We give Cher Lloyd's debut album a spin
From the moment she stepped onto the X Factor stage, we knew that Cher Lloyd wasn't your average reality show contestant.The Malvern teenager just oozed star quality, leaving the judges and viewing public spellbound by her swaggerific performance.
She continued to impress during the live shows and it quickly became clear that, regardless of whether she won the competition or not, she would land herself a record contract.
Sure enough, Cher promptly signed to Simon Cowell's label Syco and was immediately hooked up with some of the world's hottest producers - and the results are jaw-droppingly good.
Across the album's ten tracks, Cher proves herself to be a truly versatile performer. The feel-good pop of Grow Up sees her shifting from furious rap to Lily Allen-esque vocals with ease, while club banger Dub On the Track sees her holding her own next to MCs Mic Righteous, Dot Rotten & Ghetts.
The Shellback-produced Want U Back might not sound a million miles away from Miley Cyrus' Party in the USA, but it's got Cher's stamp all over it. From her dead pan delivery ("Please, this ain't even jealousy, she ain't got nothin' on me") to her screams of frustration peppered throughout the track, this has the potential to be an enormous global hit.
Playa Boy sees her updating Neneh Cherry's hugely underrated Buffalo Stance to great effect, while Over the Moon manages to simultaneously combine Motown and dubstep influences.
Also worthy of note is her collaboration with US band Carolina Liar. Described by the lady herself as a track which will "shock a lot of people", Beautiful People is a stripped-back ballad which shows off her softer side.
Sticks + Stones is one of those rare albums that you can listen to all the way throughout skipping a track. Despite her constant genre-hopping, it's a surprisingly cohesive effort which cements her position as one of the UK's brightest young stars.
Best tracks: Want U Back, Dub On the Track
Best lyric: "We're doing stuff that we don't ever have to tell our mums"
Rating: 5 out of 5
Read our recent interview with Cher Lloyd
Watch the video for her latest single With Ur Love
