Better Than Ya Faves

Maypril Playlist!

2012-05-22T00:31:00.001-04:00

So as I am wont to do, I never got around to posting my Best of April playlist (among other things) so I am posting a Maypril playlist now and then going to do a Pride Prep playlist at the end of the month...there is a LOT of good, non-mainstream pop music here kids, so have at it!

Maypril Playlist!

1. Icona Pop - I Love It

2. Scissor Sisters - San Luis Obispo

3. Chris Brown - Don't Wake Me Up

4. Passion Pit - Take A Walk

5. Gossip - Love In A Foreign Place

6. Scissor Sisters - Let's Have A Kiki

7. Adam Lambert - Shady ft. Nile Rodgers & Sam Sparro

8. Saint Lou Lou - Maybe

9. Stooshe - Black Heart

10. Usher - Scream

11. Sam Sparro - I Wish I Never Met You

12. R. Kelly - Share My Love

13. Santigold - Freak Like Me

14. Little Boots - Every Night I Say A Prayer

15. Cheryl Cole - Call My Name

16. Nelly Furtado - Big Hoops (Bigger The Better)

17. Erik Hassle - Stay

18. Major Lazer - Get Free ft. Amber of Dirty Projectors

19. Cinammon Girl - Friends

20. Alexandra Burke - Let It Go

21. Queen of Hearts - Neon

22. Ne-Yo - Burnin' Up

23. Scissor Sisters - Only The Horses

24. Jason Mraz - I Won't Give Up

25. Aiden Grimshaw - Is This Love

26. Santigold - Freak Like Me

27. Flo Rida - Whistle

28. B.O.B. - Outta My Mind ft. Nicki Minaj

29. Azealia Banks - Jumanji

2012 Is Mayjah For Album Releases

2012-04-26T23:24:00.001-04:00

Being a wanton stan, almost every year has me saying something along the lines of, "ZOMG THIS IS THE BEST YEAR FOR POP EVERRR". Usually this is just because some new Aubrey O'Day single leaked or another tragic non-event. But this year really is kind of MAJAH, isn't it guys? Maybe not for major pop star releases. Last year was destined to be THE year for those. GaGa, Beyonce and Britney were all coming back and it was going to be a bloodbath for anyone else who was trying it. And yet...none of them really performed the way they should have. Britney's albums sales were terrible. Beyonce couldn't get ANY single to chart. And GaGa had a mixture of problems, the biggest of them being her own pre-release album overhype while not delivering.

It reminded me that while the big girls are often the ones with the power to really create exciting music, it is the other voices in the pop community that often make the most innovative work, and as the releases keep being announced, I can't stop thinking that 2012 might actually be one of the most exciting years in the pop world (no f'real this time)!! While we all are obviously excited for some of the upcoming releases (Scissor Sisters, Gossip, New Beyonce singles!!), I want to take this moment to talk about the most exciting albums that have already been released...oddly there aren't as many pop albums as usual because most of them are coming later in the year. Hopefully with this we can both come to together on albums we love and maybe even find out a few new ones! Below are my picks for best albums of the year...please leave your picks in the comments!

Emeli Sande - Our Version of Events

This year's Adele, tbh. Emeli Sande is one of the most promising singers I have come upon for quite a while. Strong, soulful vocals. A chic look. A beautiful tendency to write introspective lyrics. Not to mention uniformly rave reviews from every live performance (even getting approval from Madonna herself!). My current favorite album of the year, this one will be hard to beat by any other artist.

Santigold - Master of My Make-Believe

A fantastic melange of genres that Santigold is known for, "Master of My Make-Believe" is enough to remind the world that Santi is still one of the most exciting artists around. Yeah, she is still a bit of an MIA knock-off, but these days Maya is such a mess it is nice to have the same aesthetic on a more put-together pop singer. However, the album was not quite good enough to warrant how long it took for the album to get here...worth checking out but not as good as I was hoping.

Sigur Ros - Valtari

I love Sigur Ros more than just about any artist or band. Every album more beautiful than the next, this Icelandic post-rock band creates instantly memorable if unintelligible music. This album started out a little bit slow, feeling a bit been-there-done-that. But as it progressed it was almost overwhelming and one of the band's most impressive efforts to date.

Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded

The most uneven album of the year is also the most exciting. Messy buzz single releases and a schizophrenia that went beyond Her Minajesty's normal schtick, Roman Reloaded plays like 4 different recording sessions and no time put in for cohesion. Despite this very large issue, there is just enough good music on this album for it to be worth it. Raving club bangers, hard talking rhymes, and sweet R&B grooves create the backbone of Roman Reloaded and it will be enough to keep her in the game....even if it is lacking the dominance she so often brags about.

Madonna - MDNA

Here's the thing. I am aware that this album has flaws. I am aware that she could have gone in a better direction. I am aware that while she shouldn't have to, acting her age might have come off a little bit more sincere. But seriously, when has Madonna ever done what we expect of her? As I wrote last month, I think she is kicking just as much ass ever, and has some of her best work in years right here on MDNA. Not counting the flaw-free pop masterpiece Confessions, this is Madonna's strongest work in a decade, and also her most varied. There is something here for every type of fan of the Queen of Pop. While this may not make for the most enjoyable whole album listening experience, it DOES warrant respect for the incredible music that Madge is still producing.

Donkeyboy - Silver Moon

Now this is an exciting one. A Norwegian pop band that doesn't seem to know how to make a pop song that isn't wildly infectious and polished. Even better they help fulfill my never ending quest for quality male pop music. I could pick a stand-out track, or I could point out that every single song on this album is a sleek masterpiece. Check this one out...nice to be reminded that dance pop doesn't have to be inane and childish.

Gotye - Making Mirrors

Gotye and fun. are the 2 break out acts of 2012 so far with monstrously popular singles that refuse to release their iron grip on the top of the charts. However, while fun. was the band I was more excited for (their lead singer used to sing for one of my favorite bands, The Format), Gotye's album ended up being refreshingly superior. Joyful and youthful, this is a massive pop record. I am crossing my fingers that any follow up singles help continue Gotye's success.

Wolf Gang - Suego Faults

So remember when the entire world was obsessed with The Shins because they made exuberant and relatable pop music? And remember how since then their music has continued to grow more inaccessible and even a bit maudlin? Well mourn no more, because Wolf Gang is like The Shins on crack. Huge pop rock songs surrounded by inescapable melodies and catchy instrumentation make up this near-perfect album. I have come back to this one over and over the last few months, and don't think that will stop anytime this year.

My Relationship With Madonna

2012-04-10T03:03:00.002-04:00

Here's the thing: I am a Madonna stan. My relationship with her as a musician has been long and complicated. I remember loving her as a kid, replaying my casette single of "Take A Bow" and stealing my sisters' Madonna albums to listen to. Obviously, as a little boy, Madonna was not the look. Especially where I lived, it was either hard rock or rappers for guys my age. That was all it was okay to listen to. Not that I wasn't already being called a faggot by the 6th grade repeatedly...but I had wormed my way into the popular guys' group anyway by being just different enough to be interesting and being relatively okay at sports, and I certainly wasn't going to give up that victory by singing Like A Prayer in the halls. Especially not in a Catholic school.

But I still remember making sure I was in my room every night as a 13 year old in case Frozen came on the radio. It was my favorite song for years. What was shitty was that unlike Britney, Christina and JLo...I couldn't even act like I watched Madonna's videos because she was "hot." Even then, Madonna was getting a bit old. Even then she was having one unlikely comeback after another, and was being deemed irrelevant for the younger, hipper pop princesses. Even then, every triumph was asserted as a last hurrah.

Still, I kept with her. It didn't matter that I had to like her clandestinely. Being shocked and excited watching her "Bedtime Stories" era. Having Evita captivate me as the first musical I truly loved. I would do my homework while listening to "Ray Of Light" on repeat. I would play video games to "Music." I tried and tried but lost a little bit of touch with her during her radical "American Life" days but fell in love all over again when "Confessions On A Dance Floor" was released. Of course, by then I had come out as gay and it was not only okay to like Madonna...it seemed expected!

And she certainly made it pretty easy, didn't she? Surviving scandal after scandal, only to come out of the end even stronger. Outliving and outdoing all of her competitors of the past. From Cyndi Lauper to Debbie Gibson, Michael Jackson to Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey to Christina Aguilera, Paula Abdul to Britney Spears. She has remained either more relevant or more successful than every pop star in her way. It doesn't really matter that Michael was more successful at one point or that Whitney was more talented or that Britney had more initial success...because in the end Madonna is the only one who has truly endured.

Reaching records that legends like Elvis, ABBA, Barbra Streisand, and The Beatles have set, and continuing to pass them, Madonna's sales and records broken are almost unparalleled. She has had arguably the biggest pop culture presence of any female in modern history. And all of this while being wildly controversial and risky in ways that have ended others' careers. It's hard not to root for a survivor.

So, what has happened? Even as I slowly started to accept that as an aging dance artist with a history of subversive behavior and shock tactics that the mainstream may lose touch with her a bit, I just thought it was expected that as long as she continued to churn out strong dance music that nostalgic females, gay men and dance enthusiasts of the younger generations would continue to respect and enjoy Madonna. Every new generation of pop stars certainly do. Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj...just a short list of those who have worked with Madonna and raved about what an experience it was. Beyonce, Lady GaGa and other pop queens have all openly talked about how Madonna's career and music helped shape the artist they are.

