Pop & B - All Music Fit to Blog: January 2011

Monday, January 31, 2011

Janet Jackson's (and Justin Timberlake's) 7th Anniversary of "Nipplegate" Is Today

It's hard to believe that today marks the 7th anniversary of what has become colloquially recognized as "nipplegate," or also known as the Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show, in which Justin Timberlake ripped off a part of Janet Jackson's costume to expose her partially shielded breast. Being that yesterday was the singer's 30th birthday party and Janet Jackson has had record sell-outs at her upcoming concert tour, why not commemorate a date in history that will live in infamy (for the oh-so-prudish).

If Howard Stern is the king of all media, Lady Gaga has become the queen of all social media as the number of twitterers following the "Alejandro" singer is rapidly approaching 8 million, a figure no one on twitter has ever approached, let alone pass. She is currently the most followed account on the social networking site after passing the previous leader, Britney Spears last year and is expected to cross the new threshold this week. Add to that, she is the most "liked" fan page on Facebook, and we have ourselves the new queen of all social media.

Read the lyrics to "Born This Way" below:

It seemed a little unusual for a Raekwon album to be missing a collaboration with one of the biggest Wu-Tang emcees, but that appeared to be the case when the track list of Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang had no mention of a RZA track. Now Raekwon has confirmed that RZA will not appear on the album, citing RZA's scheduling conflicts and hardcore allegiance to Wu-Tang as reasons for his absence.

Jessie J is bring her talents on tour throughout the British Isles this April. The seven date tour through the UK and Ireland begins at the Academy in Glasgow on March 31 before making her way southward, ending the UK leg at London's Shepherds Bush Empire on April 5. Afterward, she finishes the tour in Ireland, performing at Dublin and Belfast on Aprlil 7 and 9, respectively.

Check out all of the dates below:

Adele's sophomore album 21 has debuted at number one on the UK Albums chart with sales of 208,000 copies. Not only does this mark the singer's second UK number one album, it marks the highest sales week for an January release in five years. The album, which unseated Bruno Mars's Doo-Wops and Hooligans at the top, has received rave reviews.

Nicki Minaj Takes Over SNL

Nicki Minaj took to SNL last night to perform and take a stab at her comedic skills. The "Moment 4 Life" rapper performed her two hits "Right Thru Me" and "Moment 4 Life" and the latter performance had Minaj with a the Bride of Frankenstein black and white wig. The highlight of the show was the comedy short in which Nicki joined Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island crew in a creeping music video.

Watch the Lonely Island comedy Skit and "Moment 4 Life" performance below:

REVIEW: "S&M" by Rihanna

Rihanna has emerged as the modern sex symbol of today's pop music and with that distinction comes a responsibility to produce music that projects sexuality in new and innovative ways. Thus, the new single from Rihanna's album Loud aims to do just that, highlighting the naughtiness and effervescent quality of the synth-centric pop track in attention-grabbing style.

The Bajan beauty struts herself through her vocals, sounding coy and subdued during the first verse before exploding into a thumping, pulsating chorus of "sticks and stones" and the smell of "sex in the air." She's bad and oh so good at it, and entices the listener by telling them to "come on, come on." It is a perfect dance track with just the right amount of sex to have the prudish pulling their hair out, while not going overboard with the sexual overtones to sound desperate.

With a number one song and an album on the verge of release, Bruno Mars was riding high (no pun intended) in September 2010. Unfortunately, with the good comes the bad and that's exactly what happened when police arrested the singer on cocaine possession charges. With no prior convictions, the singer was able to accept a plea bargain with the Clark County (Las Vegas) District Attorney to have the charges dismissed if the "Grenade" singer agrees to certain terms, which include a $2,000 fine, 200 hours of community service, and no other run-ins with the police for the next year.

Kanye West joins Jane's Addiction and The Killers to headline the first ever Lollapalooza festival in Chile. The Chicago-based music festival will take place on April 2nd and 3rd and will be the festival's first overseas endeavor.

Check the full list of performers below:

On the heels of Tinie Tempah's entrance onto the American music scene, he has one big name supporter (and future collaborator): Usher. The British hip hop star opened for Usher during the European leg of his OMG Tour and impressed the "More" singer so much that he wants to collaborate with the Grime star on his upcoming album.

