Trigga (Target Deluxe) by Trey Songz
July 1st
(Atlantic/WEA International)
Trey Songz first really caught my eye with the release of 2010's Passion, Pain and Pleasure, which brought the rise of smash single "Bottom's Up (feat. Nicki Minaj)". The track eventually became his biggest hit in his career (to date) and is perhaps most famous for almost single handedly launching the career of Nicki Minaj, who has gone on to notch 20 Hot 50 entries since the chart's inception in early 2012. Still, that wasn't enough for me to really start taking a liking toward his music.
Then came August 2012, which brought his 5th album (properly titled Chapter V). The album spawned the hit singles "Heart Attack" (which peaked at #41 when the chart was only 40 positions long) and "2 Reasons (feat. T.I.)" which reached the top 40 and became my favorite track of his to date. At that point, I decided that Trey Songz would be moved onto my "purchase list" (a list of artists that I support and buy albums from).
When the lead single from Trigga (December 2013's "Na Na") was dropped, I was a little bit disappointed with the results, but decided to give Trey another chance as I was somewhat against "Heart Attack" (his previously released lead single from his 5th album). Thank god I didn't overlook Trigga.
Going into Trigga, I really had no idea of what to expect, but album opener "Cake" is more of a mixed bag than I had initially anticipated. It sure is a steamy, club ready track with pounding, booty smashing beats, but it really isn't much more than that. The lyrics feel lifeless, and the entire song feels like a tired train wreck that never quite got swept under the rug. Mediocre at best.
"Foreign" (and its official Justin Bieber remix) are doused in loads of auto-tune and somewhat dried over lyrical stylings, which make it an automatic turn off. The original is actually halfway decent, but the remix is just a waste of time: not only is sticking another artist on a track without changing anything else not a remix... Justin Bieber of all people. Really? Come on Trey. This is like a bird taking a dump on a terribly flavored ice cream; and no, I will not take it back.
The album's lead single, "Na Na", is definitely a major improvement over the first two tracks, combining elements of "2 Reasons", "Heart Attack" into a DJ Mustard produced club banger. Still, it can't help but feel like somewhat of a repetitive dud at times, and it bares way too many similarities to fellow DJ Mustard produced "2 On (feat. Schoolboy Q)" by Tinashe.
"Touchin, Lovin" is actually the first Trigga track that I full on respect. The lyrical matter is very similar to that of Enrique Iglesias' "Tonight (I'm Loving You)", but it's actually very refreshing to hear an R&B version of this type of track. Sure it's a touchy subject, but Trey's vocals, the smooth electro-tinged beat and Nicki Minaj's spitting verse combine for a great track. "Disrespectful (feat. Mila J)" is a respectable follow up track, an equally powerful track (it should actually be called a duet).
"Dead Wrong (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)" ended up being yet another perfectly crafted Trigga cut, with a more manageable rap verse (courtesy of featured artist Ty Dolla $ign) and a much more accessible beat that I had even thought possible for a song like this. I had some bad feelings going into this cut, but it turned out to be one of the album's better works. "Late Night (feat. Juciy J)" also goes into this category; I had mixed feelings, but it turned out to be one of the most outstanding tracks he presented on Trigga.
On the other hand, "All We Do" kind of invents its own song category. Is it a ballad? Is it a slow tempo, sexy R&B jam? I don't know. It is way too hard to tell in this case. Overall, it's a dull waste of space on an album that should be packed with punches and great beats.
Rating (Out of 100)
Mixed to Positive