So, as we go forward into Madonna's 12th studio album, "MDNA"...I feel disheartened by the amount of disdain and apathy when it comes to our Queen of Pop. When there was widespread backlash and critical pans for "Hard Candy"...I could at least understand it. The urban-pop-minx image of that album never felt truly authentic. Her reliance on past-their-moment producers Timbaland and Pharell for the sound and her work with Justin Timberlake and Kanye West for the cool factor didn't just feel inappropriate...it felt dated. While I maintain that there are more than a few stellar moments on that album, I could at least sympathize with the haters.

But here is Madonna not only returning to the dance floor the way she always has, but bringing of-the-moment and classic collaborators together. Brilliantly referencing old work of hers, while pushing farther into new sounds than she has in years. Creating a diverse but cohesive work of dance music...something that she does best. At the core of all of her reinventions and stunts, it has always been dance music. Dance music that sounds like the current trends but with that special Madonna touch. Sometimes it set new trends...other times it simply set her apart. Some of her best work hasn't been groundbreaking..but it has been consistent.

What's wild is what the detractors have thrown at her. Let's examine some of the more popular ones, hmm? Some say she is too old to be dancing and making the kind of music she does, simply because their is no convention for a female pop star to make it this far. As if at the age of 40 one must release the desire to have fun and dance be heard. Why should she submit to age limits when she hasn't responded to any of the others such as sexual limitations, religious reverence, or political discourse? Others claim that she is copying GaGa and Britney to stay relevant, missing the fact that all major artists draw from other artists' sounds and inspiration, especially in the modern age when new music trends are available at inception via all of the many internet media tools. There are few major artists in the world that aren't using dance music to a degree...why should Madonna be the exception, especially when dance is always the world she has inhabited? And I won't even begin to address the tired and often petty commentary on her personal life or attitude, especially when her contemporaries are so rarely questioned for worse behavior.

However...in the end Madonna is simply a pop singer. Sure, she has swelled to more than that in culture, but she is just an entertainer. If you don't like her music, then fine. Let's agree to disagree. But so many criticisms seem to lose sight of what makes Madonna the artist that she is. What has let her endure and appeal to so many generations and in so many guises. Which is that Madonna, more than any other pop star, is the most relatable.

Madonna is and has always been a contradiction. She is the Queen of Pop, and yet she is one of the most openly humane pop stars we have. She is deeply religious but a Church-condemned harlot. She has a hardened public personality but advocates for love and world peace in her performances. She is widely beloved, but also widely despised. Some say she is everything a woman shouldn't be...others say she is one of the most important feminist icons in history. And for me she has been a mostly silent but indispensable gay icon.

Madonna has endlessly winked in and out of mainstream opinion, struggling to find her place in the world while simultaneously battling herself. She loves and dances and succeeds and fails just like everyone...if on a grander scale. The gay community has always gravitated towards misunderstood underdogs, especially those with a knack for surviving. Much like the gays, Madonna has been continuously kicked down and told to change and conform...and each time she has refused and gone on to fight for what she is and the things she believes in. Where so many gay icons have failed to continue to win against the public or their own demons...how can we not continue to champion Madonna for her own determination to succeed and be heard?

At any given moment of Madonna's career, she can be found on the dancefloor with such fervor it seems like a life or death matter. The next she might lamenting her failures in love and life. Because she doesn't have a nailed down persona...she is ultimately not just the most interesting of pop stars, but also the most relatable. A chameleon not just in look and sound, but also in who she is at the core. Sure, other pop stars could be clinging to their rosary and preaching mysticism the next...but how many can have true conviction behind their actions? How many others can so completely reflect the struggles and changes we all go through in our lives?

Madonna is not a stage alter ego. She is not a performance piece. She is not a fad. She is not an industry puppet. There isn't one aspect of her music that would end her the way Whitney Houston's unfortunate vocal deterioration or Britney's diminished dancing abilities have. Madonna is little more than an American girl with a little bit of talent, a knack for working hard, and a lot of opinions. But I dare any of you to find someone with more creativity, strength, or sincerity. The sooner the public remembers what makes the Material Girl special, the sooner they can dismiss their objections and join her on the dancefloor with the rest of us.

Leap Day Double Sized Download Pack!

2012-02-29T17:13:00.000-05:00

Since I've been neglecting both this and the Real Housewives blog, I decided to kick off my return with an extra full download pack for the end of February and in honor of Leap Day!! 32 of my favorite tracks from the New Year...all of them being played to death by me. A few of the more obvious ones (such as Madonna's singles) were left out because...if you don't have them then you can go straight to hell anyway.

That should get you caught up as I move into March returning to blogging! The tracklist is below...since no one will keep every song, I didn't bother putting them in any order. Leggo!

Best of 2012 So Far Tracklist

M.I.A. - Bad Girls

Carrie Underwood - Good Girl

Jennifer Hudson - I Will Always Love You (Live At Grammy's)

Cassie - King Of Hearts

Goldfrapp - Melancholy Sky

Darin - Nobody Knows

Katy Perry - Part of Me

Rita Ora - Party & Bullshit

Saint Etienne - Tonight

Kris Allen - Vision of Love (dMac Edit)

Sato Goldschlag - Mr. Mister ft Wynter Gordon

Tyga - Muthafucka Up ft Nicki Minaj

Queen of Hearts - Moment in Love

Chiddy Bang - Mind Your Manners ft Icona Pop

Rihanna - Birthdya Cake Remix ft Chris Brown

Melanie Fiona - Change the Record ft B.O.B.

Coldplay - Charlie Brown (Dave Aude Remix)

Usher - Climax

Bright Light Bright Light - Disco Moment (ft Sound of Arrows)

Estelle - Do My Thing ft Janelle Monae

Gorillaz, Andre 3000 & James Murphy - DoYathing

Alexandra Burke - Elephant

Diplo - Express Yourself

Zebra Katz - Ima Read ft Njena Reddd Foxxx

Manufactured Superstars - Drunk Text ft Paris Hilton

Nicki Minaj - Marilyn Monroe

Scissor Sisters - Shady Love

Simon Curtis - Starlight

Nicki Minaj - Starships

Chris Brown - Turn Up The Music ft Rihanna

Jedward - Waterline

Busta Rhymes - Why Stop Now Remix ft. Chris Brown, Missy Elliot & Lil Wayne

Express Yourself

Kylie Minogue Celebrates 25 Years In The Music Business

2012-01-24T19:31:00.002-05:00

As many of you may be aware, Kylie Minogue is my favorite pop star. Sure Madonna is the reigning Queen (now and forever) and Beyonce has my wig permanently hanging in her dressing room...but Mz Minogue is the embodiment of everything I love about pop music. Her output has been consistently fun, energetic, and euphoric dance music since Day 1, and always with a great level of talent and warmth behind it.

And 25 years, amirite? That is QUITE the accomplishment. Kylie is one of the few pop stars alive who can give Madonna a run for her money in terms of longevity, success, and worldwide critical and commercial success. Of course, Kylie never quite made it in the USA, but lord knows us gays are still trying! And this year, despite not receiving a new album, the Empress of Pop has a few things planned for #K25...and so do her fans!

First up is a breathtaking look back on Kylie's videography. While I would say visuals have never been her strong suit, watching this career retrospective shows just how determined she has always been to give us spectacular dance music. Catch it below:

Then, of course, we have the rumors that Kylie will be going on an anti-tour of sorts this year focusing on rarities and stripped down versions of hits as well as the confirmation that she has been recording orchestral reworkings of these hits. With Kylie's voice stronger than ever these days, I am ecstatic to hear these versions. Today she gave us the first teaser of these recordings:

Spectacular, right?! I for one am coming out of my skin at the thought of little Kylie surprises peppering a year that will also see releases from Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and Madonna. And I thought last year was packed with big releases! Finally, as my own personal celebration of Kylie's 25th year, I have put together a playlist for you all to listen to below of my 25 favorite songs of hers. This is, of course, a subjective list and is obviously a little bit heavier on her post-2000 recordings as that is when I became aware of her. Also a note that it is a bit unfair that this playlist is made up 90% of dance songs when she has so much more to give...but I am a club queen and y'all will just have to live with that!

25 Years of Kylie Minogue

1. All the Lovers (Aphrodite)

2. Get Outta My Way (Aphrodite)

3. Aphrodite (Aphrodite)

4. Slow (Body Language)

5. Red Blooded Woman (Body Language)

6. Can't Get You Out of My Head (Fever)

7. Love At First Sight (Fever)

8. Fever (Fever)

9. Come Into My World (Fever)

10. Confide In Me (Kylie Minogue)

11. I Should Be So Lucky (Kylie)

12. I Believe In You (Ultimate Kylie)

13. On A Night Like This (Light Years)

14. So Now Goodbye (Light Years)

15. Please Stay (Light Years)

16. Your Disco Needs You (Light Years)

17. Spinning Around (Light Years)

18. Better the Devil You Know (Rhythm of Love)

19. Like A Drug (X)

20. In My Arms (X)

21. Speakerphone (X)

22. The One (X)

23. Wow (X)

24. White Diamond (X)

25. B.P.M. (Unreleased)

Download

Viva La Minogue!

Red Dlicious' Best of November!

2011-12-06T19:54:00.001-05:00

Red Dlicious' Best of November Tracklisting!

