Playing with Fire is a concept album created through a collaboration between JC Chasez and Jimmy Harry. The album will provide the foundation for a musical adaptation of Frankenstein, based on Playing with Fire written by Harry's late mother, Barbara Field.
Listening to any track, you'll immediately sense a modern musical style. While this is primarily a pop album, there is a clear variety of influences. For example, How Do You Sleep has the feel of a James Bond opening credit theme, while You Used to Touch Me incorporates synth and dirty pop, with some risqué references. Tracks like Father and Death of the Brides, while still grounded in pop, lean slightly toward a more industrial twist.
The lyrics are evocative, conjuring up strong imagery with references to monsters and heartbreak. They tell a narrative, and I can imagine them fitting into a striking Y2K-inspired video concept, with styling reminiscent of Toxic. However, I find it challenging to envision the choreography for this style, though I'm excited to see how it might be brought to life.
I hope that when this makes it to the stage, songs like Playing with Fire and It’s Just a Dream are given more challenging vocal ranges to make them stand out as iconic numbers for audition pieces.
"Playing with Fire" is a release by Center Stage Records and can be purchased here and on
various streaming platforms here.
Review written by Valentine Gale-Sides
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