Wednesday 26 September 2012

Rihanna Shines On New Single "Diamonds" [Review]


Ever since Rihanna entered the realm of the pop world, she has successfully managed to reinvent herself, musically and image-wise. Although her critics beg to differ and point out that Rihanna's image overshadow's her music and voice, nobody can deny Rihanna's knack for cranking out great pop songs. When she wants to, she can churn out a good pop song that sounds fresh ("Umbrella", "Rude Boy", "What's My Name") or a generic tune ("Where Have You Been", "Only Girl (In The World)", "We Found Love"), which undoubtedly still sounds better than most songs mutating the charts. 

When she was not giving you camaraderie and frienship on "Umbrella", Rihanna threw you shades of Illuminati princess on "Russian Roulette" and 80's hopeless romantic-meets-dance on "We Found Love". Now, the Princess of the Billboard Hot 100 has decided to leave the "nah nah nah's" back in Ester Dean's pocketbook and hired Sia to write lyrics which has substance (excuse the pun) and Stargate and Benny Blanco for production duties. 

"Diamonds" is Rihanna shining during her finest moment, buttering her haunting tone with Sia's enunciation. Interesting enough, Rihanna displays a vocal growth that many expected her not to have, especially when she prepares herself to lower her vulnerability closer to the song's chorus, "So shine bright, tonight you and I". It's almost as if she helplessly convinces her partner that they're a match made in heaven, just like this song is to our ears.

Shockingly enough, the lyrical maturity and melody seems to be the true star of the song. Rihanna has opted to focus on a theme that's able to brighten us, or leave us feeling like a diamond in the rough. This song was clearly written by Sia and will become one of her biggest written singles to date.

Prepare to roll up one, sit back, and watch Rihanna continue her reign as Billboard's Princess of the Billboard Hot 100.

Rating: 4 shiny diamond blunts


Friday 25 May 2012

Jay Z And Kanye West Working On 'Watch The Throne 2'?

Many Jay and Yeezy fans have been craving for new music. The last collaborative album 'Watch The Throne' reached platinum status and even gave birth to the fad "that shit cray". Now fans are about to receive the treat of the week with new information regarding 'Watch The Throne 2'.

Mike Dean recently sat down with Quiet Lunch Magazine and discussed the many projects that he's currently working on, and if you're a Kanye and Jay fan you'll know that he was one of the producers on the album.

Thursday 24 May 2012

Cheryle Cole Releases 'A Million Lights' Album Cover And Tracklisting

Not even seeing the light a million times will raise my anticipation for this album. "Call My Name" might have more hits on my Nokia X-2 than what Nicole Scherzinger has to her name, but this album already looks as if it's about to be ripped to pieces by critics.

Cheryle Cole's album cover for 'A Million Lights' will have Illuminati theorists popping bottles with her finger-highlighting-the-one-eye cover. Is this the level Cheryl has to stoop down to get people to buy her album?

New Music: Kirko Bangz feat. Chris Brown - "That Pole" Remix

Kirko Bangz and Chris Brown
"Drank In My Cup" is my jam! The silky track has to be one of the catchiest urban jams of the year. Now Kirko Bangz is back with a new single called "That Pole" featuring Chris Brown.

Listen to the cut below.

Wednesday 23 May 2012

Melanie Fiona Performs "4 AM" On 106 & Park, Receives BET Nomination

The beautiful Melanie Fiona stopped by 106 & Park to help celebrate the network's list of BET nominations. Melanie has been nominated for 'Best Female R&B Artist' and performed her single "4 AM' from her fantastic album 'The MF Life', which should assist the underrated singer win some Grammys.

She is really appreciative of her nomination. She's really a sweet person and I hope that she continues to release solid albums in the future. Her time will come.

Check out the performance after the jump.

Kelly Clarkson Performs On 'Dancing With The Stars'

Kelly Clarkson is really on that promo swag with all of these performances. First she did performed well on the Billboard Awards stage, and now she performs on 'Dancing With The Stars'. She also released the single cover for "Dark Side", which looks really dark yet sincere. Maybe she knows how badly this song will slay?

