If you have heard Flo Rida’s ubiquitous hit, “Right Round,” then you know just about everything there is to know about the rapper’s sophomore album, R.O.O.T.S. That’s not necessarily a bad thing: “Right Round” and its unexpected sampling of Dead or Alive’s 1980s classic, “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)”, is the perfect song for any party or treadmill, and you can’t blame a guy for trying to recreate the formula in as many ways as possible. In fact, the songs on which Flo and his army of producers try to match the dizzying heights of “Round” are the most successful, while the others are tedious, repetitive and sometimes downright boring.
The sheer amount of people who were roped into constructing the album is a wonder unto itself. Between the mass of producers, the group involved in R.O.O.T.S. has helped create an impressive collection of pop hits — including Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl,” Britney Spears’ “Circus,” T.I.’s “Whatever You Like,” Estelle and Kanye’s “American Boy” and Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop.” That’s only the beginning though. Throughout the course of the album, Flo is joined by Ne-Yo, Nelly Furtado, Wyclef Jean, and Akon, while sampling everyone from Eiffel 65, Benny Benassi, Tina Turner and the previously mentioned Dead or Alive. To say the least, it makes for a high-budget affair.
It might not be such a big revelation then to say that the album is never so much about the album itself as it is about the collection of giant singles that are sure to be derived from it. About seven songs are sure to find their way to pop radio, following the lead of the massive, unavoidable first single. The second single, “Sugar,” which features the young, upcoming Wynter Gordon — don’t worry if you haven’t heard of her, you will — has already shot to the top of the iTunes chart. It features the typical Flo formula of rapid-fire rapping verses followed by a bouncy, infectious bubblegum chorus.
“Jump,” featuring Nelly Furtado, is sure to be a future staple of stadiums across the country, despite Furtado unfortunately being assigned nothing but a phoned-in chorus that wastes her unique vocals. “Be On You” — this time with Ne-Yo — finds Flo attempting a little bit of romance — sorry ladies, but usually all he has to offer is a random hookup — but Ne-Yo dominates the song so much that you’d think it was his new single. The Latin-influenced “Available,” anchored by huge synthesizers and clever verses, rises above expectations, even if the chorus — this time by Akon — is a slight letdown.
Where the album falls apart is every time Flo tries to reach for more than a party anthem, with only the title track proving there might be more to this rapper than girls, money and glossy chains. Backed by unexpected choir hymning, Flo details where he came from and his reluctance to leave everything behind considering all that he has achieved. It is a terribly small glimpse into the soul of a man who has risen above his beginnings in the projects. The two halves of the album, the one in which Flo details his hard-knock life, and the other — where the pop is poured on so hard you half expect Britney to show up — make for a less than continuous listening experience. But those that get the party going are worth the 99 cents on iTunes, and because it’s hard to believe Flo and Co. were aiming for much more than that, maybe it’s a win-win after all.
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