Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Wild Heart - Single Review

Official Single Cover

You may know her as the girl that guys get "steaming like a pot full of vegetables", and "you make me feel the la la la la la", but that's just the tip of the iceberg for her. Jenice Dena Portlock, a.k.a. Sabi is the former lead singer of the girls group "The Bangz", which have since split up, and Sabi's wasting no time establishing herself as a solo-act, featuring her vocals on Britney Spears' "Beautiful (Drop Dead)" and Cobra Starships' Top 10 hit "You Make Me Feel...".

However, on this track, gone is the 'hard' rapping, or the shimmering multi-layered hook, and it's replaced with a moody, stripped, dubstep tune, not resembling anything on the radio. "Damn this wild heart of mine, it's goin' get me in trouble" Sabi sings, over a pounding beat, courtesy of the Dream Machine, a.k.a. Let's Go To War, a member of which is up-and-coming producer Cirkut, who has worked a couple tracks (notably co-producing new singles "Domino" by Jessie J, and "Good Feeling" by Flo Rida, as well as a remix of Ke$ha's "Blow"). The song's strengths are the vivid lyrics, while not the most original, it's not a cliche-ridden track, and it's stark production. The melodies on this number read like a rapper-turned-singer, and there's not a lot here for R&B fans, it's a moody, atmospheric, electo-fest. Overall, it's a great tune, with some good, ass-busting promo, it might catch on, but it's a bit complex for the current radio listener, so it'll probably stay a buzz-single. 

Sabi is currently signed to Warner Bros. Music and her debut album is expected sometime in 2012, featuring production from Benny Blanco, Diplo, Ammo, DJ Cirkut, and The Cataracs.