The news that Rihanna is recording new material with David Guetta is in no circumstances all that surprising. The musical direction she delivered on her last album ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ is not that far off from the ravey dance music the french music producer & DJ is very much known for. .
I see that Mr Guetta is making a name for himself as he works his around many of today’s R&B beauties. Mr Guetta will soon become the envy of lots of lusty men. Talk about having the best job in the world. .
Guetta is currently working on the new upcoming albums of Kelis, Kelly Rowland and Ashanti. However, it has yet to be confirmed whether their musical hook-up is for a new album or a re-release of her latest ‘Rated R’ project.
The music video for Simon Cowell’s charity single ‘Everybody Hurts’ premiered earlier today. X Factor successors Cheryl Cole, Joe McElderry, Alexandra, Burke, Leona Lewis and JLS lent their vocals to the classic REM remake to benefit the victims of Haiti. Mariah Carey and many others were also included in the vocal line-up but Mariah could not make the video due to tour commitments and the likes. Great effort all around.
The new Alicia Keys and Beyonce music video for ‘Put It In A Love Song’ is said to have an upbeat and vibrant Carnival-inspired theme. As reported previously, the video shoot is taking place tomorrow in the South American nation of Rio de Janeiro. .
A Brazilian periodical even goes on to say that the clip will be shot against the backdrop of Rio’s landscape, including a slum, a school, and the Sambadrome where Carnival parades are held. The two R&B songstresses are expected to be outfitted in Carnival-inspired costumes, including Swarovski headwear. .
‘Put It in a Love Song’ is the third single to be lifted from Alicia’s fourth studio album ‘The Element of Freedom’, which is currently No. 11 on the Billboard 200. Rio has also provided the backdrop for other notable videos including Michael Jackson’s ‘They Don’t Care About Us’. .
A carnival-inspired music video is very fitting for the summertime, but we could do with something vibrant and summery to shield us from the cold, gloom and darkness, even just for a few minutes. Cannot wait!
Beyonce’s multi-million dollar endorsement deal has resulted in this highly technological Vizio commercial which premièred last night in the US during the last quarter of the 44th annual Super Bowl. .
The glossy commercial also features cameo appearances from the Twitter bird, and Internet sensations Chocolate Rain, Numa Numa, and David After the Dentist. Ironally, the commercial became a hot topic for trending, so it is serving its purpose. .
Nice commercial, but not almost as nice as the stackful of chedder Beyonce landed herself with in the process.
Beyoncé is featured on a special Grammy edition of OK!. The 28-year-old has earned herself the Grammy queen throne since winning a staggering six awards at last week’s ceremony, and breaking records in the process. The R&B beauty even sat down for an exclusive interview with OK!’s Michelle Edgar, and signed the magazine cover to convey her gratitude for OK!. .
Beyoncé opens up to the magazine about her former Destiny’s Child bandmates (“Michelle is hilarious, Kelly is so sweet and genuine”) and her admiration for Lady Gaga’s eccentric fashion choices (”It’s refreshing to see someone who has so much guts“). .
Beyoncé looks nice on the cover, but her poses are very predictable and samey. This pose reminds me of the photoshoot she did for the ‘Dangerously In Love’ album booklet. She’s one of the most photogenic females in entertainment, so something more ‘cutting edge’ would be good from time to time. . UPDATE: Just been informed that the photo is recycled from 2006. Go figure.
Whitney performs ‘I Will Always Love You’ on Feb 6th in Seoul, Korea
Last night, legendary diva Whitney Houston kickstarted her ‘Nothing But Love’ world tour at the Olympic Park Gymnasium in southern Seoul, Korea. On my old blog, some of you would remember how I critically deep fried Whitney’s performances on both GMA and the X Factor last year. She was a nervous wreck who had lost her golden vocal abilities. On top of that, Whit barely put her mouth to the mic, and left all the complex runs and adlibs to her backing singers. After her X Factor performance I recall saying that Whitney looked cracked out (although she was probably just a tad bit tipsy). Then, to validate my conclusion even further, her brief interview with Dermott was like watching a deer in headlights. .