1) Azealia Banks - 212

2) Drake - Take Care ft Rihanna

3) T.I. - Pyro

4) Dominique Young Unique - Shake My Ass

5) Cher Lloyd - Want U Back

6) One Direction - Tell Me A Lie

7) Youngblood - Blame It On Me

8) The Saturdays - Faster

9) Madonna - Give Me All Your Love (demo)

10) Mylene Farmer - Du Temps

11) Penguin Prison - Fair Warning

12) Rihanna - Where Have You Been

13) Katy Perry - The One That Got Away (R3hab Radio Edit)

14) Sound of Arrows - Wonders

15) Little Boots - Shake

16) Lady GaGa - Bloody Mary (The Horrors Remix)

17) Kelly Clarkson - I Know You Won't

18) Fun - We Are Young ft. Janelle Monae

19) Madonna - Masterpiece

20) Sound of Arrows - There Is Still Hope

Download Here

Album Review: Sound Of Arrows - Voyage

2011-11-15T11:53:00.001-05:00

Sounds of Arrows - Voyage

There are certain acts in music that come out of nowhere and begin creating exciting and beautiful and instantly classic music. Of course, these are rarely the acts that get the attention they deserve, because let’s be honest mainstream music is rarely about the quality of the product. There are bands such as Sigur Ros, Royksopp, and Explosions in the Sky who are able to create immense and gorgeous soundscapes that transport the listener far, far away. There are pop acts like Robyn, Hurts, and Erik Hassle who create catchy tunes without succumbing to the mindless formula many pop artists do these days. There are even some acts who can achieve all of this and have been for years (Pet Shop Boys come to mind). And now, somewhere in between all of this...is Sound of Arrows.

A Swedish duo (obviously), consisting of Oskar Gullstrand and Stefan Storm, slowly garnered buzz after being selected as an official remix DJ for Lady GaGa’s Alejandro, a sunny rework that outdid the already amazing original. It was obvious they were a force to be reckoned with in terms of production, but it wasn’t until their debut single, Nova, that it became equally clear that they were very much their own artists as well. Taking their time to work off of this buzz and to make a strong debut statement, they took close to a year to release Voyage. I had personally kept only a marginal level of interest until the album was released, but one listen told me all I needed to know about this group.

Voyage is a true album in the way that very few albums are anymore, especially in the pop genre. By this I mean that it is one cohesive statement, masterfully pulling different sounds into one near perfect album. From the first listen I knew that this was an automatic contender for album of the year (and if you have seen the way I gush about Beyonce’s 4 album...you know this is a big statement.) On paper it almost seems like too much. Monstrous orchestral arrangements, heavenly vocals that soar through the music but never overtake it, and sparkling synths that keep the near-classical composition current and exciting. Heavenly gems are plentiful on Voyage, with a couple of the main highlights being the shimmering Longest Ever Dream and whimsical Magic.

What really convinced me of their immense talent, however, is the near 8-minute epic, There Is Still Hope. It starts out with a 2 minute instrumental build-up before breaking into a breathtaking arrangement of vocals that lasts for another 6 minutes. And yet it is such a pressing, gorgeous song that 8 minutes somehow seems way too short. As the swirling synths give way to the chanting “You’ll come back to me! You’ll come back to me!” I am always hoping it will somehow last longer on each listen. It very much reminds me of post-rock veterans Godspeed You! Black Emperor with their 20 minute masterpieces as There Is Still Hope could go on for much longer and still feel like a perfect song. It all comes down to Sound of Arrows attention to song composition, pop sensibility, and strong musicianship. And it is for that reason that I am positive that this is not the last brilliant piece of work that they will give us.

While Voyage may lose to Bey for my album of the year title (She is my Queen, after all)...Sound of Arrows have done what very few acts in pop, rock, electronic or any other genre are able to: they created a classic debut that made good on all of the previous promise and set themselves up to become trend-setters in the genre. I am already excited to see how they will move forward with their own music, and if they will continue to remix/produce for other artists (Robyn get in on them IMMEDIATELY). Whatever their next move is...they have won a fan in me.

Kelly Clarkson Slays Any and All Live Performances

2011-11-14T14:53:00.001-05:00

Sooo...remember a few weeks back when I posted my review of the legendary original American Idol, Kelly Clarkson's new album? And remember how it wasn't the best of reviews because I felt like it showed none of the growth, both vocally and personally, that I know Kelegend had gone through? And how I pointed out that if they had just incorporated more of her live vocals and instrumentation that this album could have been worlds better than anything your faves could ever deliver?

WELL THIS IS PROOF RIGHT FUCKING HERE!!!

On the highly anticipated Unplugged concert of Kelly's on VH1, she covered equally flawless fellow Idol, Carrie Underwood's "I Know You Won't." Now, while I have always enjoyed this song, it was never a stand-out to me. Clearly it was just in the wrong hands! On this sneak-peak of the concert, we get to watch the full performance...and it is almost other worldly it is so good. I would easily put this in Kelly's top 5 best live performances, of which there are many many good ones. She puts soul and pain into every syllable of the song, cooing delicately one second and belting with angst the next. The whole time remaining pitch-perfect and just completely flaw free.

It is the curse of the talented pop star that led me to disapprove of her latest outing. Because I knew she still had this in her, and couldn't, and still can't understand why we couldn't get this. Also, her live Smoakstack EP similarly outlines how the producers her label has working with her just don't know how to handle this angel's voice. So, if you too felt slightly let down by Stronger as an album...look no further than this performance to reassure you that Kelly Fucking Clarkson is still one of the best vocalists our generation can boast as our own. Watch below. And then keep watching. And never stop.

Album Review: Rihanna - Talk That Talk

2011-11-14T11:29:00.001-05:00

Rihanna - Talk That Talk

I was going to wait until the Deluxe version had leaked or maybe the release date...but I think I need to get some stuff about this album off of my chest, so I am going to go ahead and do my review of the standard edition now. I will probably update the review and overall rating once the deluxe tracks leak.

So, Rihanna. The reigning bad girl of pop at the moment. The Bajan hit factory. Fashion and sex symbol. Twitter wig snatcher. More than anyone else right now (yes, even more than GaGa), Rihanna is the it-girl of pop music right now. While this may not always equate to the highest of album sales (our girl still doesn’t have a #1 album) or ticket sales (not her strongest suit), Rihanna’s endless hard work has made her a worldwide sensation and a near guaranteed #1 song with every single release. Sure, she may put out singles a little too quickly and an album every single year is getting to be a bit overkill...but for the most part, new Rihanna music is ALWAYS welcome because it is always going to be sexy, catchy, and getting us dancing. So, just as her last album, LOUD, is wrapping up, we now have her new one: Talk That Talk. After initial reviews citing it to be her most cohesive, aurally satisfying, and dirtiest album to date...I was more than a little bit excited. Let’s see if it lives up to the hype!

The album starts off with 2nd single, “You Da One”, a Carribean-fueled dance track that has Rihanna sweetly declaring her love for her man over Europop and dubstep beats. It is a cute enough song, but not quite as catchy right away as we have come to expect from Rihanna. But while this song may not quite have grabbed me the way I expected, all thoughts of it are gone when the truly spectacular “Where Have You Been” begins. One of, if not THE best dance tracks in her discography, this song takes off on a truly huge beat with plenty of synths and stuttering to keep you dancing for hours (anyone wanna put together an extended remix for me? Please? Please?!). This high-energy track flows seamlessly into the lead single, “We Found Love”, which has annoyingly grown on me after my initial claims that it was too generic to be a great track. Not saying I’ve changed my mind...just saying it doesn’t bother me anymore.

From this energetic intro into the album, we get to the title track, the more urban, and truly spectacular, “Talk That Talk.” The one feature on the album by Mr. JiggaMan himself is good and all, but honestly not so sure he adds that much to the song. It is that carefree, smooth delivery of Rihanna’s on the chorus that really perked my ears up. It is one of Rih’s greatest talents to give that cool edge to a song, and it comes out in full force here. This has been the track I have been going back to listen to the most from the album. So far so good, right? Well here is where the album sort of starts losing me.

The much talked about lyric “Suck my cockiness, lick my persuasion” along with the chattering “I love it i love it i love it when you eat it” made Cockiness probably the most anticipated song from the album. And while those little bits are hilarious and amazing...that’s really the only good thing about the song for me. It is the type of song that seems like they had these few great spare parts that they wanted on a song, so they just threw them all together on one track. It is too all over the place and I can never quite get into the groove of the song. This one is a miss for me. And the fact that the criminally cut off “Birthday Cake” manages to surpass “Cockiness” in about a third of the time is quite telling. Equally lack-luster is the semi-inspirational “We All Want Love” ballad. While I actually like the song, it is out of place on the album and is perhaps the type of song that should have gone to more of a powerhouse singer to really bring home. (No shade, I actually think Rih is a great singer. Just saying...)

The rest of the album brings it back a little bit, with the vocally strong “Drunk On Love” and “Farewell” giving Rihanna some time to shine, and the swanky, sexy “Roc Me Out” and “Watch N Learn” takes us back to the sexual nature of the album as a whole. Overall, this is a really fun album and as always I am ecstatic to have new Rihanna to strut around to. But something about it doesn’t quite do it for me. There are some seriously brilliant songs on here, but others were cut short of greatness (LITERALLY for “Birthday Cake”), and others just never quite connect in the way I was hoping they would (“We All Want Love”, “Cockiness”). Granted, with the deluxe tracks taking the place of the stinkers, my opinion of the album might change. But overall...it SEEMS rushed this time around.

When LOUD came out, it was the perfect connection between Rated R’s “Rude Boy” success and it was the necessary change in image and sound from the dark period Rihanna had gone through. We were happy to be dancing and flirting along with her again. This time...it feels like she should have taken more time and given us something better. Also, let me point out that I am not particularly pleased that almost the entire album is done by 3 or 4 songwriters/producers. Yeah, sure, it makes it more cohesive. But it also makes it less interesting.

