Weekend Flashback Performance: Destiny's Child At Michael Jackson Tribute

Following the news of Michael Jackson's 50th birthday this last week, I felt inclined to pay him tribute by way of one of Destiny's Child's finest performances. DC have always used a part of their song "Bootylicious," including a portion of the music video, to acknowledge the King of Pop's influence on them & this generation's group of performers. In this case, they played up the fact when they performed the song for Mr. Jackson himself. The girls showed off their talent at the height of their fame for the man himself & ended up with an excellent piece of work to look back on at, say, a time like this!

Kelly Rowland Performs "Part-Time Lover" On T-Mobile Transmission

Kelly Rowland performed the classic "Part-Time Lover" in Europe with The Script recently on T-Mobile Transmission. People seem to be liking this, but I kinda think it's a bit weird. It's still cool though to a certain extent ... & I would never hate on Kelly.

Album Review: Solange "SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams"

With a mix of old-school soul, jazz, blues, & electronic, Solange has made quite a statement with her return to the music scene. Her unique new sound & creative visual aids make for a very interesting change to what we are used to in today's music industry. This go-round, Solange has demanded the attention of those who, like me, have always counted her out before. And for all who pay attention, you might be pleasantly surprised by how refreshing her material &, yes, talent really are.

Now, as much as I love SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams, I have to start out--only briefly--with a somewhat negative critique. The album's opener "God Given Name" might state just how Solange Knowles feels about who she is & the comparisons she receives regarding her older, *slightly* more successful sister (Beyonce, for those in the dark), but I'm more one for showing who you really are & why you deserve our attention, rather than just saying it. The good thing is: just about all the rest of Solange's sophomore album does just that--in a pretty incredible way.

Solange gets going in an excellent way with "T.O.N.Y.," a creative & enjoyable song that starts demonstrating the sound Solange is going for in a wonderful way. "Dancing In The Dark" creates a lighter & very fun mood, while one of my favorites, "Would've Been The One," is a catchy, effective mix of old- & new-school music that has Solange demonstrating those Knowles pipes quite well. The album's second single "Sandcastle Disco," which anyone who reads this blog knows I'm basically a huge fan of, is followed by the first single "I Decided - Pt. 1," another tune that's great fun.

SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams continues into a slower & seemingly more heartfelt section with "Valentine's Day" & "6 O'Clock Blues," which, as the latter's title suggests, has a refreshing blues-influenced vibe. I feel like I should apologize for it, but everytime I listen to the album, I completely forget "Ode To Marvin." The song is as nice as the next one, but just doesn't stick out I guess. I do, however, remember "I Told You So" quite well, which has Solange singing her booty off & includes those irresistible "ba-ba-ba"s.

A bit of a different sound then arises with the Bilal-assisted "Cosmic Journey." Another one of my favorites, it brings together the electronic-type music that I like & the R&B music that I've always loved. I applaud Solange for taking a chance with this song & doing a beautiful job of it. The album closes out with "This Bird," a tune with a similar subject (&, imo, problem) to the first track. However, Solange has a small speaking part in this song that I just love because her goofy personality is one of my favorite things about her & for her to include that side of her in her album is something I admire. "I Decided - Pt. 2," the Freemasons remix of Solange's first single released across the pond, is also included, which I am thankful for.

One thing that confuses me about SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams (& don't get me wrong--it's neither a positive nor a negative) is the sequencing &, more specifically, the songs that were (&, more so, weren't) included. For example, some of the confirmed &/or bonus tracks that were left off the final tracklisting include "Champagnechroniknightcap" (with or without Lil' Wayne), "Wanna Go Back" (featuring Marsha Ambrosius & Q-Tip), the Estelle-assisted "Same Song, Different Man," "White Picket Dreams," & even Q-Tip's feature on "Sandcastle Disco." I only mention this because, of the ones I heard, any of these songs could have easily fit in with the rest of the album. Also, they are all good &, although I haven't heard the song with Estelle, anything with her is pure fire. I do wonder though if something happened that made Solange remove both of Q-Tip's features from the album...

Anyhow, I am pretty much obsessed with Solange's new album. SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams is such a refreshing set with solid material & excellent execution. Solange has definitely proven that she can not only be a good artist, but a groundbreaking one as well. The world really needs a talented artist who can blend all that is great about music into one incredible sound.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Michael Jackson Interview On Good Morning America

As Michael Jackson turns 50 today, he talked over the phone to Good Morning America about the milestone, as well as his career & what's to come. It's quite rare these days to hear from MJ, so it was nice to get something, especially on this special day for him. Happy Birthday Michael!

The Pussycat Dolls Perform "When I Grow Up" On Today

The Pussycat Dolls performed their first single "When I Grow Up" off upcoming sophomore album Doll Domination (September 23rd) this morning on Today. The girls did their thing as usual. Go Nicole!

Jennifer Hudson Performs National Anthem At Democratic National Convention

Here's a video of Jennifer Hudson performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Democratic National Convention. For anyone who hasn't seen "Dreamgirls" in a while or thinks they've forgotten just how talented J-Hud is, this one's for you. Jennifer has surely given us the latest classic rendition of the US National Anthem. Don't forget: Jennifer Hudson's self-titled debut album hits stores September 30th.

Christina Aguilera's "Inspire" Commercial

The new TV spot for Christina Aguilera's fragrance "Inspire" has premiered & it is quite beautiful.

Michelle Williams Performs On J&R MusicFest

"The Greatest"

"We Break The Dawn"

"Hello Heartbreak"

"Stop This Car"

So, as it turns out, Michelle Williams performed at the J&R MusicFest in NYC recently as well--& quite a large set at that. While her vocals during the performances were just alright, Michelle has a great energy onstage, which I love. Michelle performed four songs off her upcoming album Unexpected (October 7th) including first single "We Break The Dawn" & forthcoming second single "The Greatest," which is one of 'the greatest' songs on the album. Unexpected may not drop till October, but let's be real: the thing leaked. That said, Michelle has something very special on her hands, so I really hope Columbia can get the promotional job done with "The Greatest" in time for Unexpected to not only get released in October, but rock the charts as well. The material--& Michelle--are both worth it.

Solange & Beyonce On The Early Show

Interview

"I Decided"

Solange performed her first single "I Decided" off her new album SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams (out now) on The Early Show, but that's not all. Beyonce & their mother Tina Knowles were interviewed about Solange in a segment that brought Solo to tears. Good stuff.

Kelly Rowland's Nike Commercial

Kelly Rowland will be performing for Nike's "Human Race" & is featured in a new commercial for the event. The ad features a pun involving her single "Work" that may be too easy, but it had me rofl.

Billboard Update

^This week's #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart
This week's #1 single on the Hot 100 chart^

See full charts HERE.

The dang Jonas Brothers extend their stay at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart this week with A Little Bit Longer, while the extremely underrated Karina debuts at #57 with her first album First Love. For whatever reason, T.I.'s "Whatever You Like" makes a record leap to top this week's Hot 100 singles chart, where Pink has the hot shot debut with her new single "So What" at #9. I just gotta give a shout-out to the wonderful Jazmine Sullivan as well because her first single "Need U Bad" jumps from #4-#1(!) on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart this week, while the song reaches a peak of #42 on this week's Hot 100 chart.

"Crush" Watch

TW: #15 - LW: #2 - Peak: #2 - Week: #2

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Solange Performs On J&R MusicFest

"Sandcastle Disco"

"I Decided"

Solange also performed at the J&R MusicFest in NYC recently. She sang the first two singles taken from her new album SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams, which is out now. Gotta love how dedicated she is to her performances.

Ashanti Performs On J&R MusicFest

"Good Good"

"Body On Me"

Ashanti performed a couple of the singles off her latest album The Declaration in New York City's J&R MusicFest recently. I thought the "A Milli" beat played during "Good Good" worked really well, while the abbreviated "Body On Me" was a bit awkward, as Nelly & Akon weren't there. However, all-in-all, Ashanti did her thing & I'm glad to see her out promoting The Declaration.

Solange Performs "I Decided" On Today

Solange recently appeared on Today & performed her first single "I Decided" (after a brief interview) off her sophomore album SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams, which was released this week. She did a good job. After kinda obsessing over "Sandcastle Disco" for the past couple weeks, this reminded me of my love for "I Decided" as well.

Jennifer Hudson Album Update + More

In a recent interview, both Jennifer Hudson & her interviewer spilled some beans relating to Jennifer's self-titled debut album, which drops on September 30th. Some song titles for the album were revealed including "Invisible" (produced by The Underdogs), "Pocketbook" (featuring Ludacris), & "Giving Myself To You." Check out how Jennifer describes another tune, "We Gon' Fight":

"It was produced by Tank. I’m a huge fan of his, & I thought the song was a great idea. I love the feeling of it. It’s very modern, but it has the elements of R&B."

The article also describes J-Hud's debut as having a "variety" of tracks "from blockbuster heart-renders to chic hip-hop-flavored experiments." I've been anxious for a while now to find out more about Jennifer's album, so this is quite satisfying. I am especially excited to hear that she will not only be displaying her magnificent voice on more "Dreamgirls"-like ballads, but will also be experimenting with some different sounds. I believe in Jennifer, so I know she has the talent to pull off any sound she goes for.

