Voxant Newsroom Blog

Music Tuesday: Missy Elliott is back

Ching, ching, gettin' paid over here, Thirsty? Baby, bring it over here

Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott is back with her new song "Ching-a-ling" and as expected, she brings  psychedelic beats, reversed vocals and lyrical mumbo jumbo with her. It's all standard-fare for Missy who is working on her 7th studio album. Yes, 7th! Man, time flies. I remember it was just yesterday when I saw Missy with finger waves in her head, bobbing and twitching in her video for her debut single, "Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)." From the start, everything about Missy was unconventional, her sound, her style, and let's face it, her looks. She wasn't the super-skinny, super-sexy, long-haired Naomi Campbell type. (Some might say she had horse teeth, too. I'm just sayin'....) But despite her "unconventional" looks, Missy talked a dirty sex game like nobody's business. Most people enjoy her hit single "Work It" but the lyrics probably made your mom blush. I'm not even going to touch the lesbian rumors in this post.

Back to "Ching-a-ling," the song is great, even though admittedly it doesn't veer at all from the tried and tested Missy formula. Missy rambles and bounces on the track while the hook hypnotizes and pulls in the listener. There's something about that droning hook, it must be like brainwashing cause it gets stuck in your head. The video is also a typical Missy affair, with plenty of dancers, funky colors and goofy effects. Check it out from TV Guide below.

Sadly, as Missy embarks on each new project, she seems to be straying farther and farther away from her former-partner-in-crime, Timbaland. I don't know if these two are beefin' or if Tim feels he's too busy for her right now with all of his recent success, but I miss their chemistry. Only they could've put their heads together for the out-of-this-world smashes they cooked up, like "Get Ur Freak On," "Hot Boyz," "Sock It 2 Me" and "Gossip Folks."  Come back together, Missy and Tim! Until you two reunite, this "Ching-a-ling" thing will suffice.
-Ricky, Editor

Music Tuesday: Bebel Gilberto

As I've said before, I'm a huge fan of Brazilian music. Whether it's samba, bossa nova, forró or funk. I love the energy of their music, and infectious nature of Brazilian songs which enables you to get swept away.

That being said, I've never been a huge fan of the popular Brazilian artist Bebel Gilberto. I'm not sure what it is about her music but I kind of feel like it's boring, elevator music. I know bossa nova is supposed to be light, quiet and soft but she really puts me to sleep. Which I suppose is why she's the perfect background music for Starbucks. You step into Starbucks, hear this music and you instantly need something to wake you up.

-Ricky, Editor

Music Tuesday: Kate Walsh

There seems to be a trend of whisper-voiced, vulnerable, coffee house-style female singers cropping up. We've got Feist, with her ubiquitous Apple-backed "1,2,3,4," Colbie Caillat and her "Bubbly" song and now we've got Kate Walsh with her unguarded tune "Your Song."

Thank you Starbucks and Potbelly Sandwich Works. You've made the coffee house-style a genre of music. Oh, and also thank Apple, for pushing Feist's single in its iPod commercials and giving away Walsh's song as the free song of the week, and MySpace, for giving Caillat her start. 

I've got to admit, the music is good for soothing the nerves and putting you in a calm mood. It's kind of like audible yoga. Breathe in, breathe out.

Check out this performance of Kate Walsh singing "Your Song" on *surprise, surprise* CBS's Second Cup Cafe.

-Ricky, Editor

New Music Tuesday: Forro in the Dark

When you think of Brazilian music, what genres come to mind? Most likely you think of samba, bossa nova and funk music, if you're a hipster. (I adore funk music, by the way.) But it's time for the world to get acquainted with another form of Brazilian music: forró. Forró is a sound born of the struggle, loneliness, longing and romance of the people of the Northeast of Brazil. Most famously, the Sertão region of Brazil, which is a dry, arid locale that is known to wear heavily on those who dare attempt to carve a life out in this vast desert. I could give a whole history lesson on that region and the history of forró music, but to save space, just read up about it here and here.

A band made up of mainly Brazilian ex-pats called Forro in the Dark is looking to take forró music worldwide. And for its first single, "Asa Branca," the band enlisted the help of David Bryne of the Talking Heads.

Forró music, like samba, was born of the poor and meek of Brazil. The songs are typically about longing, romance, love, lust, and other folkloric themes. One folkloric figure in particular, the legendary bandit of the Sertão, Lampião, is revered as a sort of Robin Hood. And if you watch closely in Forro in the Dark's video for "Asa Branca" you can see a poster of Lampião and his bandit crew (called cangaceiros in Portuguese). Watch the video below.

