Some people think he's bonkers; he just thinks he's free. Honestly, is there anything crazy about him at all? I'm not quite sure. Since the Mercury Prize-winning success of Boy in da Corner, and his follow-ups Showtime and Maths + English, ol' Dizzee has been spending his time changing his image from the young prince of Grime to a hip, young popstar. Does he stand up to the test though?
Tongue'N'Cheek is Dizzee Rascal's fourth attempt at getting noticed by everyone in the world as the "next big thing". With the singles released from this one, he's managed to secure himself a position as one of the real 'popstars' of the decade. He may be hanging on to the tail-end of the 'noughties', but Bonkers and Dance Wiv Me were the real floor fillers of 2008 and 2009, so he got something right.
It's a shame that the rest of the album doesn't hold up to the pop brilliance of those songs. Even his latest single, Holiday, is a terrible attempt at trying to get things to swing in his favour. There are times when I'd like to enjoy the album though - Freaky Freaky is quite decent, and could probably have made it as a good single (if it wasn't nice and explicit).
The bit that gets me, though, is that despite his "selling out", Dizzee still puts out a few decent tunes, even if they are hidden on the album, never to see the light of day or to boost his pop career. He's nowhere near being a brilliant artiste, but, he's got some potential, if only he didn't try to ham it up to the pop world. I'd prefer to hear him playing with Ricky Rankin and The Bug with some real grime and dancehall artists, but, I suppose I can live with the tarnished gems that pop up like Freaky Freaky and Can't Tek No More.
It's far from brilliant, honestly, but he knows how to play the market - put the best pop out for the kids; keep the trash and the half-decent unreleasables on the album for the hardcore Dizzee fans.
Overall: 5/10 - I wasn't exactly sold. He's got his style, admittedly a changed one, but it's not in my agenda. It's decent, but, it's repetitive, and lacks the drive that he should have as a "household name".
Top Track: Freaky Freaky (but, for those who like their music SFW: Bonkers)
