Diva Devotee : A Blog About Music's Divas

Mariah Carey ambushed on stage by Crazed Fan In Monaco. [Watch]

2012-06-03T18:48:00.001+01:00

The title pretty much says it all! Mariah Carey was performing in Monaco and had just finished singing Hero, the closing song on her setlist, when out of nowhere an "eager" fan jumps onto the stage and charges at the singer!

The Winner of Season One of "The Voice" UK is....

2012-06-03T00:53:00.001+01:00

...this lady!! Yay, a Diva won the first ever series of The voice, UK. I should mention her name, it's Leanne Mitchell, and having not watching any of the series I am in no position to offer anything but congratulations! I don't even know if she wins anything, though I assume she gets a recording contract. What I do know is that she was mentored by Tom Jones, and was not the bookmakers favourite to win (Thanks BBC website!).

Coldplay & Rihanna "Princess Of China" [New Video]

2012-06-03T00:24:00.001+01:00

Coldplay and Rihanna finally release the green-screen heavy video for single Princess Of China [which I reviewed here, what seems like an enternity ago]. The teaser released a while back hinted that something a little special, and dare I "iconic" was in the making, but the actual video doesn't quite fulfil that promise. Well not to me anyway.

Reader Spotlight: Karen Vinter

2012-06-01T17:27:00.002+01:00

Today is quite a momentous day for us here at Divadevotee. For today is the day that we shine a little bit of love and light on one of our most loyal supporters, Ms Karen Vinter!

Karen has been one of a group of people- you know who your are- who have kept this blog going with their participation, support and kind words.

Over the course of our many exchanges it transpired that Karen was in fact a singer, and knowing this I couldn't help but push for a taster! It took some time, but eventually she was kind enough to send me audio of some of the songs she had covered. Songs which you too can now hear below.

[Free Music] Ellie Goulding: 'High For This'

2012-05-31T18:16:00.001+01:00

Ellie Goulding has released a free track for fans to pass the time as they wait for new material, scheduled to hit in October. It may not be an original song- its actually a cover of The weeknd's High For This- but it's still a quality offering from the electro-pop Diva.

So whatcha waiting for, take a listen and download!

[New Video] Florence + The Machine: "Spectrum"

2012-05-31T16:15:00.001+01:00

Florence + The Machine have released the video for one of my favourite tracks off of the Ceremonials album, Spectrum.

Keen to mirror the opulence and luscious feel of the track itself, Florence + The Machine enlisted world renowned photographer David LaChapelle to direct the clip.

There are some gorgeous set pieces to be found in the video for Spectrum, for instance the flooded cityscape, and the golden-hued apartment, but it feels like they either ran out of time, or money to really use them to their best advantage. The choreography looked particularly loose. But I suppose that will happen when you're trying to squash in a video shoot while on a world tour.

An introduction to the Americana/Acoustic Scene by Opie Ever [Guest Post]

2012-05-30T16:32:00.000+01:00

Recently DD (DivaDevotee) suggested I might want to write a bit about "acoustic" music for this blog. Flattering as that suggestion was, it was also a daunting one.

[New Music ]Lana Del Rey & Bobby Womack, "DayGlo Reflection"

2012-05-28T19:46:00.001+01:00

Lana Del Rey continues to infuriate detractors by getting to not only work with some of the coolest people in music-in this case Bobby Womack- but also manages to gain praise from those collaborators too.

Madonna Covers Lady Gaga's "Born This Way". But Why?

2012-05-28T14:43:00.001+01:00

Now we all know that Madonna is one shady character, and someone who is fond of cryptically- or not so cryptically in the case of Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson- attacking others when it suits her (most noticeably when she needs publicity). We also know that Lady Gaga's Born This Way sounds a lot like Madonna's classic Express Yourself and that the Queen of pop herself commented on the likeness by saying,

"When I heard ['Born This Way'] on the radio… I said, 'That sounds very familiar'… It felt reductive. "

This being the case, when footage from Madonna's latest tour rehearsal leaked showing her performing a mash-up of Express Yourself and Born This Way, one couldn't help but question her motives for doing it.

Jennifer Holliday Schools American Idol contestent, Jessica Sanchez , in "I am Telling You" Duet

2012-05-28T13:30:00.002+01:00

It takes a brave, or stupid person, to go up against powerhouse vocalist Jennifer Holliday. So whoever thought it would be a good idea to pair American Idol finalist Jessica Sanchez up against her- well technically it was a "duet", but it sure didn't sound like it- was clearly either deluded about her talent or wanting to sabotage her chances of winning the series.