The song "Asa Branca" is a forró staple and first gained widespread fame in Brazil when it was recorded by forró legend Luiz Gonzaga. Luiz is a goofy-looking character, but his musical chops are bar none. Bryne translates the lyrics from the song into English, although he retains some parts in Portuguese. Overall, it's a solid cover and I love that Brazilian music is getting this kind of recognition. I prefer the music in its original tongue, but nonetheless, it's wonderful to hear something so raw and fresh.
-Ricky

Music Tuesday: Taylor Hicks gets the boot

THAR SHE BLOWS!!!

It looks like winning American Idol is of no benefit to the winner. News reports came out today that the 2006 winner of American Idol has been let go by his record label J Records. Ruben Studdard, the second season winner of American Idol, was also dropped by J Records. Oh, and Kelly Clarkson, the first winner of AI, had a flop album released in 07. Yesterday's winner is tomorrow's loser.

I can't say that any of this surprises me. I said that Taylor's career was dead before in a previous post about AI winner Jordin Sparks. (A post that brought out the wrath in some Taylor fans. Sorry, but I call it how I see it.) The AP report breaks down some of Taylor's commercial struggles:

Hicks' self-titled, post-"Idol" album, released in December 2006, debuted at No. 2 on the charts. In the weeks after it was issued, however, the disc slid down the charts. While it sold a respectable 699,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan data, it did not reach the 1 million mark, unlike all the other debuts from previous "Idol" champs. It also did not register a hit song, unlike other "Idol" winners.

Both Hicks and Studdard were TOUGH sells as far as the music industry goes. Like it or not, showbiz is a visual medium and if you don't look the part, it's easy to get overlooked. That's not to say that everyone has to look like a star to succeed though. Look at Sean Kingston. He's overweight and not that good looking, but he's got three hit songs on his hands. So it's a combination of the two. Aside from looking obese (Ruben Studdard) and geriatric, (Taylor Hicks) both singers released boring, crappy music. Taylor fans like to tout Taylor as one of the best harp and harmonica players in the industry. Whoop dee freakin doo. That's hardly the music that young people are listening to.

Anyway, I'm sure Constantine Maroulis, Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks will be announcing a joint Wal-Mart tour soon. Get your tickets early!
-Ricky

Music Tuesday: Mary J. Blige talks about her "Growing Pains"

Forget what you heard, Mary J. Blige is the real survivor. The trail-blazing singer started out on the music scene a troubled soul back in 1992, when she released her classic debut, "What's the 411?" She had an attitude, a chip on her shoulder and she pointedly talked about her disappointments in life. Like on the Hip-Hop Soul gem "Real Love": You see Im searching for a real love/ And I don't know where to go / Been around the world and high and low / And still I'll never know / How it feels to have a real love / Cause it seems it's not around / Gotta end it in this way because it / Seems he can't be found

Her sophomore album, "My Life," was even angrier and depressed than her debut. Mary was bitter and she wanted you to know it. Without going into a long overblown history of her personal drama, Mary suffered through a tumultuous relationship with K-Ci of Jodeci, drug addiction and depression. Fast forward some ten years later and Mary J. Blige has come out on the right side of life. She's married, healthy and happy. Listen to Mary speak on her growing pains in this AP interview.

This isn't the first time Mary's talked about overcoming her demons. Her 2001 album was titled "No More Drama," her 2003 album was titled "Love & Life" and her 2005 album was titled "The Breakthrough." Mary's been celebrating her defeat over adversity and her victory of happiness for three albums now. You'd think she'd be worn out on the subject by now.

Some fans complain that "happy" Mary isn't as interesting as "sad" Mary. I think they have a point to a degree, pain can often bring out great art. But "happy" Mary is by no means a non-emotional person. She's still just as raw and passionate, only now she's raw and passionate about life, uplifting others and solving life's problems. Take her second single "Work That", which happens to be featured in MJB's slick iTunes commercial, as an example. In the song Mary has a frank dialogue with black girls saying : There's so many-a girls / I hear you been running / From the beautiful queen / That you could be becoming / You can look at my palm / And see the storm coming / Read the book of my life / And see I've overcome it / Just because the length of your hair ain't long / And they often criticize you for your skin tone

What a transformation. Mary has gone from a tortured young lady to a wise and experienced den mother. The album "Growing Pains" often finds Mary imparting wisdom in this same manner such as on the Timbaland-sounding track "Roses," in which Mary talks about how love isn't all roses and candy.

