Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 2011, album, beyonce, music, premiere, R&B, video
This week has been full of Beyoncé news. On Sunday we got an iconic performance of “Run The World (Girls)” at the Billboard Awards which you can watch HERE. Beyoncé also received Billboard ‘Artist of The Millennium’ award on the same night.
Today we got a number of things. Most importantly, Beyoncé released her single called “1+1′, from her upcoming album, ’4′. ’1+1′ is a soulful ballad, with probably the best lyrics from any Beyoncé song. Beyoncé might have a hard time getting this to #1, but if Adele can make such a soulful song like, ‘Rolling In The Deep’ #1, then so can Beyoncé. You can listen to the song via Rap-Up and download it on iTunes. Beyoncé performed the song on American Idol tonight, and you can watch that performance below.
On top of that, the tracklisting for ’4′ was also revealed today. The album will include 12 songs, with the opening track being ’1+1′. There will also be a 2-disc deluxe edition which will be released on the same day. Check out the tracklisting below, and pre-order ’4′ by clicking HERE.
- 1+1
- I Care
- I Miss You
- Best Thing I Never Had
- Party (featuring Andre 3000)
- I’d Rather Die Young
- Start Over
- Love On Top
- Countdown
- End of Time
- I Was Here
- Run The World (Girls)
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 2011, album, music, New Talent, Pop, review
Natalia Kills caught my eye when she released her single, “Mirrors”, and I saw pictures of this very interesting looking girl all over the internet. I listened to a few of her songs and immediately became hooked. There’s something truly intriguing about Kills. She has a unique voice, and a cool sense of style. I also liked that her music seemed consistant; every song has a similar sound, which is like a Natalia Kills staple.
I was really rooting for Natalia, and I was anxiously awaiting this album her debut album, “Perfectionist”, which was released today internationally. In all honesty, the album disappointed me a whole lot. There isn’t much variety in the record, and at some point during the middle of the album it seemed like I was listening to one very long song. The beats are all too similar, and there aren’t almost any songs that I can see being successful on radio. My biggest disappointment, however, is that there aren’t any standout vocals on any song. I was expecting to hear at least one song with great vocals, but it never came. The more emotional songs were underwhelming. Some of the songs might grow on me, but for now, this album was not what I expected at all.
- Wonderland (8/10) – If there is any song on the album that might be a hit, then this is it. It’s a great pop record, with catchy lyrics, and a sick beat.
- Free (8/10) – Easily, the best song on the album. It’s the stand out track in every way – lyrically, vocally, and production-wise. It’s the most original song on the album and also the most relatable. I’d love to see how big this song could get with good promotion. More songs like this would have made the album much better.
- Break You Hard (6/10) - The beat is sick, and the chorus is catchy, but those are the only good things about it.
- Zombie (5/10) – Too unoriginal. I actually like this song, but it’s just catchy.
- Love Is a Suicide (4/10) – Boring and generic.
- Mirrors (7/10) – Although the song is a carbon copy of Lady GaGa’s “Just Dance”, it is extremely catchy and has great lyrics.
- Not In Love (3/10) – I was waiting and waiting, but the song never went anywhere.
- Acid Annie (4/10) – This song had potential to be the best song on the album, but Natalia’s underwhelming vocals ruined it.
- Superficial (5/10) – A Standout lyrically and vocally, but once again the beat is too generic.
- Broke (5/10) – It’s just OK.
- Heaven (4/10) – The song is good, until you get to the chorus.
- Nothing Lasts Forever (5/10) – Another OK track.
- If I Was God (6/10) – One of my favorites. Her voice actually sounds great, but I don’t like the chorus.
M.O.G. RATING: 5/10
In 2008, Soul-Pop singer Adele released her unbelievably amazing debut, “19″, which earned her some worldwide hits. “Make Me Feel My Love” and “Chasing Pavements” have become classics not only in the UK, but all over the world. Now she has grown a bit, and is ready to give the world a taste of a more matured Adele, both emotionally and vocally. It’s so hard to believe that Adele is only 22, because not only is her voice mature for her age, but her style and music seems like something a 22 year old would never be singing. But everything that may seem wrong about Adele actually works perfect for her. Her album is filled with emotional vocally-driven tracks. There are no fillers here; every track will break your heart, and bring you life that you never knew you had. From beginning to end, every single line in the album is sung beautifully, and the production is even more fantastic. Every song was written by Adele, and is about personal experiences. There is no way anyone can not like this album.
