I recently did a review where I mentioned that two former gay male porn stars were trying to break into the music business. I complimented one more than the other, and now I get the opportunity to review his debut CD. Colton Ford has proven that he can sing and now has chart hits to show for it. "Tug Of War" has been years in the making and he proves that it was well worth the wait.
With his soulful vocals and sexy good looks, Colton is truly the whole package when it comes to being an up and coming music star. Though not as young as the Justin Timberlakes or Chris Daughtrys of the world, he reinforces the saying that age ain't nothing but a number and this CD is full of age-defying tracks that will keep you moving at all times. From the funky beats of the first track "Ready," which asks the audience "Are you ready for me?" to the last beats of "Your Love Is Everything," Colton shows his versatility for a variety of styles. The upbeat dance tracks like "The Way You Love Me" and "That's Me" (with a cameo by rapper Cazwell) sit well with funkier tracks like "Bluntly Speaking" which features vocals by Monique Bingham and yes, it IS about what you might think it's about. The ballad "You Get What You Get" is moving and sweet, not what you would expect from this big hunk of a man. The title track has a mellow house beat with yearning vocals that will pull at your heartstrings. Colton also scratches the R&B itch with tracks like "It'll be Alright" which has a Maxwell leaning sound to it, and "Wait For Me." The best part of this CD is that all of the tracks were co-written by Colton himself along with his producer/collaborator Quentin Harris, who has done remix work for the likes of Mariah Carey and Patti LaBelle. Knowing Colton had a hand in these songs besides just doing the vocals makes the whole CD seem much more personal.
As Colton states in his new single "That's Me," you get what you see and Colton shows you every side of him on his debut CD "Tug Of War." He shows us over the twelve tracks that not only is he a talented singer, but he is a talented songwriter to boot. Colton can without a doubt put his past career behind him with this release and I am thrilled to see his star truly rising after all these years. Look for the CD now on iTunes or in stores sometime in February.
