Sharon Needles' "PG-13"

     After being crowned “America’s Next Drag Superstar” on the fourth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Miss Sharon Needles has wasted no time using her new-found fame for all the right reasons.

   Soon after her win, Needles traveled to San Antonio to play Dr. Frank-N-Furter in a stage adaptation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, lent her beautiful face for PETA’s cause, nabbed her own television show on LOGO and recently released her debut studio album, PG-13. The new effort is filled with horror-inspired, campy lyrics dealing with sex, rock-n-roll, and having a good time. Never cast out a drag queen, Sharon proves she has the vocal chops and creativity to put out a fun, 12-track, nightmare-ish adventure. HAHAHAHA!

                 

     The dark album comes out the door swinging with its RuPaul-assisted lead single, “This Club is a Haunted House”, a rock/dance creation that sounds way better than expected. After a hilarious intro by mother drag, Sharon impresses with her deep vocals on the verses while the hook, “You grab a drink, I’ll grab a knife, This is the end of the rest of your life”, and chorus are pretty addictive after just one listen. The song is a very promising start.

                

     “Call Me on the Ouija Board” is a cute, bubblegum pop experiment dealing with a love separated by alternate realms. Needles is stuck in the afterlife, but still longs for the touch of her lover, long distance relationships do work. The chorus is very high energy, the inclusion of the alphabet may be ridiculous, but it works. The track is a bit Aqua, a bit Owl City, and totally adorable.             

     Set up as the original lead single, the release of “Dead Girls Never Say No” was scrapped. After hearing a live version of the track, I was afraid to play the studio version. It did not sound like it would be a pleasant listen. Glad I was wrong. The song has a stronger rock vibe as Sharon references horror icons such as Vincent Price. The laugh at the very end is just the cherry on top.

                 

     The first slight bump in the road occurs with “Drink Til I Die”. While the title seemed promising, the love song is weighted down by amateur songwriting, “I’ve never been a quitter, don’t know when to quit”, and a repetitive chorus that does not bring anything to the finished product. I’m sure there was plenty of potential, a night soaked in booze, but in the end the track is just filler.

                 

     Sharon describes her obsession with the fabulous Amanda Lepore on a track cleverly titled, “I Wish I Were Amanda Lepore”. Brilliant. While Lepore opens the song, Needles sings which qualities of her idol she wish she could have just for one night. The hook is overly produced, but still holds strong as carefree piece of dream pop. Needles’ vocals are soft and work with the sound she created here. Job well done.

                

     In a raspy, smoker’s voice, Needles goes completely satanic on “Why Do You Think You Are Nuts?”. The song is a simple list of everything that could go wrong to make someone lose their mind. Glad to see Sharon do something more than traditional pop, but this may be a bit too much. As one of the shorter tracks on the album, it comes and goes without producing even a scare. 

                 

     Things don’t get much better once “Disco Ball” starts to play. Needles’ vocals are great, they actually showcase immense talent, but once again the song sinks to the bottom of the pile thanks to the songwriting. The uplifting message of shining brightly gets dull when lines describing kaleidoscope lights and the spin of one’s life are heard. Less would have been more this time around, too much even for a drag queen.

                 

     “Dressed To Kill” has a killer intro, but that may be the best thing about the track. Needles seems to be giving her best Jeffree Star impression and she lists every black item that makes up her daily wardrobe. The hook is infectious, however, as a whole the song is one that you would enjoy once and then quickly get over. Nothing horrible, but nothing too memorable either.

                 

     According to Sharon on “Let’s All Die”, the day you are born is the day you start to die. Isn’t that true? The artist gives a fast paced, electronic vocal performance about choosing to live in the dark, saying the light is just too damn bright. Influences from Blaqk Audio are found in terms of vocals and production, and the finished product brings the album back on the right path.

                 

     Miss Alaska Thunderfuck and Ana Matronic of Scissor Sisters assist Needles on “Kai Kai”. Instead of being a parody like Willam Belli’s version, the three artists turn it into a tongue-and-cheek, fun, sexualized piece. “We’re born in the blue, But live for the pink, We’re making the coin, Don’t care what you think”, the couple sings as Matronic adds a diva, tranny-loving, delicious verse. It is a carefree track about sex, what else do you want?

                 

     Needles alluded to a possible music career when “Every day is Halloween” was first released. The cover of Ministry’s 1984 song allows Sharon’s true vocals shine on the slow track as heavy production is stripped back to give a creepy, dark vibe. Perfect fit for the artist. The song deals with issues of intolerance and is somewhat an anthem for those who feel left out. Needles proclaims everyday is Halloween and she isn’t lying.

                 

     The album closes out with “Hail Satan!”, a song that starts off scary as hell and keeps that vibe throughout. Featuring Jayne County, the first transsexual rock singer, Needles confesses her real love for the king of the underworld in this country-rock performance. For those familiar with the artist’s antics, the song’s inclusion would not be much of a shock, but for those who don’t, strap yourself down right now.

                 

     PG-13is a mix of rock, pop, dance and goth musical influences which all comes together to create an interesting experience for fans of the RuPaul’s Drag Race queen. Many may not take the music from drag queens seriously, but Sharon Needles has proved she is not just a beautiful reality television star. She has showed off her live vocals and now sounds alert and present on her debut release. At times evoking the essence of AFI, Jeffree Star and Owl City is terms of production and performance, Needles proves she really has what it takes to make it big in the pop world. For outstanding moments, a few stumbles and a RuPaul intro, the album receives a respectful 85%.

                 

Tracks to Hear: “This Club is a Haunted House feat. RuPaul”, “Call Me on the Ouija Board”, “Let’s All Die” and “Kai Kai feat. Ana Matronic and Alaska Thunderfuck