After 18 years, a few iconic mugshots and countless one-liners, Paris Hilton has released her second album, “Infinite Icon.” It’s 35 minutes of glittery — and sometimes tacky — pop synths and flashy lyrics. Charli XCX’s “BRAT” set the tone for summer 2024, marking a resurgence of the party girl aesthetic that Hilton first brought into the limelight. Her Sept. 6 album release, which has a similarly bratty boldess to its themes, should theoretically act as a perfect segue into an autumn of the same makings. However, rather than serving up the vulnerability and authenticity that today’s music listeners seem to crave, the album comes across as a relic of the early 2000s that lacks dimension.
The album opens with “Welcome Back,” where Hilton reintroduces herself, reminding listeners of her socialite status: “White platform boots that you hatin’ / Red lipstick, you toleratin’ / No, I’m not your property / You stole my voice like robbery.” She attempts to bring her quintessential messy-princess-diva energy that we know and love with her lighthearted lyricism. “Now, you’re gone and I’m standin’ here,” she says. “Raise a bottle, I’m sayin’, ‘Cheers.’” While the song is fun, it feels more like an outdated, unoriginal pop-girl comeback.
The album succeeds the most in appealing to the newest generation of partiers with “I’m Free” featuring Rina Sawayama, although some portions sound overprocessed and slightly meme-able: “Boss bitch energy / I’m the centerpiece.” Hilton said in a statement that she was inspired by Ultra Naté’s song, “Free,” soon after leaving the Utah boarding school where she said she was physically and mentally abused. The song however, takes on a surprising tone. She simply writes, “I’m free / To do what I wanna do / It’s my life / I’ll do what I wanna do.” Whether it’s just poor lyricism or a misguided tone, the simplicity of the lines feel out of place on what should be a stand-out track. “Infinite Icon” lacks the balance between party girl energy and vulnerability that make albums like “BRAT” so successful. Hilton’s ideas fall flat and feel disingenuous without those occasional brushes of authenticity.
When an artist’s lyrics teeter the line of nonchalant and silly, it’s important that they don’t come across as stale or lazy. On “ADHD,” Hilton attempts this style with lyrics like “I wish I could sleep, I’m ADHD” and “thank you to me / my superpower was ADHD.” While Hilton clearly tries to be lighthearted and quirky, the delivery just does not deliver.
Hilton’s comeback to pop music could have been successful if it honed her iconic energy and identity as a revitalization to create a fresh and evolved sound. Instead, the album toes the line between being a passable pop album and another tired celebrity trying to appeal to a younger generation with repetitive lyrics and dull messages.
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