Straight Outta Oz - Visual Album
(Independent)
Release date: June 23, 2016
By Vimal Matters
Follow @vimalmatters
Move over Beyonce, you're not the only in 'kween' in town capable of dropping epic musical sagas sans notice.
YouTube mainstay Todrick Hall, renowned for avant garde originals and mesmerising medleys, has just dropped an hour-long spectacle on his page titled Straight Outta Oz. Inspired by the 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton, chronicling the rise and fall of a music group, Toddy's latest project plots out his journey so far in life and career while still paying homage to the staple theme of almost all his works: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The visual album drops right after a few unfortunate turns in both of Todrick's personal and professional lives. “This past year has been very rough for me. I lost my MTV show, struggled with the relationship with my mother, dealing with racism and homophobia in the industry and self image was such a struggle,” he admits. His reality show giving out glimpses on the everyday life of a viral star was regrettably cut short by the channel after only eight episodes due to low ratings. Todrick had also auditioned to join the cast of NBC's The Wiz Live! to be the Scarecrow but did not manage to land the role.
In Straight Outta Oz, the multi-talent goes all out, pouring his heart and soul into his grandest masterpiece to date, roping in big industry names (who are also his close friends) such as Amber Riley, Pentatonix, Willam Belli, Nicole Scherzinger, Perez Hilton, GloZell, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Jordin Sparks to join him in the musical. The tracks in the album encompass a wide range of genres, from sentimental ballads to bad ass hip hop and while some are mere fillers, some are true favourites.
'Little People' (15:12)
A gratitude piece for the friends who supported Todrick while he lived in a small Texas town, it is a direct reference to 'the Munchkins of Oz'. The track is lyrically wonderful and is made all the better by the various vocalists who sing them in earnest. And when the chorus hits you can't help but sing along thinking of all the people who had helped you reach where you are now.
'Expensive' (18:15)
A trip hop number about having expensive taste with appearances by drag royalties – what could go wrong? This is also when the red ruby slippers (or in this case red glittery trainers) show up.
'Dumb' (21:17)
As Todrick plays Scarecrow he never got to play on TV, 'Dumb' reminds of Rihanna's 'Only Girl (in the World)' days, thanks to both its sound and visuals. Among many issues, the song also addresses the double standard imposed on gay men in entertainment that rules them out of playing most lead male characters.
'Lyin' To Myself' (28:29)
A track that could be easily mistaken for one by Jason Derulo or Trey Songz, it speaks of when the YouTube sensation tried to be something that he's not and is the Cowarly Lion portion of the musical journey.
'Lions and Tigers and Bears' (32:04)
Amber Riley tears the house down and sets the remains on fire in this poetic piece playing Todrick's mother. Earnestly channelling a mother's unconditional love for her child with the most beautiful lyrics we've heard in a while, the Glee alumnus' voice serenades the listener like a lullaby, bringing up memories of one's on mother in the process.
'Papi' (35:00)
Nicole “Amazing” Scherzinger portrays a talent agent with the intention of bedding Toddy in this sultry uptempo dance number. Her vocals exude sexiness throughout the song – even through the spoken lines – and reaches a feverish state towards the end. Nicole's character is a reference to the field of Poppies in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.