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Tony Award-winner Idina Menzel releases her latest record that strays from her Broadway greats. (Photo by Stewart Shining)
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‘I Stand’
Idina Menzel
Warner Brothers Records, $18.98
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HOME > SOVO SCENE > MUSIC
By: REBECCA ARMENDARIZ
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Idina Menzel has a lot going for her — she’s achingly gorgeous, a Tony Award adorns her mantel, and her high-caliber voice makes many an aspiring vocalist envious.
Despite these positive traits, her album “I Stand” could make any self-respecting fan of musical theater head for the nearest emergency exit.
It seems like it’d be hard to knock a woman with such an impressive resume — she won a Tony Award for her performance in “Wicked,” and wowed audiences as a bisexual in the original cast of “Rent” and its movie remake. But before even placing the CD in the stereo, the song titles flash like a warning — “Gorgeous,”
“Enemy,” “I Feel Everything,” “Perfume and Promises” and “Forever,” to name a few.
This would be next to the Clay Aiken Christmas record in terms of what to get your cheesy, slightly depressing aunt for her birthday.
The production value could also make a diva-lover cringe. The echoing of Menzel’s voice over the beginning synth notes of “Better to Have Loved” should have been kept as straight forward singing. It does have some redeeming qualities, though. Her voice oozes smokiness, and she shows off her range well.
The title track, “I Stand,” is supposed to be an empowering anthem for women.
“I stand for the power to change / I live for the perfect day / I love ‘til it hurts like crazy / I hope for a hero to save me,” she sings.
But do these things have anything to do with each other? What, really, do you stand for, Idina? She’s fierce, she’s a lady … but she’s in distress and wants someone to come sweep her off her feet. Mixed messages, indeed.
The first single, “Brave,” doesn’t rock — this lady isn’t in her Kelly Clarkson-empowered phase yet. For those who can’t claim to love every song off of the “Rent” soundtrack, “Brave” is that one track you always skip over. Menzel tries to create an anthem for herself and a showcase for her voice, but all you can focus on are the painfully cheesy lyrics.
“This is the moment I stand here on my own / This is my rite of passage that somehow leads me home / And I might be afraid / But it’s my turn to be brave,” she sings. It makes you wonder if Idina’s life has really been that hard.
The biggest offense on the album is a track called “Gorgeous.” Menzel is exactly that, and no one’s debating it. Her long, wavy brown hair frames her deep brown eyes. She has a plump pucker and a killer bod. So when someone as pretty as Idina decides to sing about how beautiful she is, listeners have a right to be annoyed.
“When all of the beauty turns to pain / When all of the madness falls like rain / As long as we crash and we collide / We will be gorgeous, you and I,” she says.
In addition to the nonsensical lyrics, she’s already gorgeous. So shut up.
Menzel’s got her hands full these days. She’s appearing in movies and on soundtracks as well as releasing this album. Maybe she should hone her talents and focus on the monster ballads reserved for the stage instead of trying to shove “hopeful” messages down the throats of catchy music enthusiasts.
“I Stand” is proof that musical theater doesn’t always translate well to pop radio.
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