Sophie was an emerging talent who was a visionary pushing the boundaries of what electronic music could achieve by experimenting with sound design and expanding the concept of pop music. But unexpectedly the English musician tragically died from an accidental fall during a vacation in Greece almost four years ago. At the time of her passing, Sophie was working on the follow-up to her acclaimed 2018 debut, "Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides" with the album near completion. Her brother, Benny Long, who had been Sophie's longtime studio engineer, and their two sisters supervised to help finish the project. Simply entitled, "Sophie", the record features friends of the artist who wanted to participate and musicians that Sophie had wanted to collaborate with. This includes German pop star, Kim Petras; US singer/songwriter, Jozzy; performance artist, Signe Pierce who creates music under Big Sister and British visual artist and singer, Hannah Diamond.
Here are a few new songs that I like: the new version of Charli XCX's "Sympathy is a Knife" with Ariana Grande which is featured on the just released remix album, "Brat & It's Completely Different But Also Still Brat"; Jennie, the former member of the K-Pop group, Blackpink who has gone solo, has released a new single, "Mantra"; "You Look Like You Love Me", the country ballad from Ella Langley and Riley Green and an ode to young love and soda, "Diet Pepsi" from Addison Rae.
Kylie Minogue is currently enjoying a second wind after over forty years of making glorious dance-pop music, thanks in part to the song, "Padam Padam", from her "Tension" album last year, becoming her biggest international hit in many years. Now the Australian pop goddess is set to release an album sequel, "Tension II" due out on October 18th. This collection will continue her journey into electronic music with the high energy, first single, "Lights Camera Action" taking us eagerly back to the dance floor. The music video for the song (directed by Minogue's longtime collaborator Sophie Muller) has the singer on a sound stage film set, appearing in various job roles preparing for a production shoot. And Minogue has announced that she going back on the road early next year with the Tension World Tour which will take her across the globe for the first time since 2011.
And I will pay tribute to two musicians we have recently lost: J.D. Souther, one of the singer/songwriters who helped define the LA country-rock sound in the 1970's, died on September 17th at the age of seventy-eight. Born John David Souther on November 2, 1945, he grew up in Texas playing multiple instruments before heading to Los Angeles in the late 1960's. He met Glen Frey in 1969 and they formed a musical duo, Longbranch Pennywhistle and recorded an album. They soon parted ways with Frey joining Linda Ronstadt's backing band and Souther recording a solo album.
After this backing band became The Eagles, Souther would work with the group, co-writng some of their biggest hits which includes "New Kid in Town", "Best of My Love" and "Heartache Tonight". Souther went on to create music for Ronstadt (whom he briefly dated), Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor and Don Henley. He had teamed with Chris Hillman of The Byrds and Richie Furay of Buffalo Sprinfield in 1973 and formed The Souther–Hillman–Furay Band, recording two albums. Souther still continued to do some solo work, recording nine albums, with his biggest hit was in 1979 with "You're Only Lonely", reaching number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Cissy Houston, the mother of the great Whitney Houston, aunt of the pop music legend, Dionne Warwick, cousin to opera vocalist, Leontyne Price and an incredible singer in her own right, passed away on October 7th. The two-time Grammy Award winner was ninety-one and under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease. Houston, born Emily Drinkard, was the last of eight children of a musical family living in Newark, NJ. She began her singing career at the age of eight performing with four of her siblings in a gospel singing group. They became the Drinkard Singers when other family members joined and recorded a live album, "A Joyful Noise" in 1958.
Not long after marrying John Houston, Jr., she moved into secular music and formed a r&b girl group, The Sweet Inspirations with her niece, Dee Dee Warwick. They became popular and well-respected backup vocalists throughout the 1960's, assisting Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Van Morrison, Dusty Springfield, Jimi Hendrix and Elvis Presley with their recordings and tours. The Sweet Inspirations also recorded their own music beginning in 1967, scoring their only top-forty pop hit with "Sweet Inspiration" (which Houston co-wrote), reaching number eighteen on the chart.
