By: Gregg Keniston

Daayuummm Bebe, baby! Dirty… absolutely looks fabulous on you!

After years label mishaps and struggle, Brooklyn-native,Bebe Rexha didn’t let the doubting or rejection diminish that fire inside to become a singing sensation. While Expectations was my personal favorite release even to today, and her self-titled Bebe, didn’t quite hit it out of the park; DIRTY BLONDE is released into the wild as a club-banger masterpiece overall. There is something for everyone on this record. It encompasses a dance floor, house music theme with flairs of hip-hop, country and even alternative. All the while the album This is how you pack fun into an album while proclaiming your right to be in the spotlight!

Hysteria

The opening track starts off with a longing for forgiveness. But, as the bridge builds, the dance floor opens up and it’s just an epic scene of strobe lights. The corny part of my brain makes me think that I’m in a workout class with the timing pressed on fast-forward. Well, the creative side of my brain puts me into a semi-psychedelic trance. It perfectly sets the table for the listener to embark on a 30-40 minute trip across the genres.

Tokyo

Talk about international! “Tokyo” please write into Bebe’s craft of taking you on an exploration. With the video game undertones blending with the techno house beats, she’s caught in a state of shock from a kiss from a girl that she can’t recall any details of. In the same breath, she’s longing for more. It’s only fitting that this song and album would be released in June as a celebratory nod.

New Religion

When you have to show the world, what you’re made of, it could be a very daunting task. Coming back harder, stronger and more enticing than before, Bebe knew she had to pack a powerful punch to land into the music scene as a rebirth. With “New Religion,” boy did she deliver! Not only was she saying to her competitors and nay-sayers, “listen to me.” But she also had this sense that her statement had to be made. This song reflected how the dance floor and club scene are not only, her home and family but her greatest tools and instruments as well. It is her euphoria.

$.H.I.T

Admittedly, this is my least favorite track mostly because hip-hop and rap is lower on my favorability scale. However, the song’s staccato it’s very catchy and enticing. Additionally Rehxa serves up confidence straight to the listeners’ ears, with an in-your-face flair that keeps the audience in tune with her beat and persona. Obviously she’s never afraid to say what’s on her mind or what she witnesses. She knows she’s IT!

Çike Çike

Talk about going around the world! Bebe adds a personal touch and throws in her Albanian roots. The song title is an Albanian-slang term, roughly translated to “hey girl, hey!” It’s a track, it’s an anthem and, a call to action – to get all the girls on the dance floor. With this song, it’s time to live like there’s no tomorrow!

i like you better than me

Only Bebe could be the one to turn internal mental conflict into a dance floor extravaganza. Bebe is adoring over a passerby as she self-examines and heavily critiques her own blemishes, struggling to feel as though she could measure up. With body-positivity, body-dysmorphia, and competition all battling each one of us, one degree to another; she states an interesting point.

Most of us hate to say this ourselves, but sometimes the assuring positive feedback from others feels unnecessary and we complain just to get it out and gone, rather not for commentary or self-assurance. We just want to complain, as much as we shouldn’t and the fact that it does not help any situation one bit. This is also the first of few songs where the tone begins to concave with the heavy techno influence and become more ballad-focused and poignant.

Drink And A Little Love

Continuing the theme of heavy feelings added with smooth desire, Rehxa is looking for the sweetness to a bitter, long day. On this track, you can hear and feel the country infusion flow through the music. As an artist, Bebe Rehxa used this album to boldly state that she knows not only how to incorporate multiple genres seamlessly, to welcome multiple audiences, while also appealing to a global stage of varying culture and artistic stylings.

One Day

From the opening lyrics to the backing vocals, I felt like I was transported to a Fleetwood Mac live taping. Singing of what will come of the day that the lost love will eventually see Bebe as unrecognizable, lost in a haze, trying desperately to recall the moments of yesterday. The track is not only placed perfectly but, fully captures her ability to morph darkness into a light of sorts.

Time

While the track may take a few listens to understand and fully take in, it speaks of how much time takes away from what should be prime years, if not addressed first-hand. Wishing she could get back time from her failed relationship to experience better and grander things, Rexha failed to enjoy much of the time spent in those years. It’s an honest and musically playful piece that continues the bridge of the album quite nicely.

The Way I Want You

Pulling a dramatic 360-degree turnaround, the track is a surprise to the ear. Proclaiming an intense and fiery love for someone close, it is the most raw track on the album. There is a dark haunting element to the track where Bebe is able to capitalize on her vocals effortlessly throughout. This song just proves Bebe Rexha’s unpredictability. And it works!

Nobody’s There

Rounding out the string of ballads, “Nobody’s There” closes the door nicely and blast the speakers proclaiming confidence and to just let the energy dance out. The woman (probably Bebe herself), sheds skin of fear, shame, and overthinking; and prays the morning never comes as she dances without hesitation. Every beat feeds into her evening mood and intentions.

Night Falls

The song is at first glance a negative turn of despair on the record, but soon turns to be just that of longing and desire. Bebe is wishing to escape her inner demons to just be back into the arms of a loved one. The night feels so alone and when you lie alone, looking up, you have nothing but your mind and often our phones. But, too often scrolling doesn’t solve or heal anything deep. It just places a temporary cloak over the more intense feelings that fail to fade.

Sad Girls – with David Guetta

Bebe Rehxa and David Guetta have now cemented themselves as a house music dynamic duo. From prior songs like “I’m Good (Blue),” to “Hey Mama” with Nicki Minaj and Afrojack, and “Say My Name” with J. Balvin; house music was revolutionized for a pop craze to explode from the early 2010s through present day. “Sad Girls” is the latest track to blast the speakers out. The song is the perfect way to end the album and pack a powerful punch.

Whoever wrote Bebe Rexha out as an artist, clearly did not see this album coming. She captured a way to blend genres and culture alike. She turned negative to positive. The album is key to how versatility serves an artist and their fan base extraordinarily well by keeping both parties on their toes. Dirty Blonde is nothing short of a thrill ride while the club scene keeps on raving.

Key Tracks: “New Religion,” “Hysteria,” “One Day,” “Sad Girls.”