Watch how Kelly does.

Saturday 19 May 2012

Snaps! John Mayer And Alicia Keys In The Studio

Is this a sign of new collaboration between Alicia Keys and John Mayer?

The two were snapped in the studio and unveiled by Alicia's usual production partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, who also appears in the photo. The two musicians last collaborated on Alicia Keys' 'As I Am' on a song called "Lesson Learned".

Friday 18 May 2012

New Music: Cocaine 80s - "Queen To Be"

Cocaine 80s has to be the most intriguing group of the year so far. Their 'Ghost Lady' EP gave me more life than what's present in Britney Spears' eyes.
 
 
Consisting of rapper Common, the impeccable James Fauntleroy, producer No I.D., and Makeba Riddick, Cocaine 80s establishes a distinctive sound that hip-hop has been missing. "Queen To Be" is another soulful track, that hints at the 80's sound that's been omnipresent throughout their whole EP.
 
 

New Music: Diplo feat. Lazerdisk Party Sex - "Set It Off"

One of pop's hottest producers Diplo is ready to unleash his wrath of marvelous hits with the release of his new EP 'Express Yourself'.

Wednesday 16 May 2012

New Music: T.I. - "Like That"

T I Like That Single Cover
What happened to T.I.? He used to ooze as much swagger as Mariah Carey's talents. Now he has the swagger of Waka Flacka Flame. Is the King of the South finally falling from grace?
 
 
Ever since his incarceration, he has only fed us with disappointment. You can listen to his new single "Like That" after the jump. If I'm in the mood, I'll review it properly.

New Music: Ne-Yo Returns with "Lazy Love"

After flopping with his last album, 'Year Of The Gentleman', Ne-Yosha is finally ready to come for his crown as R&B's most prominent singer-songwriter.


Tuesday 15 May 2012

New Music: Rick Ross feat. Usher - "Touch 'N You"

Touch’N You (Rick Ross ft. Usher)
Rick Ross is coming back y'all! Hoping to create a buzz surrounding his upcoming album "God Forgives, I Don't", which hits stores July 31st, Ricky Rosay has enlisted Usher, giving Usher some more urban appeal.

His new single "Touch 'N You" doesn't exactly break any new grounds, but will serve his urban hoodsters with all their needs. Usher adds a nice falsetto to the song, although the song feels a bit watered-down.

Listen to the song below.


Music Video: Calvin Harris Premieres "Let's Go" feat. Ne-Yo

I'm not really a fan of the song, but if Ne-Yo needs to resort to this to make a comeback then I'm fine.

Snaps! Chris Brown On "Don't Wake Me Up" Video Set

Chris Brown Don't Wake Me Up TheLavaLizard
Chris Brown is really beating his contemporaries with all of these fast food releases. After serving some hotness with "Don't Wake Me Up", Chris is ready to film the song's accompanying video. However, expect to see videos of his singles "Till I Die" and "Sweet Love" just incase you thought Chris was about to take a break.

Below are pictures of Chris on the single's set, which was directed by Collin Tilley and Andrew Listermann. Chris sure loves to abuse Instagram like...

Anyway, 'Fortune' will be available July 3rd and Chris will also appear in Nicki Minaj's terrible single "Right By My Side" video, which debuts soon.

Music Video: Cassie - "King Of Hearts (R3hab Remix)"

God knows I can stare and indulge in Cassie's beauty for all eternity. I can't find a single flaw in this woman's beauty. To make my day even brighter, Cassie released a video for the single "King Of Hearts (R3hab Remix)".

I don't understand how most pop trashed songs can top charts worldwide yet this song has to make at least an impact on the 'Bubbling Under' chart! The crtically-acclaimed single is one of the best songs of 2012 and could really establish Cassie as pop's most elite indie artist. Maybe that's what she should remain as, since the world can't appreciate Cassie's soft tone and adaptable vocals.

