[Review] YouTube stars lose virality

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By Chris Lau
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By Chris Lau |
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Singer Tony Oller and rapper Malcolm Kelley found fame as American pop duo MKTO last year, after their satirical hit Thank You exploded on YouTube.

The youth anthem highlighted the concerns many young people have about social injustice. In two days, the music video got more than 500,000 views.

A year later, MKTO are delivering their eponymous album - a diverse collection of 11 tracks, that spans R&B to slow-paced heartfelt ballads.

Oller has a firm yet mischievous vocal, particularly on Classic - an upbeat ballad. Those who like a slow, downbeat vibe will enjoy Wasted, a melancholic ballad on which Oller delivers a pitch-perfect performance. Two crossovers - one with Ne-Yo, the other one with Jessica Ashley - are also worth checking out.

The downside is the album sounds dubiously commercial, with most tracks adhering to the conventional one-singer-one-rapper pop formula.

A word of advice: while the duo are still the right age to sing about youth affairs, they should start innovating - musically - like real young people.

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