When it comes to anthems, no one does them quite like Junior Vasquez. Throughout his career, Junior has transformed countless songs into dancefloor anthems while working with artists as Madonna, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Cher, and Elton John. This tradition continues on his latest release, "Anthem 2," the follow-up to last year's "Anthem." "Anthem 2" features an eclectic mix of tracks, almost all remixed by Vasquez and many coming from Junior's own record label. The compilation is divided into two discs, one featuring female vocals and the other highlighting the male vocals. Both discs feature some of Junior's hottest anthems of the year, as well as some of his classics.
The female disc kicks off with the queen of today's big room anthems, Deborah Cox and her remake of the Phil Collins hit "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven." Vivian Green's "Music" pushes things up a notch and draws the listener onto the dancefloor with its fitting lyrics and lush production by Vasquez, especially during the beautiful string breakdown. A double-dose of Junior's diva du jour is next with Kristine W's "Fly Again" and "Save My Soul." "Fly Again" features a tremendous build-up peaking with Kristine's knockout vocals. This is Vasquez at his most dramatic and effective. Junior's remix of "Save My Soul," in all of its extended glory, manages to capture the heart and soul of the diva by aligning her beautiful lyrics and vocals, with Junior's soul-capturing production work. The disc closes with a mini-gospel set featuring the powerhouse vocals of Vernessa Mitchell and Joyce Sims. Mitchell's "Took My Life" features fierce vocals and hard production that will have you stomping the aisles and praising Vasquez. That sentiment is clearly echoed on the closing track where Sims winds the energy and the disc down with "Praise His Name."
Jason Walker's "My Life" starts things off on the male vocal side, with Junior mixing from his padapella into the extended club mix. This synth-driven, inspirational track highlights this newcomer's powerful and unique, high octave vocals. The lyrics "I'm where I'm supposed to be/I believe in my destiny/My mind is clear and my soul is free/This is my life" is a great dancefloor message and the combination of Jason's vocals and Junior's production work allows the message to come through loud and clear. The latin-infused, tribal percussive "Deeper Love" by David Longoria is up next, which features backing vocals by CeCe Peniston. Another up-and-coming artist with an unbelievable, albeit quite feminine voice is Casey Stratton. He is featured twice on this disc, first with "Blood" and later with "House of Jupiter," which happens to be the highlight of the compilation. "House of Jupiter" is an awesome mix of whirling progressive beats and melodic keyboard strokes. Junior masterfully shows off his mixing skills by using the acapella to transition into another track by Jason Walker, "Foolish Mind Games."
Also included on this disc are a few Junior classics including the Twilo-era anthems "The Cure" by Moraes and "Take My Breath Away" by David Cole. The use of these tracks effectively bridges the gap between old and new by showing how Junior has evolved, but also how he has maintained a signature style that has lasted throughout the years.
The separation of "Anthem 2" into male and female discs is a unique idea and at times can feel like two separate releases. However, the link between both discs is Junior's ability to transform these vocal tracks into masterful productions that keeps his audience coming back for more and more. Throughout these two discs, Junior magically weaves his anthems together and brings you to the center of his universe, where you will find yourself singing and dancing with the countless revelers he has accumulated over the course of his career.
