The Singles Jukebox

“Love really really really is the answer.” – Bob Marley…

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[2.29]

Daisy Le Merrer: Accidental Rasta.
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Brad Shoup: Ruthlessly pursuing that vibe, Kenny reunites with the Wailers. Instead of the gawdawful country/calypso marriage of “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven,” he gives his full half-ass to a straight-up reggae track. (The Barrett brothers are credited as co-writers and players, but Carlton’s been dead since 1987, so I’m not sure if we’ve got a sampling situation or what.) He’s never been the strongest singer, but hearing him slip on a Marley mask for bits like “really, really, really” is definitely stretching that hammock. The mood is pretty downcast: Chesney seems to be gaining cares the further he goes down the beach. Perhaps he chose the key and tempo to thwart mayonnaise-company PR firms.
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Anthony Easton: This means nothing, and it’s so mellow that it’s practically weightless, but Chesney’s voice just floats over it. For someone who has tried to work out the implications of the Caribbean in country for a decade (moving from Buffett to the Wailers), this raises questions of authenticity, but Chesney’s position never really rises to answer them.
[6]

Patrick St. Michel: Every bit as dumb as Snoop Lion, though he at least had the good sense to highlight current events when he made an obnoxious message song lacking a clear message.
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Zach Lyon: Chesney could’ve collaborated with the ghost of Marley himself and he still wouldn’t have been able to hide away that “sweatily reciting a speech at gunpoint” vibe in his voice.
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David Lee: Sounds like someone looks to Brit + Co. as a source of aesthetic inspiration.
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Alfred Soto: Thanks to my sister, I associate summer with Kenny Chesney albums. Attempts to steer her to Jerrod Niemann have ended in failure. Of course they do — why would you listen to new music when Chesney’s fundamentalist, redundant version compensates for iPod gaps? He probably thinks he’s converting fans into Bob Marley listeners. But Legend is diamond-plus certified for a reason.
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