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The Daily Utah Chronicle

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Let it burn!

FergieThe DutchessWill.i.am RecordsOne out of five stars

Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” has it easy: Put on any clip of the current administration speaking its routine absurdity, and the audience is sure to be in stitches.

That’s about how I feel reviewing Fergie’s debut solo album, The Dutchess. It’s the type of album that writes its own review. All I need to do is point out few lyrical gems, make some easy comparisons and my work here is done.

But isn’t Fergie entitled to a fair review, just like any other artist? Yes.

And no.

Fairness would require that The Dutchess be treated to a review that is as superficial and mind-numbing as its lyrics, beats, concepts and themes.

So this is a fair review.

Let’s just start with the first track, the title, “Fergalicious.”

This should be enough said. But in case it’s not, the chorus rhymes Fergalicious with delicious. Brilliant.

Perhaps worse than the album’s lyrics are its attempts at imitation. Radio favorite “London Bridge” is a shameless “Hollaback Girl”-cum-M.I.A. rip-off, complete with the rhyme style of J-Kwon in “Tipsy.” It’s trying to be every pop song at once-ambitious, but a bad, bad call.

If imitation is the deepest form of flattery, The Dutchess is a pop tribute album, paying respect to: Janet Jackson, Gwen Stefani, Michelle Branch, Damien Marley and Amy Grant.

That’s right, Amy Grant.

I can only think of one reason an artist could radically change styles 12 times on a 13-track album-money.

And to be fair, I can also think of only one reason an album like The Dutchess would be worth reviewing-money.

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