I have said that I've never been a huge country music fan but I can say that I have become a big fan of Kacey Musgraves. The twenty-nine year old singer from Mineola, TX. hardly does what would be considered "traditional" country as she embraces classic pop, alt-rock, electronica and even a little disco which has been slyly blended in to her sound. Since the beginning of her career, Musgraves has never played it safe as she has fearlessly tackled subjects like drug-use, one-night stands and same-sex love in her songs which is hardly standard country music fare.
I had heard a lot of good buzz about her fourth studio album, "Golden Hour" that was released back in March but only recently took the time to actually listen to it. And I'm so upset I didn't get to enjoy this incredible record sooner. Musgraves met her future husband, Rustin Kelly while writing the album and the budding romance is reflected in "Golden Hour". The track, "Butterflies" was written with Kelly in mind and the rest of the album is filled with more love songs than usual for the singer. Here are the music videos for a couple of Musgraves' singles:
Here are a few new songs I'm digging right now:
And we close with the latest single from Ariana Grande. While I think "God Is a Woman"(which will be on her upcoming third album, "Sweetener") is okay, it's the music video for the song that I find absolutely breathtaking. The clip is directed by music video veteran, Dave Meyers and incorporates vibrant visual imagery of the cosmos and mythology with Grande interacting with it. And if that female voice sounds familiar during the spoken monologue, it should. It is none other than the Queen of Pop, Madonna who recites a slightly revised part of the bible verse that was spoken by Jules in "Pulp Fiction":
One musician I’m currently intrigued with is Christine and the Queens. And while the name may sound like a band, it is actually only Héloïse Letissier who writes and performs her material. Although I just recently became aware of her, she has been making music in her native France since 2011.
Letissier began studying theater at the prestigious École normale supérieure de Lyon before deciding to pursue music. Inspired by the fabulous drag queens she watched perform, she eventually came up with the name "Christine and the Queens" and her dynamic performances involved elements of theater, dance and song.
After releasing several EPs, her debut album, "Chaleur Humaine (Human Warmth)" was released in 2014. The album was a hit in France and Christine won the 2014 Victoires de la Musique for Best Female Artist. The record was reworked with English-language versions of the songs and released as a self-titled album the following year. This version found great success in English-speaking, European countries with it reaching number two in the U.K. and hitting the top-spot on the Irish Album chart.
Christine and the Queens' album did make it stateside and while it received some buzz, it didn't really have a major impact here. Perhaps that may change as Letissier is preparing to release her follow-up album. The first single comes in French as "Damn, dis-moi" and English as "Girlfriend" and features American musician, Dâm-Funk. In either language, it's a great funky pop tune and should bring her some serious attention here. Another single, "Doesn't Matter" has recently dropped and comes in French and English. The album, "Chris" is due out in September. Check out the music videos for these songs which features fantastic visual imagery and slick dance moves:
And as a bonus, here is Christine and the Queens on BBC Radio One performing live an interesting cover of Beyoncé's "Sorry" back in 2016. Michael Jackson was another major influence of Letissier and you can see that in her moves here:
During a loving musical tribute while receiving this year's lifetime achievement award from BET, we were reminded of what an amazing body of work that Anita Baker has created. The now-sixty year old singer has used her smokey, deep voice throughout her incredible career to enhance soul music by utilizing jazzy vocal phasing to her romantic ballads. Baker, who tragically hasn’t been heard from much lately, has been a major influence to many contemporary singers and her sophisticated style of r&b is definitely missed in these days of rap-heavy, beat-driven music.
Baker was making the rounds performing as a teenager at Detroit nightclubs when David Washington offered her an opportunity to sing with his band, Chapter 8. The group was signed to a major label, Ariola Records in 1979 and released a self-titled album later that year. Two singles, "Ready For Your Love" and "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl" found modest success on the national r&b chart yet after the label was acquired by Arista Records, Chapter 8 were promptly dropped, partially due to the label feeling that Baker lacked "star quality".
It took some time before Baker received another chance to sing professionally. Otis Smith, who once worked with Ariola, admired her talent and encouraged her to join the record label he was starting as a solo artist. "The Songstress" was released in 1983 with four singles receiving airplay with the biggest being "Angel" which reached the top-five on the U.S. soul chart. However, when she failed to receive any royalties and the label stalled on her recording a follow-up album, Baker was forced in to a legal battle with Smith to get out of her contract.
Baker finally won her case and was allowed to sign with a new label, Elektra Records which she was given creative control with the ability to write and produce her own music. This lead to her second album, "Rapture" in 1986 and Baker's career was truly ignited. The single, "Sweet Love" crossed over to the pop charts around the world and helped the album sell over eight million copies and win Baker her first two Grammys including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
Baker achieved great success as a performer with best-selling albums and tours but by 1991, she took time off to start a family with her husband at the time. She returned in 1994 with "Rhythm of Love" which became another million-seller for the singer. It would be ten years before another album would materialize with "My Everything" which was released through the jazz label, Blue Note Records. A holiday record, "Christmas Fantasy" came out the following year and sadly, that has been Baker's last album to date. A single, "Lately" popped up in 2012 and there were rumors afterwards that a new album was on the horizon. But last year, Baker announced that she had, in fact, retired.
Now, Anita Baker has briefly come out of retirement to embark on a Farewell Tour to thank fans for their love and support over the years. Be sure to check out this legendary singer if you're lucky enough to have her come to your town. In the meantime, here are two of my favorite songs from Anita Baker:
Sheryl Crow just recently announced that she's recording one last album before only releasing singles in the future, acknowledging the change in the business with no one seemingly interested in full albums amymore.
Thankfully, Drake, who is one of the biggest artists around today, doesn’t believe that and with his fifth studio release, “Scorpion”, it’s not only a double album with twenty-five tracks but also a concept record. One side is devoted more to aggressive rap while the other features a more tender soulful side. The Canadian actor and hip-hop artist addresses some of the rumors and feuds that have surrounding him of late including confirming his paternity of a newborn son with a woman he barely knows. The album is sample-heavy with a diverse collection of musical snippets appearing featuring the work of Marvin Gaye, Lil’ Kim, the Ohio Players, Mariah Carey, Eddie Kendricks and Lauryn Hill. Even Michael Jackson (who Drake is a major fan) shows up on the song, “Don’t Matter To Me”. But it’s an unreleased vocal track used on the hook here with the blessing of the Jackson estate and Paul Anka who co-wrote the song with Jackson.
Here is the music video for Drake's latest number one single, "Nice For What" which actually knocked off the first single from the album, "God's Plan" from the top spot. The clip features a large number of big-name female talent who make guest appearances including Olivia Wilde, Misty Copeland, Issa Rae, Rashida Jones, Tracee Ellis Ross, Yara Shahidi and Tiffany Haddish.
H.E.R.
Taking a page from Sia’s playbook, the artist called H.E.R. had tried to keep her identity secret as she only wanted to be represented by her music. Sadly, the ability to remain completely anonymous in this day and age is almost impossible. And soon the woman behind H.E.R. (which ironically stands for "having everything revealed") became public knowledge and that the twenty-four year old singer was born Gabi Wilson from Vallejo, California.
Regardless, the focus should remain on her music which is a sparkling blend of classic soul and offbeat rhythms with a voice that’s like a sensuous whisper. Her 2016 EP, "H.E.R. Vol. 1" was met with critical acclaim and high praise from fellow artists including Rihanna who had H.E.R. playing in the background on one of her Instagram posts. The following year, H.E.R.’s self-titled debut was released and featured the lush ballad, "Focus" which reached the top ten on the U.S. r&b chart. She is definitely one to watch and recently teamed up with another rising artist, Khalid for a song on the soundtrack for the remake of "Superfly".
Check out her recent performance on the B.E.T Awards to best experience the true artistry of H.E.R. She does live versions of "Focus" and her other hit, "Best Part" which she duets with Daniel Caesar:
"Shadow Dancing" was Andy Gibb's third consecutive number one single on the U.S. pop chart during this week back in 1978. The youngest of the famous Gibb brothers (who were Barry, Maurice and Robin but you may know them better as the Bee Gees) who together wrote this classic dance song.
Robert Stigwood, who was the Bee Gees' manager at the time, signed an eighteen year old Gibb to his label, RSO Records in 1976 after hearing his demos. His debut album, "Flowing Rivers" was released the following year and was an immediate success with his first two singles, "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" and "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water" reaching the top of the pop charts. And his good looks caught the attention of young girls around the world and made Gibb a teen idol.
"Shadow Dancing", which was also the title of his second album, spent a total of seven weeks at number one, sold over a million copies and became Billboard's number one song of the year.
Success continued for Gibb with another hit studio album, stage performances on Broadway, a two-year hosting gig on the television music program, "Solid Gold" and a high profile romance with actress, Victoria Principal. But the intense pressures of fame at such a young age may have contributed to his serious substance abuse problem which lead to his career and relationships to crumble apart.
Gibb had attended several drug rehabilitation programs over the years and by 1987, he thought he had finally won the battle. With his brothers' help, he was attempting a music comeback and recorded several tracks for an upcoming album. But six days after his 30th birthday on March 10th 1988, he complained of chest pains while in London and would later pass away from complications of an inflammation of the heart muscle which was probably damaged by his years of severe drug abuse.
Let's enjoy Andy Gibb at the height of his powers with this performance of his number one hit tune:
