She Plays Music |
- Is Mariah Carey Changing Her Style Too Much?
- Paradiso Girls Ft. Lil Jon and Eve “Patron Tequila”
- New Music: Oksana Grigorieva “Say My Name”
- Lauryn Hill Cancels European Tour Dates
- Charice Releases Single “Note To God”
- Britney Spears Embarking on First Australian Tour
- The Veronicas Tour Dates, “Take Me On The Floor” Video
- Taylor Swift at 2009 Bama Jam
- Demi Lovato Releasing Album, Preparing for Summer Tour
| Is Mariah Carey Changing Her Style Too Much? Posted: 16 Jun 2009 03:51 PM PDT Mariah Carey is back in the studio and is working on her upcoming album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, which will be released on August 25, 2009. I'm looking forward to hearing all of it because the first single I've been following Mariah's career since I saw her featured as a promising new artist on BET. That was almost twenty years ago and her journey from then until now was mostly smooth until she suffered an emotional breakdown. Her 1990 debut album, Mariah Carey, produced hits like "Vision of Love" and "Someday" and established her as a talented artist with a unique range (those high notes made her instantly recognizable). She followed up the effort with Emotions (1991), an MTV Unplugged Album (1992) and the hugely successful Music Box (1993) and Daydream (1995). During this time, she was being being managed by Columbia Records executive, Tommy Mottola, whom The effects of the split were immediately obvious when Mariah released the video for "Honey" which was the first track off of her 1997 album, Butterfly. She had clearly had plastic surgery (cheeks, breasts, etc…) and the video (featuring Puff Daddy and Mase) was probably her sexiest to date. I won't even go into how sensual and haunting "My All" was/is so, if her goal was to unveil a brand-new Mariah, she succeeded.
Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse for Mariah. Despite all of her success, there were reports that Mariah had suffered a physical and emotional breakdown after an ugly separation from Columbia Records (she ended up signing with EMI’s Virgin Records). It seemed like, all of a sudden, Mariah was complaining about being overworked and started acting strangely. During an infamous appearance on MTV's Total Request Live, she actually started handing out popsicles to the audience and began performing what looked like a strip tease. I don't think anyone was shocked when she checked into a hospital within days. As if fate was looking to kick her while she was down, her semi-autobiographical film, Glitter, basically bombed at the box-office (and with critics) as did the soundtrack. By the time her 2002 album, Charmbracelet, rolled around, I was almost convinced that her career was over. It was so bad that I couldn't even bring myself to buy a copy. I was significantly buoyed, however, by her duet with Busta Rhymes, "I Know What You Want" since I thought it was her best effort in a while. In 2005, she released the The Emancipation of Mimi and I know that it was popular and was her best-selling album in the U.S. since Daydream but I just never liked it. I thought that the songs ("It's Like That," "We Belong Together" and "Shake It Off") were catchy enough but just lacked the power and level of difficulty I had come to associate with Mariah's music. I guess you could say the same thing about her follow-up effort, E=MC2. Seriously, who can't sing "Touch My Body?" It was all so commercial, lazy and gimmicky in my opinion.
It's very different from her last two albums and I like the chord progression. It's still not the powerhouse song I was hoping she'd release and with the addition of autotune it feels like she's singing even less than she has in the past five years. I can't embed the audio clip but you can listen to it here. Come back and tell me what you think! images: Zuma Press/Amazon Post from: She Plays Music |
| Paradiso Girls Ft. Lil Jon and Eve “Patron Tequila” Posted: 16 Jun 2009 01:59 PM PDT The Paradiso Girls have released the music video for "Patron Tequila" featuring Lil Jon and Eve. Before I talk about the song, I thought I'd take a moment to give you a little background on this quintet.
