Papermag: Leighton Meester is a "Musical Genius"

"To put it simply, she's a musical genius. ... Leighton's secret lies deep in her mediocrity as a vocalist. Recognizing that her vocal talents are, well... limiting, she plays it safe on every song. The killer instrumentals and her natural allure counterbalance the sensual although relatively unimpressive voice and make the songs instant hits. ... Cobra Starship's chart-topping mess "Good Girls Go Bad" serves as a perfect example. The song is quite honestly terrible, but at about 1 minute and 15 seconds in, a beacon of hope floods the listener's ears. Leighton's one verse, which barely spans an octave, serves as a redeeming factor in an otherwise sh***y song. Her actress roots shine through and somehow capture the meaning of the song, a tender ballad that explores an adolescent girl's loss of innocence upon meeting a group of ruffians."

Kind of mean, but a pretty fair assessment. Leighton clearly knows her limits and it works for her. Mostly. We're not sure anything — not even a Leighton-shaped hope beacon — could stop the blood flowing from our ears after listening to "Good Girls Go Bad." But to each their own, Paper.

Source: Papermag