Vocoder apocalypse

It must be pretty cool to start a trend in music. T-Pain’s introduction to mainstream music audiences in 2005 also featured a close-up with the vocoder, the voice-altering technology he uses.

Ever since, hip-hop and R&B have implemented the vocoder and its effects. And as enjoyable as T-Pain’s music might be, he should be held personally accountable for the horrible trend.

The vocoder has officially worn out its welcome and his new album Thr33 Ringz is a prime example of why. The songs are catchy in their own right, but through more than 20 of them, the sound effects, snapping and too-typical lyrics strain the ears too much.

One of the biggest draws of Thr33 Ringz is its number of guest appearances. The guest list here is a virtual who’s who of hip-hop’s current greats: Kanye West, T.I., Ludacris, Lil’ Wayne, Chris Brown, Akon and Diddy all show up throughout the album’s 23 tracks.    

But as great as all the guest appearances seem on paper, the disappointment from the tracks is greater. “Change” features the celeb trio of Akon, Diddy and Mary J. Blige and riffs on Eric Clapton’s “Change The World” terribly. Even though we expect T-Pain to be light-hearted, lyrics like “I’d change everyone into a Hershey’s Kiss / And we could eat away our fears” are too much.

The fast-paced “It Ain’t Me” featuring T.I. and Akon is one of the better cuts and will surely be found on the radio for way too long. T.I.’s verse is solid, but Akon’s annoying swagger is as tired as the vocoder.

The tracks where T-Pain moves away from his established sound end up being more enjoyable. “Karaoke” hits much harder with booming drums; “Reality Show” soars with some funky tones and “Freeze” turns his usual formula on its head with more scattered beats. 

Loads of tracks from Thr33 Ringz will be successful, but not because of originality. The sound T-Pain has developed has been stolen by so many others that it’s no longer fun