While there is no doubt I will be playing this album out, and possibly changing my mind about some of it the way I did about “We Found Love”...for now I am left simply wanting more.

Rating:
3.5/5 Wigs Snatched

Where Are The Male Pop Stars? Pt. 3

2011-11-14T09:51:00.001-05:00

OK, kids, here is the final installment of my male pop star feature, this time including the vocal and rock/pop artists. This has been really fun for me to write and gotten me back into some of the men I have been neglecting. I hope some of you found some new male pop artists to support, and I hope more will be on the scene soon. Enjoy!

Rock/Pop

Note:There is a common misconception in the music industry today.. An artist singing a song on a stage: pop artist. A singer performing with a band on stage: rock band. Further muddling everything is the overused term: indie rock. What people fail to recognize is that before the last 20-30 years...all pop music was done via live instruments. Bands such as Fall Out Boy or Maroon 5 are not rock bands at all...they are pop bands. They use elements of rock in their pop music...but so do Pink and Kelly Clarkson. So, here are a few of my favorite pop bands out right now sporting a male singer.

Coldplay

Arguably the biggest “rock” band of this generation in terms of commercial success, Coldplay made an almost instant splash with their debut album in 2000 and have been veritable hit machines from that point. Massive songs such as “The Scientist”, “Viva La Vida” and “Yellow” made them a household name, but it has been their continued pop sensibility and strong live performances that have kept them around. What I personally love about the band is that they have managed the difficult feat of constantly evolving and changing their approach to music while maintaining their sound. It has gone from simple piano ballads to huge arena rock anthems and now foraying into dance music...but always remaining Coldplay. Not that it is possible that you haven’t listened before...but maybe now is the time to revisit the reasons we all fell in love with them to begin with.

Recommended Listening: The Scientist, Paradise, Fix You

Adam Lambert

OK, not a band, and yes arguably not even rock. But I think that he at least has something of a rock sensibility to many of his songs, much the same as the writer of his biggest song Whataya Want From Me: Pink. The frequently controversial and always talented Adam Lambert may have lost the title of American Idol to Kris Allen but it isn't difficult to tell which has been more successful, both in the pop culture sense as well as commercial. Adam is a boy who can blow your fave's vocals out of the water. Sure, he has a little bit of trouble showing restraint...but many great singers have the same problem (Looking at you, Strainguilera). While his debut wasn't quite the smash I think we were looking for, there were some serious pop gems on there and I have faith that his follow-up will be his true blast-off moment. Let's get Glambert.

Recommended Listening: For Your Entertainment, Whataya Want From Me, Strut

My Chemical Romance

The only band of the old emo-pop-punk era that, in my opinion, found its way out of those murky waters and into mainstream success, and even more found a way to stay there. Back in those days, it was always hard to tell who was my favorite of the bands and who would continue to do well because it was a very same-sounding genre. However, My Chemical Romance slowly built their sound to be bigger, more interesting, and much more catchy than the rest of the bands. And as they slowly dropped (even the massive Fall Out Boy is now gone), My Chemical Romance took their time and have created near classics in the genre. While their sound has gotten progressively more rock-inspired, their pop sensibility has remained and they always leave us with catchy tunes to bop around to in our cars. So while I will always love that era of music for nostalgic purposes, it is My Chemical Romance that I will continue to look forward to putting out new music.

Recommended Listening: Welcome to the Black Parade, Famous Last Words, The Only Hope for Me Is You

Vocal

Bruno Mars

Bruno is an artist that has had a little bit more controversy to him than I understand. Perhaps he led with a few too many schmaltzy love songs. Perhaps he didn't quite deliver on the promise of his debut EP when he released his follow-up debut album. But in my mind, there is no one who is playing the music game better than him right now. Exceptional vocals, one of the strongest songwriters in the industry, and let's not forget his production team The Smeezingtons who have produced a set of knock-out hits. And have you seen the kid perform? For me there is no doubt that Bruno is one of the best overall pop artists we have...the question will be if the public continues to believe the same thing.

Recommended Listening: Talking to the Moon, Runaway, Today My Life Begins

Shayne Ward

I find it difficult to talk about Shayne. He is almost certainly the most talented, attractive, and nicest guy on this list. His X-Factor performances were nothing but sublime, and some of his recordings have made good on that promise. But much of it has been the kind of muddled, overdone pop music that someone with much less talent and initial fanbase would put out. The public agrees. He has been dropped from his label after never finding the success they desired, both locally and internationally. I hear he has a new label...perhaps they will know how to utilize him and his talents more effectively.

Recommended Listening: Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Breathless, Melt the Snow

Erik Hassle

One of my absolute favorite finds in the last couple years is Swedish singer-songwriter Erik Hassle. A beautiful, soulful voice and a set of songs that refuse to have a flaw...each and every moment of an Erik Hassle album or EP have left me craving more. Recently featured on a John Dahlback dance track...Erik is the guy on this list that I want most to find some wider success because I have nothing but faith that he could rise to the occasion. Really the only other thing I can say about him is Go. Go download his music. Go do it right now. Go. Go. Go.

Recommended Listening: Love Me To Pieces, Don’t Bring Flowers, Are You Leaving?

Where Are the Male Pop Stars? Pt. 2

2011-11-11T12:08:00.001-05:00

And we're back! Yesterday I covered some of the shining male stars in the R&Pop and Electro genres, and today I am going to tackle the standard Pop artists as well as those who focus on SynthPop. Let's just dive right in, shall we?

Pop

Will Young

Now Will is someone I had never paid much attention to before this year. The original winner of the now ever-present singing competitions, Will seemed to be a UK singer of the past and not someone I should be looking into. BOY was I wrong! With the release of his album Echoes and its lead single Jealousy this year, I have become so insanely hooked. Will's music isn't exactly something to light the dancefloor on fire. In fact, it is one of my favorite laying-in-bed albums of the moment. But that is because the music is beautiful, the lyrics are smart and often touching, and Will's voice is so smooth. Put it together and you have one of the best releases of the year, and my favorite male pop singer of the moment. Oh, and did I mention that he is gay?

Recommended Listening: Jealousy, Come On, Outsider

Joe McElderry

UK X-Factor winner Joe McElderry very much surprised me. I thought him to be sort of the UK David Archuleta when I first heard him on the show. Cute, definitely. Talented, ohh yes. A star...not so much. BUT...then his album came out and it was a high-energy, fabulous affair. Borrowing vocal stylings from the likes of Jake Shears, Joe showed that he could lead the charge on a dancefloor igniter just as easily as on a cheesy ballad. While his career has suffered similar fates as many of his X-Factor comrades...I have high hopes for this boy, and hope he brings us another set of music sooner rather than later. Oh and FYI...I did not mention it...but he is gay.

Recommended Listening: Ambitions, Fahrenheit

Justin Timberlake

I almost didn’t do it. I almost didn’t put him on here. He hasn’t released an album in years, and with his forays into cinema, it doesn’t appear he is in even the slightest of rushes to put out another. BUT...as far as male pop stars of this generation goes, Justin is arguably the biggest. Everything he touches turns to gold, his fans jump at the slightest mention of him being on a track, and the boy can seriously sing and dance. While he may not be part of the current pop landscape...leaving him out of the game would be a mistake. All the same...I just wish he would get on with it. Oh, and did I mention that sadly he is NOT gay?

Recommended Listening: Cry Me A River, SexyBack

Synth-Pop

Darren Hayes

Now, my US readers probably won't recognize this name, but here is one most of them SHOULD recognize: Savage Garden. Remember them? Yeah, me too. I have endless fond memories of Savage Garden’s music. Apparently after they split, the lead singer Darren Hayes went ahead and created quite a solo pop career for himself abroad. All of his music has been extraordinary, and his fans are loyal and proud of the spectrum of work Hayes has put out. This year with his new album, he has won another fan in me. The best way for me to describe it would be ambient-pop. Hayes has the strong and high voice (sometimes wandering into being a bit whiney) that delivers strong songs on top of dreamy productions. Definitely one of the long-term career inspirations that many of the men on this list could learn a thing or two from.

Recommended Listening: Black Out the Sun

Hurts

With their debut album last year, Hurts set the Eurosynthpop (not a thing, made it up) genre on its ear. Early buzz off of their incredibly strong lead singles seemed to set the two boys up for failure. So what did they do? Produced an album with nothing but expert craftsmanship, a cohesive sound, and one helluva feature for their debut (once again..uhmm..KYLIE MINOGUE?!). Yes, Hurts made almost every pop publication’s Best Of... lists for 2010, and deservedly so. Their music sounds as fresh today as it did last year...and I have a good feeling that classic pop music is exactly what we can expect from the rest of their career as well.

Recommended Listening: Stay, Blood Tears & Gold, Devotion

Sound of Arrows

I have to admit that I didn’t pay attention to this duo in the months leading up to their debut album this month. It all seemed very pretty and nice, but nothing I could really hold on to single wise. Then the buzz for the album began generating like no other album I had seen this year. But still I decided to wait until it came out to listen to their music again. And man...am I happy I paid attention to the buzz this time around. Their album is possibly the best of 2011. SoA have achieved a level of orchestral synthpop that I have rarely heard, and even more rarely seen it be executed so masterfully. They have made a classic album of this era, and will be the electronic album to beat this year without a doubt.

