I can’t believe I’m about to make the next two statements.
– I listened to Nicki Minaj’s new album “The Pinkprint”
– It’s actually good!
If you follow my blog, you’ll know that I’m not the biggest Nicki Minaj fan. But the powers of Beyoncé got me interested in Minaj’s 3rd official album “The Pinkprint”, which is released tomorrow. The Nicki Bey collab “Feeling Myself” is fun, full of attitude and swag, and surprise surprise… Beyoncé didn’t steal Nicki’s shine, in fact I feel like Nicki’s rapping and singing on the song made Beyoncé unnecessary. I was so impressed with Minaj on this song that it made me curious about the rest of the album.
And yes, I am very impressed with “The Pinkprint”. Not to say that this is the best album of the year or anything, there are definitely flaws, but overall I feel Minaj took her time to put together a really nice piece of work that flows well together and displays a new side of the controversial rapper. “Pinkprint” shows Minaj in a more vulnerable and mature state for whatever reason. Maybe she’s heartbroken or maybe she feels a need to prove herself, whatever it is that affected her during these sessions was a good thing because I’m very much into the vibe and tone of everything on this outing. Her lyrics are a lot more thoughtful, her flows are better, and even her singing has taken a notch up. She is definitely trying to improve on her artistry, which is a far cry from her last album.
That “Roman Reloaded” album from 2012 seemed incredibly rushed and only focused on broadening her demographic. Which resulted in an album full of silly and redundant lyrics matched with run of the mill production. The fact that the quality of her music was going down while her ego was inflating -I gave up on Nicki. With “Pinkprint” it seems she has re-gained the urgency to do something creative and personal, and I’m here for that.
She opens the album with three very emotional and personal cuts where she talks about love and loss over moody tracks. All three songs are quite lovely and set the tone for this new toned down Nicki. The rest of the album has it’s highs and lows, but flows from genre to genre in a much more seamless flow than before. There’s dance cuts (“The Night is Still Young”), ultra-ratchet (“Feelng Myself”, “Only”), the boastful cocky stuff she loves (“Want Some More”), sentimental ballads (“Grand Piano”, “Bed of Lies”) and pretty much everything in between. With 22 tracks, several features, and all of the genre hopping, you’d think the album would be equally as messy as “Roman Reloaded”. What makes this album work? All of the songs seem to fit into a certain vibe that makes the album more cohesive. Also the fact that Nicki’s delivery is way more toned down. Instead of her high pitched rap flows and singing, she actually sounds like a grown woman instead of Minnie Mouse, so her voice isn’t as irritating and in fact it’s very pleasant.
Ultimately, what makes this album such a shocker is the fact that Nicki must have really took her time to perfect a sound for this album. Like I said earlier, the lyrics are a lot more thought out and the production is so much more intricate. It’s great because there might be hope for her, because she IS talented and she’s smart, so it’s great to know that all won’t go to waste. “Pinkprint” is no Masterpiece, but it’s a huge move in the right direction … and I might actually become a fan again.
Grade: B – Best: Buy a Heart, Truffle Butter, Trini Dem Girls
I don’t do Single or Remix reviews often, but as soon as I logged on to Facebook this morning I saw a bunch of posts about the “***Flawless” Remix that Beyonce released on Saturday that features Nicki Minaj. Since it’s #BeyonceWeek, I’m gonna go ahead and review this remix.
Where to start? Okay, so “***Flawless” is one of my favorites from “BEYONCE” but I think it was on one of my Youtube reviews where I said I wished that portion of the song (which is broken up in 3 parts, “Bow Down” – a speech from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – and the actual “***Flawless” track) was a lot longer. I’ve also thought that having a rapper on that portion of the song would have been perfect. I didn’t necessarily think it should have been a female rapper though, I thought something a little harder-edged, dripping with testosterone and bravado would have been ideal. However, Beyonce decided to finally throw Nicki Minaj a bone and let her share a credit with her (something Nicki has been pining for for years).
The remix starts with a weird vocal effect as Beyonce raps about THOTS being jealous of her and men wanting to get with her. The internet is especially tuned into the line about Shit goin down on an elevator, a reference to the famed Solange/Jay-Z situation from a few months ago. It’s really cute to hear Beyonce getting all cocky like this, but somehow it doesn’t hold the same excitement after tracks like “Diva”, “Yonce” and the original “***Flawless”.
The remix continues using the original hook and first verse from the album version, than we get a delicious sample of OutKast‘s “SpottieOttieDopalicious” (my favorite part of the remix) before Nicki comes on. Look, I haven’t been a fan of her since “Idol-Gate“, so part of me feels her verse on this remix was unnecessary. And to be honest, it’s a typical Nicki verse where she talks about how great she is, how bitches are no competition for her, how dudes crave her body, and blah blah blah. Not only is the lyrical content of her verse boring and unoriginal, her flow isn’t even all that great. I think she could have seriously stepped things up for this collab, ESPECIALLY given the fact that the song has been out for 8 months now.
So in the end, I’m not impressed. However I just listened to it three times here at work. I’m sure (like pretty much everything Beyonce has put out) it’ll grow on me. I love the fact that I have a longer version of the song available, I just hate that so much of it is wasted on Minaj.
So, I haven’t blogged for a while now. Sorry about that, but what you guys are getting right here is a hot off the presses-blood-boiling-anger-fueled post because at this very moment I’m totally and completely DONE with Nicki Minaj. And I say “at this very moment” because her songs are so ridiculously catchy, despite their stupidity and laziness. But… what I saw today has crossed the line for me and I just can’t… CANNOT (*laugh)… in good conscious support her anymore.
What am I talking about you may ask? Watch the video…
and oh snap! i found a longer clip
The audio is crap, but from what YouTuber’s and IMDB’ers have gathered, at one point Mariah Carey says “I can’t see my kids because you decided to have a little baby fit” and that’s Exactly what’s going on here. I should say I’m biased because I’m a Huge Mariah fan and have been since “Vision of Love”, but I’m sure anybody can see that Nicki was not only out of line for speaking to a Legend like Mariah but also completely unprofessional and acting like an entitled brat. “I told you, I’m not fvcking putting up with Your fvcking Highness anymore”, and to that I ask “why not?”. You have to imagine that Nicki is being paid in the millions for the show, and it’s a huge platform for her as well. If she is giving the Producers ultimatums like that, it’s not even a question that Mariah would be the one they favor. Which makes logical sense being that she actually has a Record-Breaking 22 year career, dozens of the former “Idols” and current Pop and R&B artists grew up listening and trying to emulate her. And probably most importantly, she actually has vocal and lyrical talent. Nicki has successfully been a recording artist since 2010, and her talent is questionable.
When it was confirmed that Nicki would join “American Idol” (along with Keith Urban), I personally thought it was a good idea, because beyond the wigs and the lame lyrics Nicki is clearly a smart girl. She’s worked her way up in the industry really fast, which is really hard for a female rapper. However she’s no Worlwide Phenom… yet! She still has a lot of work headed her way to get to a Rihanna, GaGa, Britney level, and it appears that she thinks she’s already there. Her attitude after the success of “Pink Friday” had become noticeable to me, and more and more she’s proving me right. She snubbed Jennifer Hudson, reducing the Grammy and Oscar Powerhouse to a mere Trophy Girl at the AMA’s in 2011. She recently (allegedly) snubbed Rihanna at this years VMA’s. (I also read somewhere about a feud with Cher, but I’m not clear on the details. If any of you guys know leave it in the comments please! thanx! *smiley face). She acts like she’s above all of these artist that 3 years ago she would have jumped at the chance to be featured on one of their songs. (Also note, Mariah was the first big Pop/R&B act to have Nicki featured in a video… I’m just saying!)
For a female rapper, Nicki has come a long way and I must give her those dues. She still dominates that field, because for some reason some of the throwback female rappers’ albums keep getting delayed. The truth Nicki doesn’t seem to realize is that it takes a lot more work for a female rapper to cross over and be a Global Pop icon, which is clearly what she was trying to do with “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded” and it’s noise-dance-garbage like “Starships”. She’s actually been successful in getting those Pop songs played on Pop radio, but she’s nowhere near a level where she can… well first of all, jeopardize and opportunity like “American Idol”, and be able to survive what would surely be a back lash possibly leading to a black listing. Because really, who would want to work with that type of attitude? It’s not even a full month into the “Idol” audition process and she already can’t control her temper.