The only mistake I think Mary made was in her choice of a first single, the Michael Jackson-influenced "Just Fine." The song finds Mary trying to be youthful in a way that doesn't seem to fit well, and frankly it's a busy, noisy track. "Work That" would've been the smarter first single. But otherwise, "Growing Pains" is an enlightening and enjoyable journey.

-Ricky

Music Tuesday: Bow Wow and Omarion "Face Off"

Two midgets from Snow White's posse of dwarfs, Sleepy and Dopey, have decided to team up and release an album together. The move has shaken the music world to its core. Sleepy and Dopey are of course better known by their stage names Omarion and Bow Wow.

Just kidding, y'all. But for real, those two are little guys.

Anyway, their joint effort is being led off by the very mediocre lead single "Girlfriend," which so far has only taken the twosome to #46 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is a chirpy "Aye, you my shawty" song. The biggest mistake I see on this song, aside from the uninspired production, is the lack of a good hook! The song is instead anchored by yelps of "Yup! That's my girlfriend!" Come on now, Omarion could've at least tried.

And I say Omarion, because of the two he's got more talent, although that's not really saying much. Bow Wow had heads turned for a minute with his verse on the remix to Dem Franchize Boyz' "Oh I Think They Like Me," but then rumors ran rampant that Da Brat wrote his verse for him, and then his album "The Price of Fame" came out and no one cared again.

Omarion showed some potential with last year's surprise hit "Ice Box" but unfortunately, he was unable to reproduce the success of that song on any subsequent singles on the album.

So the question is: Can a mediocre former teen heartthrob rapper, and a mediocre former teen heartthrob singer, make an excellent album and have extraordinary success? I'd say, nah. The odds aren't in their favor.

Even though I don't care too much for this effort, I do thoroughly enjoy the idea of artists teaming up to do albums together. It's exciting and really makes the album an event. Perhaps Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse could team up to put out "Booze, wigs and rehab."
-Ricky

Music Tuesday: Wyclef Jean and Blake Lewis

Great, we have to deal with Blake "Serial Beatboxer" Lewis again. I was hoping we wouldn't hear from him again after his stint on "American Idol" but no such luck. Lewis is essentially a Justin Timberlake wannabe. He styles himself after JT, copies his white boy beat boxing schtick, and he imitates JT's falsetto and other vocal tics.

On top of the fact that Blake is a biter, he's also a pretentious douche bag. His album is titled "Audio Day Dream," and features lots of computerized sound effects and loads of synthesizers. I'm a synth fan myself, the 80s produced some gems, but damn Blake is really pigeon-holing himself. He's flying full-speed ahead with the robotic, beat boxing, white boy with "flava", synth sound and throwing in a dash of pleasantly pudgy Keebler Elf. (Just look at his album cover and tell me he doesn't look like a fugitive Keebler elf.) Here's Blake talking about his beat boxing and how he makes cartoon sound effects. *Yawn*

Blake's first single "Break Anotha" -- you see what I said about the pretentiousness? Look at the blatant use of slang for cool points. -- hasn't really done anything on the charts or created any buzz. So who knows, maybe he'll have a worse debut than the actual AI winner Jordan Sparks.

Blake isn't the only one coming out with new music this week. Wyclef Jean of The Fugees fame is back again with a new album. It's called "The Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant," a nod to his 1997 album "The Carnival" which was his most successful album to date. I don't blame him for trying to go back to the good old days. Shoot, the Spice Girls are back together so clearly he's not the only one. I haven't gotten a chance to listen to Wyclef's album, but I don't care too much for his first single, "Sweetest Girl" and the song seems to only be generating a modest amount of buzz. I hope Wyclef has stronger songs than "Sweetest Girl" on his album. Maybe he can salvage the project with his 2nd or 3rd single. The AP gives us a roundup of the news releases.

-Ricky

Music Tuesday: Seal's "Systems"

Seal, Heidi Klum's husband and father of two of her children, has decided to emerge from his wife's "Project Runway" shadow and return to the music scene with his new album "Systems." But I'm not so sure that I like what I'm hearing. I applaud Seal in many ways for daring to be different. He's a black man, and the standard these days for most mainstream black singers is to sing R&B, be a rapper or pose as a thug and still try to pass yourself off as an R&B singer. Seal does none of the above. He uses his ethereal voice to sing aching rock songs, pulsing electronica jams or tear-jerking piano ballads. And that's been his formula since he debuted on the scene in the early 90s. If it ain't broke, don't fix it seems to be his mantra.

Check out his new single "Amazing."

