Mimi K’s Album Review: Tokio Hotel’s Kings Of Suburbia

Hello my dear Buzzneters,

here I am with my review on Tokio Hotel’s new album Kings Of Suburbia that I’m listening to Spotify since yesterday morning, no-stop, meanwhile I wait for my limited special edition copy (I’m so excited!!!).

First of all I wanna say this album is really a GREAT album and I don’t say it only because I love Tokio Hotel since 2007 but because it’s a fact.

In these five years of silence, talking about an album of unreleased (Tokio Hotel Best Of came out in the end of 2010, they toured in Russia and Japan in 2011, Bill collaborated with Far East Movement on If I Die Tomorrow song and recently the band joined I Am song project with Wyclef Jean, David Correy and Rock Mafia) Tokio Hotel experimented new sounds, thanks also to Bill and Tom moving in LA, where the dj scene is full of inspirations for new artist and no, but there’s a lot of European contamination too, I’d like to remember the electronic music was born in Europe, a look to the past, to the 80s/90s bands and disco hit.

The band grown up, and in this new album you do a literally travel into a world you always dreamed of: you dance, you sing louder, you cry and move, it’s full of great songs for tons of occasions: you can think about themes for a movie or a song as background for a tv commercial.

Listen to Kings Of Suburbia with me and take a look on my little analysis track by track, I won’t to tell you a lot about them since it’s a pleasure to discover them on your own and to create your own world:

Feel It All

This is the perfect opening track with a slow intro followed by the drum beating the time, it’s a crescendo for this midtempo song, it seems like everything is floating since the refrain part in which the song explodes accompained by Bill’s voice that pimps the track and you can only start to dance and let you go. Tokio Hotel said it’s their favorite after hour song beside to be Gustav fav at the moment.

Turn your speakers up!

Stormy Weather

Personally, one of my fav songs of the album, one of Tokio Hotel best ones and in general one of the best I’ve ever listened to in the last couple of years. After a midtempo, a powerful track like Stormy Weather was the perfect choice. The beat is catchy and is a dance only to listen to it, Bill’s voice moves from sexy whispering to a loud scream. This is the typical song you can’t get enough and you want to listen to it again and again, it could be a great radio hit.

Run, Run, Run

First song Tokio Hotel shared to their fans, picked as first promotional single with a black and white music video, Run Run Run is deep and mature, is also the first of the two ballads included into Kings Of Suburbia and it shows how new sonorities helped the band to compose a track like that. Tom, once again, at the piano, proves to be a great instrumentalist. Bill’s voice is unique and full of sentiment, giving us some falsetto parts to thrill.

Tokio Hotel said it was a special song to sing in the studio.

Love Who Loves You Back

Left apart the hankies, let’s go with the lead single of the album: a catchy uptempo song which reminds of 80s/90s disco hits, don’t you thought about Pet Shop Boys when you first heard it? Yeah, me too! It’s going to become a radio hit in the next weeks, request it on your radio stations 😉

What about the music video: I have few different meanings about: one can be that life can offer you a lot, especially if you are in the music/cinema business, you can fall in bad and good situations, meet people but in the end you are STILL alone, we have seen how too many celebs passed away alone because of depression and drugs abuse; but after the first time I saw this video I thought it could be just a dream, an imagination, a fantasy, that you discover only in the end when Bill remains alone; and finally the fact he’s still searching for the true love 😉

Currently is Georg’s fav.

Covered In Gold

Tokio Hotel revealed it was the most difficult song to play/sing and well, it really is! With this electronic piano that ticking the time all along the song, and a particular line, this song could be another really good radio hit. It’s all to dance until the bridge where you have a little pause before to come back to explode.

Girl Got A Gun

In my opinion this is the most catchy song of the album, every time I listen to it charges me up, A LOT and it makes me a huge smile of my face. It’s Tom’s fav at the moment and the band told it was really fun to write.

It’s another great experiment for Tokio Hotel, a completely different sound, the bridge part is the higher point of the song and you can listen how much they worked on the music side, probably more than ever, with synths and treatments, they did such an amazing work.

Picked as second promotional single and premiered with a video out of this world that it was censored by VEVO and criticized by media and fans, it has a meaning, check HERE video director words on GGAG.

