[REVIEW] Kid Rock - First Kiss

Kid Rock’s latest studio album, First Kiss, features a bonus track “FOAD” which stands for Fuck Off And Die. Coincidentally, that’s what I want to do after listening to the Michigan artist’s latest album.

This is less of an album and more of a musical declaration that Kid Rock fits the stereotype of a country artist. He hits for the country cycle in the song titles too; Whiskey, Beer, Wine, Johnny Cash, Dad and Jesus are all words in the ten-song album. The lyrics for “Ain’t Enough Whiskey” are a trip too. It’s peak country music, featuring political, religious and gun law takes in the first 30 seconds of the song.

It gets better, though. He uses “Good Times, Cheap Wine” to make bold statements like “I’ve never been a Coldplay music fan” to both catch up with internet jokes from 2010 and distance himself from his old persona. Kid Rock is out here in 2015.

On a more serious note, you might expect some more depth to the album since it is his first album since 2012, but I might be giving the hip-hop turned rock turned country artist too much credit. Introspection isn’t why people go to Kid Rock though; they listen for summer party bangers, and he delivers. The title track, “First Kiss,” will be a constant on campgrounds this summer, and you have to credit Rock for his ability to consistently produce hits.

What stands out most is how stereotypically country this feels and while that gets old after the fourth song, it’s probably exactly what he wanted. First Kiss is the final step in Kid Rock’s country evolution.

Now, I’m no branding savant, but if Kid Rock wanted to change the way the public views him, maybe he should have changed his name instead of creating a shallow album. What do I know though? The self-declared Rock ‘n’ Roll Jesus filled in for Bono, so I think he has the music thing figured out.