Houston left the group in 1969 in order to pursue a solo career and focus more on her family. She recorded ten albums over her career with the 1979 disco song, "Think It Over" crossing over to the Billboard r&b chart and becoming her most significant hit. Houston went back to session work, singing background vocals for many of the top artists of the 1970's and '80's. And she also returned to her musical roots, recording her first solo gospel album, "Face To Face" in 1996. Houston received a Grammy for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album for this recording and won the award again two years later for her follow-up album, "He Leadeth Me".
Céline Dion's inability to sing properly due to a rare neurological disorder is absolutely one of the great tragedies for pop music. A fascinating yet heartbreaking new documentary (now streaming on Amazon Prime), "I Am: Celine Dion" from filmmaker Irene Taylor has Dion going into great detail about this secret she had kept from the public and her fans for many years. The film not only looks back on her illustrious career but Dion allows the camera to capture her struggles with this illness and her valiant attempt to rehabilitate enough to possibly make a triumphant return to the stage
The film is broken down into sections: from explaining what her body goes through with Stiff Person Syndrome; her loving yet challenging childhood of being one of fourteen children; having her three sons with the love of her life, René Angélil who began as her manager then her husband before passing away in 2016 and the harrowing moment when Dion goes through a severe seizure. Open, vulnerable and very charming, Dion holds nothing back, revealing herself to be a determined, fierce fighter. There is a soundtrack for the film which highlights her career in song and six music scores by Redi and Ekland Hasa. A new remix of the ballad, "Love Again" also appears on the record which was the title track from the romantic-comedy released last year where Dion made her acting debut playing a heightened version of herself.
Here is a round-up of some new music that has caught my attention: "Aright", the new single from Victoria Monét's debut album, "Jaguar II" with a music video that shows off her incredible dance moves while paying a little visual tribute to Janet Jackson; Mette, a rising actor, dancer and musician, has released a dance-pop single, "Bet"; Another actor/musician is Moses Sumney who has dropped his latest project, an alt-r&b track, "Vintage"; the second album from Omar Apollo, "God Said No" is out now with an interesting video for the recent single, "Done With You" and Bronze Avery has a sexy new video out for his perfect summer song, "Heatwave":
Ariana Grande has a single called, "The Boy is Mine" off her album, "Eternal Sunshine". That title brings to mind to some people the classic '90's r&b duet that featured Brandy and Monica. Grande was very aware of that and cleverly had these two make a brief appearance in the music video for her song. And she has gone one step further by having Brandy and Monica performing on the remix of "The Boy is Mine". Also let's take a look back at "The Boy Is Mine" with Brandy and Monica from 1998:
Françoise Hardy, the French chanteuse and style icon, passed away on June 11th at the age of eighty. Hardy came to fame as a singer of the yé-yé musical wave that emerged in the 1960's. She didn't have a major impact here in America but in France, Hardy was an important and influential figure in pop music and fashion. She recorded over thirty albums during her career, singing not only in her native French but also in English, Italian and German. One of her most popular songs was "Comment te dire adieu (How To Say Goddbye To You)" which was released in 1968. Originally recorded by Margaret Whiting in English two years earlier as "It Hurts To Say Goodbye", Hardy heard an instrumental version of the song and had Serge Gainsbourg write French lyrics. Hardy made a few films, usually playing a singer, which includes cameos in the comedy, "What's New, Pussycat?", Jean-Luc Godard's "Masculin Féminin" and the Hollywood racing drama, "Grand Prix".
