KELLY CLARKSON
Ever had one of those days where you felt like you could not keep your head up? Where you couldn’t keep smiling, because every minute it felt like someone was slapping off that smile? I have, and thankfully, there are a few go-to tracks to help me though.
Nicki Minaj knows how to keep a girl’s head up! I’ve been blasting “Superbass” this week, a huge hit off of Pink Friday. There’s something about the fun beat, the quick rhymes and the catchy chorus that puts me at ease and erases my sorrows. Negativity leaves my head and my only thought is “I want to dance!”
Ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Kelly Clarkson is back, and she’s holding no prisoners. The OG American Idol winner released her fifth studio album, Stronger, this week. The album, if anything, is definitely a reflection of both her growth and artistic style. Stronger is Clarkson’s first record to recapture the vibe and magic of her previous effort, Breakaway, without simply releasing a carbon copy.
Her lead single, "Mr. Know It All," which is available for listen below, hardly does the record justice. The LP is a compilation of rock-infused edgy pop that thematically deals with resolution, love and forgiveness. Overshadowing the title track are “What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)” and “You Can’t Win,” the latter of which explores the idea of aimlessly trying to please anyone but yourself.
These days, many movies are remakes (or are being remade), bands that our parents grew up with are reuniting and playing to new audiences, and what’s “vintage” and “old school” is what’s hot. Then why is Lilith Fair, a very popular music festival in the 1990’s, floundering?
It fills the criteria to be one of 2010’s best tours: a nationwide touring schedule of 36 shows, check. High profile artists like Kelly Clarkson, Sarah McLachlan (the tour's founder), Rihanna, and Queen Latifah, check. A history of earning millions of dollars in tour revenue and raising millions more for women’s charities across the country, check. In spite of it all, LF has cancelled 13 tour dates in response to record low ticket sales (7,000 seats were sold to a 22,000 seat venue in California).
Apparently pop stars are finding it hard to remain original, or they're just getting lazy. Hot on the heels of the Travie McCoy/Sublime similarity, the blogs are all abuzz about Kelly Clarkson's leaked song, "Naked Eye". Arcade Fire fans will recognize not-so-subtle hints of "Rebellion (Lies)" in the new tune. Opinions vary on whether or not the track is a rip-off, with many bloggers denouncing the song as outright thievery.
Let's cut Kelly a little slack, though. It's not
like she's done this before... oh wait, she has. Take a look back to
2004, when "Rebellion (Lies)" was just released. Kelly was celebrating
the success of her second album's first single, "Since U Been Gone".
Catchy song, for sure, and it did well on the charts -- a little better
than another song with a strangely similar guitar part, "Maps" by the
Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Even Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead singer Karen O confessed to
Rolling Stone that she was afraid of the American Idol singer, likening
the plagiarism to "getting bitten by a poisonous varmint."
Last night was the end of an era for American Idol viewers and the start of a new career for Lee DeWyze, the season 9 winner. The runner up was the free-spirited single mom Crystal Bowersox.
The two hour finale was filled with tons of surprise guests including past winners Carrie Underwood, Kris Allen, Kelly Clarkson, among many others. Was anyone else completely shocked and a little nervous when Brett Michaels walked out on stage? Janet Jackson, Hall and Oates, and Chicago took to the stage to perform some of their biggest hits.
In support of their upcoming album, Raditude, due to hit stores on November 3, the nerd-rock band Weezer will be touring in select cities this fall. With sold out shows in Los Angeles, New York, and a two night gig playing “The Late Show with David Letterman” on October 29 and 30, this tour will be expected to be a special treat for diehard fans of the group.
The new album explores realms that, until now, were previously undreamt of when considering contributions to a Weezer album. Teen hyper-pop producers Dr. Luke and Butch Walker (who worked with Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne, respectively) contributed to some of the sounds on the record as well as hip-hop and R&B super-producer Jermaine Dupri. Rapper Lil’ Wayne also performs a cameo appearance on the track “Can’t Stop Partying.” No word is in yet if Wayne, who is currently facing gun-related criminal charges in New York, will be joining the tour.
The latest installment of the VH1 Divas induction ceremony aired yesterday with former American Idol judge, Paula Abdul, hosting the festivities at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Although the original Divas shows was intended to showcase the talents of female performers, it seams that last night’s performance was a crude ploy by the bigwigs at VH1 to squeeze ratings from an audience still riling from the MTV VMA buzz and to resurrect Paula’s spiraling career.
The homely, church-going, middle-aged, now recent singing sensation Susan Boyle has caught the attention of pop divas from both the U.S and the U.K. Boyle has been thrust into the spotlight after her performance on Britain’s Got Talent.
Kelly Clarkson, the original Idol, has a soft spot for the unusual singing sensation. Being the sweetheart she usually is, Clarkson gives praise to Boyle. “I think it’s awesome. I’m bawling when ever I hear her sing.”
Lily Allen, known for not following the crowd is against all the Boyle hype. A tweet from Allen had the diva singing a different tune. “Susan Boyle is so overrated. Je suis overrated aussi. Listen, I am allowed to have an opinion. I thought her timing was off. No control, and I don’t think she has an amazing voice. Yes, she can sing, but it’s not about talent with her is it? She seems like a lovely lady but if it’s about talent, that Shaheen kid should win.”
Oh Lily, when will you ever learn to play well with others?
Anarbor Free Your Mind [EP]
Ballas Hough Band BHB
Kelly Clarkson All I Ever Wanted
Chris Cornell Scream
Cursive Mama, I'm Swollen
The-Dream Love vs. Money
Handsome Furs Face Control
Taylor Hicks The Distance
Jadakiss The Last Kiss
Julien-K Death To Analog
New Found Glory Not Without A Fight
Madeleine Peyroux Bare Bones
Razorlight Slipaway Fires
Anni Rossi Rockwell
Roxy Epoxy And The Rebound Band-Aids For Bullet Holes
Zoroaster Voice Of Saturn
There's still no release date for Jay-Z's upcoming album, which is rumored to be titled "Blueprint III," but new songs continue to leak onto the Internet.
"Money Goes" hit the Web yesterday, Jan. 27th, becoming the seventh expected "Blueprint" track to arrive early either via the Web or radio. The leaks have continued unabated despite Def Jam's consistent message that there is no "Blueprint III" album on their release schedule - sounds about as accurate as Jay-Z’s retirement.
Jay-Z introduced the Kanye West-produced "Jockin' Jay-Z" last year, followed by "Swagga Like Us" featuring West, Lil Wayne and T.I., DJ Khaled's "Go Hard (remix)" and Jay-Z's own tracks "History" and "Brooklyn Go Hard" featuring Santogold.
 |
 |
 |
 |
