It is impossible for me to hate on Mike Posner considering he’s 22 years old (younger than me), a recent Duke graduate (better/more expensive education than me), good looking (we’re deadlocked here) and about to blow up (I’m a blogger for Christ’s sake). In my book, the dude is pretty much amazing. The only real downside is he claims Detroit, MI as his hometown. (My man Chris at Dailybeatz is going to hate me for that one!)
When it comes to doing fresh work, this kid is a stone cold assassin, on point and getting more dangerous by the minute. With two mixtapes (A Matter of Time, One Foot Out the Door) and his newly released studio effort, 31 Minutes to Takeoff, Posner has unloaded three legitimate records in just less than 18 months. I think you’d be hard pressed not to define him as polished, his music as catchy and his style as suave, even at a young age.
With all this in mind, how could 31 Minutes To Takeoff be anything less than brilliant? That my friends, is a damn good question. While no particular track on the album is bad, some ooze with an over exaggerated yearning for poppy, top 40-radio attention. “Déjà Vu” very well may be a single from some N’Sync/Backstreet Boys/NKOTB mash-up demo tape that has just now been plucked from between the stale couch cushions in Lou Pearlman’s office. I’m not one to excessively bash an artist or album unless it truly sucks, and this one does not. “Cooler Than Me” is about as cocky as a “you’re not as hot as you think you are” song can be. Great lead single and jumping off point for him to launch a career. With “Do You Wanna?,” Posner chooses to sample Ray LaMontange’s “You are the Best Thing” which was a fantastic move in my mind. It works because it’s unexpected and beautifully done. As the album winds down, we hear Posner doing a bit of internal assessment and soul searching. “Shooting stars leave no mark”, he croons in the song “Delta 1406”, pondering if he’s possibly gone too far too fast. The final track “Falling” leaves 31 Minutes with a bit of a jagged edge, a tune about a love story gone wrong. “Drive your high heel into my heart”, he sings over an airy piano melody. Sounds painful.
While I would have much preferred Mike Posner take a less conservative approach with his first major studio album and lean a bit more on his relationships with urban artists such as Big Sean, Kid CuDi, and GLC, I think he’s done enough to establish himself as an artist to follow closely. After all, he’s just a kid from the Midwest; we can’t expect too much from him right away. Can we?
31 Minutes to Takeoff was released August 10, 2010 on J Records.
love mike p, 31 minutes to takeoff is so good! cooler than me and deja vu are currently my favorite songs. can’t wait to see him on tour