BANG BANG!

Kings Of Suburbia

Title track of the album is such a hymn. I’m already figuring out how it will be listening to it live in concert, oh God, I have the chills!!! It’s an iconic track and I really hope they are going to release it as second single because it’s worth it.

What could I say more? I don’t have the right words for to do it! The lyrics are deep with a great meaning, talks about freedom and love, in the bridge part there’s a beautiful Bill’s speech, a sort of prayer to God which he previously shared with fans via BTK App while ago but noone could imagine to be part of a new song.

Since the first seconds this song comes into your heart and soul and you have only to sing it with all the air you have in chest for feeling you free.

We Found Us

Currently Bill’s fav song, We Found Us talks about love in all its forms, doesn’t care the gender, the love is love. In some way it reminds of Menschen Suchen Menschen / Human Connect To Human song includes into Humanoid album with a similar meaning. In the beginning it could be linked to Scream And Shout by will.i.am and Britney Spears, the beat is a kind of but it also makes you think once again to the old disco club, with all synths and beats pimping into the speakers, it’s a particular midtempo perfect for dancing inside clubs and maybe you could find love there 😉

Invaded

Second and last ballad of the album, it’s such a hit to the heart, so touching and your tears will come out in an instant. It talks about how love can give you all but once is finished it leaves a hole inside and at the same time these two people will always linked and a part of them belong to the other forever. Once again, Tokio Hotel reaches the aim in fact of ballads and Invaded is included in their best ones ever.

Honestly I didn’t expect this song to be a ballad.

Never Let You Down

This track appeared in few TH TV episodes at least in few samples (“I promise you, I’ll be another man. Again“) but once again, I didn’t expect this sound! It’s another catchy song, all to dancing on, with Bill casts his voice into sounds effects and loud singings.

Great experiment for Tokio Hotel new sound which brings some from dj set area and house music.

Louder Than Love

I was really curious to listen to this song, since I picked it as I did for Fur Immer Jetzt back in time, only by the title and I have to say that once again my instinct didn’t fail and the lyrics talk about me. I feel really linked to this song.

It ends as it starts, with an advice, a beautiful advice and Bill’s voice rends everything more beautiful and possible. The song is full of hope, to don’t give up, because nothing is louder than love, if you believe you can get what you want.

It’s another hymn, once again we find chorus that give a charge more to the song.

BRILLIANT!

Masquerade

First bonus track included into the deluxe version and God, such a hit!

Immediately we are surrounded by this futuristic beat and Bill’s soft voice in one of their best songs ever and it’s such a shame is only a bonus track, in the hope they pick it as they did for Screamin’ and give it a place into the tournee setlist.

The lyrics talk about to change who we are, especially our life because: “You don’t know what life is until you die for it“.

Dancing In The Dark

Once again Tokio Hotel pick awesome bonus tracks, as they wanted to reserve the best in this part of the album.

This song talks about the research of yourself after a finished love and for this reason you try to cure your heart dancing in the dark in the hope you can see your soulmate just for once but it’s hard dancing in the dark if “they’re playing our song“.

The whole track is like a run towards the healing.

The Heart Get No Sleep

“Do you know the feeling when your body wants to sleep but your heart can’t?!” with these words Tokio Hotel described the song and once again it talks about love but it doesn’t sound a happy love as expressed in the first verses: “You said it’s okay, I said I’m happy. Can you love me like you loved me? Just one more time“and we could link it to Automatic in some way.

Probably it’s one of the most particular song they did, especially about the sonorities and I link it to a tv commercial or a tv promo for a show or something, I don’t know why I have this vision in my mind but The Heart Get No Sleep is really catchy.

Great Day

It’s the perfect song for closing the album and if they are going to pick it as ending song in their tournee I’m gonna cry all my tears out and bury myself inside the arena, because seriously it’s AWESOME. It’s not a ballad but a midtempo and it’s probably the song who reminds more their past songs but is touching as much as a ballad does.

Love and still love, a love that is over but Bill reassures: “It’s a great day To say goodbye It’s ok ’cause I’ll be alright

What do you think about Kings Of Suburbia?

What’s your favorite song? What’s the one do you reflect the most?

Let me know everything in the comments below, I’m curious 😉