Big Time Rush's Elevate

With artists like One Direction, The Wanted, and Big Time Rush seemingly taking over the music scene, it is no secret that the nineties trend of the boy band is back and bigger than ever.

The upbeat, feel-good tunes characteristic of their debut album, B.T.R., return in Elevate, but there is definitely an air of maturity to this sophomore album. Unlike their debut, the members themselves helped to write eight of the twelve songs featured on Elevate, and their individual personalities shine through each of these tracks. Kendall Schmidt’s track “Cover Girl” has a mellow and acoustic vibe very reminiscent of music by Heffron Drive, the side project he heads with fellow actor and guitarist, Dustin Belt. Infectious party jam “Time of Our Life” embodies the same charisma found in the member that wrote it, Logan Henderson. For any fan of both the band and the companion show, it was relatively easy and fun to match the member to the song that they contributed to the album.

As with B.T.R., Elevate also includes many songs written as companion pieces to their show on Nickelodeon, such as the tracks “Music Sounds Better with U,” “All Over Again,” and “If I Ruled the World,” but this album far exceeds its predecessor as far as song diversity goes. While B.T.R. consisted of a stream of dancy pop hits, Elevate serves as an attempt for the band to explore the more emotional side of their music while still appealing to their fan base. “Invisible” describes a sense of loneliness and insecurity, while “You’re Not Alone” shows the die-hard commitment and support that can be found between friends. It could be said that “Cover Girl” is the perfect anthem of reassurance for a teenage girl’s insecurities and low self-esteem, with lyrics like “I wish you could see what I see when you’re looking in the mirror” and “you know that I love you just the way you’re made.”

Another thing that really stuck out to me as an older fan was the amount of suggestive lyrics that could be found in some of the songs. Though it isn’t anything that a mother should be worried about their young daughter listening to, I have to admit that it was a little refreshing to hear lyrics that sound like they were actually written by males in their early twenties.

Overall, I would say that, though neither of the albums are incredibly profound, Elevate far surpasses its predecessor while still maintaining the carefree and upbeat songs that made fans fall in love with the band. This is a great album to listen to in the car during the summer while aimlessly cruising or while dancing frantically alone in your room .

Suggested listening: “Time of Our Life,” “Love Me Love Me,” “Show Me.”