And, look… I’m not saying Mariah is 100% Innocent here. And I’m not saying that just because of her success as an artist that people should just accept any shade or attitude Mariah throws. What I am saying is, in the context that I’ve read… Nicki should have just sat and took it. Apparently from what my people on the net have surmised, Mariah may have went on and on about her achievements and Nicki got tired of it. “I’m not sitting here for 20 minutes to hear you read off your resumé” is another un-clear quote from Nicki that some of us think we figured out. First of all, why are you mad about that? I’m sure the fact that Nicki can’t list off half, not even 75% of those achievements and having to hear them every day is annoying, sure! The thing is, it’s Mariah! The SINGERS that come to audition for “Idol” would value anything Mariah says over some auto-tuned rapper turned bad-pop singer who doesn’t even have a Grammy. Another scenario!? Maybe Nicki felt Mariah was boasting too much or rubbing it in her face? Ok, maybe? I guess!? The thing with that, a professional can deal with that and come back harder in a classy civilized way. Nicki did throw a tantrum reminiscent of a 7 year old (or “3 year old” as Mariah called her), her language and her giving the “it’s me or her” attitude “Figure it Out!”. She’s just telling them to fire her.
Anyway, this is definitely helping to hype up Buzz for the new season and a lot of people think it’s all a publicity stunt. I often questioned the motives of Nicki for taking this job, for someone who is so on the rising status why would she halt her career for a singing competition. Exposure! Sure… but I’ve always got into the idea that Nicki really is more of an aspiring actress and really wants to excel in that field using Hip Hop and Pop as a huge vehicle for it. On an MTV Interview once, she was asked something like “is being a Rapper just a role your playing?” and she took a while to digest and respond to that, which she did with a “maybe”. If acting is Nicki’s ultimate aim, “Idol” was a good choice, because you get to see the person more and get to know her real personality. And we know Mariah has failed and succeeded in her acting efforts, so there’s a slight chance that they both did a really good job of acting here. I believe, though, that this was so heated that it’s most likely pretty real. Tomorrow I’m sure the PR machines will have formulated some “public statement”, and more details will be revealed, but for now all I can gather is that Nicki Minaj is just a rude, unprofessional, egomaniac (who may be addicted to coke, Iono… I’m just saying?) who seriously needs to be fired from this gig.
and… i just CANNOT with Nicki Minaj anymore!
Final Thoughts:
So it’s been a few hours, and having seen the “extended footage” (I posted what is above, and not 10 minutes later the extended clip with a further explanation of why Nicki was so steam-pressed!) I have some additional thoughts, and than I’m off to bed until this Drama continues tomorrow.
* Nicki is saying Mariah “disrespected” her by calling her an “actress”, and the news is that Mariah continually takes jabs at Nicki during judging and this was Nicki’s breaking point. For one, I’m a huge fan of Mariah and I may sound biased but I honestly don’t think that Mariah would say something really nasty to her unprovoked. I imagine Mariah is not concerned with La Minaj enough to want to attack her on the regular, I see her just ignoring her for the most part. However, we know Mariah can be a little shady so I don’t doubt there were shots fired from Mariah’s end. Even if Mariah was calling her everybody’s bitch and cvnt, I still think Nicki was in the wrong for her childish outburst. Defending yourself doesn’t mean reverting to shouting, cussing and threatening. The whole “you think I’m joking!” and “Off with your head” — those are threats, no matter how much the Barbs want to say it isn’t. Honestly Nicki could be sued by Mariah, and “Idol” might be at fault as well if it goes there. And like I said earlier, I’m not giving any Legend a pass on being mean and disrespectful, but as a Rising artist who is not that established should know how to control themselves more in the presence of an Iconic artist such as Mariah.
* Back to the “actress” thing. Nicki makes this big hoopla about “disrespect” and than the biggest “insult” she could come up with was that Mariah called her an “actress”. Big deal right? Sticks and Stones right? Apparently not for Nicki. And I swear I hear Mariah retort with “I said you were trying to be an actress”, and anybody who knows anything about Nicki knows Acting is her first love, she studied it in school and that was her first ambition. So for Mariah to say it isn’t untrue and it’s not disrespectful. Okay, maybe Mariah used it in a shady context but even so that kind of comment is nothing to get that hot and bothered about.
* The comment that is most telling to me is Nicki bringing up Mariah’s “resume” twice in the altercation. My thought is, if she’s harping on that aspect of it than that’s probably the root of the problem. And I spoke on it above, but I sense a tinge of jealousy on Nicki’s part because she doesn’t have the bragging rights Mariah has. And we know Nicki boasts about her accomplishments on about 94% of her lyrics, so it’s kind of hypocritical to pitch a fit when somebody else brags. Sure a singing competition isn’t necessarily the best time and place, but it’s all about context. The fact that Mariah has a resume that takes “20 minutes” to run down seems to be eating at Nicki.
* So the logical thing for the “Idol” producers to do… Fire Nicki Minaj. Mariah Carey is the highest paid of all the celebrities attached to the various Singing competitions so “Idol” isn’t letting her go. And the way Nicki was approaching it was a “either she leaves or I go” thing, and with that the choice is simple. And just the loud, childish, bratty, unprofessional-ity of the whole thing shows that she’s not a person they want to go through an entire season… with Live tapings… with and be secure about the decision. I’m also certain that Mariah no longer wants any parts of her, and if SHE pulled the “either she leaves or I go” thing she’s gonna get her way. I hope tomorrow when I log on to my work computer in the morning I see a story about Nicki Minaj being Fired, and it sucks to say this but her career will effectively be dead. I had a vision of her only being able to book interviews on Internet blog channels on YouTube and getting third rate magazine covers. Which would be ironic because that’s how she came up… not too long ago. And I see a total reverting back to that, because I honestly can’t imagine any big wig in the industry knowing about this and taking the risk to hire such a brat.
* All that said. DAM!! THIS IS SOME GOOD ENTERTAINMENT!! And it’s only beginning. I expect a final resolution no later than Friday morning. Because they are taping and can’t waste much time, they have to make some decisions quick and honestly the decision they need to make on one hand is easy. Fire the unprofessional cow Minaj. However, will they try to replace her with someone else or will they just do the show with just Mariah, Keith and Randy? I think the latter is a smarter idea, I don’t really like when they have 4 judges anyway.
* That’s all for tonight. It’s way late, and I got work in the morning. So stay tuned… this is gonna get good!
Happy Friday, and my Top 10 is back on track on it’s correct day! It was a pretty lackluster week for music for me, but yesterday I signed up for Spotify which I’m already loving… so the coming weeks should be very interesting. Anyhoo, Happy Friday. Happy Easter. Happy Passover. and just Happy LIVES in general… and enjoy!
10. David Guetta feat. Jennifer Hudson “Night of your Life”
Can’t believe I haven’t listed this one yet, but Guetta and Hudson Kill It!! Proving why Jennifer should exercise her House Music muscle a lot more.
9. Nicki Minaj “Come on a Cone”
“If you wasn’t so ugly, I’d put my dick in your face… dick in your face, put my dick in your faaaace” *laughs hysterically*
8. Rihanna “You Da One”
Even though all the crotch rubbing in the music video is off-putting (aside from that it’s a pretty nice video too), I still really like this song.
7. Nicki Minaj “Roman Holiday”
I almost feel bad for trashing Nicki earlier this week, but this is one of the more exciting tracks from the Garbage filled Can that is “Pink Friday … Roman Reloaded”. (and might I add, for an album called “Roman Reloaded” there sure is a lack of Mr. Zolanski… I think this and “Stupid Hoe” are really the only ones that qualify as Roman songs.)
6. The Stooges “1969”
This song, which I just discovered maybe 3 years ago, is quickly becoming one of my Favorite songs of All Time.
5. Santana “Europa (Earth’s Cry Heaven’s Smile)”
A YouTube commenter says it best : @Retromantra “so much emotion, without words. spellbinding.”
4. Foster the People “Pumped Up Kicks”
How did i let this happen? I despised this song when it started charting last year, but earlier this week I woke up and VH1 was playing it. Ever since, that hook has been stuck in my head. I still don’t really like the song, but I at least appreciate it maybe 5% more.
