J Pearl feat Shayne Ward - Must Be A Reason Why

The former X-Factor winner teams up with J Pearl for this Electropop track. Featuring heavily processed vocals, Shayne's voice has a sexy, playful tone to it. J Pearl singing the chorus based on Wamdue Project's "King Of My Castle" complements him well. This is a bit of step down from some of the singles Shayne has released so far, however, it is nice to hear him on something a little more contemporary. This one has the greatest potential to help him crossover in the U.S. There are a number of remixes of this, however, the Guy Katsav version (featured in the video) is the best one overall.

Watch the music video here (YouTube)

Grade: A-

Shayne Ward - Close To Close

This is the first single of Shayne's to be released in the U.S. It's off of his third album Obsession which was released digitally earlier in the week in the U.S.. The midtempo ballad brilliantly showcases Shayne's vocals. The song is a perfect fit for Pop radio and has been a long time coming. Hopefully, this one will finally get him the attention he deserves in the U.S.

Purchase the song here (Amazon)
Listen to the song here (YouTube)

Grade: A

Shayne Ward - Gotta Be Somebody

A former winner of the UK's X-Factor, Shayne Ward is back with a cover of Nickelback's "Gotta Be Somebody". He takes the midtempo Rock song up a few notches, turning into a Dance/Pop song. The electro/pop production, however, is ill-fitting. It just doesn't work. Shayne's stellar vocals are the saving grace. Remixes of this by Almighty and Moto Blanco save this one from being a total disaster. Almighty's Eurodance/Funky House mix is perfect. It is a little on the cheesey side, but the uplifting production works well. Moto Blanco's mix is a bit more sophisticated with its disco throwback sound. Both are exquisite.

Watch the hot music video here (YouTube)

Grade: C+ (for the original)/A (for the remixes)