The song is clearly Seal's attempt to revive the same success of his debut songs "Crazy" and "Killer"  -- Sidenote: Enjoy a flashback to Seal's awesomely bad video for "Killer" here --  but I don't think he's successful at evoking the strength of his earlier efforts. There's something about "Amazing" that is very dated, and not in a good retro way. Stuart Price, who produced Madonna's latest album "Confessions On A Dancefloor", falls flat on this collaboration with Seal. The track lacks edge and has little hope of catching on here in the US, although I wouldn't be surprised if it got picked up as a song for a couple of car commercials. It's pretty much perfect as non-intrusive background noise.

It seems to me like Seal has been absent from the music scene for a long while; I still thought his last release was the "Space Jam" song "Fly Like An Eagle." But Seal's actually been busy, or should I say been getting busy, with Victoria's Secret model and all-around knockout Heidi Klum. The two got married and have had two children together. Seal even let Heidi duet with him on his new album. (It is as bad and schmaltzy as you imagine it to be.) Seal talks about Klum and how becoming a father has impacted his music and creativity in this interview with the AP.

Back to the music, I respect Seal's past work but I'm not sure this new effort has what it takes to keep the train going. His new single calls itself "Amazing," but it's rather average.
-Ricky

New Music Tuesday: Jordin Sparks

American Idol has been on for six seasons and has produced six winners: Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks and now, Jordin Sparks. Out of the list of "winners," the only one whose career is alive and kicking right now is country superstar Carrie Underwood. Kelly Clarkson was hot for a minute, but then she decided to release "My December" and messed it all up. Ruben Studdard sparked and fizzled, Fantasia can't break out of chickenhead mode, and Taylor Hicks' career was dead on arrival. So how will Jordin Sparks fare?

Judging by the songs I've heard from her self-titled album, which is being released today, I think she'll achieve a Ruben Studdard-level of success. I certainly hope she fares better than Taylor Hicks.

Jordin's lead single, "Tattoo," is a safe "Irreplaceable" ripoff and the rest of her album is full of imitations of what Top 40 is playing. She's young, so to be fair her next album might be better, but right now she lacks a personality and her music reflects that. Then again, since when has American Idol ever been concerned about any of its singers having a personality or originality?

AP gives us a snippet of her lead single "Tattoo" and weighs in on her debut effort.

I'm scared to hear what Blake's album is going to sound like.

-Ricky

Music Tuesday: Alicia Keys is back again

Alicia Keys made her debut on the music scene in 2001 with her gospel-tinged song of woe "Fallin" and ever since then, she's been hailed as one of music's favored and gifted. I hate to be the one drinking "haterade" but I think it's a little unwarranted. I won't even get into the allegations that she rips off old soul songs without giving credit, but I just think that she isn't as great as she's hailed to be.

Don't get me wrong, compared to many non-singers out there like Cassie, Alicia is light years ahead, but when I heard the first single for her new album, "No One", I was taken aback. And not in a good way. Throughout the whole song, Alicia croaks and screeches like a cat that needs to be put out of it's misery. The song is supposed to anthemic and grand, but Alicia's strained, ragged voice just makes it sound's like a beggar's rant. I also heard two other songs from the album, "Like You'll Never See Me Again" and "Superwoman." I have to admit, "Like You'll Never See Me Again," which evokes memories of old school Prince is soft and delicate and "Superwoman" is vulnerable yet hopeful. But none of the music is new territory for Alicia, and none of the material I've heard blows away her previous album, "Diary of Alicia Keys," which was perfection from beginning to end.

Oh well, even if I'm not over the moon about her new music, others certainly are. Glenn Gamboa reviewed Alicia's new album and he gave it high marks.

Also, Alicia has been doing the media rounds, and she gave CBS a tour of her old hood, Hell's Kitchen, NY. Why do artists always seem to do this as if it will somehow make us relate to them more?

-Ricky

Formerly-retired Jay-Z releases "American Gangster"

Jay-Z has thought of a new way for artists to get free publicity for their projects: Ride on the back of a multi million-dollar movie!

Yup, Jay-Z got a ton of free press and publicity for his new album "American Gangster", which coincidentally *wink wink*, comes out around the same time as the Denzel Washington-starring film. Jigga claims that the reason he recorded and titled the film after the movie, is because he became "inspired" to record again after watching an advance copy of the film. Uh huh. His album's release and the title has even confused many media outlets into calling it a soundtrack for the film. (FYI, this is the actual soundtrack for the movie.) Man, Jay is smart.