Azealia Banks Reveals The Cover Art And Tracklist For '1991'

azealia
Azealia Banks has released the cover art for her debut EP '1991'. The set is preceded by her singles "212" and "Liquorice" and will be released May 29th (digitally) and June 12 (physically).

You can look at the tracklisting after the jump.

Sunday 13 May 2012

Usher Slays 'Saturday Night Live' With "Scream" and "Climax" Performance

Usher's reign is about to erupt and burn down your faves' latest albums off the charts. The R&B/Pop legend decided to school the lessers when he took his precious time to perform on 'Saturday Night Live'.

Chris Brown Drowns His Vocals In New Single "Don't Wake Me Up"

Chris Brown continues to push and shove his material down our throats from his upcoming album 'Fortune', due July 3. The song was produced by David Guetta, which is not to hard to comprehend due to the fact that the song is drench in autotuned and light synths.

Saturday 12 May 2012

[New Music] Azealia Banks - "Jumanji"

When she's not dragging Necole Bitchie over twitter or making Kanye proud with her appalling attitude, Azealia Banks makes great music. The latest is in the form of "Jumanji", which was one of my all-time favourite movies when I was a child!

Lana Del Rey Confirms "National Anthem" Single Release

Lana Del Rey has made the best decision of her career as of late - choosing "National Anthem" as the next single off 'Born To Die'. The Hip-Hop realness of "National Anthem" will surely be the influential factor in surging sales of the national anthem and 'Born To Die', while aspiring hip-hop artists will continue jump onto the Lana Del Rey single-remix bandwagon to gain extra indie cred. We ain't complaining - "National Anthem" should be Lana's Hot 100 breakthrough!

Friday 11 May 2012

Rebecca Ferguson Performs On Britains Got Talent


Why Is Cassie SO DAMN HOT!?

While her music career might not be heating back up like we expected it to, Cassie still flaunts what got her in this industry - her looks!

The next magazine that Cassie's talents has led her to cover is i-D magazine. Shot in London by James White, Cassie returns to doing what she knows best. We still love her for her hot music but we need those album details soon. Things started to get turned up for a while but then just started to fade away.

Thursday 10 May 2012

T.I. Interviews Iggy Azalea

It's amazing how these two are so close. I hope people don't make up nasty rumours about the two of them. You can watch the interview below of T.I. interviewing Iggy Azalea on how much money they'll both make, what she brings to the table within the rap game, and the conception of "Murda Bizness".

Luke James Performs "I Want You" On VH1 Buzz

 Luke James Soars On VH1 Buzz / Signs On As Face Of Sean John
Luke James has to be one of the underrated artists that the urban scene is spitting out. resh from releasing his new single "I Want You", Luke took the stage at VH1 Morning Buzz to perform the song.

Wednesday 9 May 2012

Chris Brown Sets The Dancefloor Alight On 'Dancing With The Stars'

Chris Brown is one of the most entertaining artists out right now. I criticise his music because I know he can do better, but his performances always leaves me looking for a new wig.

Last night was no different, as Chris performed his hit single "Turn Up The Music" on 'Dancing With The Stars'. The poor contestants must have been so shaken up after watching Chris snatch their wigs off one by one without even breaking a sweat. I could see most of them attempting to hand in their numbers and leave the studio before the end of the show.

No Doubt And Major Lazer Previews New Song "Push and Shove"

A few weeks ago, I posted a picture of No Doubt in the studio with Major Lazer. We received the news that the album's release date is September 25, 2012 and now we get to listen to a preview of their song called "Push and Shove". What ever happened to just snatching a wig off?

The song sounds major hot while Gwen looks major sexy and I'm going to go major insane! I love how they've kept their sound while trying to incorporate Major Lazer's sound as well.

Justin Bieber Tries His Best To Smash "Boyfriend" On The Voice''

Justin Bieber must be listening to too much Justin Timberlake lately. From the look, to the "dancing", to even the "Boyfriend" single, everything so far scales down to the point that Justin's label is trying to reincarnate Justin Timberlake's image. Well, the results seem to be mixed.