In related news, I thought I should mention that Jennifer has been hand-picked by Barack Obama to sing the National Anthem at the Democratic National Convention on the night Obama accepts the Democratic nomination for president. Congrats to her for that & I look forward to hearing her hit it out of the park!

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Paris Bennett Christmas Album Update

The rarest of occurences is one step closer to actually happening. An Idol alumni signed to an indie label is set to put out a promised release! When Paris Bennett announced her pregnancy, she also spoke of a holiday album to be released later this year. Well, with her child due in October, Paris has apparently decided to release her Christmas album A Royal Christmas in the same month. The set will include both traditional tunes (among them: "12 Days Of Christmas," "Little Drummer Boy," "Silent Night," & "Deck The Halls") & original tracks (including "Holla Day Shuffle" written by her mother, Jamecia Bennett). Considering I had stopped anticipating this release so as to not get disappointed like normal, I look forward to new music from Paris.

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Solange Performs "Sandcastle Disco" On Letterman

Solange was very much awake (to say the least) when she performed her latest single "Sandcastle Disco" on the Late Show With David Letterman last night. She was getting her 'Sasha' on lol--& rightfully so because it is one of the highlights on her new album SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams, which is out today.

New Music Tuesday: Solange "SoL-AngeL"

The time has come for Solange to unleash her sophomore effort SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams to the world, as it hits stores today. Solange brings something fresh & interesting to the industry with this album, so I definitely recommend it (you can purchase your copy by clicking the cover on the widget to your right). I will be reviewing the CD, which features the singles "I Decided" & "Sandcastle Disco," very soon.

Toni Braxton Joins Dancing With The Stars

While rumors of her participation have been all over the internet recently, it has now been confirmed that Toni Braxton will be a part of the upcoming season of Dancing With The Stars. Her partner will be Alec Mazo, who won the first season of the show. Dancing With The Stars' seventh season premieres Monday, September 22nd, on ABC. I'm all for Toni strutting her stuff on the show ... as long as the exposure leads to the release of that new album.

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Leona Lewis Performs "A Whole Lotta Love" At Olympic Closing Ceremony

Leona Lewis sang "A Whole Lotta Love" with Jimmy Page at the closing ceremony for the Beijing Olympics. I really enjoyed hearing Leona perform something other than her own singles, even if we didn't get to hear a whole lot due to commentators & such. It makes me excited about her talent all over again & anxious to hear what she has to offer with her follow-up to Spirit.

Weekend Flashback Performance: Christina Aguilera At The Late Show

In the midst of all the big awards show performances, every so often, a very special hidden gem arises. Recently, I ran across this Christina Aguilera performance from her Stripped era & fell in love. Here, Christina performs the album track "Walk Away" & creates a magical little moment for herself. This is the kind of performance that makes Christina such a special artist: every once in a while, she just 'strips' everything away & displays her amazing voice. Along with her talent, Christina brings along her emotions in the delivery of the song & it is just great. Hopefully with her next album, we will see more of this from Christina.

Sarah McLachlan "Closer" Details

Check out the gorgeous cover art for Closer: The Best Of Sarah McLachlan to the left. The set is due to be released on October 7th. In addition to 14 of her biggest hits, the collection will include two brand new studio tracks: "Don't Give Up On Us" & "U Want Me 2 Don't U?" I really got into Sarah's beautiful music when she released her most recent album Afterglow all the way back in 2003. Since then, I've discovered more & more of her classic music & it's simply wonderful. The new songs are great, considering it's the closest we've come in five years to a new album! Hopefully she'll release another one in the next year or two. To view the tracklisting for Closer, click HERE.

Cassie ft. Lil' Wayne "Official Girl" Video Premiere

"Official Girl," featuring Lil' Wayne, is the first single taken from Cassie's forthcoming sophomore album, which is due early next year. I like Cassie to a certain degree, but it's never been because of her talent. Some of her material has hot production that flows great with her soft vocals. "Official Girl," imo, is not one of those songs. I'm not all that impressed with the video either. Though it appears to be high budget, the money seems to have been wasted. Sure, she's doing what she does best the whole time--looking good--but that's all. No emotion, practically no story. While I'm not trying to bash Cassie, I would hate for her to see more success than the (many) more deserving artists.

Pink "So What" Video Premiere

"So What" is the first single off Pink's upcoming fifth studio album Funhouse (October 28th). I love, love, love it! With videos like this, "Stupid Girls," & "Trouble," Pink has become quite the master of music videos. I also think it's awesome that her estranged husband Carey Hart is in the clip. Pink is too cool.

Jazmine Sullivan Performs "Need U Bad" On 106 & Park

Yesterday, Jazmine Sullivan rocked the house over at 106 & Park when she performed her first single "Need U Bad," the current #1 video on their countdown! Jazmine has become quite a little obsession for me lately. In case you didn't know, THIS is how you perform. Her debut album Fearless will be out September 23rd.

John Legend ft. Andre 3000 "Green Light" Video Premiere

"Green Light," featuring Andre 3000, is the first single from John Legend's new album Evolver (October 28th). I've always felt about John Legend, well, the way he demonstrates at the beginning of the video. However, I'm really feeling this new one of his. Andre 3000 definitely adds a lil' something special. Also, look out for John's artist Estelle to make a cameo towards the beginning.

PCD TV Episode 6

So, The Pussycat Dolls tell us all about their dancing in their newest webisode. "Chest pumpage" LOL. PCD's sophomore album Doll Domination will be in stores September 23rd.

New Christina Aguilera Perfume Ad

Christina Aguilera has a new print ad out for her latest perfume "Inspire." She looks beautiful, which goes without saying because she never doesn't.

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Maroon 5 "Goodnight Goodnight" Video Premiere

"Goodnight Goodnight" is the latest single off Maroon 5's sophomore album It Won't Be Soon Before Long. I think it's cool that they took a creative angle at making this video & I like it ... even if it is a bit overwhelming.

Gwen Stefani Gives Birth To Boy #2

Gwen Stefani gave birth to her second child earlier today. Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale (8 pounds, 5 ounces) is the son of Gwen & Gavin Rossdale, her husband, & brother to Kingston, 2, the couple's first child together. A statement declares all to be "happy & healthy," so congrats to the whole family. Gotta feel sorry for that newborn, though... Just sayin'.

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"Just Stand Up" Song Premiere

Here's your first listen of the new charity single "Just Stand Up," which features 15 of today's biggest female artists including Mariah Carey, Keyshia Cole, Beyonce, Leona Lewis, Ciara, & more. (If you can't already, you can easily read all of their names by clicking 'play.') The single will be available exclusively on iTunes beginning September 2nd. To read more about "Just Stand Up" & the charity behind it, simply click HERE to read my previous article concerning this subject. Also, for anyone who, like me, can't seem to point out where, say, 5 or 6 of the singers do their part in the song, the lyrics with accompanying artist names can be found HERE. The ladies did a wonderful job.

Billboard Update: Archey 'Crush'es The Competition!

^This week's #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart

This week's #1 single on the Hot 100 chart^

See full charts HERE.

Alright, let's get the necessary stuff out of the way. #1 album: Jonas Brothers A Little Bit Longer. Blah. #1 single: Rihanna "Disturbia." Good for her. OK! Now for the good stuff...

By selling a whopping 166,000 copies, David Archuleta debuted at an ASTOUNDING #2 on this week's Billboard Hot 100 chart with his first single "Crush" from his forthcoming debut album, which is expected to be released on November 4th. Now, let me remind you to *breathe*. Seriously ... because you're gonna need the oxygen before reading these mind-blowingly exciting stats:

• The highest debut on the Hot 100 of 2008
• The highest debut ever on the Hot 100 for an American Idol song not performed on the series
• Archey’s peak position to date on the Hot 100 is higher than the winner, David Cook

...& that's just some of them! Well, let me be the first (doubtful--lol) to say: YAY!! Go David Archuleta!!! :) (I told the world he was the better David. They finally listened!)

"I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" Watch
TW: #58 - LW: #61 - Peak: #58 - Week: #6

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Brandy "Right Here (Departed)": Behind-The-Scenes + More

Here's a sneak peek of Brandy's new video for "Right Here (Departed)," the first single off her fifth studio album Human (November 11th). MTV was on the scene & talked a bit to Brandy about her 'comeback.' Apparently, B-Rocka has quite the 'comeback' planned indeed because she will be appearing on Oprah on November 10th, the day before her new album drops. Who else is in heaven right now?

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Pink, Rihanna Set To Perform At VMAs + More

Finally, a couple of decent acts have been added to the lineup of performers for the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. Pink has signed on to perform her new single "So What," which is taken from her forthcoming album Funhouse (October 28th). Apparently, Pink plans to "blow stuff up" during the performance! Also, Rihanna will take the stage to perform her chart-topper "Disturbia," the latest single off her recent re-release Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded. (To read about the other performers, click HERE.) In related news, Pink will premiere her video for "So What" on tomorrow's season finale of FNMTV. The other premieres will come from Cassie ("Official Girl" with Lil' Wayne) & John Legend ("Green Light" with Andre 3000). Check out an advertisement for the episode below:

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Jennifer Hudson Performs "Spotlight" On 106 & Park's 2000th Episode

Jennifer Hudson stopped by 106 & Park for their 2000th episode, which also featured appearances by artists like Keyshia Cole & Keri Hilson, to help them celebrate by performing her single "Spotlight" from her upcoming self-titled debut album (September 30th). It was cool to see J-Hud really get into the performance & she was totally on-point. Love her.