This performance of And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going could have, in theory, worked for Jessica Sanchez if she had sung it solo, or duetted with a lessor singer. Her voice clearly has the styling and range to sing the power anthem. But in putting her up against Jennifer Holliday- who made the song famous, and who sang it best- it only highlighted Ms Sanchezs' weaknesses.

Mariah Carey Performs at Mawazine Festival in Morocco

2012-05-27T22:01:00.000+01:00

What more could I ask for on a sunny Sunday afternoon than a bunch of Mariah Carey performances to watch and review!! Seriously, I love me some Mariah!

Sounding in better form, vocally, than her last live set in Austria [here], Mariah Carey graced the Mawazine Festival in Morocco with her presence and hefty back catalogue in a one off concert for the Moroccan people.

Below are the performances, as well as my views on them. I'd love to hear what you guys thought in the comments!

NOTE: Anyone who suffers from sea sickness might prefer to listen to the audio, oppose to watching the clips. The camera does get pretty vomit inducing with a constant "swaying" motion when its panned out from the stage. You have been warned!!

Queen Kylie Returns With New Song "Timebomb"

2012-05-25T15:18:00.000+01:00

From bubblegum pop to indie queen (Who I loved) to finally finding her feet, Kylie Minogue has been on a roll ever since she started making edgier pop music with album, Light Years . Case in point, a new song entitled Timebomb, released to celebrate her 25 years in the music industry. A feat I don't think many appreciate in terms of the quality of its output or its wider influence on the pop world!

Melody Thornton Covers La Roux's "Bulletproof"

2012-05-24T22:46:00.000+01:00

Covering an electro-pop gem like La Roux's Bulletproof is always going to be a tough challenge, but it's just what ex-Pussycat Doll, Melody Thornton and duet partner Bobby Newberry (anyone?) have attempted to do.

Taking the song down a "darker" route, the pair have transformed the feisty and energetic tune into a melodramatic, emo anthem that had zero emotional impact on moi- perhaps I'm dead inside. The crescendo vocals at the end of the track also get a little too messy for my liking.

Don't even get me started on the video or Bobby Newberry's make-up. You know you've gone too far with it when your skin looks more flawless, and your lips more glossy than your female co-star.

Rihanna Performs "Where Have You Been" Live on American Idol Finale.

2012-05-24T14:42:00.003+01:00

Yep, the Rihanna embargo has been lifted, because honestly I just don't care enough to keep it going. With that out the way, take a look at her performance of new single Where Have You Been on the American Idol season 11 Final.

There has certainly been growth in the star in regards to her stage presence, and her involvement with the choreography, and that has to be given credit. Also, unlike other people in the industry, Rihanna, always seems to sing live, admittedly over quite a filled out backing track. Whether you appreciate that "experience" or not is another thing. However, I like to see people giving it a good go and RiRi certainly is getting more accomplished as a live vocalist.

Whitney Houston featuring Jordin Sparks, "Celebrate" [New Music]

2012-05-22T16:44:00.000+01:00

The last recording from the late Whitney Houston has surfaced on the internet, and it's perhaps fitting that the song Celebrate- in which Jordin Sparks features- is a positive, upbeat one that speaks on enjoying and appreciating life.

Taken from the movie soundtrack of Sparkle- a remake in which the pair both star- its tracklist reveals it also features another Whitney Houston song, the gospel hymn His Eyes On The Sparrow, which is sure to be a real tearjerker. Listen to Jennifer Holiday and the Lauryn Hill/Tanya Blount renditions below.

Kelly Clarkson performs "Darkside" At The 2012 Billboard Awards.

2012-05-21T13:36:00.002+01:00

The Billboard Awards have taken place, and you know what that means: live performances!! Without a doubt one of my favourites of the night belonged to Kelly Clarkson, who sang the amazing Darkside which is taken from her latest album Stronger.

Looking elegant (and noticeably thinner) in a simple red dress, Kelly Clarkson channelled the performance style of Mariah Carey and delivered the song entirely static, behind the microphone. It was no less a spirited rendition of the rock/pop track for it.

Lady Gaga "You're All My Little Monsters" [New Music]

2012-05-20T15:35:00.002+01:00

You're All My Little Monsters is a song taken from the season finale of series 23 of the legendary cartoon series, The Simpsons.

The episode entitled, Lisa Goes Gaga, will air tonight on the Fox Network in the States, and from the title we can infer that it will revolve pretty much entirely around Lady Gaga and the middle Simpson child, Lisa.

