Kelly’s new album, “Sleeping in the Nothing,” proves Papa needn’t preach any more; Kelly seemed to have come out of her battles with rehab into a sense of maturity on the album. Shedding the yoke of her previous record label, Kelly teamed with producer Linda Perry, who also left her mark on the careers of Gwen Stefani, Pink, and Christina Aguilera. Ironically, while the day after the album was released, news sources reported Osbourne headed back into rehab.
For those familiar with Kelly’s first album, “Shut Up,” know that “Sleeping in the Nothing” is as far away from it as possible. Trading in her punk-girrrl attitude for something a little more mature, Kelly takes a bold step into synth pop, as can be easily heard in the album’s first single, “One Word.” Clubgoers have given it their approval; “One Word” was recently announced No. 1 on the Billboard dance chart.
Most of the songs on this album shine with catchiness, involving synthesizers, guitars, and clever lyrics. At times the production borders on experimental, as “Edge of Your Atmosphere” bounces with an electronic two-step beat.
Contrary to the popstar norm, Kelly actually co-wrote about half of the songs on album, adding a dash of real emotion to the vocals. This also helps the song “Suburbia” sum up the suburban teenage wasteland experience in a way no adult ever could.
Not every song is an essay on society; “Secret Lover” tells about a boy afraid to tell his friends about his girlfriend, and “Save Me” reveals the cost of superficial friendship during times of need.
Kelly Osbourne may have the necessary momentum with “Sleeping in the Nothing” to erase her identity as “the Osbourne daughter,” and build a name for herself free of her punk-rock past, if she can yet again recover from rehab, that is.
Entertainment