3. Aretha Franklin “Ain’t No Way”
Don’t ask me why! Maybe it’s because of Patti LaHelle The Shade Motha (more on her later), but yesterday I must have listened to this 6 times in a row. Such a great classic song.
2. Major Lazer feat. T.O.K. & Ms. Thing “Bruk Out”
I’m gonna get over Major Lazer pretty soon, but every week I keep finding a new song from the album that I fall in love with. Obviously it’s this one this week.
1. Gotye feat. Kimbra “Somebody That I Used to Know”
Anybody Surprised this is actually a big hit. I mean it’s got well written lyrics… a very lush and intricate instrumental… and an actual point! It seems odd that it’s hitting, but I’m glad it is.
What happened to Nicki Minaj in the past 2 years!? Back when she was the go-to “Feature Queen” she was fresh and unique and I fell in love with her and expected a lot from her solo career. Her debut “Pink Friday” underwhelmed though, and over the past year it seems she’s lost a lot of her appeal. It can’t be denied that she has done immensely well for herself, not just in sales but in expanding her fan base. She’s no longer just a Hip Hop star but a Pop star as well, and her follow up album “Pink Friday … Roman Reloaded” is a testament to her audience as it dabbles in Hip Hop R&B and Pop. Diversity generally should be applauded, but in this case it feels less natural and extremely calculated. Like the genre hopping wasn’t something she Wanted to do but what she felt she was Supposed to do. Aside from that, diversity is pointless if the content builds up to nothing, which is the problem with the album overall.
The 19 track (and 23 tracks if you buy the deluxe version) is broken up in two parts, one half devoted to Hip Hop and R&B and the other Dance and Pop. The Hip Hop portion is easily the best of the album, with her producers Hitboy, Kenoe and T-Minus going Excessively hard on tracks like “Come on a Cone” “I Am Your Leader” and “Beez in the Trap”. She attacks the tracks with her humor, but the downside is that almost all of the 7 Hip Hop tracks are her stroking her own ego and patting herself on the back for her success which gets boring after a while (a little Humble Pie will go a LONG way). Her two R&B songs are also quite boring, even though the Chris Brown duet “Right By My Side” has a certain charm and cuteness about it.
Things go extremely downhill from there as her and RedOne produce a bunch of same-sounding Dance Pop tracks. “Pound the Alarm” is one that stands out, and “Beautiful Sinner” isn’t GOLD but it’s a tad different from the bunch, where as the rest are just muddled messes of noise. On top of that she only offers lazy and predictable lyrics, in the realm of “..fill my drink up” “…put your hands in the air” and other basic stuff you might find on any Taio Cruz or LMFAO song. And on top of the redundancy, her “Minnie Mouse/Barbie” voice gets extremely grating and lacks any sort of character.
The album is rounded out by some ultra-schlocky “slow” Pop numbers, most embarrassingly “Marilyn Monroe” which had potential to actually say something with some kind of personal substance but is just another paint-by-numbers Pop song with the embarrassing hook “must be how Marilyn Monroe Felt Felt Felt Felt!” (SMDH!!)
There are about a handful of songs that are worthy of going back to. “Roman Holiday” is weird but fun, “Gun Shot” with Beenie Man has Nicki working her Jamaican patois to great effect and “Young Forever” is a slight step above decent. It’s still the Hip Hop cuts that are the saving grace of the album as “Come on a Cone” is hilarious (“dick in your face, put my dick in your face!”) and heavy at the same time, and even the oft-mocked “Stupid Hoe” (which I always found similar to her break out “Itty Bitty Piggy”) at least has the kind of flow she got famous for in her features.
Overall, she just did too much without doing much at all with “Reloaded”. It’s not enough to say “she’s trying new things” (which, she sort of isn’t!), you can’t respect that if she’s taking the laziest route at versatility. It’s clear the multiple genres was simply just to cover her bases and give something to everyone of her fans, but in the end the album feels like it comes from a smart Business Woman and not from a serious Artist.
Rating: 2 Stars
Best: Come On A Cone, Gun Shots, Beez in the Trap
Honestly, 2011 was a pretty horrible year for Mainstream and Top 40 music. The bar is terribly low for a Pop hit these days, and even performance wise there’s nothing really exciting about the goings on of this year. So it’s a little difficult to try and make it seem exciting when it really was just BASIC on the whole. Adele slayed pretty much all year, and she was one of the only exciting things to happen to the industry this year. The under performing of Britney Spears and Beyoncé signaled a change in the winds, where formerly unstoppable Pop stars were being out peaked and out sold by the likes of LMFAO and Pitbull. Speaking of, Beyoncé may or may not be pregnant (*laugh). Katy Perry and Rihanna got closer to breaking chart records of Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey. Nicki Minaj got her biggest hit from her Pop-iest song and Foo Fighters put in a bid as the last great rock band of the 90’s. Other than all of that, and a few hot-mess feuds and shady comments, not much else happened this year that’s really worth reporting.
So here’s my take on the year, try to enjoy! And let’s hope 2012 kicks 2011’s Basic Ass!!
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Artists Of The Year,
5. Kanye West
Coming off the critical praise of 2010’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”, West took a seat instead of his usual loud-mouthed antics. He took a seat in the studio though with Jay-Z, and towards the end of the Summer released the Epic collaboration album “Watch The Throne”. So let’s raise our glass to Kanye shutting up long enough to keep the focus on his talent, which ended in him leading the Grammy nominations and co-headlining a sold out tour.
4. Lady GaGa
While the media excitement for GaGa trailed off towards the end of the year, Mother Monster still had a triumphant year overall. She clocked over a million sales of her third (or second) album “Born This Way” after record breaking sales of the first single of the same name. She was ever present on television, including an HBO concert and a network Holiday special that got healthy ratings. Most importantly, she made some risky single choices that worked in exposing a different and versatile side to her as an artist.
3. Pitbull
This might be a surprising choice, but Pitbull was every where this year. He’s been very consistent ever since his debut in the early 2000’s, but this year he almost became a household name. He had a Huge #1 hit with “Give Me Everything” and his feature work with Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony and Shakira further helped his exposure. He ended up being invited to perform at nearly every big Award ceremony of the year, and translated his new found mainstream fame into endorsement deals. He may just be the flavor of the moment, but he definitely crossed over to a new level of fame in 2011. And as hard of a worker he has shown he is, he could potentially get bigger down the line.
2. Katy Perry
Miss “I Kissed a Girl” didn’t necessarily break out as the “It” girl of this year, but she made a lot of accomplishments and set herself up to possibly be a force in the industry. Still continuing a hit streak from her 2010 album “Teenage Dream” she collected two more #1 singles this year, tying Michael Jackson for the most #1’s from one album. She ended the year with a hosting spot on “Saturday Night Live” and a 7th Top 5 Hit. Hopefully she’s in the studio working on a follow-up, and we’ll see how long her star will shine.
1. Adele
No surprises here, for whatever reason the beginning of the year all the way till the end Adele was on everybody’s lips and on top of every chart. And she did this without compromising her sound. In the field of sexed up Pop chicks talking about nothing on their songs with auto-tuned vocals, Adele really was a shocking success being the polar opposite of all that. Her “21” album, steeped in R&B Jazz and Balladry, became the #1 selling album of the year and her two hits “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You” used proper instrumentation and strong vocals to become huge hits as well. So proud of her, and if she can just get her nerves together for a tour she’ll be a Legend in no time.
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Albums of the Year,
10. Chris Brown “F.A.M.E.”
Say what you will about Breezy, but “F.A.M.E.” showed off how truly talented he is. Not only does it cross genres from Pop to R&B to Hip Hop to Dance, but it’s all catchy and well-sung with some surprisingly great lyricism. A great step in the right direction, and a true testament to why he’s on top of the R&B heap these days.
9. tUnE-yArDs “w h o k i l l”
Crazy album, going from Folk sounds to Tribe Called Quest-like Hip Hop sounds and everything in between. This is something new and different and ultra experimental, but it works. It shows off the talents of Merrill Garbus, vocally and lyrically, and it gives listeners something totally fresh to counter-act all the same-sounding stuff released this year.
8. Beyoncé “4”
Like I said in my review of this album, it’s truly one from an artist that is so comfortable in her talents she can just do what she feels and not worry about fitting in. “4” is laid back R&B in a time when tempos must be high and lyrics must be repetitive, so in a way Bey took a risk but she really stayed in her zone and delivered a very solid and classic sounding album.
