REVIEW: T. Mills – ‘All I Wanna Do’ EP

Artist: T. Mills
Album: All I Wanna Do
Label: Sony

After years spent toeing the line between underground and top 40 fame, T. Mills has dropped the majority of his hip-hop influences and fully embraced the world of pop for his All I Wanna Do EP.

Kicking off with the title track, All I Wanna Do wastes no times introducing the world to the latest evolution of Travis ’T’ Mills. He’s come a long way from the days of “Stupid Boy,” and this track perfectly showcases the direction he’s now headed with high-gloss production and an almost entirely rap-free pair of verses. There is still a smooth flow to everything, but the attitude found on Thrillionaire and everything before it has been replaced with a sound fit for radio play.

“All I Wanna Do / Is just have a good time / just a have a good time / yea baby”

The depth of T. Mills’ latest effort is equal to that of a puddle on a hot July afternoon, but no one ever said great pop music required an emotional catharsis. In fact, nine times out of ten the opposite is true.

“Go For It All” further reveals the new Travis. His rhyme game is back on the verses, but the overall feel of the track is very much mainstream. Think B.o.B. during his “Airplanes” days, only slightly more directed toward female fans. Travis wants ladies to know he not only loves them, but he believes in them and all their dreams. He wants them to know they can do whatever they put their mind to, and he is going to be there to support them no matter what. It’s not necessarily my cup of tea, but it will likely go over like gangbusters with his younger audience. Those looking for someone they can shares their dreams with will no doubt take comfort in Travis’ enchanting wordplay.

When you’re and up and coming star and your EP only contains four songs, you have to make sure each one has the potential to reach the largest possible section of the pop community. “Somebody To Miss You,” the third track on All I Wanna Do, but changing direction once more and focus on the thing everyone obsesses over: Love. Yes, T. Mills has a lot of love to give, and if you let him he would be willing to be the person that waits for you to come home. You need someone who cares about you. Someone who cares when you’re away. Well, worry no more. Travis is here, and he’s brought a hook the size of his next summer tour to share the message of his love with you.

All I Wanna Do closes with “Riverside Girl,” which has been floating around online for the better part of the last year. It’s the closest to thing Mills’ early work found on the album, which is sure to go over well with longtime supporters, but ultimately feels like a wasted opportunity to share something genuinely new.

The rise of T. Mills has been unlike any other in recent memory, and All I Wanna Do is further proof he is destined for big things in the not too distant future. His first releases seem like child’s play compared to the quality and anthemic nature of this material, but it’s also largely a departure from the sound that helped build his brand. I’m not sure fans will embrace the change as fast as the execs at Sony probably would like, but with the right marketing campaign 2014 could quickly become a very exciting year for T. Mills and his ever-growing bandwagon of followers.

Score: 8/10
Written by: James Shotwell

James Shotwell
Latest posts by James Shotwell (see all)
Both comments and pings are currently closed.

3 Responses to “REVIEW: T. Mills – ‘All I Wanna Do’ EP”

  1. Netan Rosenthal says:

    Great article. This EP is fire and I have to say that as a long time supporter, I was really excited to see “Riverside” make the cut. Looking forward to blaring this all weekend!

  2. Michael Mirabella says:

    Loving the EP!! If anyone wants to check it out, here’s a link to the EP premiere on just jared. http://www.justjared.com/2014/02/24/t-mills-all-i-wanna-do-exclusive-premiere-listen-now/

  3. Christian Rosier says:

    Can’t wait to see this guy on tour!