Can we expect to see more of this in the future? Artists piggybacking on films as unofficial soundtracks sounds like it could save the record labels a whole lot of money in promotion. The music industry is desperate so I'm sure they'll try anything.

But let's get back to what's important: The music. The lead single from "American Gangster", "Blue Magic," is purposely grittier, sparer and tougher than anything from Jay-Z's "official" comeback album, "Kingdom Come." And I'm not surprised he went in this direction, since a lot of criticism on his last effort was about how "soft" Jay had become. The AP gives a look at the lead single and talks about the album's release.

Even though I understand why he went back to "the streets," so to speak, I think it was a poor decision. Jay-Z is nearing 40 and frankly, I don't buy him talking about slinging rocks and cutting up coke. Nor am I really interested in hearing the glorification of this lifestyle, even though Jay-Z will claim that he also shows the downsides of drug-dealing lifestyle. It's obvious he wants to show he can still be the Jay-Z that talks to the hood, but to me, it's pathetic to see a grown man pandering to the thug life just to get a hit. Jay, you're too old for this.

Which Jay-Z do you prefer? The grown-man, sophisticated playboy, or the hat-cocked-to-the-side, street corner, drug dealing Jigga man?
-Ricky

Music Tuesday: Britney Spears' 'Blackout'

Everything about Britney Spears' personal life is a wreck. She's lost physical custody of her children, her face looks an acne-riddled mess, her trash dumpster fashion sense has helped land her as Maxim's 5th Unsexiest woman and her hard-partying ways have won her no fans in the blogosphere. But one thing still seems to work right in Spearsland: Her ability to create mindless, fun pop music.

And apparently I'm not the only who thinks Britney's still got it when it comes to music. Well, at least recorded music. As evidenced by her craptastic performance at the VMAs, she's not ready for the stage again. Britney's new album "Blackout", which is pretty much being released by her record label without her involvement, hits stores today and has been getting solid reviews across the board. Some have even gone so far as to call it her best album yet. Not to mention the lead single, "Gimme More", reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The AP lets us in on one critic's praise of the Britster.

I've heard the album and I have to say that it's really a shame that Britney's not in her right state of  mind to promote this album like it should be. "Gimme More" is the perfect electro-pop slut-trash song of the year. I know it's a hit with all the chicken-heads in the club looking for someone to take home. On "Blackout," she wisely forgoes her standard attempt at a ballad, giving us only uptempos and midtempos the whole album.

The standout tracks are easily "Hot As Ice," which builds off of Spears' perfect pop sound but giving it more edge, "Toy Soldier", a Gwen Stefani/Kelis-style song which finds Spears rap-talking and hiccuping about how she needs a real man, and "Why Should I Be Sad", a Neptunes-produced track that sounds like a lullaby with Spears' soft, layered vocals serving as the cushion to the dense production. "Why Should I Be Sad" is also the only song to really address Spears' personal life head-on. She lashes out at Kevin on the track saying: "I sent you to Vegas with a pocket full of paper, And with no ultimatums on you, I thought what could separate us?, But it just seemed like Vegas only brought the playa out of you."

Although Spears deserves credit for putting together a good album, admittedly, the album is in large part a success due to the amazing production on the album. And vocally Spears is the just as limited as she's always been. So the album wouldn't be what it is without the help of Danja, who produced several tracks including the lead single. But then again, the same could be said of Timbaland and Justin Timberlake.

The big question surrounding this album's release is: Will this album be big enough to serve as her comeback? I don't think so. I actually think JIVE might even be doing her a disservice by releasing the album amidst all the turmoil in Spears' personal life. Britney the singer is intertwined with Britney the celebrity. If one works but the other one is flailing, she will never be able to match her past successes when she had both a favorable public image and  a solid music career. Plus, releasing the album without Britney's involvement makes it seem like a posthumous release and exposes JIVE's desire to capitalize off of Britney. Although to be fair, they're certainly not the only ones. Many of us in the blogosphere and the media have benefited from Spears mishaps, which serve as the perfect springboard for our blog posts and analysis.

Perhaps if Britney's album does well, she'll get a boost of self-esteem and stop the self-destructive behavior? Nah, life's too short. Britney would rather hit the club and sip on frappuchinos.
-Ricky

Music Tuesday: Talib Kweli is aiming for your Eardrum

Poor Talib, he's constantly hailed as the underdog. The best thing you've never heard. The next big thing.