7. Adele “21”
Do I even need to go into detail about the album probably EVERYBODY has heard by now. Adele really goes back, with lots of early blues and soul inspired material, matched with a few funk tracks. The entire album is made to showcase the amazing voice of hers and why she’s one of the best singers in the game right now, and mission accomplished.
6. Frank Ocean “Nostalgia, Ultra”
This is a Mixtape, and I started not to include it. I couldn’t leave it off though because it was one of the most exciting and fresh pieces of music I’ve heard this year. From the out of the box concepts of the songs, to the pretty amazing and random samples he sings over, his knack for great lyricism and his love of singing. If you need to watch anybody that has major potential to blow up in 2012, than Frank is the one. “Nostalgia, Ultra” can be enjoyed by so many, even if it’s not what the masses are typically used to hearing.
5. Fleet Foxes “Helplessness Blues”
The mainstream-friendly Folk/Pop group delivered another set of very soothing, relaxing chill tracks that’s really true to the roots of the genre. A very natural continuation from their debut album, just elevated and with a much bigger sound. The stories clouded in very intelligent lyricism make it an album that can be enjoyed for decades, but it still somehow feels very now. And the harmonies and cascades of instrumentation is perfectly beautiful on every track. It truly deserves all the praise and hype it got, it’s definitely a go-to album if you need to relax.
4. Lady GaGa “Born This Way”
Unlike the rest of her Pop contemporaries, GaGa really tried hard on her third album to stand out from the pack. And she did in so many different ways with “Born This Way”, still catering to her Top 40 audience she manages to make little changes and explore different sounds. From Country, Industrial, House and Rock the album is clearly one of the most diverse of the year, yet the overall album works. And it’s not just the tracks, her attacking different vocal styles and writing some pretty impressive lyrics this go round “Born This Way” shows the artist behind the crazy outfits.
3. Jay Z & Kanye West “Watch the Throne”
The event album of the year, I almost didn’t believe it would ever come out but luckily it did. The album is Anthem after Anthem, it definitely caters to Kanye’s more energetic and humorous side. However mixed with Jay’s more serious verses, they both end up rubbing off on each other with Jay sounding like he’s having more fun and Kanye even waxing philosophical on some tracks. A great collaboration by two utter geniuses, how could it go wrong really?
2. Drake “Take Care”
Drake really is a surprising character in the industry. As much as you want to, you really can’t hate on what he brings to the table and it’s almost always unexpected and to the left of what you might have assumed. “Take Care” is a surprisingly deep and personal album at times, that transitions seamlessly from an Indie/R&B feel to a harder Hip Hop feel, and you don’t really notice because you are just captivated overall. His sophomore is just as good if not better than his very impressive debut, and this does show he has the chops to stay in the game for a long while.
1. James Blake “James Blake”
An album that takes a few listens to really appreciate, Indie self-produced “Dubstep Prince” (still don’t know why his music is classified as dub step but whatever) James Blake delivers a very minimalist album that even without many lyrics has such emotion and heart in the soundscapes he provides. It’s an album that plays well altogether and really stands out above anything else released this year, because it’s so non-conformist in almost every way. Tonally and emotionally it’s really an amazing album that shouldn’t be missed.
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Singles of the Year,
15. Jessie J “Who You Are” You would think the “love yourself” inspirational ballads died with Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful”, but UK star Jessie J makes a great bid for bringing them back. The lyrics match so well with the emotion and rawness of her vocals, it doesn’t feel like sap it feels much more personal.
14. Yuck “Rubber”
An eery, forever building ode to 90’s Alternative. With it’s strange and creepy instrumentation and slowly changing tempos, and the vocal delivery of Daniel Blumberg. It’s almost like a scary movie you can’t stop listening to until you get to the end.
13. Britney Spears “Til the World Ends”
Easily one of the best songs of Britney’s career, and apparently she owes it all to Ke$ha who wrote this incredibly addictive call to the dancefloor. It’s perfection in it’s intentional stupid-ness, and a perfect song to suit Britney’s (*cough) limitations. (And the remix is even better than the original)
12. Lady Antebellum “We Owned the Night”
A beautiful yet underrated single from the power trio of 2010. The song works on many levels with a cute storyline, beautiful harmonies and a relaxed track that gets some real country energy in parts.
11. Maroon 5 “Moves Like Jagger”
Surprisingly great Pop track, not very deep but do you really expect that from a Top 40 song? No! What you expect, and what you get here, is a nice dance tempo and an insanely catchy hook. Add Christina Aguilera’s power notes and you have one of the best Pop offerings of the year.
10. Jason Aldean “Dirt Road Anthem”
Aldean has had a great run in the country world, and this rap/country hybrid (later remixed with a verse from Ludacris) does a lot to gain unlikely fans. He goes from his southern rap to belting it out towards the end over a very simple backing sample.
9. Rihanna “S&M”
The MOST Fun Dance song released this year, there are several portions that are crazy addictive and Rihanna’s sexy but coy vocal delivery takes it to another level. Another reason why no one can touch Rihanna in the Dance/Pop field, she consistently delivers the most dance-ready (and most true to the classic House sound) tracks of all her contemporaries. (And for the record, I’m pretending that Britney remix never existed! *awful)
8. Cage the Elephant “Aberdeen”
A great rock track, with clear homages to a more alternative 90’s rock sound but adding the groups standard weird effects and instrumentation to make the song totally fresh. Addictive and creative, what more do you want.
7. Chris Brown “Look at Me Now”
This is a Chris Brown song, but most of the praise for this weird electro/Hip Hop winner goes to producer Diplo and featured rapper Busta Rhymes whose flawless and breathless flow made this The urban track of the year, and once again showed he’s still a relevant player.
6. Lady GaGa “Yoü and I”
Mother Monster delivered a Pop Anthem, an Industrial Dance track, and a ballad-like House-r this year but her Country/Pop/Rock rump “You and I” is clearly the most memorable and the one that shows what a great artist she is. A great storyline, a confident vocal and a track so hype and powerful you’ll be singing and clapping along in no time.
5. James Blake “The Wilhelm Scream”
This is the genius of James Blake, at first the song is really unassuming. A simple repetitive vocal over scant electronic backing, but if you listen you start to feel and appreciate the layers and how the song builds to a beautiful climax. His songs just creep up on you and force you to feel something.
4. Miguel “Sure Thing”
In case anyone thought R&B was dead Miguel came through with a beautiful and loving R&B track that Urban Radio has been lacking for years. The writing is exceptional, a love song without any contradictions or stipulations like the “I love you but I’m probably gonna cheat on you” type songs we’ve been forced to accept in the past few years. A great return to form for R&B.
3. Jay Z & Kanye West “Otis”
Like I said in my review of “Watch The Throne”, this hit single has a very complicated and technical use of the Otis Redding “Try a Little Tenderness” sample. Everything else about the song feels so laid back and breezy in comparison, with two of the biggest Hip Hop Icons of the day genuinely having fun and not being try-hards with their second single. Epic song that’s downplayed to just being a fun record.
2. Adele Rolling in the Deep
Incredible vocals. Amazing (and LIVE) instrumentation. Killer lyrics. End.
1. Kanye West “All of the Lights”
One of Kanye’s most simple songs, in both production and verses. However the more you listen, the deeper it gets when you realize the story he’s trying to tell about the inner cities. And though the calvacade of featured artists are nice, they aren’t necessary. It’s a strong, powerful, energetic, catchy and flawless song.
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Disappointments of the Year,
3. Rihanna “Talk That Talk”
I LOVE Rihanna, this won’t change anytime soon. And because of my love, I was really excited for her 6th album even if it was clear it would be a bit rushed with the busy year she had. Now, over a month after it’s been in stores, I tend to listen to her previous album “Loud” over this one. Too many un-done songs, which gives the bare minimum in song structure, almost like her label said “whatever you have now is fine we’ll just release it”. I feel like her label jipped us fans and gave us a half-ass outing for Holiday sales, when with just a month or three more it could have been a pretty great album.
2. The Strokes “Angles”
After waiting 5 years for a new album from the once great Garage Rock band, when it album finally came it was a bit of a dud. “Angles” was way too all over the place and not making any real statement of their growth as a band. Not a terrible album by any means, but definitely not worth the long wait. Hopefully there is a quick follow up to redeem themselves.
