Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett’s ‘Cheek To Cheek’: Review Revue

Bianca Gracie | September 23, 2014 6:22 am

Lady Gaga has shown signs of her love for Jazz throughout her career, but with her latest project she dives into the genre at full speed! Cheek To Cheek, her collaborative album with the legendary Tony Bennett, was released today (September 23). The album finds the usually over-the-top singer putting her vocals to the forefront, and displaying a more soulful personality – not to mention that she manages to hold her own next to one of the biggest musical greats of our time.

Featuring classic ditties like “Nature Boy” and “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” Cheek To Cheek is a refreshing listen that highlights the undeniable talent of both Gaga and Bennett and how well they work together.

But what did the music critics think of Cheek To Cheek? Keep reading to see what they had to say about the duet’s album.

:: Digital Spy gave the album four out of five stars, praising the ARTPOP singer for her passion: “Cheek to Cheek may not be the glittering spectacle we’ve come to expect from Lady Gaga, but with Tony Bennett’s guidance the pair have delivered an authentic and solid jazz record that respects the genre’s generous history.”

:: The Guardian also gave Cheek To Cheek four out of five stars, calling the singer “A wonder”: “She has been musically hamstrung by the common assumption that her talent begins and ends with the Auto-Tune switch; Cheek to Cheek reveals the considerable warmth and depth of her voice. She and Bennett play it absolutely straight – there are no radical reboots, just two accomplished vocalists having fun.”

:: According to Billboard, opposites do attract: “Whereas Bennett is a master of restraint — a guy whose best performances play like melodic chat sessions — Gaga thrives on spectacle. She sings many of these songs with the involuntary hamminess that fuels her flawed genius.”

:: Chicago Tribune enjoys the more stripped-down version of Lady Gaga: “Yes, there’s a great deal of Ella Fitzgerald’s gauzy sound in this “Lush Life” and elsewhere on the album. Yet there’s also a gutsiness to Lady Gaga’s interpretation, a willingness to lay emotions bare, that cannot be denied.”

:: The Daily Beast was surprised that Gaga could even pull off singing Jazz alongside Tony Bennett: “I must give this Lady her due. As a jazz singer, she operates at a much higher level than any of us had a right to expect.”

:: Slant Magazine, on the other hand, was not too pleasant. Giving the album two stars, they said: “Gaga sounds like what she thinks a jazz singer should sound like; her performances are blatantly affected, marred by shouting and clichéd phrasing. She displays a total dearth of the vocal precision and enunciation that made her so-called idols the masters they were..”

What are your thoughts on Cheek To Cheek? Let us know in the comments below!

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