"Patron Tequila" was produced by Polow da Don and is the perfect track for night out at the clubs (even to listen to with your windows down on your way to the club). When you add Lil Jon and Eve to the mix, you've got an anthem in the making. The video is also a lot of fun. By the end of it, I guarantee you'll be singing along to the hook. The lyrics are pretty funny too. Check it out:
image: Total Assault Post from: She Plays Music |
| New Music: Oksana Grigorieva “Say My Name” Posted: 15 Jun 2009 10:40 AM PDT Have you heard the new single of Oksana Grigorieva? She is a new artist who is probably best known for currently being pregnant by actor Mel Gibson (the relationship was made public just about two weeks after Mel's wife, Robyn, filed for a divorce) although she was in a relationship (and had a child with) former James Bond actor, Timothy Dalton.
Pregnancy aside, Oksana has been working on another labor of love – her upcoming album Beautiful Heartbreak. I will admit that I have not heard any of the Russian-born singer/pianist's earlier work but I did listen to her first single "Say My Name." Of the track, Oksana told People: "It is the first and one of the simplest songs on the album, but also one of the most intimate. It is naked, intimate, raw emotion, little more than piano and voice as if it is a cry from the soul." The 39-year-old beauty is from Saransk, Russia and wrote every song on the album although Mel helped pen the lyrics for "Say My Name" (she is currently signed to Mel's Icon Records label). After listening to the song, I have to say that I'm not overly impressed. I think that, in theory, it could be a pretty tune but I find her voice pretty annoying and whiny and unnecessarily breathy, especially during the verses. You can listen to the song on www.oksana.fm where you can actually download the song for free. If you like what you hear, I encourage you to bookmark the page and check back often since there will be more free downloadable content in the coming weeks. Post from: She Plays Music |
| Lauryn Hill Cancels European Tour Dates Posted: 12 Jun 2009 10:28 AM PDT It has been announced that Lauryn Hill has cancelled her planned concerts in Europe this summer citing "heath reasons." The former member of The Fugees was slated to headline at the Stockholm Jazz Festival which doesn't take place until July 15-19 so what kind of health problems give a person that much notice? The event will feature performances by Erykah Badu and many, many others.
I'm sure the fans are disappointed but they shouldn't be surprised. Lauryn's behavior has been strange since she won Grammy Awards for her debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (one of my favorites) back in 1998. In fact, she hasn't even released an album since and her former bandmate, Pras, told TMZ that she was "crazy" and was the reason why The Fugees haven't reunited. That's really too bad. I really hope that whatever she finds a way to get through whatever she's going through. Maybe she really is sick but, either way, I hope she starts to feel better. Post from: She Plays Music |
| Charice Releases Single “Note To God” Posted: 11 Jun 2009 11:40 AM PDT Seventeen-year-old Filipino superstar, Charice, became a household name after Oprah introduced her to the world. I remember sitting on my couch in shock as I watched the episode called "The Most Talented Girl in the World." Charice does not only possess one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard but she brings a strength to her music and performances that is nothing short of extraordinary given her young age.  image: Total Assault Now, she has released her own single "Note to God" and I really think it is a beautiful song which was written by Grammy Award-winning songwriter, Diane Warren, and produced by the legendary David Foster (those are some big names to be working with. I'm so happy for her!). It's a very emotional track and her delivery is incredible. I truly believe that she's got a big career ahead of her and I'm very interested to hear what's on her upcoming studio album which will be released by 143/Reprise Records sometime this fall. In the meantime, you can check out her live performance of "Note to God" on Oprah. By the end of it, the members of the audience were on their feet. Amazing! Post from: She Plays Music |
| Britney Spears Embarking on First Australian Tour Posted: 10 Jun 2009 09:48 AM PDT Britney Spears has been riding high on her very successful "The Circus Starring Britney Spears" tour and, right after confirming that she will be traveling through North America one more time, Billboard is reporting that the singer will be heading to Australia for the firs time in her career. “I’ve wanted to tour Australia for quite some time and now it’s finally happening,” Spears said.  image: Bauer-Griffin