1. Britney Spears “Femme Fatale”
I don’t know why (maybe because her team kept Tweeting about it), but I expected this album to be a sign of growth for Miss Spears who has been stuck in Robot-Mode for almost 5 years now. Unfortunately, the album was yet another Dance/Pop heavy, heavily vocally altered singles album with virtually no real effort coming from the star. And even with hype about insane choreography and performance lessons, Spears continued to disappoint by doing the bare minimum performance wise this year. Signaling the fact that Britney will probably never get any better as an artist, thus the potential demise of her career. (Her fans are the most faithful of any stan base though, as long as they are easily impressed she’ll be fine)
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Guilty Pleasures of the Year,
5. Big Sean “My Last”
This, for any other rapper, would have been pure filler. There’s nothing truly stand out about anything in the track, and the whole”we do it big out in public” concept is so annoying. Than the “a-a-a-all, a-a-a-all” hook pulls you in and you spontaneously start singing along.
4. Jennifer Lopez “On the Floor”
Could the lyrics get anymore elementary, or the track be anymore basic? I doubt it, but somehow the “La la la la”‘s and the overly repetitive “On the Floor”‘s were too catchy to deny.
3. LMFAO “Party Rock Anthem”
Overproduced, Pointless, Stupid, Basic… yet after a few times being forced to hear it on the radio you kinda get used to it. I know for me, the first time I heard it “Noisy Garbage” came to mind, after about 4 listens I was actually anticipating hearing it. Shameful, but that’s the beauty of a Guilty Pleasure.
2. Rihanna “We Found Love”
I called this when I first reviewed the single, the song is basic in every sense of the word. Random lyrics, and a hook that seems to never end. Not even the production is anything all that noteworthy, as Rihanna has had much better Dance singles. However that hook, after about the millionth time, engraves itself in your brain and you go a little crazy for 3 minutes.
1. Pitbull “Give Me Everything”
Pitbull’s verses are rather weak, Nayer is like a non-factor, the track is almost a “paint-by-numbers” dance track… but who can deny Ne-Yo’s infectious and addictive hook. Overall, everything comes together pretty nicely and you just get in a zone when the track comes on.
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Flops of the Year,
3. Kelly Rowland
Kelly’s solo problems have always been that she’s choked at the wrong opportunities. Her BET Award performance was all everybody could talk about, that was the time to hit us with a new single and video capitalizing on that exposure. But she waited until after her very decent album “Here I Am” had already flopped. And the supposedly “dance heavy” UK edition fared even worse, and that’s after all her “X-Factor” exposure. She seems to be stepping her performance game up, so there may be a chance next year.
2. (tie) Beyoncé, Britney Spears
How the mighty have fallen! Even though both divas posted respectable numbers in either album or single sales, 2011 showed that their time as relevant artists might be up.
Britney had major success on the singles charts, but her album sales took a steep dive given her track record. She truly became a singles artist this year, in the same realm as Ke$ha and LMFAO. And most of that is due to her consistently lazy performances, and refusal to do any interviews or press.
With Beyoncé, her album “4” posted good numbers but her single choices were disasters and … well, plain stupid. Her mistakes were clear, and she didn’t seem to take the hint (or maybe she didn’t care because of her pregnancy). She saves face with a few great live performances including the now iconic pregnancy reveal at the VMA’s, but now that she’s ditched her father as manager she’s totally accountable for this flop.
1. Joe Jonas
Poor Kid. He’s cute, he’s at least minimally talented, and you’d think with the success of The Jonas Brothers his solo career would make some kind of sales dent. Unfortunately, after hyping his first single for what felt like months it only peaked at #92 and the album “Fast Life” only managed to stay on the Billboard 200 for 2 weeks. I guess with Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber there was no spot left on the charts for another “teen heart throb”.
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Music Videos of the Year,
5. Beyoncé “Run the World (Girls)”
Beyonce went as big as she could to try to salvage the poor first single choice of “Run the World (Girls)”. Hyenas, Lions, Task Forces, Exploding Cars, a Few Hundred Backing Dancers. She threw the kitchen sink in there too, but luckily it’s saving grace is the dancing. She incorporates different styles and attacks, the type of big dance video Janet or Michael Jackson would do.
4. Jason Aldean “Tatoos On This Town”
They could have went a totally different way with this song, but they gave us the tear-jerker storyline. And it actually really works in a beautiful way with the lyrics of the song.
3. Lady GaGa “Born This Way”
Enter the crazy world of Mother Monster, where there’s no judgement and… blah blah blah. GaGa is known for being a bit pretentious, but overall this video came off visually very different from most Pop videos. And it’s always nice to see GaGa drop the seriousness and have fun, which she does towards the end.
2. P!nk “Fuckin Perfect”
Speaking of GaGa, P!nk this year proved you don’t have to make an 11 minute video to tell a compelling and emotional story that unfolds in surprising and beautiful ways. Really one of the most heart wrenching and inspiring videos of the year.
1. Rihanna “We Found Love”
This video is one that didn’t try too hard, but did an amazing job of bringing alot of depth and rawness to the basic song and it’s lyrics. In very quick glimpses yo almost see the entire length of a destructive relationship, the highs and lows, and with the flawless editing job it really does get surprisingly real, but still a beautifully shot video.
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Award Show Performances of the Year,
3. Bruno Mars “Valerie”
Bruno finally showed he has the chops to deserve his spot at the top right now. His 2010 Grammy performance showed a performer who truly loved music, but his vocals were a bit off. At this VMA tribute to Amy Winehouse, he really makes the song his own and is almost perfect vocally. His energy, and clear love for performance and singing really shined.
2. Beyoncé “Love on Top”
(this clip is mirrored, so it looks a little weird. sorry)
Bey pulled out all the stops for her Billboard Award performance, but this simple VMA routine was the one that got everybody talking. She’s known as a great performer, so she doesn’t have to do much to impress. And her flawless vocals before her reveal already clinched this as another great one in her long list of live performances. It’s the pregnancy reveal, and the reaction of the crowds, that made this what it is though.
1. Mumford and Sons “The Cave”
This is the kind of performance I love to see, where the group is ecstastic to be performing and you get a true sense that they really love what they are doing. Mumford and Sons delivered an un-jaded, energetic, and technically perfect Grammy performance this year. It helped “The Cave” become a major player on the charts as well as their debut album “Sigh No More”.
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So, what have we learned this year. It’s actually a little hard to say because it was so crazy and unpredictable. You never really knew what song would hit, what promotional opportunity would help sales. Random circumstances like YouTube videos ended up helping singles more than “American Idol” appearances (case in point Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” aided by Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift videos). The industry continued to get majorly shaky, but it seemed whatever Radio was backing would determine who would shine.
Which brings up a weird issue with Adele being so huge, it was kind of funny to hear one of her songs (like the piano ballad “Someone Like You”) on pop radio than right after hearing Cobra Starship or LMFAO dance trash single. You’d think radio might take the hint that people are ready for talented vocalists and great song structure. Obviously they didn’t, but they need to realize that a little diversity never killed anybody.
And I have a few remarks for two of Radio’s biggest stars Katy Perry and Bruno Mars. They both get the Step Your Game Up Award, because both are talented in their own ways. Bruno is a great performer and a good writer when he wants to be. It’s just the songs he’s been putting out are very below the bar and elementary, when he’s capable of putting out some classic and creative stuff. And Katy really needs to take her exposure and step out of the “Pop Top 40” realm a bit and get a little deeper. “Teenage Dream” actually does offer some depth and artistry (“Circle the Drain” “Pearl”), so she needs to let the world hear a different edge to her.
My I Don’t Get It Award goes to Foster the People and Florence and the Machine. “Pumped Up Kicks” was a huge single this year, but to me it just sounds like a horribly distorted MGMT rip-off with a forced catchy hook. It’s not just that they took their sound and tried to process it through a Mainstream filter, but it doesn’t even sound good and it’s surprising that it fit into the Mainstream machine at all. With Florence, I just can’t get into her voice long enough to hear an entire song, but she’s hyped as this amazing vocalist somehow. I just don’t get it.