- Rolling In The Deep: The first single. Has the perfect amount of sass. A nice departure from the bubbly ballads in “19″. 9/10
- Rumor Has It: The only song where Adele shows no sympathy; it’s all about the revenge on this one, with lyrics like “Just because I said it, doesn’t mean I meant it”, and “Rumor has it he’s the one I’m leaving you for”. 9/10
- Turning Tables: One of the most beautiful songs on the album. The song has what is probably one of my favorite lines of any song I’ve ever heard; “I can’t keep up with your turning tables, under your thumb I can’t breathe.” 9/10
- Don’t You Remember: Adele really shows her growth as a vocalist on this one. The chorus will melt your heart to pieces. The song is a plea for a man she loves to remember why he loved her, and you can feel every bit of heartbreak in her voice. 8/10
- Set Fire To The Rain: The most radio-friendly song on the album. Most of the song is predictable, but the ad-libs at the end are to die for. 8/10
- He Won’t Go: Different than the first of the song. Very commercial, but still original and soulful. 8/10
- Take It All: Very intense track, with a background choir in the background to make things even more epic. 8/10
- I’ll Be Waiting: Probably the least memorable song on the album. Adele’s vocals are great, but the song isn’t very memorable. 6/10
- One and Only: A great bluesy track with fantastic lyrics. 7/10
- Lovesong: Adele really excels in this track. It’s a very simple song, but it stays on your mind. 7/10
- Someone Like You: One of the most heartbreaking songs ever written. Every note is hit perfectly, and touches the right part of the soul. Everything about this song is perfect, and I’m dared to say it’s probably her best song to date. 10/10
M.O.G. RATING: 9/10
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: album, Hip-Hop, HipHop, music, Nicki Minaj, R&B, Rap, review
Thanksgiving week will probably be the biggest week for music in 2010. With releases from Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Ke$ha, Robyn, My Chemical Romance, Justin Beiber, and Beyonce’s highly anticipated tour DVD, it’s going to be interesting to see who comes out on top. The biggest contenders for the #1 spot seem to be Kanye West and Nicki Minaj, whose projects have gained crazy hype over the last year. I reviewed Kanye’s album a few days ago, and now I’ll be giving my two cents on Nicki Minaj’s debut album, “Pink Friday”. I can call myself a Nicki Minaj fan, and have defended her in discussions with the so many Nicki haters.
Did Pink Friday live up to the hype? Yes and No. The album does a great job at maintaining it’s “Barbie” theme throughout, with some fun and cute tracks with features from Rihanna and Natasha Bedingfield. But, the album falls short a bit in terms of the beats and memorable lyrics, which are the biggest things about hip-hop. Most of the beat’s on the songs sound extremely cheap and underproduced. The track with Kanye, “Blazin”, sounds promising, but Kanye is the only positive thing about the record. The same thing happens with her song featuring Drake.
Still, Pink Friday does do what Nicki said it would, which is “bringing female rap back”. The album is better then a lot of hip-hop albums out, and can even compete with Drake’s “Thank Me Later”. The best song on the album is no doubt “Roman’s Revenge”, which is probably the biggest collaboration of 2010. My personal favorite is “Save Me”, a heartfelt, original song, where Nicki finally shows her real singing skills. “Dear Old Nicki” probably features the best lyrics after Roman’s Revenge, and has the best mix of Rap and Singing on the album. The Natasha Bedingfield track surprisingly works really well, and makes for a perfect single choice. The rest of the songs fail to make much impact and could have been replaced with some harder songs like Roman’s Revenge which I’m sure she recorded in the album sessions. Check out the ratings below:
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I’m The Best – 5/10
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Roman’s Revenge f. Eminem – 9/10
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Did it On ‘Em – 7/10
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Right Thru Me – 7/10
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Fly f. Rihanna – 7/10
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Save Me – 8/10
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Moment 4 Life f. Drake – 6/10
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Check It Out f. Will.I.Am – 8/10
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Blazin’ f. Kanye West – 6/10
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Here I Am - 6/10
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Dear Old Nicki – 8/10
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Your Love – 9/10
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Last Chance f. Natasha Bedingfield – 8/10
M.O.G. RATING: 7/10
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 2010, album, Hip-Hop, HipHop, Kanye West, music, Nicki Minaj, Rap, review
The highly anticipated fifth album from Kanye West will be released in a couple of weeks, and with all the hype around it, for the album to not deliver would be really bad for Kanye’s career. Well, the album does deliver, and it’s probably Kanye West’s most exciting and consistent album to date. MBDTF proves that Kanye is on his way to becoming the most respected rapper in the game, and that he remains one of the most unique, original artists out right now. Every song on the album is amazing, not only for hip-hop junkies, but for music lovers in general. If you have any knowledge about real music, then you know that My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a classic.