So far, six dates have been announced starting with a performance at Perth's Burswood Dome on November 6, 2009 and ending on November 24, 2009 at Brisbane's Entertainment Centre. She has also planned stops at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena and Sydney Acer Arena. Even though she came to my area, I couldn't being myself to actually see the $50 million stage production including almost 50 dancers, magicians, clowns and acrobats. Yes, that does sound amazing (and amazingly over-the-top) but I also don't want to pay $100 to see someone lip-synch. Don't get me wrong, I realize what she's been through and I am so happy to see her career on the upswing but this just feels like faking a comeback, in some ways, doesn't it? While I'm on the subject, who put this show together? Is it spectacular? I'm sure it is but anyone who has worked in the industry will know that this much dancing is not going to make singing a possibility unless you are in great shape and have built up the vocal stamina. Amazingly, the fans don't seem to mind because her ticket sales are through the roof. Post from: She Plays Music |
| The Veronicas Tour Dates, “Take Me On The Floor” Video Posted: 09 Jun 2009 09:52 AM PDT The Veronicas are embarking on a summer tour and I would encourage you to head to a show and check them out if they happen to be performing in a location near you. The twin sisters, Jessica and Lisa Origliasso (no they are not actually both named Veronica!), hail from Brisbane, Australia and have combined electropop and pop rock into an award-winning combination. When asked about their band name they explained that, while they were watching the movie, Heathers, Christian Slater asks Winona Ryder's character (who they described as a "cool, unique chick with an attitude"), "Are you a Heather?" to which she replies "No, I’m a Veronica." cool, unique chick with an attitude."
After the 2005 success of their debut album, The Secret Life of…, they followed up with Hook Me Up which was released in 2007. The title track because their first number one single in Australia! They have released the video for their most recent single "Take Me On the Floor" which I find completely infectious. Watch it here:
For more visit TheVeronicas.com or check out their official YouTube channel! See the complete list of the Summer 2009 Tour Dates after the jump!
The Veronicas Summer 2009 Tour Dates Jun 4 2009 Lupos Providence, Rhode Island image used with permission Post from: She Plays Music |
| Posted: 07 Jun 2009 11:00 PM PDT Country music superstar, Taylor Swift, was one of the headliners at the 2009 Bama Jam which took place this past weekend in Enterprise, Alabama. I haven't been able to find any videos from her performance but I did find some great pictures. She looks like she really got into it and I have to say that, although I'm not always fond of her actual singing, I am so impressed with this young woman as a songwriter and I'm thrilled that she continues to get recognized.
Taylor also participated in a meet and greet which I always find very impressive. Celebrities get approached every day by so many strangers and, while I understand the importance of recognizing fans, it's hard to imagine that it doesn't get tiring after a while. Plus, when you meet so many people you become more susceptible to illness which has to be tough when your job depends on you being healthy enough to sing and perform.
Post from: She Plays Music |
| Demi Lovato Releasing Album, Preparing for Summer Tour Posted: 06 Jun 2009 02:05 AM PDT Demi Lovato will be releasing her new album, Here We Go Again, on July 21, 2009 but, for now, the Camp Rock star is focusing on delivering a great summer tour for her fans.
The 16-year-old Disney star told Billboard: "I’m not really one to have a lot of, like, crazy stuff on stage. I feel like it’s more about the music, so I don’t want to take away from that." The tour, which kicks off in Hartford, Connecticut on June 21, will mostly feature songs from her 2008 debut album Don't Forget which, she explains, is a lot different from her new material. "I think Don’t Forget was a lot more Jonas sounding. It had a little more of their feel on it. But this album is just me." She said that Here We Go Again is "a lot more soulful and personal" so I'm looking forward to seeing how she's grown since her days of writing songs with the Jonas Brothers (although, one track called "Can't Stop the World" was co-written with Nick Jonas). I'm really intrigued by the two songs that were penned by John Mayer ("World of Chances" and "Shut Up and Love Me") since he really is one of my favorite songwriters and I believe he possesses the tenderness needed to write with a young woman like Demi. She definitely sounds like she coming into her own: "I felt a little more confident this time, but I also felt like it was a little more pressure. I feel like, for me, this is definitely a step forward. I was really, really nervous making the album, but I feel like it’s come together. I’m really, really, really excited about it." image: Total Assault Post from: She Plays Music |
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