Over the last week, Lil Nas X has been using social media to draw attention to his upcoming new music. Now the song, "J. Christ" is out along with a controversial music video that is certain to draw the ire of the religious faithful. The clip begins with a long line of people, which includes dubious look-alikes of Oprah, Taylor Swift and former President Barack Obama, preparing to ascend to heaven. Nas, dressed throughout in stylish, gender-fluid fashion, straddles between heaven and hell before playing a game of hoops with the devil. He uses biblical imagery but places his own provocative, queer spin on them. This song, which Nas dedicates to "the man who had the greatest comeback of all time", is far less intriguing than the video, with the young artist seeming to be more interested in whipping folks up into a wild frenzy than being musically adventurous. Regardless, I have to say I admire him greatly for pushing boundaries and fearlessly pursuing his artistic vision to make his point. And to dive further into this and the rest of his new music, there will be a documentary released on January 27th called "Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero" on HBO and MAX.
ARIANA GRANDE
Also using social media during the last month to tease footage of her working in a recording studio, Ariana Grande has dropped a surprise new single on Friday. "Yes, And?" is a beat heavy, dance-pop tune that the singer has made her career with, reuniting with long-time producers, Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh who helped to co-write the track. The song deals with people criticizing and commenting on her personal life while encouraging listeners to ignore the negative chatter. The music video for the song drives the point home with a bunch of jaded critics arrive to a location to hear Grande's new music. Bringing to mind the Fosse inspired Paula Abdul video for "Cold Hearted", Grande shows off impressive dance moves which must have been sharpened since filming the upcoming movie musical, "Wicked". "Yes, And?" is the first release from Grande's upcoming seventh studio album entitled, "Eternal Sunshine" with no exact release date set at this time.
And we have Jennifer Lopez and the release of the video for her new single, "Can't Get Enough". From the upcoming album, "This Is Me... Now" (due out on February 16th) which is a sequel of sorts to her 2002 release, " This Is Me... Then", this clip is a spoof of the many wedding movies Lopez has made (and perhaps the numerous weddings she has had in real-life) and shows her dancing during her marriages with three different grooms. This dance-pop song is fun and perhaps will help Lopez find her way back up the charts.
"Used To Be Young" is the latest single from Miley Cyrus. This is a bonus track on the reissued digital copy of her album, "Endless Summer Vacation" and first premiered on her recently updated documentary concert special, "Endless Summer Vacation: Continued (Backyard Sessions)". The introspective ballad (co-written by Cyrus with Gregory Aldae Hein and co-producer, Michael Pollack) addresses her wild behavior in the past, summing it up to her simply being young. The music video for the song is uncluttered and direct with Cyrus going through a flood of emotions while performing the song.
It has been ten years since Ariana Grande's debut studio album, "Yours Truly" that helped turn this teen actress into a pop music icon. Now a re-issue of the album has been released and this 10th anniversary edition features the original twelve tracks and new versions of six songs, recorded live at the Soho House in London. There is also a Spanglish take of Grande's breakout single, "The Way" with the late Mac Miller.
After briefly deciding to step away from music following the disappointing reception of her 2021 third album, "The End of an Era", Iggy Azalea has made a comeback with a new single. "Money Come", produced by Tricky Stewart and features a sample of K7’s "Come Baby Come", has the Aussie rapper's distinctive style and swagger back in action. The video for the song has Azalea acting as a CEO, going through an office building filled with men and transforming them into powerful women. She has also surprisingly teamed up with OnlyFans to help her in promoting the upcoming fourth album.