Listen to "Pass Out" by Tinie Tempah below:

NEW MUSIC: "I Need A Doctor" by Dr. Dre featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey

New music from Dr. Dre's forthcoming album Detox has leaked, including a higher quality version of the previously leaked "I Need A Doctor" track, which features a couple of verses from Eminem. The chorus is sung by up and coming Wonderland Music label signee Skylar Grey while Dr. Dre contributes on last verse before the song's conclusion.

Listen to "I Need A Doctor" below:

Chris Brown's upcoming album F.A.M.E. has an official release date of March 22nd, according to Jive Records. The LP features production by Jim Jonsin, Kevin McCall, Polow Da Don, and Diplo, among others, along with collaborations with Bruno Mars, Drake, and Justin Bieber.

Rihanna is looking smoking hot in the new behind-the-scenes look at her new music video "S&M." A video clip posted on celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton's website shows the red-head sporting an assortment of different outfits and costumes, complete with all the necessary accoutrement for a sadomasochistic video vixen. There are whips, latex, midriff-bearing tops with the word "censored" sprawled across Riri's chest, dancing, sweet confections, and swinging candelabras.

Check the video clip behind the scenes of "S&M" below:

The "official" video premiere of David Guetta & Rihanna's song "Who's That Chick" hit the internet and if you're wondering why the video looks familiar, it's because it is a cut-and-paste project of the song/video that was leaked back in September.

Check out the "Who's That Chick" music video below:

...it sounds amazing!! Cheryl Cole's UK number one "Promise This" has always been defined by the kinetically pulsating, bass-heavy beat of the song but Adele has taken the uptempo track and stripped it down into a piano-laced ballad. Her impeccable vocals over the gentle chords of the piano and cymbal taps culminate in a smooth, jazzy rendition of one of pop's biggest dance songs of last year.

Listen to Adele's cover of "Promise This" below:

Although Cher Lloyd was never crowned winner of The X-Factor, she is doing very big things for her debut album. According to many sources, the third runner-up is working with Nicki Minaj on new music for her upcoming LP.

A source close to the singer admitted Cher is a huge fan of the "Moment 4 Life" rapper and was very determined to get in the studio with her. Using her connections, including Will.i.am who dueted with both Cher and Nicki in the past, she was able to secure a collaboration in the near future.

VIDEO PREMIERE: "Moment 4 Life" by Nicki Minaj featuring Drake

Nicki Minaj has invoked the many stage personalities for which she has become known in the new video for "Moment 4 Life." Her Godmother Martha Zolanski (mother of Minaj personality Roman Zolanski) tells the femcee of her moment for life, after which Nicki, wearing a headdress of yellow gold and cascading diamonds, moves through the palatial mansion of partygoers. The train of her turquoise gown trails the "Right Thru Me" rapper/singer, before a cotton candy pink-wigged Minaj meets with her fellow Young Money star, Drake, with open arms.

The dapper Canadian emcee raps his part, before the two approach the altar, against a backdrop of flowing fireworks. The two never officially lock lips, but as the clock strikes midnight, their lips near and retract as the fireworks display overtakes the two.

Watch the music video below (before it is yanked from YouTube by the evil music labels):

Panic! At The Disco have returned with new music from the upcoming album Vices and Virtues with the premiere of the lead single "The Ballad of Mona Lisa." The energetic song is enhanced by the loud orchestral and percussive instrumental that brings back some of the magic of their debut album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out. The resounding chorus is super-catchy and takes a much more mainstream sound than their last album, but it works well over the heavy sound of the music.

Listen to "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" below:

The production duo who worked on most of Rihanna's Rated R album have admitted that they snubbed the "What's My Name?" singer after suggestions of her interest in working with them for their new album No More Idols. They made it known that they respect the singer and have no personal qualms working with her on future projects, but their goal was to "showcase fresh and cutting edge UK talent."

Katy Perry's Single Artwork for "E.T."

Picture Source

Katy Perry has three number one songs under her belt with her sophomore album Teenage Dream. If that isn't a direct refutation to the "sophomore slump" trend that plagues many artists, than I don't what is! Regardless, her fourth single is the first song leaked before from her most recent LP, which is titled "E.T.," and yes, it stands for extraterrestrial.