Recommended Listening: Nova, Longest Ever Dream, There Is Still Hope

That's all for now, folks! Check back on Monday for the final installment where I cover Vocal and Rock/Pop male artists! I hope you find some goodies in my suggestions!

Album Review: Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

2011-11-11T11:53:00.001-05:00

Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this album. Having not particularly been fond of their last album, I had all but given up on Coldplay to self-praising arena rock stylings. My interest was piqued when they came out with the decidedly dancier Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall. I liked the song...didn’t love it. But I definitely liked it. Then rumors of further electronic influences and a Rihanna feature began surfacing...and I was back in Chris Martin’s corner. (It does of course help me to like him knowing he is friends with Beyonce...girl has good taste!!)

Having listened to the whole thing for a few weeks now...I have to go with my first reaction to the album: LOVE. IT. Here’s the thing, haters: I get why you don’t like Coldplay in general. I get why long-time fans don’t like this album specifically. I GET IT. But here is the other thing: you are completely wrong. And here is why.

As the dust begins to settle just a little bit on the Europop storm that we have had to sit through for the last few years...it is obvious that we are not done with dance music. BUT...I think many people are looking for dance music that is perhaps not so repetitively high-energy. Perhaps we are getting a little bit sick of being told to put our hands in the air every minute of the day. My arms are tired, tbqh.

So it makes perfect sense for a huge band such as Coldplay to take their generally depressive yet large sound, and apply some electronic power to it.

And while this whole thing seems a bit bandwagon-y...once I heard the finished product it made even more sense. Coldplay has, with this album, taken a small step back towards the bands they used to be compared to such as Sigur Ros and Radiohead, and a little further from that other band they have been compared to since Viva La Viva: U2. And I think this is important for them to do because they will never be the type of band that U2 is (thank god...hate that twat Bono).

They are, however, quite talented at creating lush soundscapes and beautiful melodies. It has always been their forte, even back when they were a mostly piano based band. Tracks like Paradise and Charlie Brown maintain their big sound, but it’s been a little bit since we have heard Chris Martin sing as tenderly as on stand-out Us Against The World. Then, of course, the pièce de résistance is easily the Rihanna assisted Princess of China. One of Rihanna’s greatest qualities has always been having an effortlessly cool progression to her vocals, and she brings that to the table on this track. Once her first chorus kicked in, I knew it was something special.

Overall, I am happy that Coldplay decided to get into this lane and make some more electronic based music. I am even happier to say that this isn’t just one of the pop releases or the more interesting electronic releases of the year...it is one of the best albums of the year, period. You almost lost me for a bit there Coldplay...but I am quite happy to be back.

Rating:
5/5 Wigs Snatched

Where Are The Male Pop Stars?

2011-11-10T12:24:00.003-05:00

Lately...the pop scene just hasn't really been the same. Overwhelmingly controlled by a small handful of artists being produced mostly by an even smaller group of producers and songwriters, all keeping to an EVEN smaller type of sound. Ah, yes. The europop dance trend that took years to catch on in the US has become dominant, successful...and quite boring. Like many good pop music trends, the most interesting and talented artists in the genre are of course the ones being ignored. Instead groups like Black Eyed Peas & LMFAO easily rule the charts and airwaves with rehashes and derivative dance "anthems."

However, despite this rant...this hasn't even been my biggest problem with pop music over the last five years. My concern has been the gaping hole that has been left in the pop scene where male singers used to be. There was a time where boy bands and R&B-cum-pop male stars were as frequent, if not more so, than their female counterparts. And sure some of this is accounted for by the obvious fact that male singers are more likely to be in a rock band, coupled with the increased confusion over when a band is rock or pop.

Regardless of where they fall...the amount of strong male solo artists are pitifully small. I started thinking about this late last year while I put together my Best Of... list. Because while I will always prefer female singers (can men flip their hair to fierce up a performance? No. I didn't think so!), a good male artist is something to praise as well!

So for the last year or so I have been fiercely on the prowl for new or overlooked male singers. And recently I have finally started noticing something of a resurgence. Sure, this might just be because I am looking for it...but they are there nonetheless.

So, for the next few days I am going to be writing about some of the best male singers in their respective pop sub-genres. These are some of the men who have taken a place on my iPod, and how they are not just bringing back a male flavor (phrasing?) to the genre...but also some much needed change from the monotony of basic Europop songs flooding our music scene.

And let me just disclaim that this is not a comprehensive list...there are of course many male singers I have not mentioned. And don’t any of you dare try to point out that I left out Justin Bieber or Joe Jonas. It was on fucking purpose and you will deal. ANYWAY....Let's begin shall we?

R&Pop Men

Usher Raymond

I believe that Usher should be a bigger deal than he is. There is no reason he couldn't be the male version of Beyonce. Stunning voice with a great range. Sexy guy who always had a female fan base. Known to be a good, maybe not great, but good dancer. But he chose to never take it to the next level after peaking during his Confessions era, and has had something of an identity crisis ever since. Even with his most recent successful offering, he was all over the place. Hard-hitting R&B music one minute (Hot Tottie), throwaway dance tracks the next (DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again), and even a RedOne track (More). However, his influence in male pop cannot be denied, and he is still very much a force to be reckoned with.

Recommended Listening: Hot Tottie, Lil Freak, Burn

Chris Brown

Insert Rihanna joke/comment/rant. OK, good that's out of the way. Now on to Breezy. I don't know if it is because of how young he started (he definitely had me sayin' he can't be 16) or because of how much he has been through in the press and the long, tireless quest for a true comeback...but I still have trouble believing that someone this young has put out such an incredibly varied and accomplished set of music. Not only that, but his performance style while lacking a little bit on the vocals side is still consistently thrilling. While Chris has been veering more towards urban and hip hop as those are the fans that stuck by him the most...he could easily be one of our generation's biggest pop stars by the end of his career. I just hope that black cloud doesn't ruin the chances of this happening.

Recommended Listening: Yeah 3X, She Ain’t You, Deuces

JLS

Man...who else misses the age of the boy bands? Sexy boys singing sweet, catchy tunes to choreography will always be something I am down for...and I am happy that JLS from UK X-Factor has proven that that age is not over just yet. Sure, the UK has always been a little bit more into their boy bands than the US (see bands like Westlife and Take That’s continued success)...but JLS have great vocals, club-worthy hits, and an even better look. How they haven't tried to take on the American market yet is beyond me...but I think it's time they get a move on it. I need a boy band renaissance and I need it now!

Recommended Listening: Take A Chance On Me, The Club Is Alive

Electro

Simon Curtis

Recently there has been an interesting crop of DIY pop artists coming into the scene such as the Ke$ha-like Ro Danishei and the beautiful and talented Adam Tyler. The cream of this crop, however, is one Simon Curtis. With close to a million plays on last.fm, an album on iTunes, and a rabid fanbase that includes almost every pop blog on the internet...you would think that Simon is the next big thing. However, somehow he hasn't been scooped up by a label yet! It is only a matter of time, though...and then the charts had better get prepared for a Robot takeover.

Recommended Listening: Diablo, Beat Drop, Laser Guns Up

Scissor Sisters

While not exclusively a male pop band (the feverishly fabulous Ana Matronic is the co-vocalist) and not exclusively dance music (their music swings from disco to rock and straight into throbbing industrial beats)...this was the best place I could think to put them. Jake Shears, the frontman of SS, is a sexy force of nature that has brought back a renaissance of filthy 70s inspired pop music. Their debut album is a pop masterpiece and was recognized as such immediately. While their sophomore album seemed to slump just a bit, it is their third and latest album, Night Work, that had me booty-shaking for months. With obvious references to pop music of the past, a knack for bringing current pop/dance music, and the occasional famous friends to help out (uhm HELLO, Kylie Minogue!)...Scissor Sisters is perhaps the male-led pop act in the world right now. Any which way you look at it...you can bet I have my eye on them.

Recommended Listening: Any Which Way, Filthy/Gorgeous, I Don’t Feel Like Dancing

Penguin Prison

A newcomer to the pop scene, Penguin Prison's 2011 debut has been nothing short of a burst of adrenaline for me in regards to male pop music. While I try not to make comparisons, something about the seamless music and endlessly cool vibe, I almost found myself thinking that I had found the male Robyn. Every song I have heard from him has been top notch, and this was after he had already gotten a reputation for strong remixes and DJ sets. If PP plays his cards right...he could find himself at the top of the pop heap.

Recommended Listening: Fair Warning, Don't Fuck With My Money, His remix of GaGa's Alejandro

OK...well that's all for now folks! Check back tomorrow when I tackle the men of Pop & SynthPop!!

Janelle Monae Duets with Power-Pop Trio On Pretty Acoustic Track

2011-11-09T19:41:00.000-05:00

THIS is exciting news, poppetts. One of my favorite retro-soul singers, Janelle Monae, has appeared on a duet with a power-pop band named Fun called "We Are Young." While new Janelle is always exciting...this video also led me to find out that one of my favorite bands of the last ten years, the now extinct The Format, has lived on through its singer moving on to Fun!

Yes, Nate Ruess has taken his wonderful, signature vocals and blended them with Janelle Monae's equally flaw-free voice and made what is one of the best power-pop singles of the year. When the full instrumentation flows in with the two singing "We can burn brighter the sun!!"...it is quite an ecstatic moment. This single has already popped Fun's upcoming album to one of my most anticipated of 2012. Great stuff.