I DO eat my words when I said that the 47-year-old had lost her prime. If last night’s concert was anything to go by, remnants of Whits old voice was seeping through like a ray of sunlight beaming through a semi-curtained window. Her performance of 92′ worldwide smash ‘I Will Always Love You’ was not a very euphonious vocal delivery but the voice was making a comeback on songs such as ‘Missing You’, ‘Exhale’, ‘I Look To You’ and ‘I Didn’t Know My Own Strength’. .
The amount of perspiration she gave showed that although Whitney’s belting was not as effortless as it was in the early days, her upper register was still rich and powerful. I was particularly impressed with her runs and adlibs, even if she partially lipsynched and sung to a backing track with some of the songs. I’m not sure if this was done due to Whitney being declared ill. Whitney insisted that during the latter half of the concert, she was not in the best of physical shape due to her cold. .
I loved her performances of ‘Missin’ You’ and ‘I Look to You’ where she paid tribute to her old friend, the late great Michael Jackson. She had mentioned that two of her dancers had been part of the late King of Pop’s dance troupe. She also spoke of the tragedy in Haiti and requested a moment of silence for the victims. Overall, the crowd remained upbeat and full of cheer as she sung her way through a set of 20 songs. I’ve posted a couple of performances after the jump. Enjoy. . Continue reading →
Alicia Keys has finally conquered the UK. Her fourth studio album ‘The Element of Freedom’ has climbed to Number One in the UK charts tonight (February 7th). The 29-year-old released the record last December, but this week is the first it has occupied the top spot. .
Alicia is really doing it with this album. I personally love ‘The Element of Freedom’. In fact, I can’t get enough. Some people feel its underwhelming in contrast to her debut ‘Songs in a Minor’ and ‘Diary’. Without switching up, people would have accused her of not evolving, so it would have been a lose-lose situation. This album was more emotionally-driven and personal. The lyrics were deep and she let her heart pour. .
Don’t get me wrong. I’d love for her to release another song like ‘How Come You Don’t Call’ and ‘You Don’t Know My Name’, but I understand that you have to work around a changing music industry and experimenting with your sound to accentuate those changes is the way to go to ensure continuing success. Congratulations Alicia!
Fantasia Barrino may be going the cross-over route with her lead single ‘Even Angels’, but oldskool soul reaps out of ‘I Can’t Be Without U’. In fact, it’s such a throwback that it slaps you right into the era of the 70s and 80s. .
Fanny previewed the song this week on her VH1 reality show ‘Fantasia For Real’. As dated as it sounds I don’t really mind. In a rare occassion of musical momentum, my mom and I have not felt the same track since, well, ages. .
It’s not going to win over anyone under the age of 24 but I really appreciate that she’s doing music she feels passionate about, even if it’s not very contemporary or radio friendly. I look forwards to hearing the full song.
Rihanna never fails to stun in an assorted blue cocktail dress with metallic trimmings. The 21-year-old took the time out to host the Pepsi Refresh Project event during Super Bowl weekend at LIV Nightclub inside Fountainebleu Miami Beach. .
Sadly, late last month, Rihanna lost her young friend, 6-year-old Jasmina Amena to leukemia, but the ‘Umbrella’ singer is still working to get help for those who suffer from the disease. She was among the celebrities who submitted a request for funding to Pepsi’s Refresh Project, which doles out $20 million to various causes. .
Big-hearted Rihanna who has become the voice for various charity campaigns dealing with the disease, is trying to raise money for DKMS, which tries to find bone marrow donors for those suffering from leukemia. Another reason to love this chick.
. Leona dazzles in brand new photoshoot! Click thumbnails for bigger view…
There will be more photoshoots, interviews and promos in the months to come when X Factor queen Leona Lewis embarks on her very first world tour which kicks off in May at the O2. Millions has been spent on her spectacular tour, and Leona is determined to wow her fans. Here is a new photoshoot that she did recently and she looks absolutely terrific! .