New Keyshia Cole Haircare Ad

Check out this new haircare ad that features Keyshia Cole. I've got nothing but love for Keyshia, but I can't say I'm quite on board with the look here... Nonetheless, Keyshia is set to drop her third studio album, which will surely be a winner, in December.

Jordin Sparks Performs "One Step At A Time" On Good Morning America

My future wife Jordin Sparks appeared this morning on Good Morning America to give a short interview & perform her current single "One Step At A Time," the third off her self-titled debut album. Jordin looked & sounded great, but she never doesn't. Yay for finally finding something worthwhile to post about today!

Album Review: Karina "First Love"

17-year-old Karina is already a strong vocalist ready to take the music industry by storm. When Karina first hit the scene, she was "16 @ War," showing that she has a mature attitude to go along with her mature vocal ability. Luckily for us, both of these attributes contribute to Karina's solid debut CD First Love, which has a wonderful balance of upbeat tunes, midtempos, & ballads. Not only does this young singer show great potential with her debut, but she also fulfills that potential to a large extent.

First Love starts off with the banger "90's Baby." As the sucker that I am for a good uptempo track, I found this to be the perfect way to grab the listener's attention, as well as describe to her audience just who they are dealing with. The upbeat feel continues with the Lil' Mama-assisted "Baby, Baby," another solid & enjoyable song. Second single "Can't Find The Words" slows it down a bit. If radio would pay attention to this song, it would light up the airwaves. The album's first single "16 @ War" is next, followed by "Winner," which just so happens to be quite an appropriate title. It really hits hard & seems like a track that belongs to, & only to, Karina.

"Can You Handle It" comes next & is a nice tune that deals with issues that are appropriate for Karina's young age. The catchy slow jam "The Love We Got" & cool uptempo "They Ain't Gotta Love You" compliment eachother well with their similar subject matter & excellent vocal display. Karina really starts showing off her vocal chops with the ballad "Slow Motion." Then, her two aforementioned attributes are displayed well in the album's last two tracks. "Can't Bring Me Down" is a declaration of the strength Karina has developed at this point in her life & the title track "First Love" is a very enjoyable finale that has Karina describing what music means to her.

Most of the tracks on First Love are great, some are just good, but the talent of this new artist is nothing short of extraordinary. Karina's debut is a fun & interesting listen that brings a fine young vocalist to our attention. With any luck, the world will look up & recognize a real singer when they hear one. Either way, I plan to enjoy First Love & look forward to what Karina has to offer us in the future.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Jazmine Sullivan, Keri Hilson Featured On "Discover & Download"

A couple of today's most promising new artists are currently being featured on MTV's "Discover & Download." The service allows you to discover new artists & download their current singles. J Records' Jazmine Sullivan has been chosen for the program & her first single "Need U Bad," which comes from her forthcoming debut album Fearless (September 23rd), is available to download HERE. I'm really digging the thought of more people getting the chance to experience her incredible talent.

Another newcomer currently featured on "Discover & Download" is Keri Hilson. After establishing a successful career, Keri has now set her sights on a singing career. Her debut single "Energy," taken from her upcoming debut album In A Perfect World... (October 7th), can be downloaded HERE as well. Keri Hilson has also proven herself to be an exceptional talent by establishing a decent-sized internet fanbase. Note: Check out the alternate single cover for Keri's "Energy" to the right. I has posted the original cover, so I thought I'd (finally) share the new one with you.

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New Music Tuesday: Karina "First Love"

After what feels like forever, some good new music has hit stores today. The long-awaited debut album from Karina, First Love, which features the singles "16 @ War" & "Can't Find The Words," is out now! First Love seems to be priced quite nicely, so feel free to pick up your copy by clicking the cover on the widget to your right. My (positive!) review will be up shortly for the CD.

Mariah, Others Stand Up To Cancer

Some of today's most accomplished female artists like Mariah Carey, Keyshia Cole, Beyonce, Leona Lewis, Ciara, Rihanna, Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield, Carrie Underwood, Ashanti, & Mary J. Blige are coming together in support of Stand Up To Cancer for the charity single "Just Stand Up." A performance premiere of the song will occur on Friday, September 5th @ 8/7c when NBC, ABC, & CBS all come together in an unprecedented television event in honor of the cause. "Just Stand Up" will be serviced to radio & be exclusively available for purchase via iTunes beginning September 2nd. It's quite a special event when this many big names come together in support of a disease. This is a very good look.

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"The Secret Life Of Bees" Movie Trailer

Jennifer Hudson stars in this adaptation of the best-selling novel "The Secret Life Of Bees." Also starring are Alicia Keys, Dakota Fanning, & Queen Latifah. Looks like a winner. "The Secret Life Of Bees" opens October 17th.

Katharine McPhee "I Know What Boys Like" Video Premiere

Here's the video premiere for "I Know What Boys Like," the Katharine McPhee (& cast) song taken from her new movie "The House Bunny," which hits theaters Friday. Good to know that Kat doesn't contribute to the strange rap portions of the track. Still, I am hoping her forthcoming sophomore album will consist more of material similar to her leaked track "I Will Be There With You."

Mario Works With Joe, Keyshia Cole

He may technically be between albums at the moment, but I haven't posted much music-related about my favorite male R&B artist, so here's an update on Mario. He will be featured alongside Joe on the latter's track "Last Sip," [LISTEN] which comes from Joe's upcoming album New Man. I must admit that I've slept on Joe pretty badly myself (I only really ever paid attention to him during his feature on Mariah's "Thank God I Found You"), so I plan to change that in the near future. Also, Mario was recently featured on the remix to Keyshia Cole's R&B chart-topper "Heaven Sent," [LISTEN] which even made a (brief) appearance on my 'Songs Of The Moment' list to the right. It was quite a collaboration, however, as I am also a huge fan of Keyshia. It seems that, in addition to his stint on last season's Dancing With The Stars, Mario is doing a few features to get/keep his name out there to ensure a more successful fourth album. It still kills me to think of what a shame it is how slept on Mario's third effort Go was. Really great stuff right there.

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Estelle ft. Cee-Lo "Pretty Please" Video Premiere

"Pretty Please," featuring Cee-Lo, is the fourth single off Estelle's recent album Shine, my review for which can be read by clicking the 'album reviews' label on the right. At first I was somewhat puzzled by the single choice, as it is a track placed later in the tracklisting, but I figured, with Cee-Lo in the mix, the track has a shot at success. It also appears that singles are dropping fairly quickly from this project ... while "American Boy" (the second single) is still riding high over here in the US. Nonetheless, Estelle has a worldwide audience, so the more music videos, the merrier. I quite like this one, though Cee-Lo doesn't appear in it; however, many other celebrities do.

OneRepublic "Mercy" Video Premiere

"Mercy" is the fourth single off OneRepublic's debut album Dreaming Out Loud. This one disappointed me. They did the black & white/color thing with their last video & at least that one had a better song.

Jazmine Sullivan "Fearless" Tracklisting

Speaking of unique artists, here's a tracklisting from another one. Jazmine Sullivan's long-awaited debut album Fearless comes out September 23rd & this is what you'll get when you purchase it:

1. Bust Your Windows
2. Need U Bad
3. My Foolish Heart
4. Lions, Tigers & Bears
5. Call Me Guilty
6. One Night Stand
7. After The Hurricane
8. Live A Lie
9. Dream Big
10. Switch!
11. Fear
12. In Love With Another Man

Too awesome! It's like all the songs on my playlist right now along with a whole batch of songs sure to be amazing that I haven't even heard yet! Jazmine Sullivan is truly an incredible talent & I'm really anticipating her debut.

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Solange "SoL-AngeL" Tracklisting

A confirmed tracklisting for Solange's sophomore album SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams (August 26th) has finally been revealed. Check it out below:

1. God Given Name
2. T.O.N.Y.
3. Dancing In The Dark
4. Would've Been The One
5. Sandcastle Disco
6. I Decided
7. Valentine's Day
8. 6 O'Clock Blues
9. Ode To Marvin
10. I Told You So
11. Cosmic Journey (ft. Bilal)
12. This Bird
13. I Decided, Pt. 2
14. Champagnechroniknightcap

From what I've heard so far, Solange appears to have a winner on her hands with this project. I am loving these artists who have been doing their own thing lately.

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Weekend Flashback Performance: Destiny's Child At The 2001 Grammys

Ah, the days when DC3 reigned. Last night, I suddenly had the urge to watch "Charlie's Angels," so I pulled out my DVD & did just that. Courtesy of the credits at the end, I felt inclined to head straight to the special features menu & select Destiny's Child's "Independent Women Part 1" music video. As I enjoyed, I began to realize just how much I miss the group. Beyonce's B'Day, Kelly's Ms. Kelly, & Michelle's Unexpected have provided some of my favorite music of the last couple years, so Destiny's Child has become what would be somewhat of a supergroup. Naturally, I was reminded of their 2001 Grammy Awards performance, a medley of "Independent Women" & "Say My Name," which took place on a very special night for the group--the night they won their very first Grammys. An irreplaceable magic was created when these talented ladies were together, so it's always fun to relive the good ol' days. (Note: Sorry about the tags...)

