By Michelle Ryan (@ShellRyan33)
It’s been over 20 years since a young Peter Andre melted millions of girls’ hearts as he walked out of the waves with his shiny abs and tropical super-hit ‘Mysterious Girl’. Now with a past peppered with reality TV shows and a tumultuous love life in the public eye, Mr. Andre has landed a prime time spot on Strictly Come Dancing beaming into our living rooms every weekend. So what better time to strike while the iron’s hot and release a brand new album.
To celebrate Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday Peter Andre has decided to release a swing album. When I first found out about this I didn’t know how to feel. A swing album? Peter Andre? Seriously? As surprised and confused as I was, I was also intrigued to hear this pop stars’ take on Ol’ Blue Eyes’ classic crooner hits.
Come Fly With Me is mainly a cover album but there are a couple of originals and a reworking that I’ll get to later. It’s not quite Michael Buble standard but you have to give it to Pete, he always tries his best no matter how mediocre. Tracks like ‘Mack The Knife,’ ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ and ‘Ain’t That A Kick In The Head’ sound like performances from the dreaded swing week on XFactor. They’re OK but you wouldn’t write home about them.
What I would like to highlight (and what I frantically text my best friend about the second it started) was the reworking of Peter’s biggest hit. ‘Mysterious Girl’ gets a jazz remix turning it into ‘Mysterious Swing.’ Yes, you read correctly. That sunny, fun, 90s pop hit undergoes a transformation into a piano-led swing track. It’s just as weird and jarring as you’d expect but there’s a little hint of nostalgia that keeps you hooked.
The second half of the album harbours some original tracks such as the smooth ‘Ain’t It Strange (Falling In Love)’ and ‘Little Miss Notting Hill’ which was written by the Overtones. These songs are definitely more commendable and are what Peter should be focusing on rather than inferior reworkings of Frank’s classics.
Come Fly With Me is a commendable effort from Peter Andre and while it won’t be reaching any number one slots it’s definitely got us talking about him and reminiscing over the good old days.