Paris Hilton wants to set the record straight on ‘Infinite Icon’

Paris Hilton’s 18-years-in-the-making sophomore album “Infinite Icon” positions the media personality as the first influencer; it’s the next step in Hilton’s rebrand from a ditzy blonde who cannot even use a mop to a serious and intelligent activist and businesswoman.

Hilton’s rebrand and subsequent resurgence comes during a time of apologetic reflection toward the brutal treatment of female celebrities during the 2000s. Hilton’s rebrand started in 2020 with the documentary “This is Paris,” a tell-all about the party-girl character Hilton portrayed for the media and the abuse she suffered at troubled teen camps.

Since 2020, Hilton has been working tirelessly to rehabilitate her image, with a reboot for her star-making reality show “The Simple Life” in the works and “Paris in Love,” a reality show about her acclimating to a new role as wife and mother.

Now, with “Infinite Icon,” Hilton seeks to reclaim the narrative of her story. Gone are the reggae-influenced melodies, Timbaland-pastiche beats and sickeningly cheesy lyricism of her debut “Paris.” On “Infinite Icon,” Hilton turns to her longtime interest in dance music, her career as a DJ, and a healthy dose of introspection for inspiration.

Aided by several guest stars (including Australian veteran Sia, who served as executive producer for the album), Hilton finds her voice through several revelations on the album dealing with past trauma, relationships and legacies. But that leaves one major problem: Is Hilton’s newfound voice compelling enough to listen to?

“Infinite Icon” shows significant growth as an artist for Hilton, especially when compared to her debut “Paris,” but is beleaguered by one major issue: Hilton is consistently the worst part of the whole production. While Hilton’s duets with various guest stars are the highlights of the album, Hilton’s solo output is too inconsistent, making her hits feel more like flukes than purposeful decisions.

The album opens with the tongue-in-cheek “Welcome Back,” a song about a woman going back to her true self after leaving a toxic relationship. “Welcome Back” is easily the strongest solo track on the album.

“Welcome Back” is simultaneously a rebuke of the media and former lovers that defined Hilton’s identity during the 2000s, most infamously with an ex leaking her sex tape.

Sadly, Hilton does not continue her solo contributions with the introspection and catchiness that is present in this mid-tempo track. Instead, the rest of her solo work on the album ranges from the painfully average (see “Stay Young”) to the borderline atrocious (see “ADHD”).

What Hilton lacks in solo talent she makes up for with business acumen in the form of carefully selected popular guest stars that help boost her work out of mediocrity. Hilton’s biggest weaknesses throughout the album are poor vocal performance and lyricism.

One album standout, “I’m Free,” features Hilton dueting with singer Rina Sawayama over a pulsing club beat. The effect of Sawayama’s stronger vocals is immediately apparent; her deeper and richer voice adds a lovely counterpoint to Hilton’s thin and wispy vocals. However, the cynic in me cannot help but think that Sawayama’s inclusion had more to do with her sexuality than her vocal ability to help Hilton reform her image against certain allegations.

Hilton’s coupling with strong singers, while bolstering her shoddy lyricism, often ends up with the guest dominating the track. For example, on another album highlight, “If the Earth is Spinning,” Hilton is paired with her friend and executive producer Sia, whose voice ends up overpowering Hilton several times throughout the song.

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Aside from work-in-progress vocals, Hilton’s songwriting is unbalanced throughout the album. Hilton’s attempts at sincerity and vulnerable introspection seem to be undermined by her wanting to make mindless dance music, and rarely is she able to balance these two aspects, with one oftentimes overtaking the other.

The result is a dance album where the singer does not appear to be having fun. Instead, she is preoccupied with making hits and attaining relevance. The closest Hilton sounds to enjoyment on the album is on “BBA.”

On “BBA” Hilton not only accepts her role as the original influencer, but also has a clever and fun sendup of the ditzy blonde character she played so often in the 2000s. Hilton and guest Megan Thee Stallion rattle off ways to be a “bad bitch” for wannabe influencers with their tongues planted firmly in their cheeks.

Overall, “Infinite Icon” is a disjointed work that is neither as fun nor as deep as it wants to be, but a few standout tracks and a new look at an old celebrity give this album more credibility than the desperate grab at relevance it appears to be on the surface.

Rating: 4/10

normane@miamioh.edu