HEAR THIS: "Not Giving Up" on The Saturdays

L to R: Vanessa, Mollie, Frankie, Una & Rochelle

This past Tuesday, an album was released Stateside that I truly thought would never see the light of day in my native land. That's right -- Living For The Weekend, the much-too delayed fourth full album release from my beloved The Saturdays, was formally released (if digital-only releases count as "formal") in the USA, albeit with little fanfare.

 

As I've stated previously, we're four singles deep into this project so holding out hope for more from this already-squeezed orange would probably be asking a lot. I mean, as American fans at least we got the album (Just one week later than the UK? I'll take it!), right? However, I wouldn't be me without grousing a little bit. I'm as True Blue a Satz fan as they come and if you can't take constructive criticism from one of those types, who are you going to take it from?

 

Of the four single releases from Living For The Weekend, one was an obvious hold-over bonus cut from All Fired Up ("30 Days"), one was a somewhat undeserved UK #1 ("What About Us"), one was just plain awful ("Gentleman"), and one was truly incredible ("Disco Love"). Already, these are not great scores for the full album, and after hearing the full length, it does quite pale in comparison to All Fired Up or Wordshaker -- both of which had some truly incredible album cuts that could of (and should have) been singles.

All prior Saturdays albums (aside from their debut) offered up an upsettingly short supply of single campaigns. Yet, here we are at Album #4, four singles deep by the time the album was released and there is very little momentum left available to continue the publicity of this album. A lot of the album sounds similar to itself and reads like a re-tread of prior (exciting) work. One song alone stands apart, glittering like a diamond in the rough, that should be the last token campaign from this era -- the appropriately titled "Not Giving Up".

Produced by Carl Ryden (Booty Luv's "Some Kinda Rush"), "Not Giving Up" is frenetic and lyrically fast paced. Unlike the relatively generic "30 Days", "Not Giving Up" feels like it could have appeared on All Fired Up in every positive sense. It's bright, dancey, confident and sassy -- the type of Saturdays I've always stood behind from Day 1. And that chanty hook after the chorus! YASSSS, HONEY! YASSSS! If this doesn't get chosen as the final bow from Living For The Weekend, I may just about lose my faith in all humanity.

 

Am I saying the rest of Living For the Weekend isn't worth your time? If you're a fan of La Satz, then no. But if you could take them or leave them, I'd highly suggest "Disco Love", "Not Giving Up" and perhaps "Leave The Light On" (a slightly more urban version of the classic Saturdays "All I Wanna Do Is Be At Home Next To You" kind of jam, co-written by Glee's Amber Riley, if you can believe it) before holding out for a potentially heroic Album #5.