For her very first holiday album, "I Dream of Christmas", Norah Jones brings her smooth and smoky vocals to a collection that offers half of the record with original songs she wrote or co-wrote with producer, Leon Michels and the rest features her versions of some familiar Christmas classics. The forty-two year old jazz-pop vocalist has delivered the perfect record to play in the background during a festive holiday party or while snuggling up to a loved one on a cold winter evening. Have a listen to one of the new songs, "Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones)":
KELLY CLARKSON
It's only been about eight years since Kelly Clarkson released her first Christmas album, "Wrapped in Red" but since the singer has expressed how much she loves this holiday, why not record another one? "When Christmas Comes Around. . . " has several new songs she co-wrote including the first single, "Christmas Isn't Canceled (Just You)" (which seems might be directed at her former husband), "Glow", a duet with Chris Stapleton and "Santa, Can't You Hear Me" that features Ariana Grande. And there are covers of some holiday favorites, "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas", Wham!'s "Last Christmas", "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Santa Baby" first made famous by Eartha Kitt. Clarkson, the unexpected host of a popular daytime talk show, had a holiday special of the same title out on December 1st on NBC to promote the album and the program is now available to stream on Peacock. Enjoy a couple of tracks from Clarkson's latest Christmas album:
DARREN CRISS
Darren Criss is best known as an actor, first gaining fame on the musical-comedy series, "Glee" before making a big impression playing serial killer Andrew Cunanan in Ryan Murphy's anthology series, "American Crime Story" which would win him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. Music has always been very important to Criss, having appeared on stage in several Broadway musicals, recording a few EPs and a featured vocalist on "Glee: The Music" soundtrack albums. And for his first studio album is a Christmas record, "A Very Darren Crissmas". But Criss had no interest in making a straight-forward holiday album. This collection features reimagined holiday classics and rarely covered Christmas tunes with country artist, Lainey Wilson and fellow actor, Evan Rachel Wood making appearances. Criss will be performing many songs off of the album during a concert at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on December 20th. This performance will also be available to livestream. In the meantime, here's a bit of some Christmas jazz-pop with Criss teaming up with Adam Lambert on the song, "(Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With The Bag":
After spending time making holiday music, mentoring aspiring singers on "The Voice" and dabbling in country-pop with her fiancé, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani is returning to her musical roots with the sounds of her band, No Doubt. The singer has just dropped a new song called, "Let Me Reintroduce Myself". This self-referential track, set to a ska beat, announces that this is not a comeback for Stefani but simply about reminding people she's still around. And while it's a clever idea, I don't think the song is strong enough to get Stefani comfortably back on the charts. But perhaps it still might introduce her to a new generation of fans. Check it out and judge for yourself:
Aluna Francis is one half of the British electronic duo, AlunaGeorge with George Reid who burst on to the scene in the US with a remix by DJ Snake of the single, "You Know You Like It" in 2014. After working with Reid for over ten years, Francis decided to take a break and create music on her own. Aluna has released her debut solo album, "Renaissance" and this collection dives deeper in to the roots of dance music, reaching back to African rhythms, funk, early 80's house and garage music. Aluna explores the history and contributions of Black artists in the genre and how dance is much more than EDM. It's an interesting album, filled with unexpected beats and sounds working very well together.
Here are a few new Christmas videos for your holiday enjoyment:
And finally in the category of "If It ain't broke, remake it", Todrick Hall has reworked his hit COVID-inspired tune and video, "Mask, Gloves, Soap, Scrubs" in to a holiday-themed new version entitled, "Bells, Bows, Gifts, Trees". Sure, it's a little lazy but still quite fun and clever. And the video will put you in a good mood and deliver a some much needed Christmas spirit.
Victoria Monét has been creating popular, chart-topping songs for a number of years. But it's been other artists who have largely benefited from her songwriting talent. Some of the musicians who have recorded songs co-written by Monét include Nas, T.I., Chrisette Michele, Fifth Harmony, Chris Brown, Chloe x Halle, Brandy and most notably, Ariana Grande. Monét has worked on the singer's last four albums including "Thank U Next" which she received two Grammy Award nominations for Album of The Year and Record of The Year for "7 Rings".
Raised in Sacramento, CA, Monét was passionate about poetry, dance and music as a child. She became interested in music production and got in touch Rodney Jerkins through social media. The producer also known as "Darkchild" was in the process of assembling a girl group and invited the teenage Monét to join. The act was signed to Motown Records yet never released any music. Monét decided to move away from performing and focus on songwriting which lead to her meeting Sean Combs to write a song for his 2010 Diddy Dirty Money album project.