Red Dlicious' Essential October Mix

2011-10-28T13:10:00.001-04:00

It's that time of month again, chiddren! I spend my many hours of boredom listening through as much new music as possible, and have narrowed down the 20 best songs released this month for you! This month was pretty heavy on remixes and dance tracks, but there is plenty of hip hop, pop/rock, and ballads on here to grab anyone's attention! Not to mention this month marked Her Minajesty's return to feature creature status, and that will always be amazing. So go ahead and download below and get ready to partaaaay!

Red Dlicious' October Mix

1) The Saturdays - My Heart Takes Over

2) Queen of Hearts - Shoot the Bullet

3) Kelly Clarkson - Stronger

4) Drake - Make Me Proud ft. Nicki Minaj

5) Beyonce - Countdown (Reggae Rewind Remix)

6) Wish - Suga Daddy

7) Willow Smith - Fireball ft Nicki Minaj

8) Wale - Slight Work ft. Big Sean

9) Big Sean - Dance (A$$) ft Nicki Minaj

10) Oh My! - Dirty Dancer (HUGE HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH)

11) Hyper Crush - Werk Me

12) Kaskade - Lessons in Love ft Neon Trees

13) Katy Perry - The One That Got Away (7th Heaven Radio Mix)

14) Will Young - Come On (Cahill Radio Edit)

15) Major Lazer - Original Don

16) Rihanna - We Found Love (R3hab Radio Edit)

17) Kaskade - Eyes ft. Mindy Gledhill

18) Darren Hayes - Black Out The Sun

19) Coldplay - Princess of China ft. Rihanna

20) Daniella Mason - The Letter ft. Chase Foster

Download Here

Kelly Clarkson Is Back!! But Should We Be Excited?

2011-10-18T23:31:00.000-04:00

I have been shaking/crying/sobbing through most of 2011 waiting for the return of the one and only Kelegend Clarkson. She is one of my favorite vocalists of this generation, and has shown a huge range, both in talents and in the genres she can work in.

So now that it's here...why am I not feeling it like I thought it would?

So the album is all around a fun listen. After going through and rating all 16 of the deluxe edition's tracks, it came out with a 3.67. So...not a bad album. And there are a few songs on here that could go on to be one of Kelly's strongest career highlights (Let Me Down, Stronger). If I clipped a few of the stinkers out of the album (You Can't Win, Hello), then it is actually only bested by Kelly's biggest album, Breakway. So what's the problem?

Maybe this is only a problem for someone who has followed Kelly obsessively while not ever becoming a die-hard stan like I have. I literally watch every single performance, have every single album (even that awful My December), and get excited for every single interview. But something has always just been a little bit out of reach. As I walked around the other day listening to the album, I tried to identify some of my problems with this album...but more specifically with Kelly in general.

So let's look at Kelly's career trajectory, shall we? 10 years ago, she became the first American Idol, and went on to go from smiley label puppet to wrathful ex-girlfriend superstar with her sophomore album Breakaway. Songs like "Since U Been Gone" and "Because Of You" turned her into the popstar the producers of Idol were hoping for, and gave us a pop/rock vocal goddess to worship. I still count that as one of the best albums of the last decade, and it is what has made Kelly the constant in pop culture. Even after the critical and commercial flop that her "dark" and "personal" project "My December" was...people still were interested in our girl. So much so that even with all of her label drama and poor record sales, the lead single off of her 4th studio album, "All I Ever Wanted", shot to #1 faster than any song before it.

It was in between the period of turmoil and All I Ever Wanted that we started to see things change in Kelly land. She began putting on weight (always beautiful, though!), making public statements that her happiness was more important to her than her abs. She began covering country songs (Up To The Mountain on Idol Gives Back? GLORIOUS), toured with country legend Reba McEntire after their duet on Reba's album, and began having a larger presence in the circle of country stars such as Blake Shelton and Jason Aldean. These influences showed in certain moments of her album campaign for AIEW, especially in her acoustic (and improved) performances of Halo-sound-alike Already Gone. On the record, however, she displayed a return to the commercial, polished sound of her first two albums. She had found her way back to the top of the charts..and I was happy to see her there!

But it was also around this era that I was starting to feel a little bit dissatisfied. Kelly's live performances strayed towards a more acoustic sound, and she had never sounded better. She could deliver heartbreaking vocals on mature songs and sound absolutely sublime...so why all the overly polished immature break-up anthems that echoed her sound from years before? Despite all of the problems Kelly had gone through in the industry in the years before...her approach hadn't actually seemed to progress at all. But I wrote this off as her attempt to become relevant again after flopping with her previous album and anything to let one of our premiere vocalists return to the spotlight was fine by me...surely things would eventually get to the sound we had seen her embrace live.

So that brings us to her new album, Stronger. As I said there are some serious gems on this album, and the lead single Mr. Know It All gave me hope that maybe she was embracing a different, more mature sound. As I listened to the album, however, it is packed mostly with bratty kiss-offs and "I don't need you anymore" post-breakup anthems. Almost all of it is built around explosive choruses and sing-a-long melodies. It is all very entertaining...but haven't we been here before, Kelly? It is starting to get a little bit boring for me. The material is good...but must I have songs with such stupid lyrics like Einstein and Don't Be A Girl About It? You are one of the top recording artists...you can't get some good songwriters and better producers who can use your talents in better ways than a glossy, overproduced pop/rock swamp?

But fear not Kelly fans...I don't think the problem is something that can't be fixed with a couple tips from yours truly! I am here to save the day! Below are a couple of things that I think Kelly needs to do with her next album if she doesn't want to start losing some of the respect her incredible voice has won her.

1) Take notes from Queen Bey

I know I know. It isn't cute to compare 2 artists this way. But what has made Beyonce's album this year is that she left behind label-puppetry songs that come off as insincere and she backed up her more personal songs with more of a live sound. I am not saying Kelly should come out with a bunch of sex jams...that isn't her. But even a song like Already Gone showed a more interesting approach to a relationship than songs that Selena Gomez could be singing like "My Life Would Suck Without You." She could even turn towards the approach that Adele has taken, who is much younger than her but isn't singing teen anthems about break-ups. Dumb + Dumb = You, Kelly? Really? That's all you got? To see someone with such talent not grow artistically is distressing to me, especially when we have seen glimpses of what that would look and sound like. And speaking of sound...

2) Live Instrumentation is your friend, grl!

Kelly is a stunning live performer. She almost always sounds better when she sounds natural. My iPod is filled with rips of live versions of her songs because the overly polished recordings pale next to them. If rock music is what she is going for, why can't I hear it? Beyonce spent a career of doing the same thing, and finally brought her live sound to her latest album, and has never sounded better. Time for Kelly to do the same thing.

3) Find an identity

5 albums in and pretty much all we have heard from Kelly is how over a guy she is and how she is a bad bitch who doesn't need it. That isn't a theme...that's a slump! What goes on in Kelly's life? What makes her happy? What is she passionate about? Who knows? For a huge solo artist, Kelly has next to no identity...and it is starting to take a toll on her work.

Hopefully Kelly, whom I am sure is a rabid fan of this blog, takes me up on my tips. Until then I will be playing the shit out of her new album and wistfully hoping for Kelly's 6th album to be the one I have been waiting for.

Listen to Red Dlicious' September!

2011-09-30T01:34:00.003-04:00

Since it is impossible for all you working shmucks to keep track of every good bit of music that flies through the internet, I have decided to do a monthly breakdown of all of my favorite songs that came out. This may be when they were leaked, when the HQ version was released, or sometimes it might be a sort of old song that I just happened to come across.

Regardless, I put together 20 songs, mostly dancey songs but a few that are a little more mellow. But they are here to get you through your weekend partying, your hangovers, and all of the shame and regret that comes with most of my friends/followers' nights. Check the tracklist and download link below! I put a password on it so it doesn't get taken down for some reason.

1) Shontelle - Ready To Go

2) Rihanna - We Found Love

3) Mohombi - Maraca

4) The Saturdays - All Fired Up

5) Aqua - Dirty Little Pop Song

6) Nicola Roberts - Lucky Day

7) Demi Lovato - Unbroken

8) Agnes - Don't Go Breaking My Heart

9) Lady GaGa - You & I (10 Kings Remix)

10) Monarchy - You Don't Want To Dance With Me ft Britt Love

11) Switch - I Still Love You ft. Andrea Martin

12) Justice - Audio, Video, Disco

13) VV Brown - Children (Keep On Singing) ft Chiddy

14) JLS - Take A Chance On Me

15) One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful

16) Kelly Clarkson - Mr Know It All

17) Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans

18) Coldplay - Paradise

19) B.O.B. - Strange Clouds ft Lil Wayne

20) Birdman - That's Y U Mad ft. Nicki Minaj & Lil Wayne

Password: reddlicious
Download Mix

Beyonce's 4 Era: Success or Failure?

2011-09-22T22:10:00.001-04:00

So, for those who don't know, this is the year that I became a full-fledged, card carrying member of the Beyhive. Everything Beyonce has done this year has made me admire and support her more than I ever have. In the past, Beyonce was always one of my favorite singers because she brought a diva attitude that none of her contemporaries ever could. If there is one thing I love most in the world...it is a pop singer who gives the image of a manufactured, unstoppable top bitch.

Even when she was singing songs like Halo, it always felt calculated and like Bey was just hitting all of the right bases to have a diverse album era. This is not a put-down. I think that it is important for an artist in the music industry to be strategic with their career because it is just that...a career. And when she released the first single off of "4," the Diplo sampled and produced "Run The World," it didn't look like much had changed. The rumors were that she had found a trend to exploit (baile-funk and Philly-style underground dance music) and it felt like we were poised for another Beyonce invasion.