Instead of showing off the swagger the song requires the artist to have, Bieber's performance on 'The Voice' came across as amateur and try-hard. I've seen much better from him. It was like he was trying to be grown and sexy, but ended up looking like he was auditioning for the show instead.

Tuesday 8 May 2012

Rihanna Set To Perform On American Idol Finale

Rihanna
After wowing us with the "Where Have You Been" music video, Rihanna got a bit cocky and ended up embarrasing herself on the 'Saturday Night Live' stage where she decided to pat de cake for the audience, only to put on a performance of all sorts of comic.

Monday 30 April 2012

Usher Releases Rick Ross-Assisted Single "Lemme See"

Usher gets back to releasing the music that he's good at creating - hot urban pop jams! The King of R&B unveils the cover for his new single "Lemme See". The song features one of the best rappers, in my opinion, Rick Ross.

We find Usher singing about every man's desire, which is to smell (or in this situation, be forward and see) a bunch of punani flowers protected by thin layers of panties. The production is on point, although I hear the starting synths present on Kelly Rowland's "Motivation" makes a quick visit during the beginning of "Lemme See".

Rihanna Dances For Eternal Life In "Where Have You Been"


Who would have thought that Rihanna would come for wigs like she did now? After forcing us to watch the millions of clips for "Where Have You Been", the Dave Meyers video premiered and appears to slide right into the folder labelled "Rihanna's Best Videos".

Rihanna starts the video off by emegring from the depths of the amazonian swamp. She then gets her Prince of Persia swag on and appears to wear a veil, similar to the one on the single's cover. The ritual begins and Rihanna comes for wigs!

Saturday 28 April 2012

Usher Is Going To Perform On Saturday Night Live

Usher
Usher is planning on performing on 'Saturday Night Live' in hopes of gaining a lead in the race to the top of the Billboard 200.

The singer will perform on May 12 while Will Ferrel takes hosting duties. We are all praying to the Gods above that we see a performance of "Climax". That's what we'll all be having if he decides to use his talents to remain "artistic" by performing "Climax" instead of the generic Leona Lewis remix (of "Outta My Head") known as "Scream".

Friday 27 April 2012

New Music: Brandy Returns With Chris Brown-Assisted "Put It Down"

My review is coming!

[New Music]: Usher - "Scream"

Scream (Usher)
Everything about Usher seemed to be alright once we were blessed with the greatness that is "Climax". Well, too bad Usher's streak of releasing quality singles reached an anti-climax thanks to his new single "Scream".

Yes, "Scream" has all the makings of a hit. Big vocals soaring over a redundant Max Martin and Shellback electro-pop production. Let me make things clearer - if you've heard "DJ Got Us Fallin'" and "More", then you've already heard "Scream" without hitting that play button.

[New Music]: Nas - "Daughters"

Nas - Daughters Artwork
Is this an ode to Nas' daughter and those cheques he owes Kelis?

His new album is out July 17, 2012.

Lana Del Rey Poses On The Cover Of Spanish Magazine 'S Moda'

When last did I have a Lana Del Rey post?

The sexy songstress poses it up on the cover of Spanish magazine 'S Moda', set to hit stands Saturday (April 28). Lana pays homage to the twitter birdy that is strapped over her shoulder due to the success of 'Born To Die' which has sold 395,000 copies in the UK.

Wednesday 25 April 2012

Emeli Sande Blesses Us With "Next To Me" Performance On BET's "106 & Park"

Emeli Sandé has been one of my favourite artists of the year so far. Her album "Our Version Of Events" is already on my best-of list and will sit there nicely for a while. Now she is ready to conquer the US after debuting at #1 on the UK charts.

Watch below.

Cassie Makes Her Comeback On BET's "106 & Park" With "King Of Hearts" Performance

God knows I have waited for this day for a new Cassie performance. After cementing her status as a victim of ridicule from within the urban blogosphere, Cassie has redeemed herself from the performance 6 years ago which put her music career on a stand still.