Monét would sing on her demos with the hope that a record label would hear them and want to sign her. And that is exactly what happened with Atlantic Records and she was signed to the label. Monét would release two EPs, "Nightmares & Lullabies: Act 1" in 2014 and a follow-up in 2015, "Nightmares & Lullabies: Act 2" yet they failed to generate much attention for the singer.
But it would be Monét's songwriting that actually brought her attention and success. Now after years of writing for other artists, she has saved some songs for herself with her recently released first studio album, "Jaguar". The collection certainly spotlights her gift as writer and the twenty-seven year old singer delivers sensual, groove-driven r&b. Yet the production doesn't do enough to make these songs and Monét stand out in a distinctive way. I definitely admire "Jaguar" and I hope we will hear more from Victoria Monét the singer.
With the recent pairing of two superstar pop artists together on a song served to be the perfect distraction as we shelter-in-place, why not have another one? Lady Gaga, who had decided to delay the release of her sixth album, "Chromatica" until the fall over COVID-19 concerns but will now drop the record next week on May 29th, has partnered with Ariana Grande (fresh off her hit single with Justin Bieber) on her second single, "Rain On Me". This throbbing dance-floor jam (with production by Bloodpop and Burns) was inspired by conversations these performers had about trauma and difficult situations they had both experienced while being constantly in the public eye yet still appreciating all that they have accomplished. This empowering song will surely become a classic and the dynamic music video (directed by filmmaker, Robert Rodriguez) is wild, colorful and full of dancing bodies.
The previously announced charity single which teams Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber together in song has finally been released. As a thank-you to all of the healthcare workers, paramedics, police officers and firefighters serving on the front lines during this global pandemic, "Stuck With U" was created. The video for this romantic ballad features plenty of homemade clips submitted by fans and celebrity figures as well as footage from Bieber with the wife, Hailey Baldwin and Grande with her current flame, Dalton Gomez near the end. The proceeds from the purchase or stream of "Stuck With U" will go towards the First Responder's Children’s Foundation and at least $0.80 is going directly to the fund to help with grants and scholarships for children of these essential workers.
Here are a few new songs out now that I like and would like to share:
ZZ Top, the Southern rock band from Houston, TX, reached the height of their fame during the 1980's after changing their image and musical direction from their early beginnings in the '70's. After many successful years of extensive touring yet feeling creatively drained, the band (made up of founder, Billy Gibbons on lead vocals and guitar, Dusty Hill on bass and Frank Beard on drums) decided to introduce synthesizers and elements of Nu-Wave music that was popular at the time in to their blues rock sound. With their eighth studio album, "Eliminator" in 1983, ZZ Top crossed over to the pop-charts with the help of the singles, "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man", "TV Dinners" and "Legs" to find international success. And the music videos for these songs certainly added to the band's appeal which where released during the reign of MTV. These fun, story-driven clips featured fast cars, sexy girls and spinning furry guitars which perfectly represent the 1980's in all of it's delightfully gaudy, neon-colored glory. Here are a couple of ZZ Top's most popular songs to relive this moment in pop history:
For the soundtrack for the upcoming reboot of "Charlie's Angels", Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey have been impressively assembled for the first single, "Don't Call Me Angel". The ladies co-wrote this empowering track with producers, Max Martin and Ilya and this theme song is clearly inspired by Destiny's Child's "Independent Women" from the first "Charlie's Angels" film. Yet "Don't Call Me Angel" lacks a solid, cohesive sound than that tune. This was surely planned as a thrilling meeting of three of the most idiosyncratic female vocalists in pop music right now but they never seem to be working on the same page. Ms Grande is doing most of the heavy lifting by covering the hook and a verse while Ms Cyrus and Ms Del Rey essentially offer distinctive yet minor backing support. The best part of this collaboration is the music video directed by Hannah Lux Davis and look for the appearance of actress, Elizabeth Banks who directed and acts in the new "Charlie's Angels" feature:
After this former Fifth Harmony member has been contributing her vocals to several successful singles for other artists, Normani has just dropped her first solo single, "Motivation". As the first taste of her long-awaited debut album, this track (co-written with Ariana Grande and producers, Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh who produced this song) is taking us back with a slick, hip-hop flavored soul vibe that ruled the charts back in the '90's. And the music video for "Motivation" continues the homage with a tribute to the dance videos by some of the female artists who reigned in the 1990's.