Stunning does not stop at the image aspect. On most occasion than not, our Leona does what she can to pair us up with her flawless vocal deliverance. This is well documented during her weekend performance on the UK’s ‘So You Think You Can Dance’. I’ve posted her stunning performance of new single ‘I Got You’ after the jump. .
The music video is expected to premiere any day now. ‘I Got You’ is out on February 21st, and her latest album ‘Echo’ is currently in stores. . Continue reading →
Hot on the heels of reports this week suggesting Beyonce will magically appear at the upcoming Brit Awards for the ‘Telephone’ duet, an official new remix to the song has now surfaced. The dynamic duo have teamed up for Lady Gaga’s second single off ‘The Fame Monster’, and a video for it has been shot. .
The original track was produced by Rodney ‘Darkchild’ Jerkins, but the official remix was produced by State of Emergency, consisting of Donnie Scantz and Jahi Sundance. This new remix has a more funked-up beat but does not touch the electronic spark of the original. A performance at the Brit Awards among the two heavyweights would be electric. .
It’s unlikely since Beyonce has a gig in Peru that same day and it’s very rare for Beyonce to show up at an Awards show when she’s not nominated for anything. Then again, stranger things have happened. I mean, this IS the Beyondroid we’re talking about after all. Rating: 3/5
‘Weakest’ is yet another new leak to present itself from Keke Wyatt’s upcoming new album ‘Who Knew’. The project will tentatively drop in stores on February 23rd. I’m very anticipated about it. The new songs have been wonderful, with Keke emphasising what true singing and real R&B is all about. .
The slow jam is overflowing with drum samples, effective guitar strings and ear-engaging soft melodies to provide that extra ear candy. Of course, Keke’s vocal control remains precise and effortless, which is what I love about her as an artist. .
If you’re still unfamiliar with Ms Wyatt, a good place to start would be to seek out her fantastic debut album ‘Soul Sista’, and take it from there. To me, she is definetely a younger, more lowkey version of Faith Evans who I also admire. Rating: 4/5
Usher unveils the new official cover art for his upcoming studio album, ‘Raymond vs. Raymond’. The project will be out on March 30th. Dare I say it but I actually prefer this one to the one that they planned to go with previously. On a conceptual note, it is really fitting.
Former Floetry singer Marsha Ambrosius is prepping her debut album ‘Late Nights & Early Mornings’ for a June summer release. This week, she premiered one of her new songs via Twitter called ‘Put It On Repeat’. The track itself was produced by herself and her brother Marvin Ambrosius, and will be featured on her forthcoming J Records debut. .
‘Put It On Repeat’ is decent – more R&B-driven than the faux-Hip Hop soul/Neosoul/pure soul she is mainly known for. It needs to be stressed that ‘Put It On Repeat’ is not my favourite solo joint from Ms Ambrosius. .
I’m hoping her solo album will feature more joints like ‘Sunshine’ which is such a sick tune. I love it. Either way, ‘Put It On Repeat’ has a weighty flavour to attract the older listener and her vocals remain confident and consistent. Rating: 3/5
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with Christina Milian’s music over the last couple of years now, and when she puts out something hot, she goes hard. But at the same time, she’s had her weaker moments too. Basically, she is one of those hit and miss acts. I like Christina’s music but she’s not consistent. .
Check out these latest new leaks, believed to be from the recording sessions of her scrapped project ‘Dream in Color’. ‘Joan of Arc (Baby Girl)’ is produced by Christina’s husband The Dream (above stream). It sounds like an early cliche Britney-Max Martin joint derived from Britney’s ‘Oops’ album. Whilst ‘Joan of Arc’ is a different platform for The Dream’s artistry, it sounds a tad bit dated. The chorus is naggingly catchy but something is missing here, and I don’t quite know what it is yet. Rating: 2.5/5 .
Christina Milian – ‘Kiss It’
The JR Rotem-produced ‘Kiss It’ oozes lots of doo-woppy pop sappiness, but surprisingly I actually like this. Christina has never been known for having Beyonce-type vocals but songs like this actually emphasise just how underrated she is as a singer. Rating: 3/5