Taking the stage on "106 & Park" to promote "King Of Hearts", Cassie performed as if her heritage depended on it. You could see the crowd made sure she never got nervous by cheering for the indie icon as she added her emaculate style to the two-step.

[Music Video]: Alexandra Burke - "Let It Go"

Alexandra Burke premieres the video for her new single "Let It Go". As generic as it is, I can't help but think that its one of her strongest tracks!

However, the same cannot be said about the video. For such a strong track, we receive such a weak generic video. The clip failed tofully display Alexandra's dancing abilities, which we all know she slays at. It felt more like a modelling advert for Alexandra to take advantage of her new weave courtesy of Latisha

[Music Video]: The Wanted - "Chasing The Sun"

The Wanted premiere the second single "Chasing The Sun" from their self-titled debut EP.

Tuesday 24 April 2012

[New Music]: Wiz Khalifa Releases "Work Hard Play Hard"

Radio rapper Wiz Khalifa is coming for radio airwaves again with his new single "Work Hard Play Hard" off his upcoming album 'O.N.I.F.C.' The single was premiered by Funkmaster Flex.  

[New Music]: Fiona Apple Returns With "Every Single Night"

After a 7 year hiatus, Fiona Apple is finally ready to release new music.

Fiona sounds better than she ever on "Every Single Night", singing against a sparse chime-like beat. It sounds really jazzy. I don't know what else to say about the song thou. I'm still getting used to it. I like it, but I've never been a huge Fiona apple fan. Maybe this album will change my mind?

Sunday 22 April 2012

Lana Del Rey Premieres Homemade Video "Carmen" [Music Video]

You thought Lana Del Rey was done making her homemade videos? Think again, because the indie-pop princess has returned to her usual shoe-string budget music video productions and is finally ready to rule the UK charts again with her melodramatic video for "Carmen".

I wish that this was not released as a single. It's no doubt one of the weakest songs of 'Born To Die'. We need something more upbeat Lana. I still hold a grudge against her for turning "National Anthem" into some anthem that would make them happier than Nicki Minaj's barbz!

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Video: Rita Ora - "How We Do (Party)"

Rita Ora Party and Bullshit
My baby Rita Ora released her new video for "How We Do (Party)" which I'm shamelessly obsessed with! Although I know her music can be much better, I can't help but love her beauty and voice. She's like my ex with just a pinch of more lips!

Watch how she parties it up in the video. She made me love her even more (I'm not a huge fan of her music thou) once I saw her amazing cover of Outkast's iconic single "Hey Ya!".

Album Stream: Norah Jones' '...Little Broken Hearts'

Norah Jones LIttle Broken Hearts Cover
I completely forgot that Norah Jones was releasing a new album called '...Little Broken Hearts' but the artist has given us a taste of her new album via an album stream.

Monday 16 April 2012

NEW SMASH: Nelly Furtado - "Big Hoops (Bigger The Better)"

Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)
Nelly Furtado is still the same promiscuous woman that we were introduced to a few years ago, except this time she's conformed to pop society's rules of crafting sexually-agrresive tunes that promote a healthy living. Yes folks, Nelly is back...raunchier and hornier than ever!

Nelly reintroduces herself in the form of a urban-pop banger, "Big Hoops (Bigger Is Better)". This serves as the first single off her new album, 'The Spirit Indestructable', set for a June 19 release date. It will be Nelly's first English album since 6 years ago when she burned down careers with her classic album 'Loose'. I'm expecting some bilinguilism on this album with some special flamenco bangers!

New Music: Maroon 5 Feat. Wiz Khalifa - "Payphone"

Payphone Artwork - Maroon 5 ft. Wiz Khalifa
Maroon 5 seem to getting back to doing what they are known for - making top 40 hits! "Payphone", the new single off their upcoming album 'Overexposed', due June 26, fnds the band using their free minutes to call radio rapper Wiz Khalifa to secure them a surefire smash.