MISSY ELLIOTT
Missy Elliott, one of the most unique and influential voices in hip-hop has finally returned with some new music. "Iconology" is the forty-eight year old rap legend's first collection of songs in fourteen years. With her long-time collaborator, Timbaland and Will Hendrix assisting her with production on this EP, Elliott has delivered four genre-bending songs that perfectly pick-up where she left off. The timing of this release is probably no coincidence since Elliott will be honored on Monday, August 26th with the Video Vanguard Award during the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards. Check out the ballad, "Why I Still Love You" and the video for "Throw it Back" which displays Elliott's eccentric style and visual innovation that helped earn her this award:
And we close with Ariana Grande who has somehow manged to become even bigger this year. The twenty-six year old pop sensation has yet another smash hit single with "boyfriend" that she has teamed up with Michael "Mikey" Foster and Charles "Scootie" Anderson of the production team and musical duo, Social House. This woozy pop-r&b jam is about not trying to label a relationship and redefine the concept of a romantic partnership. "boyfriend" is from Social House's debut extended play, "Everything Changed..." and the song could possibly be hitting close to home with rumors floating around that Grande is dating Foster.
Dua Lipa has provided a song for the upcoming action movie, "Alita: Battle Angel" and it looks like another hit for the hot, young singer from Britain. "Swan Song", which Lipa co-wrote with American hit-maker, Justin Tranter and an army of Swedish producers, is an empowerment anthem about staying focused and never losing faith which seems to fit perfectly with the theme of the film's cyber-punk manga character.
Country star, Maren Morris had one of the biggest pop hits of last year when she teamed-up with dance music producers, Zedd and Grey on "The Middle". This worldwide smash single received three Grammy nominations including Record of the Year. Many were curious if she would pull a "Taylor Swift" and abandon his country music success for the universal appeal of pop for her next album. We now have some idea as Morris has just dropped a new single called "Girl". While she sticks to her roots on this uplifting ballad in support of womanhood, the guitar-driven song will still be appealing to her newfound fans. No exact date has been set for the release of the follow-up album to her 2016 debut, "Hero" but Morris is preparing to hit the road for the Girl World Tour which will begin in March.
Ariana Grande may have another hit on hands with "7 Rings" but this time it's mired in a little controversy. Not one but two different artists have accused the singer of ripping off their music with 2 Chainz and New York rapper, Princess Nokia rumbling with accusations of "7 Rings" sounding too much like their songs. Ever since the ridiculous court ruling against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams over their "Blurred Lines" sounding too much like Marvin Gaye's 1977 song, "Got To Give It Up", it seems like even more artists are claiming their work is being stolen by other musicians. Now let's just keep it real; there isn't anything truly "original" anymore. You can find an influence of someone else's previous work in all of the arts. It's just that some of the "inspiration" is more obvious in some cases than with others. Here is the music video for Grande's tune and then you can listen to 2 Chainz's 2011 song, "Spend It" which he claims was used for her song. While there is certainly a similarity between the hook of the two songs, you be the judge:
And here is a fun take-off of "7 Rings" featuring Nyle DiMarco, the deaf male model who first found fame after winning on the reality competition show, "America's Top Model" and later the champ on "Dancing With The Stars" in 2016. The clip, directed by Jake Wilson, has DiMarco recreating Grande's video while signing the lyrics.