The Have a Seat Award goes to Rihanna, and we know I love her by now. She is just over-working herself, and I need for her to be healthy and ready because she’s clearly being run to the ground. I already talked about her latest album, but her performances went from a major high earlier this year to a drastic and saddening low at the Jingle Ball in December. Six months of not working wouldn’t kill her, but Three more months of her pace might actually do it.
I WAS gonna Go In on Nicki Minaj. With touring with Britney, the success of “Super Bass”, and her recent David Guetta collaboration has become more of a Pop sensation than a Hip Hop Star. I won’t though because I’m hoping “Roman’s Reloaded” will make me love her again. And that’s pretty much all I have for this year, which like I said was pretty boring but some good things came out of it I guess.
If you follow my blog, you should know that I’m usually really gung-ho and totally excited about each years Grammy Nominations. Generally I make about 4 posts a year when Grammy time comes around. This year is really different. I didn’t even do a nomination prediction write up this year, mainly because I’ve been venturing further away from the mainstream acts so I knew my personal picks wouldn’t be considered. However if I would have written a predictions post, I probably would have named all the big Top 40 artists this year as the Grammy’s have been trending towards awarding big sellers over critical favorites. And had I done that, I don’t think I would have been too far off.
The Grammy nominations were announced last night, and I’m not really surprised or shocked, I’m not even upset, I’m really just indifferent. The Grammy’s have really turned into a new Billboard Awards, nearly every big hit single and top selling album is up for awards — over more deserving well-reviewed but slightly under the radar acts. Which of course is no surprise and no different than the past two or three years, leaving little excitement about the list of nominees this year.
We all knew that Adele would be a top nominee, and she delivers with 6 nominations (she’ll easily win 5 of those 6). Though she’s not the top nominee as Kanye West scores that prize with 7 nominations. Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars are also up for 6 awards. Other obvious acts like Lil Wayne, Radiohead, Rihanna, Mumford & Sons and Nicki Minaj compete in multiple categories. Nearly everybody who made any kind of impression on the charts this year shows up with a random nomination or two.
Like I said before, I’m really indifferent about this years crop of nominees. I honestly could care less, but I did have some major gripes even though me griping won’t change anything. The biggest “WTF?” starts at the very beginning, Album of the Year. Adele is going to win, no doubt so it doesn’t really matter, but there’s no way Kanye should have been left out of this race with “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”. It was the best reviewed album of last year, and it’s singles garnered Kanye 3 of his 7 nods.
And another big omission, Bon Iver‘s self titled album. I’ve still not heard it, but it was a big critical success earlier this year, and his track “Holocen” made it in Song and Record of the Year. So why not Album of the Year? Seems like Rihanna’s “Loud” and Bruno Mars’ totally inferior album “Doo-Wops and Hooligans” took the spots that deservedly belonged to Kanye and Iver.
Other than that category, there’s nothing too upsetting really just a few weird things. Like why is Cee-Lo Green up for Pop Vocal Album for “The Lady Killer”, which is rooted in 60’s and 70’s Soul sounds (well, if you think about it Amy Winehouse was up for POP for her R&B album “Back to Black” back in 2007). Still, the Grammy’s are always a little off and weird here and there (just look at some of my posts about previous years).
As far as snubs, there are a lot. And it’s mainly due to the Grammy’s cutting out a number of it’s categories and consolidating Male and Female categories. Some of the biggest snubs of this year were Fleet Foxes garnering just one nod for their critically acclaimed “Helplessness Blues”, Beyonce for her album “4” which only garnered 1 nomination, Rock groups Cage The Elephant and Yuck (but Foster the People get multiple nominations?), Indie-Electro rising star James Blake, R&B Divas Jill Scott and Jennifer Hudson, as well as deserving R&B guys Miguel, Frank Ocean and Musiq Soulchild.
In the Country category, which I generally wouldn’t have any business speaking about but I’ve become a bit of a Country Music Channel nut for the past few months. Where is “Remind Me”, the duet by two Grammy darlings Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood? And last years big winners Lady Antebellum settle for one nomination this year for Country Album, no love for their singles “Just a Kiss” and “We Owned the Night”. And just one other complaint, Lupe Fiasco‘s Modest Mouse rip off “The Show Goes On” up for so many Rap categories? I Just Can’t!!
So that’s that! Hopefully this list of nominees will at least make for an interesting Award ceremony, otherwise this is probably the first Grammy’s in years that I just won’t care about. So much so, that this will probably be my only post about it until the actual winners are announced. So here are my predictions in some of the major categories.
Album of the Year
Adele “21”
Bruno Mars “Doo-Wops and Hooligans”
Foo Fighters “Wasting Light”
Lady GaGa “Born This Way”
Rihanna “Loud”
will win: No Brainer, ADELE! (and just to save myself from carpal tunnel, I’m gonna copy and paste that from here on out because I expect to use it a lot)
should win: Adele, even though I feel like GaGa’s was the most adventurous album of the 5.
Record of the Year
Adele “Rolling in the Deep”
Bon Iver “Holocene”
Bruno Mars “Grenade”
Katy Perry “Firework”
Mumford & Sons “The Cave”
will win: No Brainer, ADELE!
should win: Adele, yet Katy’s anthem is tough competition.
Song of the Year
Adele “Rolling in the Deep”
Bon Iver “Holocene”
Bruno Mars “Grenade”
Kanye West “All of the Lights”
Mumford & Sons “The Cave”
will win: No Brainer, ADELE!
should win: Adele, however Kanye’s track was epic and should be his consolation for that Album of the Year snub.
New Artist
The Band Perry
Bon Iver
J. Cole
Nicki Minaj
Skrillex
will win: Bon Iver or The Band Perry, can’t decide right now. They both have the best chances, with The Band Perry slightly edging him out.
should win: Bon Iver, he’s obviously not NEW but he’s made a name for himself with a very un-mainstream sound and that should be commended
Some time this year, I stumbled across some hilariously funny and perfectly executed YouTube clips from user ThisIsMackTV. He takes interview footage from different celebrities, some Hip Hop stars some NBA stars and mostly stars in the Female Pop Music stratosphere. And of course they are the most entertaining because we love imagining are Divas are catty with each other. So even if Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez aren’t feuding in real life, it’s fun to watch them shade each other on YouTube at least.
The genius and what makes these clips so damn funny is Mack seems to find the perfect interview clips to work with, his crazy auto-pitched voice goes along so (perfectly) with the expressions in the videos so you end up sort of believing what you’re seeing and it makes it all that funnier.
It’s funny because if you watch these regularly, he seems to make characters out of the stars. Lil Wayne as the brain-dead kid, Ciara as the bitter bitch (her “mothafuckas” kill me), and so on. I really think it’s great how he sort of embodies each stars stanbase with these videos. I haven’t checked out the NBA ones, I’m sure they are just as funny… but here are what I think are the Top 5 Funniest Clips from him thus far.
5. Lil Kim versus Nicki Minaj : “Who The Fuck Want War”
With the delusional shade Kim has been throwing Nicki the past two years, this video had to be great. And it is, Kim’s overly hyper “War” threats matched with Nicki’s blank stares and “it’s Barbie Bitch”‘s are hilarious.
4. Beyonce & Friends : “The Over 37 Thousand Club”
One of his recent posts, this has Beyonce celebrating entering #1 with “4” and the bitterness of Ciara who can’t stand to see her shine. This time Jennifer Lopez pops up and steals the show. Her back and forth with Ciara near the end is priceless and a great example of why Mack is so genius with matching the vocals with the expressions from the interviews.
3. “Beyonce Appreciation Day”
This is like Mack’s All-Star revue, to celebrate “Beyonce Appreciation Day” Rihanna, GaGa, Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon, Kevin from The Skorpion Show, and a B-Rated Precious and a wealth of others come to give their props. The sheer number of celebs, and length of this make it one of the best. Especially love the fighting between Letoya Luckett and Tina Knowles (“you just mad sugah!!”), Rihanna and Ciara, and Oprah’s final surprise.
2. Lil Wayne interviews Jay-Z : “… I just said Polo twice!”
Mack got their voices and tones down packed for this one. The two Kings of Hip Hop meet up for an interview that goes to shit. Weezy spends his time singing, to the major displeasure of Hov, and asking dumb trivia questions “How old were you… when you were 17?”. Jay-Z getting annoyed and Weezy not getting it at all makes this one a true LOL clip.