Listen to the song below:

What Avril wants you to know with the video for her new song is that she's not just a tease, she has a male creature more loyal than a dog following her every move. As she awakes from a bed with her love interest, the ever-rebellious Lavigne carjacks a NYC cab on what is far from a NYC block (clearly the video was filmed in Los Angeles). As she drives down the road, she is followed by her clingy boyfriend in a desperate but eerily stalkerish gesture of affection.

Justin Bieber and Ozzy Osbourne will appear on a television commerical during the biggest television event of the year: The Super Bowl. Yes, that's right; the Godfather of Heavy Metal and the teen heartthrob will be featured in a Best Buy ad together. Of course it wreaks of cheap publicity points, harnessing the biggest teen idol of today and pairing him with the diametrically opposite figure in music, Mr. Dove-decapitator himself. However, it will obviously be a winner for Best Buy when you can pair two vastly different people in one studio.

I'm not sure whether I should cringe at the idea or cringe at myself for my curiosity as to how the final product turns out. Regardless, catch the advert on Sunday, February 6th and David Letterman, where Justin Bieber will be a guest on the Late Show both Monday (sit-down interview) and Friday (Top Ten List).

Janet Jackson's "Number Ones" Tour Adds More Dates

Although her last album struggled in the sales department, where Janet Jackson really shines is and has always been on the stage. Thus it is no surprise that her Number Ones Tour has sold out in minutes, requiring the singer and her management to add more date for the performer's upcoming tour.

Her April 14th show Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles sold out in less than 10 minutes, requiring two more dates to be added, which have sold out as well. Her sold out show at the Santa Barbara Bowl had 96% of the seats sold in presales alone, and sold out minutes after sales officially began. Sold out shows in New York, Chicago, Toronto and Philadelphia have led to new dates, while her international venues have encountered a similar response.

Selling albums in this drying up industry has become a rarity of sorts. However, some artists are able to defy the trends by shifting albums at a remarkably steady and significant rate. Lady Gaga is one of them.

Since the release of The Fame in October 2008, Lady Gaga's debut album has been certified quadruple platinum with sales of 4,000,000 in the United States. While this does not include The Fame Monster - EP, which has sold 1.4 million alone, it does include The Fame Monster - Deluxe Edition which is the release of her debut album with the eight songs included on the EP. While Lady Gaga has become certified 4x Platinum in the U.S., Rihanna is working her magic in the British Isles.

Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj look like they will be going on tour together. Lil Wayne's 24 North American date tour I Am Music II will feature the certified-platinum female emcee as she opens on the first substantive tour of her career.

Check below for the tour dates:

The Big 4 To Play Only ONE U.S. Date

Although anticipation was searing hot last night, some disappointment has come to those awaiting a North American tour extension for the Big 4, the heavy metal band lineup that has toured Europe for the past year. It appears Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax, all of whom comprise the Big 4, will only be making a one date appearance in the states at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calfornia, the venue most known for their annual Coachella Festival.

Check out the official poster below:

As expected, Lady Gaga's new album is becoming one of the most anticipated albums of 2011 and the praise it has received from super-producer RedOne and Gaga stylist Nicola Formichetti has been matched by BET's President of Music Programming, Stephen Hill, who has taken to his twitter page to publicly express his amazement at the singer's new music.

Jennifer Lopez's new single "On The Floor" is expected to be "wild and crazy," according to the singer. The new American Idol judge has finished filming the video for the trancey/techno dance club number, which features a verse from Miami's Pitbull and will appear on J.Lo's upcoming album Love? When speaking with MTV, the singer goes into detail about the visual.

NEW MUSIC: "Where You At" by Jennifer Hudson + Album Details

Jennifer Hudson has debuted her lead single today on the internet, titled "Where You At" with lyrics and production by R. Kelly and Harvey Mason Jr. The R&B ballad is a very soulful showing by the big-voiced and very slim "Spotlight" singer and deals with the feeling of abandonment sensed when broken promises overtake a relationship.