Solange "Sandcastle Disco" Video Premiere

"Sandcastle Disco" is the second single off Solange's sophomore album SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams (August 26th). First off, lemme just say: how can anyone not LOVE this song? Anyway, the video, which Solange directed herself, is really incredible. It fits the song perfectly, visually creating what a 'sandcastle disco' just might be. Very entertaining.

Brandy Album Update

Epic is really trying to spoil us Brandy fans this week! Following the new music & pictures, it has been announced that Brandy's new album will be titled Human & is set to be released on November 11th. Here's how Brandy describes her fifth studio album Human:

“Human is my most personal album to date,” said Brandy. “I have grown so much since my last album. Being able to express myself & my journey through my music is a feeling I can’t describe. With this new chapter of my life it feels good to have Rodney, a familiar face, by my side again. He brings out emotions in me like nobody else.”

The 'Rodney' Brandy speaks of is Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, the producer she worked with on my personal favorite B-Rocka album to date (Full Moon), so I'm glad the two are back together. More details have emerged about Human, including a few song titles: "Fall," which has previously leaked & was co-written by Natasha Bedingfield, "Long Distance," "Piano Man," & "Torn Down." Also, Brandy is collaborating with Brian Kennedy (Rihanna's "Disturbia"), RedOne (Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie"), & James Fauntleroy (Jordin Sparks' "No Air"). Lastly, Brandy's first single "Right Here (Departed)" will be released on August 26th & will impact Pop radio on September 16th. Yippee!!

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Last '08 MTV VMA Nominees Announced

Video Of The Year

• The Pussycat Dolls "When I Grow Up"
• Britney Spears "Piece Of Me"
• Chris Brown "Forever"
• The Ting Tings "Shut Up & Let Me Go"
• Jonas Brothers "Burnin' Up"

Best Rock Video

• Paramore "crushcrushcrush"
• Linkin Park "Shadow Of The Day"
• Foo Fighters "The Pretender"
• Slipknot "Psychosocial"
• Fall Out Boy "Beat It"

Well, this is quite a letdown. The best video of the year, Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body," didn't get a nomination in the top category ... & yet, Britney's only half-decent video for "Piece Of Me" got a pity nomination ... go figure. Anyway, that forces me to choose The Pussycat Dolls' "When I Grow Up" as my pick for the (unlikely) win. As far as Best Rock Video, that is one category that doesn't do much for me, but I'll have to go with the only choice I can stand: Paramore's "crushcrushcrush."

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Monica "Rolling Out" Magazine Cover + Bonus

Here's Monica on a recent cover of Rolling Out magazine. The singer is back at the same time as her "Boy Is Mine" collaborator Brandy, so needless to say I'm quite giddy. Anyhow, since the cover is somewhat small, check out the cover for Monica's new single "Still Standing" below:

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Ashlee Simpson's Zellers Commercial

Check out the now-pregnant Ashlee Simpson in this new commercial for Zellers. I've never heard of Zellers, but apparently they have enough money to hire Ashlee.

New Brandy Promo Pics

As Brandy's new single has finally premiered, her revamped official site brings us a whole bunch of new promotional photos. B-Rocka looks stunning in every shot. In what is set to be quite a competitive season, Brandy's album ranks as one of my most anticipated releases of this fall.

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New Britney 2008 MTV VMA Promo

Check out the third TV spot for the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards featuring both Britney Spears & this year's host Russell Brand. Funny stuff. Check out the show on September 7th.

New Jazmine Sullivan Promo Pics

Check out these gorgeous new promotional photos of Jazmine Sullivan, arguably my favorite newcomer of recent memory. Jazmine's debut album Fearless comes out September 23rd & I simply can't wait!

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New Pussycat Dolls Promo Pic

Here's a hot new promotional photo of The Pussycat Dolls. Look for their sophomore album Doll Domination, dropping September 16th.

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Billboard Update

^This week's #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart
This week's #1 single on the Hot 100 chart^

See full charts HERE.

In its fifth week of release, the soundtrack to the movie "Mamma Mia!" tops the Billboard 200 album chart. Also, finally ending Katy Perry's reign atop the Hot 100 singles chart is Rihanna with "Disturbia," which is quite an improvement over "I Kissed A Girl."

"I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" Watch
TW: #61 - LW: #70 - Peak: #61 - Week: #5

Jennifer Hudson "Billboard" Magazine Cover

Check out Jennifer Hudson looking fab on the cover of Billboard magazine's latest issue. The photo comes from the same shoot as J-Hud's album cover; speaking of which, Jennifer Hudson's self-titled debut album hits stores September 30th.

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Brandy "Right Here (Departed)" Song Premiere

Check out the cover art for Brandy's first single "Right Here (Departed)" off her upcoming fifth studio album above. Brandy has premiered the song on her official site, so by all means, listen to "Right Here (Departed)" HERE! B-Rocka really hit it outta the park with this one!

David Archuleta's "Crush" #1 On iTunes!

So, not only is the amazing David Archuleta's first single "Crush" (my favorite song right now!) out on iTunes, but the song is already THE #1 track on there! Very exciting stuff! I would definitely recommend purchasing your copy of "Crush" HERE.

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Michelle Williams On The Wendy Williams Show

"We Break The Dawn"

Interview

Michelle Williams was recently a guest on The Wendy Williams Show, where she performed her single "We Break The Dawn," which comes from her upcoming album Unexpected (October 7th), & took part in an interview with Wendy. The interviews from Wendy Williams are always the most entertaining. Michelle also did very well with the song. I also have to say that Michelle is looking very nice!

Jazmine Sullivan "Fearless" Cover

Check out the cover of Jazmine Sullivan's debut album Fearless, due out September 23rd. I get the look they are going for, so that's cool. I also like the picture they used, even if it's the only one they ever use. What matters the most to me, however, is the music within. I cannot wait for this one!

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Britney Spears "OK!" Magazine Cover

Britney Spears is finally opening up to OK! magazine for their latest issue. Britney did her first interview in two years, as well as an at-home photoshoot with her two sons. Check out more by picking up a copy of OK!, on newsstands tomorrow. I plan to get mine!

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The Veronicas "Take Me On The Floor" Video Premiere

"Take Me On The Floor" is the fourth (Australian) single off The Veronicas' sophomore album Hook Me Up, which will be released physically in the US on September 16th. The girls take a page from both Kelly Rowland's "Work" visually & Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl" audibly with their latest.

Michelle Williams Performs "We Break The Dawn" On The Early Show

Columbia Records are finally getting the ball rolling with promotion for Michelle Williams' third studio album Unexpected, which is set for release on October 7th. Michelle appeared on The Early Show recently for a short interview, followed by a performance of her first single "We Break The Dawn." I was very impressed by Michelle's performance, especially because of her vocals. Her new sound is definitely not just the studio magic I was afraid it would be.

Preview Karina's "First Love"

Finally, after a drought that's lasted about two months, some good new music is starting to arrive. Karina is set to release her debut album "First Love" on August 19th & snippets of every track on the album can be heard HERE. So many of her songs sound great that I can't even narrow down what I think will be highlights! Karina is one talent not to be missed!

Britney Spears 2008 MTV VMA Promo Videos

"Pinch Me"

"Name"

Check out these brand new TV spots Britney Spears shot to promote the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. Also in the clips are this year's host Russell Brand & an elephant. I actually found them quite funny. The show goes down on September 7th.

Another Beyonce "Fashion Rocks" Promo Pic

Here's another promotional photo of Beyonce for her upcoming performance at Fashion Rocks, which is set to air September 9th. This is an awesome shoot of Beyonce. I look forward to what she has to offer at the event.

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Keyshia Cole Covers Mary J. Blige

Keyshia Cole has covered a song by her idol Mary J. Blige. Keyshia was apparently a little hesitant to do so, but was convinced by Lil' Wayne, whom she recorded the tune with. They covered Mary's 1994 song "I Love You," which is taken from her My Life album. It appears to be unknown, however, what release the song was recorded for. Nevertheless, I have faith in Keyshia & I know she will not only do the song justice, but sing it beautifully.

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Mariah Carey "Fashion Rocks" Promo Pic + Note

Check out this gorgeous promotional photo of Mariah Carey shot for Fashion Rocks magazine. Mariah will be performing at the event, which will air September 9th.

Note: Here's an interesting tidbit I picked up from the article above. Mariah is set to "make a feature-length HBO musical adaptation of Merry Christmas, her 1994 holiday album." I had heard the rumors, but I guess it's actually gonna happen! Here's to it happening THIS Christmas! *crosses fingers*

Katharine McPhee "Connected" Video Premiere

Katharine McPhee has shot a video for her song "Connected," which was recorded for use in the new Barbie movie. Kat looks great in the video, which features clips from the cheesy flick. I'm glad we get to hear some decent new music from her, but I'm still waiting for that new album...

Weekend Flashback Performance: Beyonce At The 2004 Grammys

When Beyonce set out to be a solo star, everyone knew she would be successful. However, I'm not sure if we all knew just what was headed our way. Beyonce named her debut solo album Dangerously In Love, a title shared with a Destiny's Child-turned-Beyonce song, which she performed here at the 2004 Grammy Awards. On a set made to look like a life-size portrait, Beyonce shined both visually & vocally as she stunned the audience with her rendition of the ballad. I've always loved how Beyonce uses this song to showcase her talent. The Grammys also noticed Beyonce's talent that year, rewarding her quite nicely with a whopping 5 awards. What a wonderful night it was for the hottest chick in the game.

The Pussycat Dolls "Doll Domination" Cover

Check out the cover for The Pussycat Dolls' sophomore album Doll Domination (September 16th). I love it; the girls look on-point. Anyway, this should be it for today's massive PCD update-age.

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PCD TV Episode 5

In their fifth webisode, The Pussycat Dolls discuss their sisterhood. Aww. Their sophomore album Doll Domination will be out September 16th.

New Pussycat Dolls Promo Pics

Here are two new promotional photos of The Pussycat Dolls for their second album Doll Domination, which is set for release on September 16th. The girls are smokin'! Btw, it's quite a PCD news day, so look out for more to come of the girls.

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More '08 MTV VMA Nominees Announced

Best New Artist:

• Jordin Sparks "No Air"
• Katy Perry "I Kissed A Girl"
• Taylor Swift "Teardrops On My Guitar"
• Tokio Hotel "Ready, Set, Go!"
• She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named "7 Things"

Best Dancing In A Video:

• The Pussycat Dolls "When I Grow Up"
• Danity Kane "Damaged"
• Madonna "4 Minutes"
• Chris Brown "Forever"
• Ne-Yo "Closer"

Jordin Sparks has my vote BY A LANDSLIDE for Best New Artist with "No Air." It's simply no competition. Let's just say there's more than seven things I hate about *some* of the other nominees... As far as Best Dancing In A Video goes, I'll have to give that one to The Pussycat Dolls' "When I Grow Up." They were fly in that video & definitely better than any other nominee in that category. Easy week.

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Solange Performs "I Decided (Pt. 2)" On T4

Solange continued UK promotion by recently performing her single "I Decided (Pt. 2)" on T4. She sounded good & looked ... unique, but you gotta love her for it. I do hope she starts promotion in the US soon though since her sophomore album SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams hits stores August 26th.

New Britney Spears Promo Pics

Britney Spears recently shot a promo video for the 2008 MTV VMAs alongside Russell Brand, who starred in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" with my favorite actress Kristen Bell this past spring, & a 9,000-pound elephant. Check out these photos from the shoot. Britney, a two-time nominee this year, is looking great.

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Beyonce's House Of Dereon Commercial

A new commercial/promotional video for Beyonce's mother's clothing line House Of Dereon has surfaced. It features Beyonce during the shoot her recent ad for the line came from. The clip also talks about the history of the company & how it ties in with her family.

Billboard Update

^This week's #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart

This week's #1 single on the Hot 100 chart^

See full charts HERE.

Sugarland have the last laugh this week, as they move 2-1 with their latest album Love On The Inside to top the Billboard 200 album chart. Katy Perry has topped the Hot 100 singles chart with "I Kissed A Girl" for way too long now. As this news hasn't particularly appealed to the blog as of late, I decided to find something positive to report. The Pussycat Dolls move into the top 10 on the Hot 100 this week with their single "When I Grow Up," which sits at #9 (its peak), while Estelle reaches a new peak of #12 with her single "American Boy" after it sat comfortably in the iTunes top 10 last week.

"I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" Watch

TW: #70 - LW: #67 - Peak: #67 - Week: #4

Album Review: Ashanti "The Declaration"

Disclaimer: This is my last album review to get caught up! I hope you have enjoyed this feature & I look forward to reviewing more great titles as they are released! Thanks for reading. :)

As Ashanti states at the beginning of her latest album The Declaration, it's been four years since we heard from the singer, but she is back & ready to take over once again. Ashanti may not necessarily be known for strong vocals, but she has noticable improved over the last few years. Evidence of this is featured in the album's first single "The Way That I Love You," a passionate song that has the singer showing off her vocals & giving us reason to love her again. Ashanti looks to give us even more with The Declaration.

The album gets going with "You're Gonna Miss," a sassy uptempo that has Ashanti using a vocoder & is very cool. "So Over You" keeps not only with the mood, but the quality as well. "Struggle" slows it down a bit & is more in the vain of "The Way That I Love You." The track is far from poor, but doesn't quite compare to the first single. The track that follows, "Girlfriend," is an average slow jam.

The Robin Thicke-assisted track "Things You Make Me Do" is next. Though the song features nice production from 7 Aurelius, someone Ashanti has previously worked with (successfully), I am not a fan of the track, most notably because of the annoying contributions from Thicke. Ashanti is more successful with "In These Streets," as well as the album's fun second single "Good Good." Nelly's current single "Body On Me," which features both Ashanti & Akon, is featured here in a modified form that features more vocals from Ashanti. The song isn't my favorite, but is definitely improved with the additional parts by Ashanti.

Ashanti closes The Declaration with a few textbook tracks, but they are quality, so credit to her for that. "Mother," a dedication to her own, is a decent track, but is made better because of the heart behind it. The inspirational "Shine" is also nice, but I seem to recall Ashanti using that card before (& even doing it better). The title track "The Declaration" is a solid finale that obviously keeps with the theme of the record.

The Declaration is definitely a solid effort from Ashanti. I haven't really given her previous albums enough of a chance to compare them with this one though. One problem I have with some of this new material is that it is somewhat forgettable, even if each track does basically have its own identity. It's also hard to get around the fact that her voice just isn't as smooth as your Beyonces & Keyshia Coles. Still, as seems to be the case with most R&B albums of any sort of quality, there are enough good songs on The Declaration to justify purchasing it. And one thing's for sure: if Rihanna is there, then Ashanti should be up at the top of the charts with the rest of 'em.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Album Review: Usher "Here I Stand"

Having been four years since his record-selling album Confessions, Usher was finally ready to return to the scene with his fifth studio album Here I Stand. At first, it was with quite a bang, as the Young Jeezy-assisted first single "Love In This Club" hit #1 before a video was even out for the song. Like its predecessor, Here I Stand debuted atop the charts, but didn't manage to sell the astronomical amount Confessions had. Usher had a lot of success with his last album, which I enjoyed, but I didn't think it was life-changing. In my opinion, Here I Stand, as a whole, is at least as good, if not better, than its predecessor, but is not without its own problems.

Following the decent "Love In This Club" is the better "This Ain't Sex." It's a cool song, but would have obvious issues if released commercially. The next track, the slow jam "Trading Places," is quite excellent, but not exactly radio-friendly in content. One of the best tracks is the second single "Moving Mountains," which features sensational vocals & should remind us why we loved Usher in the first place. "What's Your Name," which features will.i.am, follows & is pretty fun.

Usher goes along pretty well, but then comes to a point where every track sounds like an album filler. While probably significant personally, "Something Special" is alright, but falls short. The latter can be said of "Love You Gently," which doesn't compare to the earlier "Trading Places." The Jay-Z-assisted "Best Thing" also falls flat. The album picks up then, with "Before I Met You" & the long-leaked "His Mistakes," before peaking (for the last time) with "Appetite," a song that surprises me (in a good way) with its content. "What's A Man To Do" is another decent midtempo.

Here I Stand finishes out with the sub-par "Lifetime," the add-on (but enjoyable) "Love In This Club Part II," which features Beyonce & Lil' Wayne, & title track "Here I Stand," an alright song vocally, but otherwise difficult to sit through. "Will Work For Love" is a hidden track & quite better than half of the album's other material.

Usher is an excellent vocalist, so Here I Stand has that going for it. I'm also happy for him, being married now & all, but if he's gonna sing so much about it, he needs to make it so that the listener wants to hear it. This project is definitely hit & miss, but makes itself worthwhile with the hits. If the right songs were chosen as future singles, Usher could have some decent success with Here I Stand, which he deserves, though I doubt he will hit it as big as the last go-round.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Jennifer Hudson "Upscale" Magazine Cover + Movie Updates

Jennifer Hudson is looking gorgeous on the cover of the latest issue of Upscale. She is finally set to release her self-titled debut album on September 30th.

In related news, some updates are now available concerning J-Hud's movie career. She is set to star in "The Secret Life Of Bees," which opens October 17th, & the movie's poster can be viewed HERE. She will also be in the film "Winged Creatures," the trailer for which can be viewed HERE.

New Kelly Rowland Promo Pic

Check out this beautiful new promotional photo of Kelly Rowland. Apparently, she is pictured here with French singer Nadiya because the two have recorded a duet entitled "No Future, No Past" to be released in France. Well, isn't somebody just becoming the biggest little star in Europe?

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N.E.R.D. "Everyone Nose (Remix)" Video Premiere

N.E.R.D. have enlisted Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, & Pusha T for the remix of their first single "Everyone Nose (All The Girls Standing In The Line For The Bathroom)" off their latest album Seeing Sounds. The clip was directed by Hype Williams (Janet Jackson, Kelis). The video is really creative & I quite like it! FYI: Pharrell, Kanye, & Lupe make up the group CRS.

Usher Re-Engages Mother As Manager

Usher has parted ways with both his manager & publicist, & re-hired his mother Jonnetta Patton as his manager for the first time in a little over a year. Usher's former manager, Benny Medina, handled most of the launching of Usher's latest album Here I Stand, which, after 10 weeks of release, is just shy of selling one million copies. Personally, I think Usher has some issues. To have sold that many copies in that short a time in today's industry is something you should be proud of, whether you sold a million week one last time or not. Everybody can't be Lil' Wayne these days, so get over it. It's not like Usher can't say he has sold over a million copies in the first week before. He had his moment. He should just be thankful that people actually care as much as they do ... I mean, he fired his mom. C'mon.

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Album Review: Ryan Cabrera "The Moon Under Water"

Armed with an all-new image, Ryan Cabrera went the indie route for his third effort The Moon Under Water. After being dropped by his major label, Ryan wasted no time recording new material & releasing it to his fans. It is a shame, however, how underrated Ryan is. He is an incredibly talented singer & not only stays consistent with the quality of his music minus the big money producers & label, but maybe even improves it. In fact, I find it difficult to say anything negative about his latest album.

The Moon Under Water starts off well with "In Between Lights," which leads into the album's second single "Enemies," a catchy tune with something to say. Speaking of catchiness & things to 'say,' the first single off the project, "Say," would have been a massive Top 40 hit had there been big promotion bucks behind it. And just think: it didn't even take some famous behind-the-scenes magician in the industry to create "Say." Good stuff.

Ryan slows it down a little on "Rise (The Dog Barks)," a nice, calming song, (possibly) despite its title. Like the first track, Ryan doesn't completely abandon his pop/rock beginnings on "Sit Back, Relax," which is one that shows off his great vocals quite well. Ryan returns us to his edgier sound with "The Tango," then slows it down again for contrast with "How Bout Tonite," both enjoyable tracks. Probably only because I can relate to it the most personally, my favorite song on the album, "I Shoulda Kissed U," has great emotion from Ryan within the awesome vocal delivery.

Wrapping it up incredibly well, "Say You Will" & "Please Don't Lie" are those magical songs that you can listen to on repeat & never get sick of. The last track on the CD is probably the most recognizable: "I Will Remember You." Unfortunately, I think it is the weakest song on the album, but it seems as more of an add-on, as it has never been featured on an album of his before, than an actual finale.

The Moon Under Water features the triumphant return of one of the industry's most talented young men right now--except, this time, he is finally making music his way. I loved Ryan's first two albums & I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed his third effort, simply because he made the whole thing by himself. Sure, basically all the songs are either uptempos or ballads, but the whole album sounding similar works in this case because of how good that 'similar' happens to be. If I can't say anything else, I have to stress just how much we need someone like Ryan Cabrera in an industry with, oh I don't know, the Jonas Brothers?... True talent. Good music. Isn't that what we really want anyway?

Rating: 4/5 Stars

N.E.R.D. Perform "Spaz" On Late Night

N.E.R.D. performed their second single "Spaz" off latest album Seeing Sounds on Late Night With Conan O'Brien Tuesday. This is my jam!

Jordin Sparks On Loose Women

"No Air"

Interview

Jordin Sparks was recently doing some promotion in the UK & stopped by Loose Women to do an interview & perform a solo version of her hit single "No Air" off her self-titled debut album. Jordin gave an entertaining interview & sounded awesome. Kinda wish she had recorded this one alone in the first place...

Watch "The Single: Monica" Reality Special

Are you a Monica fan? Are you like me & don't live in the ATL? Well, do I have some good news for you! Monica's reality special "The Single: Monica," which just aired on Peachtree TV in Atlanta, can be viewed in full HERE.

I really enjoyed the special. It gave alot of insight into what Monica's vision is for her music at this point in her career & even allowed the audience to hear some of her new material. She worked with Bryan-Michael Cox & Stargate in the clip. *Sigh* @ Stargate, but the song they did with Monica, entitled "Taxi," seems to have ended up sounding really good. The main song featured is "Still Standing," which I think B. Cox & co. did a GREAT job on. The track features Monica's cousin Ludacris & will make an awesome first single. Still Standing is actually the name of Monica's new album now, which is set to drop by the end of the year.

P.S. Aren't Monica's little boys adorable?

P.P.S. LMAO at the guy from her label. Don't tell me he's the one who chose "Everytime Tha Beat Drop" as her lead single last go-round...

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Album Review: Estelle "Shine"

The hottest new multi-talented artist is here. Estelle has arrived from across the Atlantic to conquer America with her singing & rapping skills. She has, of course, been called a modern-day Lauryn Hill &--I have to admit--although I only recently got into Lauryn Hill, as the height of her career was really, for lack of a better term, before my time, Estelle is living up to that title quite well so far. Her debut album Shine, well, does just that.

The album's first single "Wait A Minute (Just A Touch)," which came & went pretty quietly from the scene, showcases Estelle's many talents, is a great way to start off the CD, & is an excellent song. "No Substitute Love" is also a great song, which displays the cool vibe that Estelle develops throughout the album quite well. "American Boy," which features Kanye West & is Shine's second & biggest single so far, shows off Estelle's fun side.

One of my favorite cuts is "More Than Friends." The tune features the best line, in my opinion, of the whole album: "And if I wanted to be part-time, I'd be working at the check-out line." Who else is awesome enough to come up with that? The Kardinal Offishall-assisted "Magnificent" is just that, while "Come Over" is another cool jam. Estelle's rapping comes back into play for "So Much Out The Way," a song that's style makes for one of the best tracks on the album. "In The Rain" is a wonderfully catchy tune featuring lovely vocals--the singing kind this time.

It's possible the only slip-up of Shine is "Back In Love," as it just sticks out as the only track I don't love, but still fits in with the rest of the album all the same. A couple more guests--John Legend ("You Are") & Cee-Lo ("Pretty Please (Love Me)")--help Estelle wrap up the album very well. The last cut, the title track "Shine," is yet another of the CD's best. More creatively catchy music.

Probably my favorite aspect of Shine, relative to its competitors, is that all of the songs are unique. Every track sounds different, but is just as brilliant as the next. Estelle has created something very special that can be played over & over again, with the listener discovering a different 'favorite song' each time. The guests & music around her only help Estelle 'shine' even brighter. If the world chooses to appreciate what a great talent she is, then we will all have the opportunity to hear real music together again.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Album Review: Ashlee Simpson "Bittersweet World"

Being the MTV reality sister-of-a-star that she is, Ashlee Simpson is out to truly define herself on her third effort Bittersweet World, which strays from the comfortable pop/rock sound of her first two outings. Jessica is no longer the 'Newlywed' star she once was, so Ashlee doesn't have to be the rebellious answer to her sister's girl-next-door image any longer. Ashlee is ready to make the music she wants to make ... & it certainly makes for an interesting listen.

I'm not gonna lie: I really like Ashlee's first two albums, so the idea that she would mess with a formula that was working wasn't my ideal situation at first, but I became open to the idea. For anyone who has heard Simpson's first single off her new project, "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)," the difference is obvious. I must say that I liked the quirkiness of her new sound when the single hit--& especially so because I respected Ashlee for it. If that's the music she wants to make, more power to her because it becomes evident, looking back, that she was in need of a bit of a change musically, considering she had gone about as far as she could go with the old sound. With Bittersweet World, the new sound works too, as the album gets rolling strong with one of its better & more radio-friendly cuts, "Boys."

It's not all rainbows & butterflies, however, with "Rule Breaker" & "Little Miss Obsessive," the album's Tom Higginson (of the Plain White T's)-assisted second single (of sorts). While I can't blame her for the written material, the songs are more obnoxious than enjoyable; Ashlee just seems to be trying too hard at times. However, "No Time For Tears"--a track that is sandwiched between the two aforementioned cuts--is rather good ... &, interestingly enough, resembles Simpson's old material more than most of the other songs. The thankfully lovable funkiness does reappear in "Ragdoll" & continues in the title track "Bittersweet World," which--dare I say it--even features some interesting (in a good way) vocals. My favorite cut on the album is "What I've Become"--the other song which features a resemblance to her earlier material, but provides a nice mesh of the two sounds. It offers a dynamic of sorts, unfortunately, to my least favorite song: "Hot Stuff." Ashlee, please don't rap. Please.

A song some may be familiar with--in some form or another--is "Murder," which features Izza Kizza. In its finalized version, this track offers one of the better examples of why Ashlee's new sound works. An Ashlee Simpson song that incorporates hip-hop? By all means, it shouldn't work--but it does. "Murder" is a refreshing offering from a creative (yes, I said it!) artist. I also must say: Ashlee Simpson has got to be the best person at ending albums. "Never Dream Alone" is a very nice ballad that leaves the listener entranced & wanting more.

Bittersweet World is a tricky one. When its bad, it makes the listener wonder if Ashlee's critics are right, but when its good, its really, really good--especially for anyone willing to give it a shot. The good definitely outways the bad in both quality & quantity. Here's to yet another artist overlooked by way too many for no real reason whatsoever.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Keri Hilson "Trace" Magazine Cover

One of the biggest contenders for the most photogenic award has got to be Miss Keri Hilson, who looks perfect (as she always does) on the cover of Trace. The beautiful songstress with the gorgeous voice's debut album In A Perfect World... will be in stores September 23rd.

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New Beyonce MQ Ads

L'Oreal

House Of Dereon

Beyonce is featured in a couple of new ad campaigns for L'Oreal & her mother's own House Of Dereon. It has got to be impossible for Beyonce to look bad ... no matter what color she looks like she is lol. If she does infact release it, her album is definitely one of my most anticipated projects of this upcoming crowded fall season.

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Fantasia "Sister 2 Sister" Magazine Cover

Fantasia is featured on the cover of the newest issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine. I think Fantasia looks better than she has in a while. She's working on some new material, so that will be cool to hear once it finally surfaces.

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Carrie Underwood "Just A Dream" Video Premiere

"Just A Dream" is the fourth single off Carrie Underwood's sophomore album Carnival Ride. This is a sad one, but then again, it is country music. Her talent amazes me everytime she releases a new video.

New Jennifer Hudson Promo Pic

Here's one more promotional photo of Jennifer Hudson for her upcoming self-titled debut album (September 30th). It may look familiar, but it is just from the same shoot as the others, not the same shot. I just really like this look for J-Hud, so I had to post it. She photographs really well ... & just think how much better she can sing!

Mariah Carey Performs "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" On The 2008 Teen Choice Awards

Mariah Carey performed the same "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time"/"Touch My Body" remix-of-sorts as she has been recently at this year's Teen Choice Awards. It was a fun, lively performance from MC. I really like the medley they've put together for these performances & I really hope they release a version of it to download. Both songs are off Mariah's latest album E=MC².

In related news, congratulations to David Archuleta (Choice Most Fanatic Fans), Jordin Sparks (Choice Hook-Up for "No Air" with Chris Brown), American Idol (Choice TV Reality Music Competition), Lil' Mama (Choice Music Rap/Hip-Hop Track for "Shawty Get Loose" with T-Pain & Chris Brown), & Carrie Underwood (Choice Red Carpet Fashion Icon Female) for their respective wins at the ceremony. (Trust me: if you read this blog, those are all the winners you care about. lol)

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Album Review: Tiffany Evans "Tiffany Evans"

It's been quite a journey for Tiffany Evans up to this point. She may only be 16 years old now, but she was even younger when she won CBS' revival of Star Search, leading her to a record deal with Columbia. Years later, Tiffany has finally managed to release her well-deserved debut album. The most disappointing thing about it all is that the little girl with the big voice still hasn't gotten nearly the amount of shine that she deserves. Her self-titled debut is a solid effort that should be heard & enjoyed by the masses.

The CD starts off with its two singles, "Promise Ring" & "I'm Grown." After hearing Tiff sing karaoke-style music as a young child, it was refreshing to hear her come onto the scene with her very own music. "Promise Ring" is a great lead single & includes lovely support from a mentor-of-sorts to Tiffany, Ciara. Personally, I even think Tiffany stepped it up a notch with the Bow Wow-assisted "I'm Grown," which features strong vocals & shares a statement with the world about how Tiffany feels (& should feel) about where she is in her life. The album continues on an optimistic note with "Impossible," but all-too-quickly causes the listener to question their complacency with "Thinkin' About." Still, Tiffany redeems herself with "Can't Walk Away" & "Lay Back & Chill."

"Girl Gone Wild" follows, which is not only an enjoyable listen, but shows that Tiff has some brains inside that head of hers. Another of my favorites, "About A Boy," is an emotional tune where she deals with heartbreak. I like "Favorite Broken Heart;" I'm not particularly fond of "Again." Then, Tiffany ends with the ballad you knew she would, entitled "Angels On Earth," which properly displays her vocals.

Tiffany Evans is a better album than I ever would have expected from this youngster, but it isn't perfect. One thing I may not really have mentioned up to this point is my only real problem with the album: almost every song sounds the same. It isn't a bad sound, but it makes remembering how many of the tunes that are just good--nothing more, nothing less--actually go after listening to the album ... even a few times. Most all of the songs are midtempos, so I guess it would have been nice to hear Tiffany step outside of her comfort zone more often than just with "I'm Grown." That's not to say that she had a lot of choice in the matter, but that should be an issue that solves itself later in her career. Let's just say I'm glad they didn't give her the expected 10-12 power ballads to sing the whole time.

Even with its flaws, Tiffany Evans is a solid album & an enjoyable listen. Tiffany's talent & material are easily comparable to that of the world's newest sweetheart, Leona Lewis. The production is great & Tiffany really brings it with the vocals. I would definitely have to recommend this one & I look forward to what Tiffany has to offer in the future.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Karina "Can't Find The Words" Video Premiere

"Can't Find The Words" is the second single off Karina's debut album First Love (August 19th). Finally we get to see this video! Personally, I think it is just right for the song. I love the song & I think it is a perfect single choice. I really hope her album doesn't get pushed back 'cause I'm excited for some good music after a month of nothing in July.

Will.I.Am "One More Chance" Video Premiere

"One More Chance" is the third single off will.i.am's solo album Songs About Girls. What surprises me is that after the album flopped & talk of a re-release calmed down, singles are still being released. Good thing though because following the release of the first single "I Got It From My Mama," I wasn't checking for will.i.am as a solo artist, but this song is really good. They definitely picked the wrong lead single because all that have followed sound like they are from a completely different artist--in the best possible way.

Album Review: Mariah Carey "E=MC²"

The Emancipation Of Mimi. It happened & there was no way around it. Sure, as a Mariah fanatic, I am very happy she released that album--more specifically the single "We Belong Together"--& yeah, I like it, too. But the pressure was on to bring it with the follow-up ... & if I have anything to say about it, Mariah did. And did some more. And some more. Well, you get the point.

E=MC² starts off fantastically well with the T-Pain- (& vocoder-) assisted "Migrate." Mariah uses just enough of the tool that makes infinite hits these days & mixes it with MC flare to create a sure-fire hit (that probably should have been released as the second single, as opposed to the "let's follow the Mimi path to success SO exactly that it backfires" plan Island took). The album's first single "Touch My Body" was the perfect tease for what was to come, especially with the song's music video. And just when people might start thinking that Mariah is trying to stick EXACTLY to Mimi's formula, "Cruise Control," featuring Damian Marley, begins to play. One of my personal favorites on the album, MC's Jamaican accent is priceless.

For those who prefer Mariah pre-Butterfly, which just so happens to be another one of her best efforts, her classic diva sound reappears, if only for a moment, in "I Stay In Love." The brilliant ballad fulfills the desire to hear Mariah's amazing vocal chops & is utter perfection. Mariah also gets personal about her broken marriage to Tommy Mottola in "Side Effects" alongside Young Jeezy. The deep, intense song is refreshing to hear & proves any who doubted Mariah's creative ability at this point in her career wrong.

Some of Mariah's best material, in my opinion, is found in "I'm That Chick," "Love Story," & "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time," the latter of which is my favorite song on the album & a perfect single choice, even if the masses don't know it yet. They have everything: the catchy hooks, the sleek vocals, the outstanding production. At this point during my first listen, I knew Mariah wasn't playing around. As for the rest of E=MC², whether Mariah is gettin' funky ("O.O.C."), name-checking her own classics ("For The Record"), reminiscing ("Bye Bye"), or remaining grounded in her spirituality ("I Wish You Well"), Mariah is musically on-point throughout.

Whether it's gettin' jiggy wit it (na na na...) or showing off that massive range she has, Mariah is on fire like she's always been. E=MC² literally has it all &, I have to say, is my personal favorite MC record, if not my favorite album ever.

Rating: 5+/5 Stars

Album Review: Leona Lewis "Spirit"

Leona Lewis' debut album Spirit was quite a highly anticipated release by the time it was out in the US for many of Leona's fans who had been following her on the net since the days of The X-Factor. I, for one, felt quite alone when I sat at my computer every week watching Leona display her amazing talent & never heard a bit of news about it. All the dedication was worth it, however, when Spirit's first single "Bleeding Love" first hit the scene. It was such a refreshing blend of a talented artist singing a genuinely great song. I must admit though that after my first listening of Spirit, I was underwhelmed. Not because the talent wasn't there, but because it just didn't seem to be getting used to its fullest potential. Nonetheless, Spirit is by no means without its moments of greatness.

Following the album's opener & worldwide phenomenon "Bleeding Love" is the album's second single "Better In Time," which really does nothing for me. The tracks that follow, "I Will Be" (a song which Avril Lavigne recorded first, but obviously without the chops Leona has) & "I'm You," are better, but seem to hint at a looong album ahead. Spirit gets a much-needed boost with the two US-exclusive tracks "Forgive Me" & "Misses Glass," which feature Leona singing something that the rest of the album seems to lack, "Bleeding Love" aside: decent hooks. While the album's other tracks run together sometimes, these uptempos have the listener remembering them specifically after listening to the entire record.

It is possibly because of this boost that the rest of the album at this point seems more enjoyable. While Spirit is overloaded with slower material, "Angel," "Yesterday," & "Take A Bow," which are all midtempos & close together sequentially, shine to respective degrees. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a great way to display Leona's talent, but I find it difficult to get past the fact that it doesn't really compare to Celine Dion's jaw-dropping rendition of the tune. That aside, Leona's magic really happens on the ballads. Basically, there is no comparison between the album's last two tracks, "Footprints In The Sand" & "Here I Am," & yet another forgettable midtempo that falls near the end of the album, "Whatever It Takes." (Note: What's with the last two songs being 'UK Bonus Tracks'? Practically all the songs are from the UK anyway, so if you're gonna include them, just do.)

Spirit is a hit-and-miss attempt at putting together a hit debut album for one of today's greatest new talents. Its faults, however, were never going to hurt the album's sales, especially with such a brilliant lead single. I do think, though, that there are enough tracks that demonstrate Lewis' talent in a positive light to make Spirit a worthwhile buy. I look forward to what Leona has to offer once she has more time & freedom to experiment with making music.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Note Concerning Upcoming Releases, Album Reviews

Hello, readers! Thanks so much for supporting Bring Da Beat Back! I wanted to take a quick second to make note of a couple things.

1. Upcoming Releases: See that category to your right? It is a list of all the hot upcoming releases that I constantly update! I know what you're thinking: what did I do to deserve this? I'm only kidding. Well, with albums coming soon from new artists (Karina, Jazmine Sullivan, Keri Hilson, Jennifer Hudson, David Archuleta, Dondria) to established ones (Missy Elliott, The Pussycat Dolls, Pink) to pros trying to reinvent themselves (Solange, Michelle Williams), I thought it had come time to catch up with...

2. Album Reviews: I know, I know. I do album reviews? Well, that was the intention. Then, I did a couple ... nothing good came out for a while ... I got busy ... & BAM! Nothing got reviewed. However, I plan to not only change that, but make it up to you! Several decent efforts were released in the late spring/early summer of this year, so I will be (quickly) reviewing them in time for this fall's cool new releases! I hope you enjoy the (almost) new feature to the blog & continue to visit Bring Da Beat Back!

2008 MTV Asia Award Performance Highlights

"Bleeding Love"

"Better In Time"

"Apologize"

"Stop & Stare"

Leona Lewis performed the first two singles off her debut album Spirit, while OneRepublic performed the first two singles off their debut album Dreaming Out Loud ... & I don't know what it was, but there just seemed to be something special about their performances. Maybe it was not having paid much attention to these artists lately or the many, many Asian background singers they seemed to have. Whatever it was, these clips gave me a newfound appreciation for "Bleeding Love," "Apologize," & the others. Good stuff. Btw, congrats to Leona for winning the Breakthrough Artist award!

The Pussycat Dolls Perform On The 2008 MTV Asia Awards

The Pussycat Dolls performed their hit song "Buttons" & new single "When I Grow Up," which is off their sophomore album Doll Domination (September 16th), at the 2008 MTV Asia Awards yesterday. The performances were hot. Nicole had an excellent vocal delivery.

While we are on the subject, I'd like to give a little of my opinion on PCD lead singer Nicole Scherzinger, as there seems to be some discussion on the topic on some blogs today. Nicole is an excellent singer. While she may not be the second coming of Beyonce, she ain't no Rihanna. As quite the fan of Miss Nicole, what I find special about her is that she makes up for what she might lack in vocal ability with her creativity. When it came to her attempt at a solo career, I think the PTB made some wrong decisions on what to release as singles because, while I wasn't in love with "Whatever U Like" & "Baby Love," every other leaked song I heard from Nicole was FIYA. I think they wanted to define Nicole as a solo artist while keeping with the sexy image--then decided too late to stick all-too-closely to the PCD sound as well (see: "Stickwitu"). So, while there will probably be quite a wait until we hear from Nicole as a solo artist again (not that we won't hear from her--she basically IS PCD ... which is a good thing. Where would they be without her anyway?), I am plenty willing to wait for her music because I know she'll make it worthwhile. Thanks for enduring my rant. :)

Weekend Flashback Performance: Lady Marmalade At The 2002 Grammys

Whoever had this idea should be promoted ... & they probably were. When four of the Y2K generation's biggest stars joined forces to remake this classic for the film "Moulin Rouge," the #1 single that resulted was unstoppable. Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil' Kim, & Mya all came together to perform their smash "Lady Marmalade" for the 44th Annual Grammy Awards. Not only was the performance a showstopper, but they were eventually joined by the woman that made the song famous in the first place, Patti LaBelle. The song, which later that same evening won the girls a Grammy award, was one to remember & will follow each of the girls for the rest of their career--whether they like it or not.

New Keri Hilson Promo Pics

These new Keri Hilson promotional photos have surfaced now that the release of her debut album In A Perfect World... on September 23rd is slowly but surely catching up with us. I think they are just gorgeous. I've always found Keri very pretty. She truly is a special lady!

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David Archuleta "Crush" Song Premiere

Here's a widget being used to promote David Archuleta's newly-premiered first single "Crush." It does, in fact, feature the single's cover art. If you click David's face above (lol), you can hear the song! Yes, folks: all the hype is justified. The song is freaking life-altering good. And I'm not even being sarcastic! "Crush" is about what you would expect, but David sounds WAY beyond amazing on it. David Archuleta's debut album is currently set to be released on November 4th ... & I will be first in line to buy it.

Cassie ft. Lil' Wayne "Official Girl": Sneak Peek

Check out this first look at Cassie's new video "Official Girl," which features Lil' Wayne. "Girl" is the first single off Cassie's sophomore album, which is set to drop later this year. It's actually pretty cool because the clip is set up like a movie trailer, however I'm not really anticipating this video, so whatever. Do be aware that the trailer is only the beginning of the video, as the rest is simply the song.

In Theaters Now...

Grade: A-

More '08 MTV VMA Nominees Announced

Best Pop Video

• Britney Spears "Piece Of Me"
• Danity Kane "Damaged"
• Panic At The Disco "Nine In The Afternoon"
• Tokio Hotel "Ready, Set, Go!"
• Jonas Brothers "Burnin' Up"

Best Hip-Hop Video

• Mary J. Blige "Just Fine"
• Kanye West "Homecoming"
• Flo Rida "Low"
• Lupe Fiasco "Superstar"
• Lil' Wayne "Lollipop"

I must admit: I hope Britney Spears takes Best Pop Video for "Piece Of Me" ... 'cause she actually made a decent video for the first time in years, her fans deserve it for the support, & it would boost her confidence. Oh, right ... also 'cause the other nominees do nothin' for me. As for Best Hip-Hop Video, I'm not positive how Mary J. Blige's "Just Fine" qualifies, but it is easily the best of the bunch. The rest just aren't really my cup of tea though.

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Solange To Release Mixtape

Solange is apparently ready to set the record straight about who she is exactly. She plans on doing so with a new mixtape entitled I Can't Get Clearance. Recently, Solange gave a hint at what can be expected from the project with the song "F*** The Industry (Signed Sincerely)," which can be heard HERE. She demonstrates to us all that there's "nothin' really R&B" about her by name-checking some of the genre's finest that she is often compared to. I think it will be interesting to see what Solange comes up with for her mixtape. As for the new record, her sophomore album SoL-AngeL & The Hadley St. Dreams will be released on August 26th.

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Jazmine Sullivan Performs "Need U Bad" For Seventeen

In addition to "In Love With Another Man," Jazmine Sullivan performed current single "Need U Bad," the first off her upcoming debut album Fearless, due September 16th, for Seventeen magazine recently. Even with such a small crowd, Jazmine had so much energy. Love it!

Mariah Carey Mini-Concert On Jimmy Kimmel

"I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time/Touch My Body"

"Side Effects (ft. Young Jeezy)"

Interview: Pt. 1 // Pt. 2

Mariah Carey made one heck of an appearance recently on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Not only did Mariah sit down for a pretty thorough interview with Kimmel, she also performed somewhat of a set as a part of the show's Summer Krush concert series. Mariah performed a SWEET "Touch My Body" remix, if you will, of her current single "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" & was assisted by Young Jeezy in performing E=MC² album track & fan favorite "Side Effects," a performance that sparked a love for the song in me that was never very bright before. The other songs that were performed were "I'm That Chick," "Shake It Off," & "We Belong Together." As a special BONUS for the blog, you can click their respective titles to watch the performances, courtesy of Mariah Daily Journal.

Trina ft. Killer Mike "Look Back At Me" Video Premiere

"Look Back At Me," featuring Killer Mike, is the third single off Trina's latest album Still Da Baddest. Why this was chosen as a single I do not know. It is very difficult to get into, especially because of all the editing that had to be done. The whole thing is just a mess imo.

The Caffeine Patch: New Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Trailer

Here's the new official trailer for "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," opening November 7th. Don't be fooled: it is different. Looks funny!

Missy Elliott Performs "Shake Your Pom Pom" On America's Best Dance Crew

Check out this really cool & unique performance from Missy Elliott of her song "Shake Your Pom Pom" on America's Best Dance Crew. It's awesome to see an artist that's up for a gig like this. Missy's new album Block Party is set for a September 9th release.