Leaked!

Now if you've been following my blog, you know I'm a fan of Paris Hilton. I've maintained that she gets a bad reputation for things that are sometimes out of her control. Having watched all four seasons of The Simple Life (and anxiously awaiting the 5th Season in 2007), I have a nice insight into a different side of Paris that the paparazzi doesn't often print. Animal rights activist, supporter (and occasional planner) of gay marriage, etc. Watch the show, you'll see why I love her.

Ok, so Paris Hilton's self-titled debut album Paris was recently leaked. I'm buying it on August 22 when it comes out, but until then I wanted to listen to it to get an idea of what Paris was giving us in her first album.

So obviously I was intrigued when I learned awhile back that she was releasing an album. And yes, I read all of the ridiculous criticisms of her album before anyone had heard any of it. I wanted to hear for myself. Now I should say, I do not support illegal downloads, and again, have every intention of buying this album when it's released on August 22. I listened because I was too anxious to wait. And if you can't wait, then listen: http://www.sendspace.com/file/vhe9t1 . But make sure to buy it. That link will give you the zipped file of her album, excluding her single "Stars Are Blind."

The album opens up with the song "Turn It Up", which is exactly what you would expect a Paris Hilton song to sound like. Lots of dance appeal, a lot of club-feel, lots of bass, etc. Then comes "Fightin' Over Me", which has a rap section by Jadakiss. It reminds me of a song J-Lo would do, and it's my least favorite on the album. But get through those two songs and you'll get to the real weight of the album.

The third song on Paris is her first single "Stars Are Blind." You can hear it on the radio, or watch the video on youtube. It's a good song that I like a lot. The lyrics are pretty standard pop lyrics, until you get to the part where Paris sings that she's "Got a heart, and soul, and body". That line is what I love about Paris. Most people don't see her that way; the media sells more papers talking about Paris' sexual exploits than her humanitarian contributions. But to hear Paris listing her heart and soul before her body is indicative of the way that she views herself. The album that follows this song reinforces that ideal. Paris is a person, and this album shows you more of that person than any paparazzi picture can do.

The next song is "I Want You." For anyone who has ever liked the Bee Gees song "Grease Is The Word", you'll love this song. The orchestrations are eerily similar to that song. It's a fun listen, and a good dance song.

Next up is "Jealousy." Wow. Paris maintains that this song isn't about Nicole Ritchie. That's very hard to believe. It's a very emotional song, and really cuts to the core of how Paris felt about the falling-out with Nicole. For those of you who don't know the background on that situation, it's pretty simple. Awhile back, Paris was asked to host Saturday Night Live. Nicole was upset at her for not being asked to co-host along with Paris, and that Paris should have demanded she be included in the show. Paris didn't control that. So the night Paris was on SNL, Nicole threw a party in Paris' honor, invited all of Paris' friends, who thought they were going to be watching Paris on SNL. Nicole showed Paris' sex tape, and the two haven't spoken since. Paris feels that Nicole was very jealous of her success and didn't know how to handle her rising celebrity. Neither of them have spoken publicly about it very much. So here are the lyrics to this song:

"I thought you were my best friend/I felt we'd be together 'til the end/You're not the girl I once knew/Tell me where she is 'cause she's not you/You used to be that shoulder/That shoulder I could lean on through it all/But now it's getting colder/There's no love between these walls/I was always happy/When I was watchin' you become a star/But you were only happy/When the world was openin' up my scars/And now I'm like the devil/Well if I am then what does that make you/You sold yourself for your fame/You'd still never walk a day in my shoes"

Pouring out her heart in a song like this, which accompanied by the music provided alongside the track, results in a hauntingly painful experience that we're able to understand through Paris' eyes. This song is one of my favorites on the album, if for nothing more than an honest "cut to the core" song that illuminates a world of which we had no understanding.

Following this song is "Heartbeat", which is a very 80's-sounding but a fun track.

After that one is "Nothing In This World." Similar in tone to "Turn It Up," this song is clearly designed to be a pop-dance song, and its intent is met. Fun song, definitely worth the listen.

That takes us to "Screwed." I'm sure people will find the title of the track comical, especially given some of the reasons for Paris' notoriety. Listen to the song, judge it for yourself. I did, and was rewarded with a really good song. The chorus is:

"Since I'm already screwed/Here's a message to you/My heart's wide open/I'm just not getting through to the lover in you/Yet I'm still hoping/That tonight, tonight, you're gonna turn down the lights/And give me a little more room just to prove it to you/What do I gotta do?"

"Not Leaving Without You" comes next, followed by "Turn You On", and while they're both fun to listen to, they're not my favorites. I think critics of the album, or of Paris in general, will end up using "Turn You On" as their reasoning. It's a pretty safe song with one particular line that sticks out and helps tie the album together:

"Don't care who's watching me, I do just what I would."

Last song on the album is Paris' cover of "Do You Think I'm Sexy", the old song from the 80's. It's not as vain as it seems on paper, and she's very cute when you listen to her sing this song.

It's a nice end to an album that lets us into the world of Paris Hilton without oversaturating us with ideas with which we can't connect. She's every girl in this album, another woman in the world trying to find love and validation, with much higher standards of consequence. It's an album that speaks to everyone, whether through 80's dance-pop tracks, ballads of friendship and loss and heartache, or surprisingly revealing tracks.

In her first album, Paris, she certainly delivers the goods. She knows what's going to sell and what people will likely gravitate towards. You don't build an empire out of a bottle of peroxide. Paris is a calculated woman succesfully steering herself towards a fame that no hotel alone could offer her.

And that, in short, is hot.