He's a conscious rapper, for the most part, and he's had a tough go of it for the past 5 years or so. It started with his debut album Quality in 2002. Everyone was sure that the Kanye West-produced track "Get By" would propel Kweli to the top. But it didn't. Then he tried again in 2004 with his sophomore effort, The Beautiful Struggle. It was a solid album, and he even tried the true and tested formula of rapper + Mary J. Blige = hit. But it didn't pan out for his single, "I Try." After that, he hit the mixtape circuit and released tracks cooling his heels while he was between record deals.

This past August, he released his third album, Eardrum. The album gave him his highest debut ever, debuting at #2 on the Billboard Hot 200. But it was a slow sales week since he got the second spot selling only 60,000 copies. By the following week he was down to #20 selling only 25,000 copies.

Now, I say all of this not to take away from the man's talent, but to show his track record and demonstrate where he's coming from. Talib seems like a veteran because he's been trying for so long, but he still really hasn't made it. Why is that? There are a myriad of possible explanations. Perhaps his outwardly pro-black sentiments don't translate to a more white, mainstream audience. Or perhaps his music just isn't fun enough. Even though I like Talib a lot, I'll be the first to admit that his music isn't the kind that I'd be playing at a party. Or perhaps he's just been a victim of bad timing?

In any event, take a look at his latest video from his aforementioned album, Eardrum. He's teamed up with the Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am for the track. The track is definitely something I could bob my head to, but again, it doesn't really seem material that will likely break Talib as a more mainstream artist. The video, which is a take on the popular HP commercial, is interesting though.

-Ricky

New Music Tuesday: Wyclef is back again

Let me get this cliche out of the way: The Fugees were definitely one of the most impressive and talented Hip Hop groups in the history of the genre. Whew, there. You simply cannot talk about any of the former Fugee members without laying that out from the jump.

The sad thing is, despite their appearance in Dave Chapelle's "Block Party" and a performance at the 2005 BET Awards, the Fugees are never coming back. What does that mean? That means that Pras will remain an unpopular nobody, Lauryn will remain the enigmatic recluse (y'all hear about the rumors that she's pregnant again?), and Wyclef will go back to releasing solo albums.

Wyclef as a solo artist is a mixed bag for me. He's done some pretty good songs, but he's also done a lot of forgettable and erratic stuff. Remember his "duet" with the Rock, "It Doesn't Matter"? Yeah, it's better left forgotten.

TV Guide sits down with Wyclef to talk about his new single "Sweetest Girl", his upcoming album and his documentary on Haiti.

I'm not too crazy about the single. It's not bad, but it's not great either. It's bland like a bowl of ramen noodles without that packet of seasoning. Plus, I'm tired of Akon and his goat-like singing. Speaking of goat-like singing, I am looking forward to the track that will feature Shakira on his album. The duo were hot like fire on Shakira's smash hit "Hips Don't Lie" last year. I just hope they can conjure up the magic again.

-Ricky

New Music Tuesday: J.Lo unleashes 'Brave'

Help! I feel like I'm being assaulted with a J.Lo overdose. Jennifer Lopez is releasing yet another album. This is actually her sixth studio album, and the second album she's releasing this year, after her Spanish-language release Como Ama Una Mujer in March. How did we get to this point?

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not above enjoying some of her songs -- that "Get Right" song was nice -- but for J.Lo to be on her sixth studio album is absolutely mind-boggling. J.Lo is essentially this generation's Paula Abdul, except she's done a couple of movies, which is fine. Paula's had some hot songs. MC Skat Kat where you at? But we only had to endure three studio albums from Paula Abdul. J.Lo has already doubled that.

I guess I just have to accept that J.Lo is unstoppable. Thank God she's not doing those Ja Rule duets anymore though. So that brings us back to Brave, her latest English-language studio album, with the lead single "Do It Well" attempting to spark buzz for the project. From all estimates that has failed. The video is bewildering and the beat is oh so very dated.  And vocally, we don't even have to go there. No one has ever cared about how her voice sounds. On top of the lead single being a flop, the album cover looks like a 14-year-old girl's diary from the 80s, full of purple and glitter. What made J.Lo look at that album cover and think that it was compelling? Is it a nod to cloning and dopplegangers? Is the other J.Lo the naughty J.Lo? And what exactly does the dual-J.Lo image have to do with being brave? Who knows.

The AP peeks in on Brave and gives us a snippet of the music writer's insight.

With the pregnancy rumors swirling, which I believe are true, the promotion of this album is going to be limited. So anyone holding out for some sexy music videos a la her video for "I'm Glad," forget it. With her baby bump, we'll be lucky to get anymore videos and even if she does one, she'll be wearing something muumuu-like.
-Ricky

New Music Tuesday: Radiohead tries something different

How much do you think you should pay for an album? $.99? $50.00? Well, if you're a Radiohead fan you're in luck, because the band is letting fans decide how much to pay for its new album on its web site.