As of now my favorite song is the opener “Dark Fantasy”. Kanye’s flow on the track is INSANE, and the beat can make even a baby in it’s womb bob their head to it. “All of The Lights” is a star-studded hip-hop anthem that was produced to perfection, with all the right lyrics and features. “Monster” will probably run down in history as one of the biggest collaborations of all time with Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, and Kanye all giving epic verses. Yes, maybe we’ve already heard half of the album with Kanye’s Good Fridays project, but so what? The album is still amazing, and it’s so great to have some excitement back in the hip-hop game. Check out the ratings below:
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“Dark Fantasy” – 9/10
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“Gorgeous” – 7/10
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“Power” – 9/10
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“All of The Lights” – 8.5/10
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“Monster” – 9/10
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“So Appalled” – 9/10
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“Devil in a New Dress” - 9/10
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“Runaway” – 7/10
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“Hell of a Life” – 7/10
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“Blame Game” – 8/10
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“Lost in The World” – 7/10
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“See Me Now” – 8/10
M.O.G. RATING: 9/10
PRE-ORDER
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 2010, album, Hip-Hop, Indie, music, Rap, review
Only two years ago, the world was introduced to Kid Cudi with one of 2009′s most memorable songs, “Day ‘n’ Nite”. Now the Alternative rapper is one of the biggest artists in the hip-hop and indie world of music. Kid Cudi has proved that all rap music doesn’t have to all sound the same, and he has done that by combining all different genres together to create a genius sound that makes his debut album one of the best in hip-hop history. I have been anticipating the sequel to Man on The Moon since it’s release last year, and I am excited to say that the album has lived up to my expectations. This album is literally a diary, where Cudi is revealing everything he feels to the world. The album is full of happiness, sadness, confusion, excitement, and pretty much any other emotion you can think of. The best thing about the album is that, just like his debut, there aren’t necessarily any “radio-friendly” songs on the album. A lot of artists fill up their albums with safe songs that sound like everything else on the radio, but Kid Cudi is brave enough to give us real, raw, original music that isn’t made for radio, but for the fans that understand who Kid Cudi is.
In my opinion, the biggest and most exciting song on the album is “Ashin’ Kusher”, a feel-good uptempo where you can barely understand a word Kid Cudi says, but when broken down the lyrics are absolute genius. My personal favorite is “Worries”, a the second duet on the album with Mary J. Blige. You can feel the sincerity in this song, it shows that Kid Cudi’s music has substance, which is one of the reasons why I’m a fan. I don’t really have anything negative to say about the album, only that it drags on a bit, with a lot of same tempo songs back to back. Check out ratings of each track below, and an overall rating below. Don’t forger to get your copy of MOTM2 on November 9th, you won’t be dissapointed!
- 1. Scott Mescudi Vs. The World Ft. Cee-Lo – 5/10
- REVOFEV – 8/10
- Don’t Play This Song Ft. Mary J. Blige – 6/10
- We Aite (Make Your Mind Up) – 6/10
- Marijuana – 7/10
- Mojo So Dope – 8/10
- Ashin’ Kusher – 9/10 **
- Erase Me Ft. Kanye West – 9/10
- Wild’n Cuz I’m Young – 9/10 **
- The Mood – 7/10
- Manic Ft. Cage & St. Vincent – 8/10
- Mr. Rager – 8/10 **
- These Worries Ft. Mary J. Blige – 9/10 **
- The End - 7/10
- All Along – 8/10
- GHOST! – 7/10
- Trapped In My Mind - 7/10
M.O.G. RATING: 8/10
** – my personal favorites from the album
PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON
Shakira has been America’s “Latin Queen” ever since the start of the new millennium. She has had a large number of worldwide hits (e.g. Hips Don’t Lie, La Tortura), and has made a name for herself as a force to be reckoned with in the music world. Shakira is known for her original style and sultry image, with her music videos being among the best of this generation. In 2009, after four year hiatus, Shakira returned with “She Wolf”, which became her lowest charting album ever. The album only spawned one hit in the U.S. with the title track of the album, but did manage to gain much more success worldwide. The reason for the low sales were probably due to the electronic/dance sound that the album had. It was a big turn from what Shakira fans were used to, and some people just didn’t buy into it.