I'm sure nobody out there thought for a minute that the unlikely coupling of pop superstar, Ariana Grande and "Saturday Night Live" comedian, Pete Davidson (who got engaged after only four months) would actually end with them walking down the aisle. And while there are no wedding bells in their future, a song was inspired by their short-lived relationship. "Thank U, Next" is Grande's latest single she co-wrote that acknowledges her time with Davidson along with some of her other previous relationships. This track, which debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number one, will be the title track from the twenty-five year old singer's upcoming fifth studio album which will probably be out early next year. Enjoy a live performance of the song on the Ellen DeGeneres show which Grande does a little tribute to the closing number from the comedy, "The First Wives Club". Also, here is the music video for the third single from her 2018 album, "Sweetener", "Breathin" which reached the top-ten on the charts:
Mariah Carey has just dropped her fifteenth album, "Caution" and after listening to the record, it's very hard to tell her new music apart from Ariana Grande. Ms Carey has been around a little longer than Ms Grande (who clearly been inspired by the timeless singer) and while each has their own style and musical flavor, they both share in seductive vocals gliding over slick '90's r&b infused with hip-hop beats. Here are a couple of tracks from Carey's latest that wouldn't sound much different if Grande gave them a go:
And we have some new music from a couple of veteran acts. The classic disco group, Chic is back with their first new album in twenty-six years, "It's About Time". The surviving founding member, writer/producer, Nile Rodgers has put together what he calls "a new Chic experience". This features an interesting mix of guest performers that includes Lady Gaga, Hailee Steinfeld, jazz composer, Philippe Saisse, Emeli Sandé and Elton John with a collection of modern dance tracks that are just as diverse.
Neneh Cherry has just recently released her fifth studio album, "Broken Politics". This timely collection, produced by British musician, Four Tet, addresses our current political climate with meditative songs to encourage hope and activism. "Shot Gun Shack" is a song that focuses on the troubling gun violence in our society:
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":
Esperanza Spalding, who went from a child jazz prodigy to become the first jazz performer to win the Best New Artist Grammy Award, has just released some new music. But with her fourth album, "Emily's D + Evolution" (Emily is Spalding's middle name), the thirty-one year old performer has reinvented her sound and image. Gone is the Afro and boho chic style and in it's place are long braids, nerdy, oversized glasses and sleek, theatrical outfits. The music has also shifted from straight-forward jazz to experimenting with adding funkier beats and progressive rock to create an alt-jazz movement. Check out a couple of tracks from the album:
While Lady Gaga gave us a wildly exuberant (and very American) tribute to David Bowie at this year's Grammys, Lorde honored the legendary artist with something far more low-key and tasteful. The nineteen year old performed at the recent Brit Awards with an amazing rendition of "Life On Mars". This also served as a reminder that she is long overdue with a follow-up to her debut album which was released almost four years ago. Here is the complete tribute that features moving words by Annie Lennox and actor, Gary Oldman with members of Bowie's band playing a musical melody of his music before backing-up Lorde's performance:
Ariana Grande was the host and musical guest of the March 12th episode of "SNL". She didn't really leave much of an impression with her comedy skills but was far more successful with the debut of new music from her upcoming album, "Dangerous Woman". She performed the title track which is a slight change of course for the pop singer. With production by Max Martin, this sexy, guitar-driven ballad has Grande telling her man he's got her so worked-up, she'll pretty much do anything.
It seems every musician and their mama has released a Christmas album at some point in their careers. So here is a spotlight on the latest to musically deck them halls and make everything jolly.