If you don't know Radiohead, it is the critically-acclaimed English rock band fronted by Thom Yorke, famous for the early-nineties hit-single "Creep," and the albums OK Computer and Kid A. "Creep" is definitely one of my favorite early-nineties songs. It's grungy, depressing and self-deprecating. It's a great song for pity parties.

AFP has an article about Radiohead's radical new strategy.

Radiohead of course has the freedom to do this because it is no longer tethered to a major-label record company. The chains of bondage have been broken! Woo hoo! Prince would be proud. The question that most industry analysts are asking of course is, will this scheme will work? Will Radiohead make enough money from fans' generosity? Or will this be a huge loss for the band?

I think it'll be a win for the band personally. Even if fans choose to pay only a dollar, that's one dollar more that band is getting that they wouldn't get if people just downloaded the album illegally for free. As the digital age swings into full effect, I wouldn't be surprised to see more bands try these different strategies. There are no rules when it comes to the internet and the music industry. Case in point, Jah-maican warbler Sean Kingston got his big break from MySpace. Anything is possible.
-Ricky

New Music Tuesday: Will.i.am? No, I won't

You hear that? That's the sound of me yawning. Will.i.am is releasing his solo album called Songs About Girls today, and I'll be honest, I'm not that excited about it. I like the Black Eyed Peas just fine, but Will.i.am as a solo artist is absolutely yawn-inducing for me.

His first single "I Got It From My Mama" seems so dated. The song is an ode to the beauties of the female form, much in the same vein as Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back." Frankly, I don't expect there to be much lyrically on a song as superficial as this, but this song tested my patience. For example: If the girl real pretty / Nine times out of ten / She pretty like her mama/ And if her mama real ugly / I guarantee ya she gon’ be ugly like her mama.  Really? How long did it take for you to come up with that gem of wisdom, Will? The whole premise of the song is weak to begin with, but I'm not above guilty pleasures. This song however is not even that. It's just repetitive and a waste of time. The video on the other hand, showcasing the shapely beauties from Brazil, is a different story.

You can check out samples of the album on his official site, and thankfully, based on the snippets, the album sounds a bit more developed than the first single. It appears he's not really trying to rap, which is a plus, and he's looking at this album more as a producer-record, a la Timbaland's album. Which makes sense, Will is an in-demand producer. He's currently working with Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and the gloved one, Michael Jackson, on all of their upcoming albums. I'll give him credit, his production isn't bad by any means, but it's not my favorite. Here's a clip from Newscom  and a preview from the AP about the album:

I'm sure Will.i.am's album won't be nearly as big as Fergie's solo album. But I'm sure he's not worried. Will has the next Black Eyed Peas album to look forward to.

-Ricky

NewMusicTuesday: T-Pain and J-Hud teaming up

Jennifer Hudson has certainly gotten a lot of mileage out of her "critically-acclaimed" role as Effie in "Dreamgirls." Hudson parlayed the attention she got from the role and her Oscar win into a duet with Ne-Yo on his sophomore album, a gig opening the BET Awards with the banshee Jennifer Holiday, and she even won Best New Artist at the BET Awards despite the fact she hasn't released an album.

J-Hud has yet to nail down an album release date, although it has been projected for the first quarter in 2008. This clip from MTV News lets us know that she will be working with T-Pain on at least one track.

 

T-Pain is the "it" guy at the moment, essentially this year's Lil Jon. He's a producer/writer/rapper/singer/songwriter and he can probably walk your dog too. His digitally-distorted voice can be heard on about 50 different songs on radio right now, but his lyrics are childishly-simplistic and he assaults English grammar regularly . Sample lyric: Baby girl whats yo name?/Let me talk to you, lemme buy u a drank

Right now, I'm on T-Pain and J-Hud overload so even without having heard the "duet", I feel sorry for my ears. J-Hud is a howler and T-Pain shouts, bleats and croaks, so I can only imagine that this duet might sound like an evening at the swamp with crickets, frogs and alligators. No matter how it sounds, if T-Pain is still hot next year and J-Hud can stretch the buzz from her Oscar-winning role just a bit more, it'll probably be a hit.

-Ricky

New Music Tuesday: 50 Cent vs. Kanye

Today is an important date in America. It's a date marked with tension, apprehension and hope. No, I'm not talking about the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks, but the battle for the top spot between Kanye West and 50 Cent as they both release their new albums today. RollingStone magazine has even jumped into the fray, pitting the two against each other on its cover. 