1. Hitler’s Reaction to “4” Leaking: “…please leave the room now”
I have no idea what movie this is (but I have a feeling I saw it), but it’s perfect for this. Hitler and the soldiers and everyone involved here kind of take on the feelings of Beyonce stans when her album leaked 3 weeks early. This is great, and a perfect use of his style. The expressions here match so perfectly, his Epic moment.
Suggestions: There are some other great ones that didn’t make the Top 5, but I think Mack should expand on the “Judge Joe Brown” type videos like he did with Britney vs. Rihanna which was pretty genius as well. And I think it’s time for GaGa to say more than a few things, how about an Epic GaGa vs. Madonna!?
Anyway Mack keep doing your thing, we love it. Subscribe here, and Follow him on Twitter here.
Once upon a time I was a Billboard Magazine fiend, checking the weekly updates was an obsession and ritual of mine for the longest. Recently though it seems like every time I look at the charts (especially the singles charts), it’s more of a list of crappy songs to avoid (for as long as I can before I succumb to it’s simple catchiness).
When I saw Yahoo’s listing of the Best Selling Albums and Singles of this year, I was actually proud of what the lists says about the state of music. While there are dozens upon dozens of terrible music that out-performs some really great songs, it seems like in total the good outweighs the bad.
ALBUMS
1. Adele – 21 (2,425,000)
2. Lady Gaga – Born This Way (1,502,000)
3. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More (962,000)
4. Jason Aldean – My Kinda Party (715,000)
5. Bruno Mars – Doo-Wops & Hooligans (670,000)
6. Justin Bieber – Never Say Never: The Remixes (667,000)
7. Chris Brown – F.A.M.E. (633,000)
8. Various Artists – Now 37 (631,000)
9. Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday (595,000)
10. Rihanna, Loud (586,000)
The best selling albums of the last 6 months shows a strong diversity, with just about every genre and type of artist represented in this Top 10. Of course you have the more popular names in the industry showing up. Lady GaGa is #2 based off just three weeks of being on the charts, while fellow Pop acts Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj following suit. R&B star Chris Brown also shows up, proving he has a strong fan base after all. Surprising is the strong showing for Country act Jason Aldean, and British folk band Mumford & Sons (who did benefit from a stellar Grammy awards performance).
However the true Queen this year is Adele, whose sophomore album “21” has surpassed all expectations. The album and it’s first single just won’t go away and continue to grow and expand into different genre charts. Adele’s success in so many ways goes against what has been popular the past couple of years. She’s not flashy, she doesn’t wear outrageous clothing or show skin to sell. She’s immensely talented, and her songs don’t rely on repetitive hooks or mind-numbingly simple dance beats to get radio attention. Even though a lot of her sales come from people falling into the hype, it’s great that someone with talent and timeless music is getting the hype in the first place.
SINGLES
1. Katy Perry featuring Kanye West – “E.T.” (4,029,000)
2. Adele – “Rolling In The Deep” (3,937,000)
3. Cee Lo Green – *beep* You (Forget You)” (3,184,000)
4. Lady Gaga – “Born This Way” (2,994,000)
5. Rihanna – “S&M” (2,700,000)
6. Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull – “On The Floor” (2,593,000)
7. The Black Eyed Peas – “Just Can’t Get Enough” (2,401,000)
8. Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes – “Look At Me Now” (2,375,000)
9. Bruno Mars – “Grenade” (2,330,000)
10. Katy Perry – “Firework” (2,241,000)
The best selling singles still shows that for some reason the US is obsessed with Dance music with dumb lyrics and catchy hooks, but there’s enough here outside of that which shows that maybe that trend is slowly dying (or is that wishful thinking). There are a few songs here that shock the hell out of me (how did “Just Can’t Get Enough” become so popular, and sorry but “Grenade” sucks!), but songs like “E.T.” “Look At Me Now” “Fuck You” and “Rolling in the Deep” make me proud somehow. They all manage to escape the “winning formula” for Pop hits. While “S&M” and “Born This Way” are at least dance tracks more true to the real dance sound of the 90’s.
Hype and heavy promotion (and “Glee”, yuck) are reasons for some of these singles success but these charts are good for two reasons. At least one artist isn’t dominating like in previous years (Katy Perry is the only one with multiple slots in best selling singles), and at least there’s a fair representation of different types of music. What does this say about America? Not much really, just maybe we aren’t as predictable. Who would have guessed Lady GaGa could share and chart with a Female Hip Hop Act and a Folk Band!?
>This Sunday night, The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will take place. And who’s going to emerge the big winner is anybody’s guess. In fact, the nominees are spread so evenly there might not be any clear winner — Although I’m looking at Eminem and Lady Antebellum to come out on top.
What we do know right now is who’s performing, and with Mick Jagger, Barbra Streisand & Bob Dylan taking the stage, it looks like the history of Popular Music might be a focal point. Still there are those current acts to look forward to, Lady GaGa who is set to perform her newest single live for the first time. Rihanna and Drake are set to perform together, as well as Eminem and Dr. Dre and of course Justin Bieber will be there for the little girls watching. And get your ears ready for the Over-Sing-Fest of Jennifer Hudson and Christina Aguilera doing an Aretha Franklin tribute. We can probably expect minimal mentions of the late Teena Marie, and a bunch of overrated artists performing their overrated songs.
As I do every year, I’m gonna take a stab at predicting these quite odd Grammy’s. (I’m late!)
Record of the Year. B.o.B. & Bruno Mars, Nothin’ on You Eminem & Rihanna, Love the Way You Lie Cee-Lo Green, F**k You Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, Empire State of Mind Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
Looks like the domestic abuse anthem is the favorite, so that’s one for Eminem. He will probably pick up alot of awards Grammy night, and this song was really popular. However in a race dominated by Hip Hop acts, Lady Antebellum also has a really great shot at picking this one up, and their song was also a pretty big hit for a Country group. It’s a toss up, but I think Lady Antebellum might just come out on top here.
Will Win: Lady Antebellum.
Should Win: Jay-Z. Empire State of Mind instantly captured the hearts of people in every city and became Jay’s biggest hit and first #1 single. He won’t have many chances to win for this song, but this future classic deserves to get a Top 4 Honor.
Album of the Year. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs Eminem, Recovery Lady Antebellum, Need You Now Lady GaGa, The Fame Monster Katy Perry, Teenage Dream
A slightly better race than last year, save for the GaGa EP being nominated. The ones I think should be taken off the list are probably the ones that have the biggest shot. Lady GaGa and Eminem. Still, Arcade Fire and Lady Antebellum have an equally good chance. The only drawback with Arcade Fire is that Indie acts hardly ever win this award. Country acts rarely do either, but Taylor Swift pulled the surprise win last year. It’s really between Eminem and Lady Antebellum, and Eminem is the one who’s been in the industry the longest so he might get the “legend” win here.
Will Win: Eminem
Should Win: Arcade Fire. It would be nice if the Grammy’s showed they could be ahead of the curve for once, awarding an Indie act would do that. Arcade Fire have continued to be one of the most critically acclaimed act of the Indie scene, which is quickly beginning to surface on the mainstream.
Song of the Year. Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs, Beg Steal or Borrow Cee-Lo Green, F**k You Miranda Lambert, The House That Built Me Eminem & Rihanna, Love the Way You Lie Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
This is a race between the country songs, with both Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum coming out in front. Both of their nominated songs are lyrically deserving of the title, however Lady Antebellum probably has the edge because the message in “Need You Now” is more universal, and the song is also a little more Pop-leaning. If the two country acts cancel each other out, Eminem might get yet another win.
Will Win: Lady Antebellum.
Should: Lady Antebellum. It’s really a great, simple, catchy and relateable song. It would deserve any prize it got.
New Artist. Justin Bieber Drake Florence and the Machine Mumford and Sons Esperanza Spalding
Drake might seem like the favorite here, but this race will probably result in a big surprise. And I feel like Mumford & Sons will take the trophy. It was a surprise this 4 piece band was even nominated, but along with a critically hailed album and the buzz from their live shows, they might just take the crown. Drake and Bieber are fall backs if not enough voters know who Mumford & Sons are. Still I feel they might pull the upset here.
Will Win: Mumford & Sons.
Should Win: Drake.
