Released: September 6
Hotel heiress Paris Hilton’s foray into pop with her reggae-infused debut single Stars Are Blind sent ripples through the music industry, with the track carving out an 18-year legacy as one of the most infectious chart hits of the 2000s.
Despite the success of the track and its parent album ‘Paris’ (2006), her debut remained the star’s only studio record – until now, as she returns with her sophomore effort, the aptly-titled ‘Infinite Icon’, a star-studded set of radio-friendly dance-pop.
Lead single, the Rina Sawayama-featuring, Ultra Naté-sampling I’m Free sees the ‘Simple Life’ star take the reins on what is, on the surface at least, a carefree ode to living life on one’s own terms. Much like many tracks on the album, however, there’s a deeper thread running through; for Hilton, the track reflects upon her experiences at the Provo Canyon school, with the ‘90s dance anthem providing escapism in the years that followed.
ADHD reframes the diagnosis as a superpower, while Legacy is an ode to her husband, children and fans, with the electronic sizzler bringing the vibes of her first LP up to date for the 2024 audience. It’s an ethos that runs through tracks such as Stay Young and Infinity, and the kind of pure pop that’s a breath of fresh air in the charts today.
Chasin’, a collaboration with Meghan Trainor, works particularly well, with the pair’s vocal blend making for one of the most instantly-appealing tracks on the record, while a pair of SIA duets – Fame Won’t Love You (as featured on the Aussie star’s previous album ‘Reasonable Woman’) and the new song If The Earth Is Spinning – have more varied results, with the former in particular relegating Hilton to an extra on her own record.
With 50 per cent of the 12-song offering underpinned by guest performers, including rap contributions from Megan Thee Stallion on BBA and vocals from Argentine singer Maria Becerra on Without Love, with SIA as executive producer, it’s a congested set that takes various avenues, but notably it’s the solo numbers on ‘Infinite Icon’ that stand out as the most fully-conceived moments and serve as a reminder that even without a heavy-hitting cohort of collaborators, Paris Hilton remains a fine pop star in her own right.
Although lacking some of the charm of her debut, it’s nonetheless a solid showing that’s sure to appease fans who have been waiting two decades for a new album.