KYLIE MINOGUE
For her first Christmas album, appropriately tilted, "Kylie Christmas", Kylie Minogue has put her own special spin to some holiday classics in addition to original material. Minogue has support by an interesting mix of musical talent including duets with Iggy Pop ("Christmas Wrapping"), the new host of "The Late Late Show", James Corden, (a cover of Yaz's "Only You"), her fellow pop-singer sister, Dannii ("100 Degrees" on the Deluxe Edition) and through the magic of technology, Frank Sinatra ("Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"). Here is the music video for a new tune, "Every Day's Like Christmas" which was written by Chris Martin of Coldplay and produced by the hot Norwegian production team, Stargate:
ARIANA GRANDE
Oneof today's hottest pop artists, Ariana Grande has just dropped a holiday EP, "Christmas & Chill" that features six original songs. Recorded in a week in her home studio, the twenty-two year old vocalist has made an impressive collection of slo-jam Christmas tunes delivered with a modern r&b flavor. These songs are so good you'll want to listen to them anytime of the year. Check out a couple of tracks to help get you in the holiday spirit:
Sharon Jones and her Dap-Kings has brought their retro-soul sound to celebrate the holiday season. With "It's a Holiday Soul Party", the band not only gives those familiar Christmas songs their own brand of funky polish but also delivers a grooving tune explaining the eight days of Hanukkah. There is some rocking new material as well including the touching "Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects" and "World of Love" which is a moving plea for peace over the holidays. Enjoy this video of Sharon & The Dap-Kings doing an amazing version of "White Christmas" like you've never heard before:
I saw drag performance artist, Joey Arias at the Redcat in downtown L.A. last month. He is well-known for a vocal style and mannerisms that imitates jazz legend Billie Holiday. This year marks the centennial of Holiday's birth and Arias is touring in a show that celebrates the singer. He does amazing versions of some of her classics like "Lady Sings The Blues", "Summertime" "God Bless The Child" and "Good Morning Heartache". If you ever have the chance, I highly recommend you check out Joey Arias live in concert. Take a look at this clip of Arias performing one of Holiday's most haunting songs, "Strange Fruit":
And here is Lady Day performing that same song:
David Bowie is preparing to release his twenty-fifth studio album early next year and the sixty-eight year old rocker is exploring experimental art-jazz. He has dropped a ten-minute music video for the song "Blackstar" and the sounds and images are dream-like and trippy. Words will probably not adequately describe this, so just sit back and watch:
I never, EVER thought I would put music by Justin Bieber here on this blog yet shockingly here it is. The song is "Sorry" and it follows his recent number one single, "What Do You Mean?" (which I also happen to like?!) that continues to give the twenty-one year old Canadian singer some much needed musical respectability. Skrillex (who first helped Bieber on the road to being taken somewhat seriously with the surprise hit, "Where Are Ü Now") and Blood Diamonds produced the track and here is the music video that features the amazing moves of ReQuest and The Royal Family dance crews:
After releasing two poorly received singles earlier this year, Gwen Stefani decided to scrap the music she had been working on for her third solo album and start fresh. That appears to be a very wise move. The singer just dropped a new song, "Used To Love You" and it's a step in the right direction. This touching ballad hits pretty close to home for Stefani is going through a divorce from former Bush front man, Gavin Rossdale after almost thirteen years of marriage. It's been said that great art can come from personal tragedy and this amazing track, co-written with Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter (of Semi Precious Weapons), and producer, J.R. Rotem, is admittedly inspired by this break-up.
In a very short period of time, Ariana Grande has gone from an adorable Nickelodeon TV star to a major player in the pop music scene. The twenty-two year old is prepping her next album (tentatively titled, "Moonlight") and has released the first single, "Focus". With production by Swedish superstar producer, Max Martin, Grande has delivered another slick club banger that is elevated by her soaring vocals. That's also the problem here as the song feels far too similar to her previous work (particularly her hit, "Problem"), lacking unexpected thrills to get thoroughly excited over. Hear the song through the music video (featuring her new platinum locks) and judge for yourself:
MIIKE SNOW
Miike Snow, an electropop collective featuring American musician, Andrew Wyatt and Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg of the Swedish production team, Bloodshy & Avant, first came on the scene with the catchy tune, "Animal" back in 2009. While their third album together isn't due out until sometime next year, the trio has delivered a hot track, "Heart Is Full" that offers a fresh new sound from the band. Using fragmented beats and staccato music samples, the song manages to feels oddly familiar yet highly innovative. It makes me curious to hear else what they have in store for us.
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