Things didn't exactly work out that way did it, though? Not only has she yet to have a high-charting hit from this album era despite stunning videos and breathtaking performances...but the entire tone of the project is different than a usual Beyonce campaign. Unclear single choices (just today I have heard that Countdown is going for radio adds, after an initial report of Party for the 3rd single and then a switch to Love On Top after her triumphant VMAs performance/pregnancy announcement) and lack of promotion (Bey is known for being endlessly in the public's face with performances, interviews, and product promotion during her album eras...this era you can count on your fingers the amount of times she has appeared) seem to have left the album to flop. That's not to say that it has sold badly...it is one of the year's top sellers, even if it has underperformed for her standards.

No doubt her unexpected pregnancy has something to do with this. Could there have been a worse time to get that oft-rumored pregnancy finally rolling than during the album that needs the most help, girl?! Yes, I was ecstatic and shaking and crying and rolling on the floor when I saw that she was pregnant at the VMAs. But my cynical mind of course flew right to the understanding that from here on out, she would not be shooting any more videos, doing any more Billboard/Glastonbury level performances, or going on tour. I would no longer be getting my album era experience...and I am selfish enough to hold this against her!

However, upon further review...I am starting to think that not only is this album is one of her best musical accomplishments (in my opinion, matched only by the flawless hit factory that BDay was), but the album era is also one of her greatest personal achievements. The ballads are extremely personal, especially the deluxe edition's "Dance For You" and her non-single "1+1." The mid-tempos are sweet and love-soaked, such as "Lay Up Under Me" and "Party." And let's not forget the exuberantly amorous "Love On Top" and "End of Time." Listening to the entire album can almost feel like you are interloping on someone's private relationship.

And then the pregnancy and the increasingly visible adoration between Jay-Z and herself...well...have we ever seen her look so sincerely happy? She seems even more comfortable in her own skin...and not in the previous exhibition-for-sales type of way. And despite her lack of promotion...somehow it seems like she has never been so dedicated to her fans and her craft.

At her now legendary Glastonbury set, she told the crowd before her showstopping "Halo" peformance: "I will always give you 100% of myself." And the reason the 4 era and Beyonce herself has been so successful this year (for me, at least) is because she has finally done just that. We aren't just seeing Sasha Fierce anymore. We aren't just getting the studio-muted Beyonce-lite.

With the 4 era...we finally have 100% of Beyonce.

Album Review: Pistol Annies: Hells On Heels

2011-09-21T20:05:00.000-04:00

Reigning First Lady of Country Miranda Lambert wasn't satisfied with marrying country superstar Blake Shelton and winning the CMAs for Female Vocalist and Single of the Year 2 years in a row. She wasn't even satisfied putting our her soon-to-be-huge 4th album later this year. She had to go ahead and create a supergroup with country singers Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley and create a flawless album.

I've been a fan of Miranda for a few years, and her last album "Revolution" was a set of perfectly crafted country tunes. I did always sort of prefer her vocal betters though, such as Carrie Underwood and Martina McBride. So, going into this album I wasn't expecting what I got.

This album is packed with stomping attitude jams (Hell On Heels, Takin' Pills), feel good anthems (Lemon Drop, Bad Example), love letters (Boys From the South, The Hunter's Wife), and world weariness (Housewife's Prayer, Trailer For Rent.) The girls' melodies and lyrics swing organically between sweet southern belle, go ol' downhome country girl, and revenge seeking banshees; and all of it is simple and pitch perfect.

Country has always been one of my biggest secret pleasures, and without the Dixie Chicks around there has been a serious vacuum of twangy girl power. Thank god we have Miranda Lambert and this group around to bring it back.

5/5 Wigs Snatched

Where I'm At With Lady GaGa

2011-09-20T22:24:00.001-04:00

Oh, GaGa. I can say that I was in the legion of your earliest fans. As much as I hate crediting him for anything other than bringing down the world's average worth, when Perez Hilton posted "Just Dance," I knew I liked it. I sat on her MySpace (I think I just dated myself #OldQueenProblems) and waited for new songs to appear. Beautiful Dirty Rich was a filthy pop jam. Then the album mega-mix came out and the 30 second snippets of Poker Face and Love Game had me shaking and crying. Still...I always thought that she would join the large ranks of pop tarts that only the gays ever appreciate. But then I remember this tragic 18+ gay bar EXPLODING when Just Dance came on during Pride...maybe she WAS more than your average.

Then...Poker Face happened. Slowly, very slowly, but very surely...the name Lady GaGa started being known. Just Dance and Poker Face began to see some radio play. People started mentioning her slightly off fashion sense (this was long before meat dresses and incubated egg babies.) But somehow I still always felt that she would be ours. She was the gay community's new it girl...she wasn't the next Britney Spears.

Then, like she has done to so many of her critics, she proved me wrong. I went to her first tour The Fame Ball, and was positively crushed by every straight girl and their boyfriend in NYC...our girl had broken through the rainbow ceiling. And it was clear that she had the talent and drive to stay there.

GaGa, as we all know, became the biggest fucking pop star in the planet on the strength of her debut album. Every song got bigger and bigger. The album refused to leave the Top 10 Albums charts. When people weren't going crazy over her new song or video, she was getting attention for having increasingly zany outfits or interviews. She talked about how she was mocking the famous superstars all while having a #1 song and album. It seemed like those of us who "got" her were in on the joke...when she walked out in a rotating metal sphere, it all seemed like an elaborate gag. Sure, she was dressed up in fine "art," but her music was simple and perfect pop jams. It never seemed too serious. Even the overdramatic VMA performance of Paparazzi had me laughing the whole time.

When Bad Romance came out as the lead single to The Fame's re-release EP, The Fame Monster...it may have lost some of the humor, but that didn't even cross my mind because it was such a flawless pop masterpiece. It was easily my favorite pop song since Madonna's Hung Up...and if possible it launched her into an even higher pop stratosphere. The Fame Monster was basically a perfect pop album. It was moody, and dark, but never lost sight of the glamour and attitude of The Fame. Sure, the Alejandro video was a little off the mark...but no one can be perfect all the time, right? It was the end of one of the most sensational eras of any pop debut. The trashy art school dropout I fell in love with was taking the gay dance culture right to American Top 40. She was our generation's Queen...and I was happy to be along for the ride.

Fast forward a bit. GaGa had been relentlessly touring from the Fame Ball to the Monster Ball for over 2 years, showing that she isn't just a spectacle...she is a talent powerhouse with the strength and determination to give her "monsters" her everything. And yet...something was starting to seem a little off, wasn't it? Maybe it was unavoidable while living in a vacuum of fan adoration. But GaGa's success was starting to get to her head. The Monster Ball, while one of the most successful and enjoyable tours I have ever been to, half of the time seemed like a platform to tell her Monsters that due to her show, they could finally feel good and be themselves. Sure it was all an act...but arrogance much? Does she not remember that it was us gays who were being ourselves that embraced her as part of our culture that made her successful? Or does she think she did that?

Then she began talking about her second official studio album. She began throwing around "greatest album of the decade"and that it would set us Monsters free. OK...let's give her the benefit of the doubt. We know she works hard...she must just be really proud. Let's wait to see how the music stacks up to the claims.

Born This Way the song, in my mind, was a triumph. Yes, it was a replica of Express Yourself. But replicating works of the Ultimate Goddess of Pop is not a crime in my mind. The video was crazy, but in a way I could still enjoy, unlike Alejandro. It had a great, exuberant 80s sound, and a hair-metalesque look to go along with it. I thought it would be good! The clunky Judas was a sort of shitty Bad Romance rip-off, but who could blame her for wanting to replicate her huge success? Edge of Glory and Hair both had the sound I was looking for, so I was pretty sure the album would be perfect.

It wasn't. Oh, boy it was not.

First impression, I rated it pretty high based on the ambition. She was all over the place. She did a lot this album! She really went for it! But as the months have drug on and she has gotten increasingly obnoxious, self-serving, and arrogant both in her interviews and in her presentations of her music...I didn't really feel like giving her the benefit of the doubt anymore. I realized that somewhere down the line, I had stopped feeling like she was my girl. She started becoming a remnant of the pop star I used to love. Sure, I wanted her to evolve...but as her personality progresses into the self-centered Haus of GaGa bubble, the music has gone with it.

First there was the badly done mixing of genres. That ambition I started off complimenting slowly lost its luster, and it just started feeling like an artist whose ambition was bigger than their skill to pull it off. Born This Way seemed to split between euphoric 80s rock and dirty dance techno-driven tracks. I am all for bringing together genres to make an album...but this just wasn't that. It was a smattering of over-produced indulgences. There are many sparkling moments on the album...but the effort as a whole just was not what it should have been. If she had pulled back to even about 90% of the clutter that she gave us...it could have been so much more.

Then there was her transparent obsession with being an "outlaw" and a "hooker." GaGa is one of the least sexually charged pop stars of our time, with more of an emphasis on glamour than sex appeal. But when convenient, she is some whore that all of her alienated monsters NEED in order to feel good about themselves. Mhmm. We all believe that GaGa. And all of this mixed in nonsensically with overdone and pointless religious references. Yeah, we get it...pretending to be Mary Magdalene being in love with Judas is SO revolutionary and not done before...no one has ever done that before. But at some point it felt like we were listening to the ramblings of some incoherent schizophrenic. I know I know...she wants to get "lost in the fantasy"...but did the music have to get lost as well?

So that brings me to now. Her recent choice to promote the amazing You & I, along with the relatively laid-back and humble interview with Jean Paul Gaultier, and an upcoming duet with Cher might be pulling me slowly back into her corner. Maybe it was just how great she looked during NY Fashion Week. I am not done with GaGa...not in the least. She is a smart, talented, and fabulous pop star with more promise than almost anyone in our generation.

But I just really need someone in that fucked up Haus of hers to sit her down and really let her know that she has the opportunity to become the leading pop lady for years to come and and all of that trumped up bullshit is going to do nothing but ruin it. I need you to have ambition without clutter. I need you to be able to have your crazy performances and outlandish videos without losing all sense of what song you are narrating. I need you think about the fact that you can do everything you do, but not lose touch with your simple pop ancestry.

I don't want to suppress your evolution GaGa...just please get yourself organized and bring us a stronger set of imagery and music next album, please. I want to believe in you...and I hope you don't let me down.

Isaac Mizrahi Thinks Gwen Stefani is Christina Aguilera

2011-09-12T19:22:00.002-04:00

LOL!

Isaac Mizrahi, one of my favorite drunk queens, recently was asked about celebrity owned clothing lines.

"Who is that, Christina Aguilera, who does my favorite clothes," Isaac asked after taking a gulp of a Long Island or whatever he was drinking at the time.

Hmm...we all know X does not have her own clothing line (and based on most of her wardrobe choices, she probably shouldn't!), so who could he be taking about? Can we get another hint, Isaac?

"The one with the really red lipstick and white hair," Isaac burped out before flagging down some shot boy for a jolly rancher jello shooter.

Ah...he must be talking about Gwen Stefani. While I get that they both wear the same garish shade of lipstick (X DID IT FIRST, GUYZ!), I just think it's so funny that Isaac, a name in fashion, could forget the celebrity that does his "favorite clothes." Too funny.

Carrie Underwood About Half-Way Done Her Album

2011-09-12T19:13:00.001-04:00

Country singer and American Idol alumni Carrie Underwood has effortlessly been the most consistent and successful of the contestants from that show. A whole slew of Billboard #1s, huge album sales, award show hosting responsibilities, marriage, TV specials, and nary a negative press story to be found. Oh, and have I mentioned that she is gorgeous?

Yes, while we all can't be perfect human specimens like Underwood, we at least get to occasionally bask in her light, and in her recent interview with old Idol pal Ryan Seacrest, she has confirmed that she is about halfway to showing us lessers know how it's done.

“I’ve been writing quite a bit and I’ve been in the studio a little bit, so I have about half an album done right now.”

I am always excited for new music from Carrie. I wasn't overly keen on her last album, but I still cry like a 5 year old every time Temporary Home comes on, so it will be great to get more material from her. Hopefully X-Factor is still going by the time her single comes out so she can stop by to show them all how the fuck it is done!

Flawless Vocalist Pia Toscano Talks Debut Album

2011-09-12T19:06:00.002-04:00

One of the greater reality television travesties was the early booting of talented powerhouse Pia Toscano from American Idol. Sure, she wasn't reggae dancing around like Naima. She didn't growl and howl through every song like Haley. And she wasn't a country bumpkin like the Top 2. But the girl didn't need to work the whole stage...because she vocally worked her songs flawlessly EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK. One of my top 5 contestants on that show of all time...so you can imagine how angry I was.

Also disheartening was that the Ester Dean penned debut single, This Time, was not the type of sassy jam that Dean is known for. Nor was it a vocal triumph, as the production layered Pia's voice into a generic, mid-tempo lump of shit. The song wasn't bad, but why would anyone put it on more than once?

Still, I am excited for Pia's album and future...she has the talent to become one of our bigger stars. Stage presence and choreo can be taught...talent cannot. Recently, she spoke with Wet Paint about some of the details surrounding her debut...and it will be out by November! Probably on Black Friday in hopes of getting people to load the album in with their mass purchasing. She has been working with big names like Rock Mafia, Darkchild, and Harvery Mason Jr. I just praaay that her early kickoff allows her to step outside of the Idol debut album doldrums...they are always such corny, tawdry messes!

Rihanna Reign Will, tbqh, Just Not Let Up

2011-09-12T18:57:00.003-04:00

Rihanna, Princess of Pop and Queen of Twitter, just really will not stop slaying all of our other faves effortlessly.

Just yesterday, Chris Martin of Coldplay revealed that Rihsus will be gracing the track "Princess of China" on their upcoming album, and that HE was nervous to talk to her. Now, while I sort of wonder what his wife's BFF Beyonce was doing that she couldn't be on it, I am more than happy to see Rihanna re-prise her role as feature creature.

Then, this morning, we found out that Rihanna will be LA Reid's guest during the X-Factor US' Judges House segment, where the two of them will narrow down Reid's category to the contestants who will be making it to the live shows.

All of this on top of the recent news/rumors that she will be either Rih-Releasing LOUD this fall or putting out a whole new set of music (I think she is going to go for the whole 8/9 song EP that GaGa made popular with Fame Monster) along with the confirmed upcoming duet with BFF Katy Perry...well...

DAHT RIHANNA REIGN JUS WAHNT LET AHP

Kelly Rowland Covers Magazine, Answers 12 Random Questions

2011-09-12T18:49:00.000-04:00

Kelly Rowland uses some of her spare X-Factor style budget to serve some serious ferocity on the Fall issue of Runway. She is giving good face, good pose, and YASS some good hair, too! KRowls' body is slammin', and I am happy to see her using it to good use while she takes an eternity to start promo for her second single off Here I Am, "Lay It On Me."

Additionally, she was caught by Neon Limelight for their 12 Random Questions segment, and she couldn't have been more gracious and cute throughout the whole interview (she even calls out Bey's bad cooking skills!) Between her spectacular showings on X-Factor UK, her strong if a little boring album, and hard working personality...Kelly Rowland truly deserves to have her place in the current pop/R&B landscape...but can she pull it off? Catch the interview and a Behind-the-Scenes video of her Runway photo shoot!

1. Do you feel like people finally get you as a solo artist?
I feel like they’re starting to. I feel like with this record, Here I Am, as they continue to listen to the record they’ll continue to get to know me as well.

2. You’re one of the nicest people we’ve ever met. What does someone have to do to get you to just curse them the hell out?
Simply being an idiot. [laughs] I just can’t stand people who are arrogant and who kind of take advantage of my niceness because they can feel that, yeah, I am nice, so they try to take advantage of it.

3. You have a few really good friends with reality TV shows. Would you ever consider having your own?
I like my privacy. And I let people get a little peek into a bit of my world just through my friendships like with La La, with Brandy, and that’s the best for me.

4. If we were to take your cell phone right now and leak its contents, would any emails or pictures make headlines?
No! Not at all! I can not do that. I’ve seen too many people have that situation happen to them. I’m terrified of that, so no. You’ll find pictures of my mom’s dog — well, she was my dog, Mocha, my god-kids, me being silly with all of my friends and cousins and all of that stuff. Nothing incriminating! [laughs]

5. Congratulations of being a judge on X Factor! That’s huge!
Thank you!
Are you a nice judge or straight to the point with these contestants?
I’m straight to the point and I’m nice. I’m more so constructive than anything. I feel like there’s so many people who were so instrumental in my life and gave me that knowledge. Who would I be if I didn’t give that back? So I just want to continue to give out different things that I’ve learned over the years to help.

6. There were sparks flying everywhere when you performed with Trey Songz at the BET Awards. That was such a hot performance!
Thank you so much! I appreciate it!
Are there any plans for you to ever duet again?
I would love to! Trey and I did the remix to “Motivation,” but it would be really cool to do something else with him. I think he’s so talented.

7. You get down in the kitchen! But out of all your celebrity friends, who would you say is the worst cook?
Probably B [as in Beyoncé]! [laughs] But she’ll be the one to tell you that. It’s no secret!

8. Choose any female singer. Who would you want to be for a day?
I would probably want to be Kim Burrell. Yeah, Kim Burrell. I mean, her…there’s like five people living in her throat to make her do all those tricks and I would just love to know what that entails. [laughs] That would be cool.

9. Whose idea was it for you to pose topless for VIBE and what did you think of the pictures?
For me, Vibe and this article was the first time I felt really comfortable talking about me, my background, even my father, my family, I open up a little bit about DC, my decision making, everything. So, I really bared it all. And for me, the picture was a representation of that, of me being completely exposed, but of course keeping a little to myself as you can see on the cover, I’m covering my nipples, my butt. [laughs] But, yeah, just really feeling like I could bare it all.

10. What’s the best and the worst thing about turning 30?
The best thing about turning 30 is just the experience that comes with it. That was an “a-ha” moment for me. There’s been so many “a-ha” moments at 30. The worst thing, I’m one step closer to my behind falling to the ground and not being able to pick it back up. [laughs] Just the gravity! But you can try to defy gravity by exercising, so it’s still a great thing to be 30.

11. Could you ever be with a guy where no amount of motivation would work? In other words, he can’t get it up!
Oh gosh!….Can he do anything else right? [laughs] If he can do everything else right, we might be working with something. It might be kind of exciting.
That’s so sweet of you to say.
[laughs] I definitely need something to let me know it’s there. Ten-hut! Ten-hut!

12. With 15 years in the business, where do you feel your place in music is? What do you hope people look to Kelly Rowland to provide?

Music that makes people feel good. That’s what I wanted to do with this record. I wanted to make people feel-good music.