Grimes "Visions" [Album Review]

2012-05-19T17:48:00.000+01:00

Visions single handedly stopped me topping myself after hearing Tulisa had hit the top spot last week with her awful debut single,We Are Young. Despite having never heard of Grimes before, Visions is actually the 24 year old Canadians third album, so it seems like I'm late to the party.

Grimes is that special kind of Diva, one whose creativity can almost literally be felt oozing out of the speakers. It was just what I needed to wash away the apathy and "woe-is-me" feelings I was starting to get from the overexposure of certain Divas and trends in current popular music.

It is almost unbelievable to me that this was not only recorded in 3 weeks, but was entirely written and produced by the musician in her apartment.

Vocal Profile: Donna Summer (Updated)

2012-05-18T02:59:00.001+01:00

Donna Summer

Vocal Type:Mezzo-Soprano
Vocal Range: 3 octaves 3 notes. C3- F6
Vocal Pluses:Donna summer was a rear creature, in that though a technical singer with expert control over her instrument, she was also one capable of delivering emotion too. Whether oozing seduction- Love To Love You Baby- lamenting the loss of love-MacArthur Park- or giving attitude- Bad Girl- Donna Summer knew how to manipulate her voice to bring the meaning of her lyrics to life.

Her skill as vocalist meant that she was able to hold a note effortlessly- No More Tears (Enough is Enough)- and able to sing complex melisma throughout the range without issue. She also had a vibrato that could be manipulated in speed depending on the effect required.

Disco Diva Donna Summer Passes Away

2012-05-18T01:08:00.003+01:00

A sad day for the music world, as another legendary Diva passes. Queen of Disco, Donna Summer has tragically died at the age of 63 after reportedly losing her battle with cancer.

Vocal Profile: Faith Hill

2012-05-17T02:36:00.002+01:00

Faith Hill

Vocal Type: Mezzo-Soprano
Vocal Range:2 Octaves E3-E5
Whistle Register:No
Vocal Pluses: Faith Hill is a technical singer and as such sounds to have excellent control both at the bottom of her range and at the top. Her skill over her instrument allows her to hold notes for notable periods of time effortlessly, with or without her controlled and measured vibrato. Though able to utilise her voice with a country twang-Piece Of My Heart- she can also forgo it for a contemporary styling, thus increasing her versatility and the genre of music she sing.

Carrie Underwood Performs “Good Girl” on “Dancing with the Stars”

2012-05-16T15:46:00.001+01:00

American Idol season 4 winner Carrie Underwood popped up on American show, Dancing With The Stars to perform new song Good Girl. The single was digitally released at the end of February, and incredibly has already amassed sales of 775,000 as of May 9th, in the States alone!

[Discuss] Britney Spears and Demi Lovato Join X-Factor Judging Panel.

2012-05-15T20:15:00.000+01:00

Okay, I've kind of given up on reality talent shows of late, but I thought the fact that Divas Britney Spears and Demi Lovato had just been revealed to be taking up positions on season two of X-Factor (US), it was worth posting on.

After jettisoning his own "friend", Cheryl Cole from series one, it was clear from the outset that no one was safe from Simon Cowell's chopping block and his evil quest for ratings and the success of his own talent show format.

Clearly unhappy with the state of things at the end of the first season, Cowell then turned his axe on Nicole Scherzinger, Paula Abdul and presenter Steve Jones in a radical move that left two bloodied seats on the panel up for grabs. Seats which Britney Spears- who collects a cool $15 million- and Demi Lovato will now occupy.

Lipped Or Not: Jennifer Lopez, "Dance Again" on American Idol

2012-05-11T16:20:00.002+01:00

Jennifer Lopez doesn't look like she's slowing down any time soon and is still serving "fierce", over ten years in the game. Taking the cheese board that is new single Dance Again [ review] to the stage on American Idol, the New York native put her money where her mouth is and pulled out an energetic performance for the crowd and judging panel she usually sits with.

Guest Review: Marina and the Diamonds "Electra Heart"

2012-05-09T22:03:00.000+01:00

It must be difficult for any artist to release their sophomore album knowing that it could make or break the career that they have so viciously fought for, but I think that Marina Lambrini Diamandis, or as she's better known Marina and the Diamonds, has succeeded where others have failed with second album, Electra Heart. Not only does she deliver the goods, but she brings them with personality, conviction and a genuine sense of tongue-in-cheek fun.