50 Cent has mainly been the instigator in stoking this "rivalry", and I for one am not surprised. The man built his career on beef; remember, he did take out Ja Rule to get the top. He's always trash talking one celeb or another, and I think for him, it's easier to focus when he has a target.

So, since Kanye is releasing his album the same day as 50, he has "challenged" Kanye and beat his chest, proclaiming that he would outsell Kanye. He even went so far as to say that if he didn't outsell Kanye, he would retire. Yeah, right, we've heard that bit about retirement before, right Jay-Z? That's a pretty bold statement for someone who had to go through more than three "lead singles" ("Amusement Park", "Straight to the Bank", "I Get Money") before he got some traction with the Timbaland-produced "Ayo Technology". In a "surprise" move, 50 later recanted the retirement angle, but stood by his opinion that he would outsell Kanye.

Kanye, surprisingly, has been the diplomat in the situation, calling 50 Cent a talent, and saying that he's just proud of his work on his third album, Graduation.

I've heard both albums and in the end, while they're not bad, there's not much new there either. I have to admit, I do prefer Kanye's album to 50's. It's more consistent and has more substance. 50 is still all about money, sex, thugs and hood life, while Kanye is as introspective as ever, dissecting his brotherly relationship with Jay-Z, dealing with critics, and of course the "complexities" of the good life.

So I'm rooting for Kanye, what about you?

-Ricky

NewMusicTuesday: Bow Wow and Omarion to give fans a double-dose

Omarion of B2K fame and Bow Wow, formerly Lil' Bow Wow but he feels he's matured from being lil', have decided a la R. Kelly and Jay-Z to team up and put out an album together. The album, which is currently titled "Face Off" and slated for release in December, finds the young rapper and the young crooner mixing their styles together on the album.

In this exclusive interview with MTV News, Bow Wow claims, "It's gonna be like something they never heard before." Then we're treated to a cursory sample of the tracks, which surprise, surprise, sound exactly like all of their other songs that we've heard before. From what I gathered from the clips and the interview, the songs are about young love, holdin' it down for you shawty, keepin' it real with the homies and of course I'm sure some raunchy sex-type songs will be included to show that they've "matured."

I'm not going to lie, Bow Weezy has had some fun, listenable tracks, but the kid is a style-biter for the most part. He emulates Lil' Wayne, T.I. and Jay-Z while not really establishing a unique persona of his own. As for Omarion, while I thoroughly enjoyed his hit song "Icebox," that was mainly because it was a Timbaland-produced track. Omarion is kind of like pasta, by himself he's bland and forgettable, but if you give him the right sauce, a good producer and the right song, he can actually have some flavor.

Despite my critique, I'm sure that the album will go over well with their fan bases, although neither of them are big sellers so don't expect "High School Musical" numbers. I just hope the collaboration doesn't implode like Jay-Z's and R. Kelly's did. Frankly, I don't think we could handle a beef that serious.

-Ricky

MusicTuesday: Jordin Sparks' dull debut single

You know what, I bet you if Sanjaya had won American Idol last season, his single would've had more punch than Jordin Sparks' new single, "Tattoo."

Sample lyric:
You're still a part of everything I do, you're on my heart just like a tattoo

With saccharine lyrics like this, coupled with a beat that sounds recycled from Beyonce's "Irreplaceable," Sparks debut single "Tattoo" makes for an overall mediocre affair. The song is not dreadfully bad, but it's formulaic, typical and trite.  It sounds like lyrically, the song was trying to go for the simple, light yet catchy feel of Rihanna's pop gem "Umbrella," but Sparks, or rather her team of songwriters, were off the mark a bit.

I suppose it's no surprise that an American Idol alum turned out a hum-drum single. After all, the winners are either hit or miss. Kelly Clarkson? She was a hit until her catastrophic third album, "My December." Ruben Studdard? His debut album tanked and he's since vanished into thin air. Fantasia Barrino? Well, she's trying to squeeze out at least one Hot 100 hit from her self-titled sophomore album. So far she hasn't been successful. Carrie Underwood? She's been an undeniable hit in both pop and country. Taylor Hicks? Grandpa George Clooney's music career is deader than Color Me Badd's.
Will Jordin join the likes of Hicks and Studdard? Perhaps it's too early too tell, but "Tattoo" sure doesn't make a strong case for her. I have to give her credit though, at least it's not the standard AI schleppy power ballad. Blech.

-Ricky