For Real: Matisse

Here is a brand new artist for you...Matisse, who was signed to Jive Records a couple months ago, has begun the long process of "trying to get heard." Although her single, "Better Than Her," is officially available on iTunes, it hasn't impacted radio yet & it won't do so until later this month.

After listening to the single dozens of times over the past two months, I think that Matisse really breaks down to being a less talented version of Lady GaGa, with a touch of Cascada & Enrique Iglesias (if he was completely female) mixed in. It's definitely a dance song, that might or might not have enough pop in it to make mainstream. It's catchy (as in, she repeats the words "better than her" exactly 43 times) but it's also very electronic & has a major Eurodance vibe to it. The strange men and women yelling "hey! hey! hey!" in the refrain make the song a little out of place in 2010 America.

But Let's Be Real: I think that Matisse will find success in the U.S. market (granted, probably not as much as she will internationally), but only if she can dish out a more appropriate sound. Another way of saying this is, get rid of the synthesizer & and the weird backups. She needs a song with a darker push to it, something more gritty & memorable. "Better Than Her" is a little too bright and floaty for Top 40.
What It Is: The first effort from Matisse will probably stay below the top 40 positions on the Billboard Hot 100, but it will chart. Don't expect it to peak until late this year.

Listen to "Better Than Her" here and sound off below!

at 1:46 PM