★ ★ ★ ★ out of 5
Let's be honest with ourselves... the seventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race was... well, a drag. It took a while for audiences to actually connect with a particular queen, but in the end, a few who possessed the necessary dose of charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent came out of the ordeal with a overall positive impression.
New York performer Miss Fame may have finished in a shocking seventh place on the recent incarnation of RuPaul's cruel version of The Hunger Games, but when compared to this year's top three, Violet Chachki, Pearl and Ginger Minj, the "Rubber Doll" vixen has the potential to actually have a successful career in the music industry. *no T, no shade
Preceded by the aforementioned "Rubber Doll", the new Beauty Marked is an unexpected, pleasant surprise that highlights the artist's expressive songwriting abilities and is propelled to exciting heights thanks to genius production and dreamy mixing. The finished product is an 11-track collection of meaningful, passion-filled dance music that will leave everyone with their jaws dropped.
As "Diamond Life" kicks off the album, a surprising calming mood encompasses the listener as Miss Fame showcases commendable vocals as she describes a life encased in jewelry and paved in fantasies. The songwriting is vivid and comes off as if ripped straight from the artist's personal journal. The opening track is effective in setting tone, emphasizing Miss Fame's musical credibility and transporting listeners into a dream-like world.
"Rubber Doll", produced by the same team who worked on Adore Delano's acclaimed debut album, is an uptempo, dance-tailored effort which does more to divert attention to the insanely catchy, earworm of a beat as it supports Fame's robotic, but not in a bad way, vocal performance. The interesting delivery works as the fabulous queen sings of her transition from an ordinary farmboy to a latex fantasy fashionista.
To Drag Racers' delight, fan favorite Alaska Thunderfuck 5000 assists Miss Fame on her self-titled, infectious number. While not structured as a true song, "Miss Fame" finds the artist embellishing all of her great beauty qualities as Alaska struggles to discover how to look as flawless on a spoken word-styled dance track. The carefree, hilarious effort is an expected drag queen creation, however, amped by a sickening beat.
The album takes a welcomed serious turn as the brilliant and touching "Life Is Beautiful" slowly makes its way through the speakers. While the production is of a reflective, zen-like quality, all attention is forced on Miss Fame's slightly somber and knockout vocal performance. "This moment is your marker, you flourish like a rose in the morning," the artist belts on one of the track's solid verses, leaving everyone with a tear in their eye.
Another album highlight, the midtempo "Solid Gold", is an ethereal creation that finds the Drag Race queen describing her ideal woman of perfection. With a strong, tranquil delivery, narrative songwriting and a soft production set up, the track becomes a real experience for the listener. The gentle piano adds a mature quality to the music as the artist contemplates the idea of self love and identity. Overall, an intriguing and inspired throwback pop effort.
Dominant dance beats crowd the intro of "Zero Gravity", yet another intergalactic pop metaphor (aka "E.T.") for a pleasurable experience in the bedroom. There may not be anything original or incredibly memorable about the club-worthy experiment, but the sensual jam does keep momentum flowing in the right direction. The song does get repetitive, there are a few clever lines mixed in, but this is nowhere near the album's high point.
"All We Are Is Magic" is a ballad-esque addition with a beautiful, empowering message and carried by another top notch vocal performance from Miss Fame. "You wanna get free, come follow my lead, the sky is falling, I hear them calling," the artist sings before the uplifting chorus hits a chord with the listener. Filled to the brim with metaphors and imagery, the song packs a strong punch, one worth consecutive plays.
Miss Fame seems to have gone back to the old days of Hollywood beauty on "Give Me Glamour", as she once again describes, and basically brags about, her extravagant lifestyle. Even some questionable lyrical content, "I am the Rolls-Royce of my conviction", can't deter attention from the artist's iconic, old school diva delivery as the slightly edgier production provides an exciting extra element to the overall vibe.
The artist seems to now be struggling with the concept of fame, perfection and being stuck in a box nowhere to be found on "Smoke & Mirrors", a strong ballad supported by lively instrumentals that highlight Miss Fame's fragile vocals. With all the tragic, doomed qualities of a Lana Del Rey effort, the dark meaning behind the track showcases another side of the performer's personality that is rarely seen by the public.
Season seven winner Violet Chachki interestingly jumps on "I Run The Runway", a sickening, upbeat dance track that would make for an amazing fashion-inspired music video. The track is built around a rougher, club scene beat as the two queens speak of their legendary status. "Faces sculpted by the hand of God, sell the garment, baby that's my job," Miss Fame sings before a techno-leaning breakdown kicks in.
Official second single "InstaFame" is an intriguing and pretty decent effort, however it fails in comparison to most of the track list and does not live up to its duties as a single or a closing track. Miss Fame sings of an obsession with social media fame, watching the number of followers rise, but the Western-styled production gets a tad boring before it's all over and the artist's robotic vocals don't provide anything unique this time around.
Beauty Marked is a solid effort from a Drag Race contestant, when most should really have no business inside a recording studio. Miss Fame was not edited on the reality show as having much of a personality, but she definitely showcases every angle of it on her debut dance album. In fact, the effort should not only be lumped into the "dance" genre because it contains so much more. The vocal performances throughout the track list may sound alike, there's not much going on to change the delivery up, but the personal songwriting paints a beautiful, glittery picture of fame, glamour and couture. The cohesiveness and charm of the new album was unexpected, and that has to be the most impressive aspect of all. Adore, Sharon and RuPaul... make some room.
Tracks to Hear: "Diamond Life", "Life Is Beautiful", "Solid Gold", "All We Are Is Magic" and "Smoke & Mirrors"
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