After a star successfully makes a mark in Broadway, it seems that the logical next step is to star in a hit TV show. For most Broadway fans, talents like Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff and Matthew Morrison have made television a brighter place when they played colorful and award worthy turns in Glee, Pushing Daisies and Boss. With a delightful smile and a charming personality, Megan Hilty decided to traverse the Broadway-TV path by starring in Smash, the critically acclaimed series about Broadway. After catching the eye of television viewers, Hilty’s next step to superstardom is making an album, a logical yet clichéd choice to take.
Like the crossover from Broadway to television, a pop album for a Broadway alum could lead to a hit (see Idina Menzel) or a miss (see Matthew Morrison’s debut album). With It Happens All The Time, Megan shows the world a side that she isn’t particularly known for, but is it worth the listen?
Out of 10 songs, 5 tracks are covers from different artists like Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars and Damien Rice. Like almost any album in the market, Megan’s debut album contains some commendable songs and some songs that will make you question the choices made in the production stage. Her carrier single, “No Cure”, is a catchy pop tune that’s perfect for rainy days or when you want to drink tea or hot chocolate; the beat blends well with Megan’s soothing voice. However, after a round of all songs, one can say that Megan’s vocal talent, as a Broadway performer, was suppressed; the suppression led to a feeling of inadequacy.
Megan also excels in songs like “Walk Away”, a break-up tune written by Carrie Underwood and Ne-Yo, “Wise Up” from the Magnolia soundtrack and “Dare You To Move”, a cover of the Switchfoot megahit. Megan Hilty, once again, tries her best with Taylor Swift’s “Safe and Sound”, but there could have been better songs for her, songs that will suit her vocal abilities and won’t deprive the fans of her heaven sent talents.
Another prevailing theme in her debut album is love and break-up; though it is essential for every artist, the rotation of songs are very tedious especially if weaved together. It’s like Megan Hilty is in a funk because she ended a once-happy relationship, and many people can relate to that, but a little variety won’t hurt the album. What saves the album from total boredom is the occasional uplifting song that will make any sad person happy because Hilty has this soaring soul that cannot be defeated.
Granted, It Happens All The Time is a good debut album for Megan Hilty, but for a legendary bombshell, she deserves more of the goods and less of the melodramatic mess. In the words of one of her best songs, “I’m hopin’ that you’re open…”, the fans of Hilty could sit here and wait because talent and quality shouldn’t be rushed. This debut could serve as the proof that though legendary, Megan still is a young ingénue whose wings can still soar higher and fly farther than the space where she is now.
With another TV stint and a loyal fan base, Megan can follow up It Happens All The Time with an album that explores the deeper recesses of her emotions and heart, while maturing as an artist and bettering herself as a Broadway veteran because Megan is phenomenal, but this isn’t the gist yet.