Female Pop Vocal Performance. Sara Bareilles, King of Anything Beyonce, Halo (live) Norah Jones, Chasing Pirates Lady GaGa, Bad Romance Katy Perry, Teenage Dream
The Grammy voters are obviously in love with Lady GaGa so she’ll probably take it, and why not, her vocals on “Bad Romance” were some of the high points of the song. This could be an interesting race though because Norah Jones is another Grammy favorite, and Katy Perry has a good chance of being the winning underdog.GaGa and her song were staples of last year though so she should probably get it.
Will Win: Lady GaGa.
Should Win: Lady GaGa.
Male Pop Vocal Performance. Michael Buble, Haven’t Met You Yet Michael Jackson, This Is It Adam Lambert, Whataya Want From Me Bruno Mars, Just the Way You Are John Mayer, Half of My Heart
With 6 nominations already, it seems the Grammy voters are falling for Bruno Mars fast, so he’ll probably get this one. Even though Adam Lambert is the one that truly deserves it. Michael Jackson might get the sympathy votes however, but who knew “This is It” was even a song. John Mayer has also been a Grammy favorite in the past, but that was before the serial-celeb dating and questionable public comments. Michael Buble had a hit with “Haven’t Met You Yet”, and since he’s up against Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow in the other category he’s nominated for, he might get this one. This is actually a hard race to predict.
Will: Bruno Mars.
Should: Adam Lambert.
Group Pop Vocal Performance. Glee Cast, Don’t Stop Believin’ Maroon 5, Misery Paramore, The Only Exception Sade, Babyfather Train, Hey, Soul Sister (live)
Will the love for the TV show “Glee” translate over to the Grammy’s? It looks like highly possible. The biggest competition comes from Train with their huge hit single “Hey, Soul Sister”, and maybe since it’s actual music insiders voting they’ll go with the well respected band as opposed to the manufactured television show cast.
Will: Glee Cast.
Should: Maroon 5.
Pop Vocal Collaboration. B.o.B., Hayley Williams & Eminem, Airplanes Part II Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare, Imagine Elton John & Leon Russell, If It Wasn’t for Bad Lady GaGa & Beyonce, Telephone Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg, California Gurls
Seems like GaGa and Beyonce are the favorites in this race, there is a question mark though. You have Elton John there with Leon Russell, and since Katy might not grab too many of the awards she’s up for she might take this one. Also the Eminem connection might help B.o.B. Still, Lady GaGa and Beyonce are obvious Grammy favorites so I think this win is a bit of a sure thing.
Will: Lady GaGa & Beyonce.
Should: Lady GaGa & Beyonce.
Pop Vocal Album. Justin Bieber, My World 2.0 Susan Boyle, I Dreamed a Dream Lady GaGa, The Fame Monster John Mayer, Battle Studies Katy Perry, Teenage Dream
Even though it’s only 8 tracks it’s up for Lady GaGa is up frikkin ALBUM OF THE YEAR!! It’s gotta win this one if they thought highly enough to nominate it for the top prize. Slight competition may come from John Mayer and Katy Perry, but Lady GaGa is on fire and I don’t think either of them have enough power to take her down here.
Will Win.: Lady GaGa.
Should Win: Katy Perry.
Solo Rock Performance. Eric Clapton, Run Back to Your Side John Mayer, Crossroads Paul McCartney, Helter Skelter Robert Plant, Silver Rider Neil Young, Angry World
This is the battle of the old fogeys versus John Mayer. All the four guys are legends, so Mayer can basically kiss his chances goodbye. The two favorites being Neil Young and Paul McCartney. With Beatle mania happening again this year, and this performance coming from the nationally televised concert special, McCartney has a good chance of taking it. Still Neil Young is the only nominee here (besides Mayer) nominated for his entire album this year. If he doesn’t win this one, he’ll take Rock Album. Which will than leave it open for Paul.
Will: Paul McCartney.
Should: Paul McCartney.
Group Rock Performance. Arcade Fire, Ready To Start Jeff Beck & Joss Stone, I Put a Spell on You The Black Keys, Tighten Up Kings of Leon, Radioactive Muse, Resistance
Kings of Leon had the best vocal of the nominated song, and they should win. Doing so great last year might hurt them this year. Which would leave the race open to the Black Keys, Arcade Fire and Muse. Muse had the biggest hit single with their nominated single, The Black Keys’ song was an underground and commercial favorite, and Arcade Fire seems to be the Grammy favorite of the three. I think Muse’s hit-factor might give them this win.
Will Win: Muse.
Should Win: Kings of Leon.
Alternative Album. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs Band of Horses, Infinite Arms The Black Keys, Brothers Broken Bells, Broken Bells Vampire Weekend, Contra
This one obviously goes to Arcade Fire, who have won this award with every previous album. Now that they are also up for the big Album prize, it’s a no-brainer they will take this one again.
Will Win: Arcade Fire.
Should Win: Broken Bells.
R&B Album. Raheem DeVaughn, The Love & War Masterpiece Fantasia, Back to Me Jaheim, Another Round John Legend & The Roots, Wake Up! Monica, Still Standing
Another very easy race, John Legend & The Roots pulled together an organic and instantly classic album by paying homage to the songs and album of R&B’s greatest era. Slight competition comes from the sympathy vote which might go to Fantasia. However individually John Legend and The Roots have won a few Grammys already, teaming up looks like a winning idea.
Will Win: John Legend & The Roots.
Should Win: John Legend & The Roots.
Solo Rap Performance. Drake, Over Eminem, Not Afraid Ludacris, How Low T.I., I’m Back Kanye West, Power
Eminem may just sweep all the Rap categories, but I don’t think after such a critically acclaimed album on their brain that the Grammy voters will skip a chance to give Kanye an award this year. Drake also has a chance here, but I think it’s definitely between Em and Kanye. And since Eminem has so many chances to win this year, Kanye will probably get it.
Will Win: Kanye West.
Should Win: Kanye West.
Duo or Group Rap Performance. Big Boi, Bosko, Cutty & Mouche, Shutterbug Drake, T.I. & Swizz Beatz, Fancy Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz, On To the Next One Ludacris & Nicki Minaj, My Chick Bad Young Jeezy & Plies, Lose My Mind
Ludacris has the best shot because voters are going to want to give Nicki Minaj her first Grammy this year, this is the only category she’s up for tonight and the competition here isn’t that difficult to beat.
Will Win: Ludcaris & Nicki Minaj.
Should Win: Ludacris & Nicki Minaj.
Rap/Sung Collaboration. B.o.B. & Bruno Mars, Nothin’ On You Chris Brown, Tyga & Kevin McCall, Deuces Eminem & Rihanna, Love the Way You Lie Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, Empire State of Mind John Legend, The Roots, Melanie Fiona & Common, Wake Up Everybody
Empire State of Mind and Love the Way You Lie look like the favorites here, both big hit singles from very popular Hip Hop acts. Don’t count out the John Legend & Roots collaboration here who might just pull the upset. These Rap categories are hard to call, because with so many top names nominated who knows if the voters will go Eminem for everything or if they want to diversify their picks.
Will Win: Jay-Z & Alicia Keys. Ultimately I think this may be the one award they give Jay.
Should Win: Jay-Z & Alicia Keys. It deserves every award it’s nominated for.
Rap Album. B.o.B., The Adventures of Bobby Ray Drake, Thank Me Later Eminem, Recovery Jay-Z, The Blueprint 3 The Roots, How I Got Over
Eminem definitely, even though his was the lesser album of them all, with his track record there’s no way he could lose this one this year.
Will Win: Eminem.
Should Win: Jay-Z. His best album in years, which helped him get the biggest hit singles of his career. It’s just sad to think he might walk home empty handed.
Producer of the Year. Rob Cavallo Danger Mouse Dr. Luke RedOne The Smeezingtons
RedOne or Dr. Luke might sadly take this award simply for their volume of work this year, and it won’t be about quality at all. (And why haven’t Stargate been nominated here?). Danger Mouse deserves it, but his albums weren’t as high-profile as those of the aforementioned producers. The Smeezingtons, relatively new, produced some of the top nominated songs this year, so they are the underdogs, and I’d much rather see them win. But it’s gonna be either Dr. Luke or RedOne, with the latter being the favorite for their GaGa connection.
Will Win: RedOne.
Should Win: Danger Mouse.
Okay there you have it, I’m so sorry I’m so late. I think as I’m about to post this nominees are being announced. Forgive any sloppiness and the lack of visuals, I was racing to finish this.