Sanjaya Malakar, ‘Tempted’ – Song Review

Sanjaya Malakar, an attention-grabbing contestant from Season 6 of 'American Idol' has reared his head again. He was famous for that mess of wild, dark brown hair, remember? His new single is a cover of Squeeze's 'Tempted,' an '80s song which had a pop culture resurgence in the '90s when Winona Ryder sang it in her car in 'Reality Bites.' Malakar is dragging it out once again for a new millennium version, one that he dresses up in an entirely new way.

The original is a moody, contemplative pop song, but Malakar turns it up a notch and goes down the '70s style, dancey route, infusing it with lots of keys, horns, a supersized piano melody that won't quit, and his inoffensive, pleasing-to-the-ear voice.

And guess what? While it is very "tempting" to take shots at Malakar, his version doesn't suck. While Malakar keeps the overall melody in place, he shakes the foundation up by making the song a little more upbeat with his tone and the interplay of the instruments, so the members of Squeeze shouldn't be rolling their eyes or shouting obscenities at him over this cover. They're getting paid anyway, so it ain't no thing.

When he sings, "I'm tempted by the fruit of another," it sounds like a really good, incredibly polished and practices karaoke version. Malakar shines, though, during the last minute, when the songs tempo and pace pick up considerably.

Go here to grab a copy.

Listen to Sanjaya Malakar, 'Tempted'