ALESHA DIXON: FIRED UP [ALBUM REVIEW]....

Alesha Dixon's first solo album Fired Up was released in Japan on February 20th 2008 and through the Japanese i-tunes store, the album leaked. Singles 'Lipstick' and 'Knockdown' performed so badly on the UK charts that her album suffered quite a few pushbacks before being shelved completely. The album as a whole has a different feel from the traditional R&B that Alesha's group Misteeq put out in the height of their popularity. The project is assisted by producers Johnny Douglas, Brian Higgins, electro whizz-kid Richard X and indie giant Paul Epworth. Alesha appears to have ditched the contemporary R&B for a more rectro, hip-pop, rockier, funk-filled sound. The album as a whole is energetic, funky and bristles with feel-good charisma. There's also a couple of reggae/dancehall inspired songs and Alesha makes the nice transition from singing back to a bit of MCing which she was well notorious for.

Lipstick which is a production by pop maestro Johnny Douglas (Kylie, Sugababes, Rachel Stevens) is risky yet gutsy for a lead single because it is so unlike Alesha to put out a record like this. With buzzy synths and twangy guitar riffs, Lipstick is a mishmash of rock and pop, but packs attitude. Fired Up, which is the title track is a Johnny Douglas production. I like it because it's old skool and has a James Brown type vibe. It's funky with live instrumentation and very energetic. Hypnotik is vintage fun with that 80's appeal. It was a nice way to open up the album. I am thinking if she released this first, maybe the response would have been different. She also puts her MCing skills to good use for the first time on the album.

4 U I Will is a dusky pop ballad with soft grooves, which is the unreleased track that now became an official digital single on sites like iTunes. I will admit that this song isn't to my liking but she pulls it off. The reggae-tinged 'Knockdown' was suppose to be Alesha's chart Saviour but the song just didn't come through. Listening to the other songs on Fired Up just makes me realise how much of weak contender the song really was. Superficial is similar to Fired Up with live instrumental that packs grit and edge. Ting-A-Ling is the the most reminiscent of Misteeq's old sound. It is a mixture of garage, R&B and reggae and has lots of mass radio appeal but it's dance-y 2-step music. She also divulges her reggae side some more on Lil' Bit of Loving.

Tracks like Free and Voodoo are complete U-Turns musically and maybe one of her most closeted. The beat to Free is very catchy and the chorus is sung in a very stylish and cool way. She's experimenting with her musical direction and that's a good thing but she switched up completely. The song is definitely a grower but it's very mature and has a very fresh feel at the time of its production. I feel the same way about Everybody Wants To Change. It sounds extremely fresh and funky with its drum & bass rhythm. Let It Go packs that giddy hip-pop feel with the salsa backdrop. Turn It Up is a feisty upbeat track which pays homage to the dancefloor whilst Everywhere I Go is an infectious pop/R&B number with riveting horns that makes it all the more dance friendly.

It's amazing that one bad single choice can destroy someone's music career. There are a lot of good tracks on Fired Up that were single-worthy. But at times I felt that she was trying to imitate a musical sound that simply wasn't hers which gives some of the music a sense of pseudo rhythm.

Rating: 2.5/5

Alesha at last Wednesday's Brit Awards: