Normani is back with some new music and she's got Cardi B along for the ride. "Wild Side" is a smooth r&b ballad, backed-up by a sample of the classic 1996 song, "One in a Million" by the legendary Aailyah, that gives off a 90's trip-hop vibe yet still feels very modern. The song is enhanced further by an astonishing music video. With an incredible array of sexy outfits, stunning wild imagery throughout the clip and slick, sensuous choreography by Sean Bankhead, the former Fifth Harmony member finally has the perfect showcase to display her bountiful skills as a musician and performer, certainly helping to enable the artist reach a new level of success.
Speaking of the 1990's, enjoy a sampling of a few hits by r&b girl groups from the era:
Here is a random collection of recent songs and videos I'm digging right now:
And we have Lil Nas X back with his latest song, "Industry Baby". Despite the controversy involving the video for "Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" and the promotional "Satan Shoes", Nas is not backing down and pushes the envelope even further with the video for this song. It is set in a men's prison with Nas being sentenced for being gay. What we get is a very queer version of "The Shawshank Redemption" including a semi-censored naked shower dancing scene (which is choreographed by Sean Bankhead) and a guest rap verse by Jack Harlow:
You may not immediately recognize the names of "Jimmy Jam" Harris and Terry Lewis but you definitely know their music:
"Saturday Love" by Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal
"Human" by the Human League
"Just Be Good To Me" by the S.O.S. Band
"If It Isn't Love" by New Edition
"U Remind Me" by Usher
"Tender Love" by Force MD's
"Encore" by Cheryl Lynn
And almost the entire discography of Janet Jackson. This is just a very small number of songs this dynamic duo has co-written and produced since 1983. They have worked with a wildly diverse group of musicians during that time which includes Rod Stewart, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Bryan Adams, Chaka Khan, Boyz II Men, Sting, Yolanda Adams, Herb Alpert, Patti Austin, Earth Wind & Fire and The Spice Girls.
These long-time friends, who first met in college, would join as musicians with the Minneapolis-based funk band called Flyte Tyme. After connecting with Prince and Morris Day joining as lead singer, the group evolved in to the Time and released their self-titled debut album in 1981. This band enjoyed great success before the duo, who had begun to produce other acts on the side, missed a concert while stranded in Atlanta during a snow storm. Harris and Lewis would end up leaving the Time, after either quitting or were fired (depending on who you ask) in 1983. The song they had produced during that time for the S.O.S. Band, "Just Be Good To Me" would become a smash hit and helped launch the production careers of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
Now after years of being in the background, Jam & Lewis have released their very first album under their own names. "Jam & Lewis Volume One" features an impressive line-up of artists that they have worked with previously (Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Usher) and for the first time (Toni Braxton, Babyface, Charlie Wilson, formerly of the Gap Band). And former Time members, Morris Day and Jerome Benton even show up along with The Roots on the track, "Babylove". This is a great collection of classic r&b by this influential team and I can't wait to hear the next volume.
Dubbed "the Clown Prince of Hip Hop", Biz Markie, who brought outrageous humor and sly wit to rap, has sadly passed away on July 16th at the age of fifty-seven. No exact cause of death had been given although he had been previously hospitalized for severe complications of Type 2 diabetes in 2020 and later had suffered from a stroke after going into a diabetic coma.
He was born Marcel Hall in Harlem, New York and raised on Long Island. Known in his neighborhood as "Markie", Hall first went by "Bizzy B Markie" before later just going by "Biz Markie" when he began performing at colleges and clubs. He was discovered and released his debut album, "Goin' Off" in 1988. The album brought Biz Markie plenty of attention thanks to the singles, "Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz", "Nobody Beats The Biz" and "Vapors".
His 1989 follow-up album, "The Biz Never Sleeps" brought the performer his biggest hit single with "Just a Friend", reaching number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The hilarious song, which Markie raps and badly sings on, is about him pursuing a romantic interest yet he's constantly being told that the guy she's hanging around with is just a friend. "Just a Friend" would be listed at number 100 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time. Biz Markie would never have another major hit but he continued to make music and DJ while also making appearances on numerous television shows and feature films.
Diana Ross is one of our musical treasures who has still been quite active touring across the entire globe. But it has been a very long time since she has recorded any new music. That is about to change with the seventy-seven year old singer about to release her first new album (and twenty-fifth solo recording) in fifteen years called "Thank You" on Decca Records.
The album was recorded at Ross' home studio during lockdown last year with a very unexpected name involved in the production; Jack Antonoff, the musician turned producer behind the recent recordings of pop-rock artists like Taylor Swift, Lorde, St. Vincent and Lana Del Rey. He brought in some contemporary songwriters like Jimmy Napes, Tayla Parx and Spike Stent to help co-write this album. Miss Ross was also very involved with the creation of the project by co-writing all of the tracks, a rare feat by the artist. The title track has been released with the song being a warm message of gratitude to all of the people in her life and the fans throughout her career. "Thank You" is due out in September with a tour planned for next year.
DONNY OSMOND
Since the age of five, Donny Osmond has been an entertainer; first performing with his brothers in a pop act in the 1960's before going solo and becoming a teen idol, then teaming up with his younger sister, Marie for a popular television variety show. While his fame may have cooled, Osmond has remained very busy. He had a television talk show with Marie for three years beginning in the late '90's and then the duo headed to Vegas where they had an eleven year residency that ended in 2019. And he won the top prize of the reality show, "Dancing With The Stars" in 2009.
Osmond had never given up music over the years (returning to the US pop chart in 1989 with the number two hit, "Soldier of Love") but most of his efforts didn't receive much attention. But he has just signed with BMG for his first album in seven years, "Start Again" due out in September. The album's title was inspired by the sixty-three year old's constant reinvention and that involved him co-writing and producing his own album for the first time ever in his long career. The first single is "Who", a slick dance-pop tune that actually fits quite nicely in today's musical landscape. And Osmond will be returning to Las Vegas with a solo residency at Harrah's beginning on August 31st.
And there is the return of the Swedish dance artist, Agnes who will be releasing her fifth studio album after an eight year absence this fall. Her latest single is "24 Hours", a glittery blast of nu-disco that's about the dramatic changes we go through in life, moving through a wide range of emotions in a twenty-four journey.
Some of the conditions that lead to America becoming a country are complicated and difficult to reflect upon today. But that does not mean we should not celebrate this great country and all that it stands for. Music has played a great part in expressing throughout America's history it's ideas and values. There are songs about freedom and patriotism but also involving criticism and protest. All of this is what truly makes America great.
Jim Farber of Parade Magazinehas selected 15 pop songs that best express the the themes of the American experience proudly through music and revealing the inspiration behind the creation of each tune.