Listen to the full version of "Where You At" by Jennifer Hudson below:

British belter Jessie J shows off her badass-ness on the official artwork of her debut album Who You Are. Sporting a jet black bob, black lipstick with golden designs and black nails, the 22-year-old is pulling off with ease her best rock star with just the right amount of black and gold to distinguish herself from blending in with a sea of Pittsburgh Steelers' fans. Sexy and evocative, the album cover is an instant attention-grabber.

Young Money's dance/pop musician Jay Sean has premiered a new track believed to be on the singer's upcoming sophomore album Freeze Time. The "Down" crooner sings over a sea of synthesized beats and a thumping bass about what else but having a good old time with a female at the dance club. It doesn't deviate much from the sound with which he has become synonymous. It's a little bit "Down" and little bit "2012 (It Ain't The End)" with a signature sexed-up verse from Lil Wayne and that made-for-clubs quality that ignites the dance floor over-saturated with inebirated partygoers.

Listen to the track below:

Lady Gaga has reportedly wrapped up shooting for the video of her forthcoming new single, "Born This Way," and according to her stylist Nicola Formichetti, it is the "most amazing thing ever." The stylist/fashion designer has taken to his twitter the past few days to reveal Gaga's work for the video shoot, sparking curiosity for both the song and the music video, which is a staple for Gaga's musical empire.

Check out the tweets below:

From the mundane drabness of average life in Stratford, Ontario to the glaring lights of Manhattan, the story of Justin Bieber's ascension to superstardom is being portrayed that way on the teen's movie poster for his biography Never Say Never. On the poster, a larger-than-life Bieber stands in the center with his hometown to the left in black-and-white while the New York skyline towers to the left in full color, yet still overshadowed by the teen sensation.

The film will hit theaters on February 11th. Get ready for Bieber fever in the upcoming days!

New Kanye Album Coming Soon!

Although Kanye West had taken some time off after the VMA incident back in late 2009/early 2010, it appears 2011 will not follow suit. The rapper, who has been enjoying the commercial and critical success of his fifth studio album My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy and his Jay-Z-assisted collaboration single "H.A.M.," seems prepared to embark on new music.

I guess Britney is not the only pop starlet releasing videos from an upcoming music video. Ryan Seacrest has unveiled a few new photos from Rihanna's "S&M" video shoot, in which the Bajan beauty sports crimson flowing hair, floppy golden bunny ears, and critical blog-inspired headlines flashing on a white background. It appears that the singer is taking aim at some of the not-so-friendly bloggers that saturate the internet.

Check out another photo below:

Rap-Up.com has premiered a new song by Game for his Purp & Patron mixtape, which will hit the net today at 4:20pm EST. The R&B/hip-hop track features verses between the two about their luxurious lifestyles, interspersed between the sung chorus over a David D.A. Doman production. Although the song was supposed to feature Trey Songz, the crooner's vocals have been replaced by an unknown vocalist. The song is a silky smooth jam with sumptuously rich lyrics and great production.

Listen to the track below:

Britney Spears has taken to her twitter page to unveil the first snapshot of the upcoming music video for the Billboard Hot 100 number one hit "Hold It Against Me." On her twitter page, the 29-year-old pop superstar wrote on Saturday, "Day 1 of the HIAM shoot with Jonas. Such an incredible experience. I think this will be one of the best videos I have ever done." This was followed last night with a tweet that stated, "Day 2 is a wrap! #HIAM video coming soon...." with a twitpic depicting the singer surrounded by microphones.

Kanye's and Jay-Z's "Watch the Throne" Official Release Date

Kanye West has let his twitter followers in on the release date (or at least month) of the most anticipated hip-hop album of the next few months. According to the "Runaway" rapper, "I'll be back this SUMMER!!!!!!!!!! WATCH THE THRONE COMING IN 2 MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!"

Listen to "All The Lights" below:

Bruno Mars has ended Rihanna's three week reign atop the UK Albums Chart, while the "Grenade" singer has held off major releases on the singles chart from overtaking his spot at the summit. His debut album, which was released in the states last fall, has finally seen its release in the UK, outselling Loud by a substantial margin. The success of his first two singles, both of which have enjoyed number one success on both sides of the Atlantic have made Bruno one of the biggest new artists of 2010/11.

Although T.I. may be serving his sentence in prison for violating his probation, that does not preclude the ATL rapper from raking in the dough or selling albums from name recognition alone. With no formal promotion for obvious reasons, the rapper's follow-up to the double platinum success Paper Trail has been certified Gold for shipments of 500,000 copies in just six weeks.

France's NRJ Awards were presented to the winners at last night's ceremony and there's nothing like a superstar and his protégé superstar-in-the-making taking home some big wins. Usher, who's currently on his OMG Tour, took home one of the biggest awards of the night after winning International Male Artist of the Year. His album Raymond vs. Raymond and the accompanying EP Versus have spawned the massive hits "OMG" and "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love," respectively.

"California Gurls" caught the attention of music listeners last summer by its catchy, uptempo, synth-heavy confectionary quality. Bruno Mars, however, has stripped down the song for BBC Radio to a smooth, bluesy skeleton of its former self, laced with piano chords and his silky smooth vocals. The cover is barely recognizable as the hit that stormed the pop charts just months ago and showcases the finesse of the "Grenade" singer along with the great chemistry between him and his Smeezington songwriters.

Check out Bruno Mars's "California Gurls" cover below:

Monica Is Loving Her "New Life"

Monica has returned to the studio to work on a new album with quite the apropos title. After revealing her marriage to Los Angeles Lakers star Shannon Brown last week, the singer has unveiled some new details about her upcoming 7th studio album.

Nicki Minaj has spent the past few days on her promotional tour around London, all the while her presence has ignited enormous fanaticism from her so-called barbiez. This marks the rapper/singer-songwriter's first visit to the British Isles since the release of her debut album Pink Friday and her British fans have made the rapper feel loved.

When speaking with DJ Semtex about the fan uproar her visit has caused, the emcee responded, "I've never gone through this in my life. I wish I could have this moment for life. This moment right now, being here, is the best thing in the world."

It appears that things are looking up for the once fallen R&B star, who just one year ago struggled to make a substantive comeback after the incident with former girlfriend Rihanna. Just last fall his song "Deuces," which had initially been released as part of his Fan of a Fan mixtape, rocketed to the top of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart and spent nine weeks at the summit. Now, it appears that momentum is continuing with Brown's song "No BS," which looks to be bringing Brown his second R&B number one.

Is Lil KIm "Killin' Em" on Fabolous Remix?

Lil Kim released a remix of Fabolous's "You Be Killin' 'Em" song from his most recent EP, There Is No Competition 2: The Grieving Music EP. The remix features a verse by Lil Kim in which she spits about the fabulous life of the rich and famous. "It's Kimmy Blanco, fly girl mercenary/See the closet like a chinchilla cemetery," Kim raps over the beat with the braggadocio of a female renegade.

Listen to the remix below:

Working on one of the most anticipated albums of 2011, Beyonce seems to be establishing herself as the music star of this upcoming year(s). This really seems to be the case now that the singer/actress has been selected as the star of Oscar-winning director Clint Eastwood's remake of the fourth version of the 1937 film, A Star is Born.

Katy Perry Releases California Dreams Tour Details

Katy Perry has released tour details about her upcoming California Dreams summer concert series in support of her number one album Teenage Dream. The 95-date tour includes 39 North American dates, including her opening show in America at Atlanta's Gwinnett Center on June 7th as well as two shows in her hometown of Santa Barbara, CA on 13th and 14th of August.

Lil Wayne is so in love with Chris Brown's newest single "Look at Me Now" that the New Orleans native was considering using it for his new album, with one not-so-minor alternation: kicking Breezy off. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the emcee said that Chris Brown's rhymes on the song make the track ineligible to make the final tracklist of Tha Carter IV.

Listen to Chris Brown's "Look at Me Now" below:

Rihanna tweeted a snapshot of the singer's upcoming Melina-directed video for her single "S&M," and let's just say it's not just the color that is red hot. The singer is seen sporting a tightly curled fire-engine red wig and a heart-shaped eyepatch, while holding an ice cream cone. With such an inviting image, how can she play the role of a convincing sadomasochist?

Check out the photo of the singer in Hollywood last night below:

Monday, January 31, 2011

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Friday, January 28, 2011

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Monday, January 24, 2011

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Friday, January 21, 2011

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Followers

Blog Archive

About Me

My Favorite BLOGS!!!

Total Pageviews

Pages