In 2010, Shakira is back with her seventh album, and she is ready to put that crown back on. “Sale El Sol” shows Shakira going back to her roots but still keeping up with what’s hot, making this the perfect Shakira album. The album is full with authentic Shakira songs, that remind us why we fell in love with Shakira in the first place. I think she might finally have another crossover spanish-language record with this one. My favorite thing about “Sale El Sol” is that Shakira isn’t trying too hard. Everything about this album sounds so effortless and original, and we finally we see growth from Oral Fixation. The only problem I have with this album is that the songs are way too short. Most of the songs on the album are only 2 minutes and change. Check out a song by song review below:
Sale El Sol: This was definitely not a great choice to start the album. I understand the reason for selecting it, but the song doesn’t do what it’s supposed to, which it inspire; it actually has this gloomy feeling that I’m sure wasn’t the intention. With that said, the song isn’t the worst on the album, and it does have some great lyrics. – 5/10
Loca: In my opinion, the spanish version is the best cover of a spanish song EVER. I’ve never heard a latin cover song that is as effective as “Loca” is. It’s exciting, refreshing, and just plain fun! The song brings me back to those days were I used to be so excited by Shakira’s lyrics, because they were so out of the blue and hard to understand. Diseccting the lyrics to Shakira songs is so much fun, but with “She Wolf” I wasn’t all that excited. The english version of the song is also great. Dizzy Rascal is an unusual choice that surprisingly works well. Urban radio really needs this song to bring back some life, becuse the radio today is so boring. – 9/10
Gordita ft. Calle 13: Amazing song. This song is a tribute to Shakira with Calle 13′s singer rapping about Shakira’s great assets. Shakira sounds like the latin legend that she is on this track. It’s the best spanish Shakira song since “La Tortura”. - 9/10
Antes De Las Seis: Good vocals and lyrics. It reminds me of the Shakira that I love from the “Laundry Service” days. There is something missing from the song, but I can’t really put my hand on. Maybe it’s just the fact that the song is short in length. 7/10
Addicted To You: Exciting! Shakira really went back to her roots with this album, and you can tell especially on this song. The voice sounds perfect and the song is the same. The chorus is catchy, and easy to catch on for english speaking fans. This could be such a huge hit worldwide if it gets similar promotion to “La Tortura”. – 9/10
Lo Que Mas: Not many artists can simply “sing it with piano” (IRT Beyonce), but Shakira has shown that she can with this song. The piano is beautiful, and the combination of Shakira’s distinct voice with the track makes the song work. One of the most emotional Shakira songs I’ve ever heard. – 8/10
Marisposas: The weakest song on the album. It’s a nice track, but it doesn’t have the same feel as the rest of the album which makes it stand out in a bad way. 5/10
Rabiosa ft. Pitbull: Potential hit! This song can easily be a U.S. hit, especially with Pitbull being on it. I do feel like there might be too much going on in the song. After the song was over I felt like I had just turned the page in a book and forgotten everything I just read. This song probably has the best beat on the album. 8/10
Devocion: It’s a nice filler track, but nothing special. 6/10
Islands: One of my personal favorites on the album. It’s classic Shakira with that unusual beat and random lyrics. I don’t think a lot of people realize the risks that Shakira takes with her tracks. A lot of the tracks she uses wouldn’t work with anyone else, but that’s what makes her unique. The song has a great concept, which is Shakira singing about staying on an Island with her lover because she doesn’t need anything else anymore. “I am yours now, so now I don’t ever have to leave.” – 8/10
Tu Boca: She sings the song effortlessly, but something just falls short with this one. I do love angry shakira, and this song is a bit on the aggressive side. – 6/10
M.O.G. RATING: 8/10
Buy “Sale El Sol”: Click Here
All Night Long – DOWNLOAD *UPDATED*
UK sensation Alexandra Burke is prepering to release her debut album OverCome in the U.S. after it’s great success in Europe. “All Night Long” is one of the songs from the UK version, but Alexandra has added Pitbull to the US version. The song also has some new vocals from Alexandra, and a slightly different production.
I have to say that I am completely in LOVE with this. It’s crazy how just a few adjustments can make a song so much better, because I wasn’t to fond of the original. I can see this song being huge in the US, especially with Pitbull on the track. I hope they decide to release this as the first single.
Grammy Award Winning Artist Beyonce just released a personal message on her offical website BEYONCEONLINE explaining the direction of her 3rd solo effort rumored to be self-titled.
“I wanted to address my fans about my upcoming album.
I have worked on this album for close to one year. I have taken the time so I can create my sound. Something that says who I am at this stage in my life. I have poured my heart and soul into it. It is my baby. It is the most time I have spent on any project since my first records as a member of Destiny’s Child when I was 15 years old. I have recorded over 70 songs and have created a sound that reveals all of me. I am in a different place right now and I wanted people to see the many sides of me. The music is upbeat for the dance, fun side and it is reflective, passionate and serious for the personal side. I have taken risks here. I am not afraid and my music will explain it all. There is no label or tag on my sound. It’s me and I am so excited to share it with the world on November 18.”
Love,
Beyoncé
Her first two singles “Single Ladies” and “If I Were A Boy” are scheduled to be impact radio on October 14th, but there is much confusion about the actual release. Dont be surprised to hear the songs by next week. Not too much info has come up and no leaks yet. Confirmed producers and writers for the project are: Tony Gab, Darkchild, Ryan Tedder, Sean Garret, and Tricky Stewert.
