Album Review: Flo Rida - Wild Ones

Returning with studio album number four, Flo Rida began releasing singles from Wild Ones back last year, the combination of which makes for the first half of his latest record. This small handful of (now very familiar) sounds is an effective start to this party-jam album, and with each a commercial hit, it's been left up to the latter half of the album to confirm if the artist's been able to evolve his talent for producing charting singles to that of full-length album success.

As with hit tune Let It Roll, Flo Rida teams up with Swedish DJ/producer Axwell to record In My Mind (Part 2), featuring guest vocals from Melbourne singer-songwriter Georgi Kay. What surfaces during the four-and-a-half minute listen is an uninspiring re-take of the rapper's 'duet' with Australian success story, Sia. What worked once in production has seriously flopped upon imitation; strike one for any hope of Flo Rida crafting an album that's not solely reliant on its single releases.

The same story can be told on comparing the Jennifer Lopez collaboration, Sweet Spot, and its innuendo-laden precursor, Whistle. Laboured with poor sexual overtones and double entendre, the most offensive flaw here is the studio work on J.Lo's vocals, leaving her voice unrecognisable  even to the most avid fans of her work. Strike two.

As we enter the closing minutes of Wild Ones, it's strike-three-and-out as Lil Wayne is hurtled into the mix for a throwaway 60-second cash grab. Doing little to enhance the record, Let It Roll (Part 2) shuts the door on another Flo Rida release which, while it has merit within its lead singles, is an overall unpleasant play.