if she wanted to add more songs. \u201cCannonball\u201d was co-written with Sia Furler, an Australian singer-songwriter, and featured on \u201cLouder\u201d because of the its connection to how Michele felt after her loss.<\/p>\n

With lyrics such as, \u201cI was in the dark and then it hit me, I chose suffering and pain in the falling rain, I know, I gotta get out into the world again,\u201d it transmits the message of Michele\u2019s heartache and strength to \u201cfly like a cannonball\u201d into the world again.<\/p>\n

All of the \u201cLouder\u201d tracks tell of different instances in Michele\u2019s life, and many of them are relatable to love and heartbreak, such as instances where you\u2019re in a rocky relationship, an unhealthy one or even a solid one. \u201cBurn With You,\u201d the third track of the album, tells of that story with lyrics that include, \u201cwe’re not healthy, barely breathing, but this pain keeps my heart beating, we are lost when we’re together, but I’ll follow you forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBattlefield\u201d is a love-gone-wrong tune, but it takes a calmer more melancholy approach with soft piano accompaniment that accentuates Michele\u2019s haunting voice. \u201cYou\u2019re mine,\u201d which begins with soft, lilting vocal notes, tells of a girl capturing the heart of the boy she loves and is cheerful all throughout.<\/p>\n

Then there is the album\u2019s most touching song, \u201cIf You Say So,\u201d which offers listeners an intimate glimpse of Michele\u2019s memory of Monteith. The song is a tribute to Monteith as it\u2019s based on their last conversation and was co-written with Sia Furler.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s been seven whole days without your embrace. I wanna see your face, I got some things to say. Was just a week ago,\u2028you said, \u2018I love you girl. \u2019\u2028I said, \u2018I love you more.\u2019\u2028 And a breath, a pause, you said, \u2018if you say so\u2019\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The song is raw in its feeling, through which you can feel Michele\u2019s grief of wanting to see Cory again and not knowing what\u2019s real anymore.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easily the best song of the entire album because it speaks the loudest of Michele\u2019s life, her personal struggles and her powerful voice because it softens at certain times, which is a subtle highlight of her vulnerability to this moment in her life. The song is done with a beautiful piano arrangement and haunting lyrics that are true to Michele and her experience. It\u2019s Michele\u2019s willingness to expose this almost-helpless side of her that makes it so moving and memorable.<\/p>\n

\u201cLouder\u201d is a great start for Michele\u2019s solo artist career because, akin to country and pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, she based all of its songs on her life experiences, whether it was blooming love, heartbreak or the tragic loss of a significant other, in which the latter was a clear influence on the tone of the overall album. With Michele\u2019s voice \u2013 loud, and powerful yet vulnerable \u2013 she told her story of strength and hope as loud as she could.<\/p>\n