Saturday, July 4, 2009

She Plays Music

She Plays Music

New Whitney Houston: “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength”

Posted: 03 Jul 2009 11:30 PM PDT

Whitney Houston's new single "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" has made it to the internet and, of course, I had to immediately listen to it.  I tried to free myself of any expectations that I might have for her since, after all this time, Whitney is a different woman that she was when she was releasing hit after hit.

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image: Bauer-Griffin

The track was written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster (who recently worked on Charice's "Note to God") so I knew what kind of song to expect.  The first thing I noticed was that Whitney's voice sounded stronger than it has in a while and I think that, in itself, is a positive sign.  Next, the fact that this was not going to be a "power ballad" became quite clear and you know what?  I think it's appropriate!

I know some people are going to be critical of the fact that she didn't blow us away with those dynamic pipes that made her so famous but it's been years since she sang like that and she's been through a lot (she left her abusive husband, Bobby Brown, and got off drugs).

If you've ever played an instrument, you will know that if you don't practice for a few years you might be a little rusty.  If you were an incredible pianist, for example, you might even find that with age, your fingers don't quite move the way they used to.  I don't think singing is much different – her voice is her instrument.

I really appreciate the fact that the lyrics focus on the emotion that I'm sure Whitney is feeling right now.  I'm sure that she had to dig deep and find strength that she didn't even know she had to get through the tough times.  I'm happy for her and I hope that this is the beginning of a miraculous comeback.

The picture above was taken on July 2, 2009 and it shows a much healthier looking Whitney at LAX with her 16-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina.  Welcome back, Whitney!!

Anyway, enough of my rambling – listen to the song and decide for yourselves:

Post from: She Plays Music

Lady Gaga Says Her Music Has No Soul

Posted: 03 Jul 2009 03:02 PM PDT

Lady Gaga has reportedly referred to her own music as "soulless electronic pop" and I couldn't agree with her more.  I understand that her songs are sometimes catchy but I am also bewildered by her popularity. 

She went on to say the following:  "[Andy] Warhol said art should be meaningful in the most shallow way.  HeGlastonbury Festival 2009 - Lady Gaga was able to make commercial art that was taken seriously as fine art… [and] that’s what I’m doing too.  When you listen to a song like ‘LoveGame’, is it communicating my soul to you? No… I make soulless electronic pop. But when you’re on ecstasy in a nightclub grinding up against someone and my music comes on, you’ll feel soul."

Ahhh, so that's the secret!  I need to be taking some sort of recreational drug to fully appreciate a Lady Gaga song!  It makes so much sense.

Okay, before I get carried away with my sarcasm and pointed comments, I want to say that I think it's perfectly fine to like Lady Gaga.  I have a soft spot for French group Daft Punk even though their music contains virtually no lyrics.  It's great to dance to and sometimes that's all that matters.  I just don't want to go along with the theory that Lady Gaga is producing some earth-shattering contribution to the music industry. 

What's more is that I think she is attention-seeking and I don't find that appealing in any way.  At least she knows when to draw the line.  She said: "Everybody wants me to show my vagina to the world.  And the truth is, I don’t have to."

I'm glad she said that but I'm guessing she didn't take a close look at the images of her from the 2009 MuchMusic Awards in Toronto (Google them!).  I definitely spotted a little something…

image: Zuma Press

Post from: She Plays Music

The Veronicas Cover Jonas Bros. Hit “Burnin’ Up”

Posted: 03 Jul 2009 02:51 PM PDT

I will admit that "Burnin' Up" is one of the few Jonas Brothers songs that I actually like.  The Veronicas theveronicas(view their tour dates and "Take Me on the Floor" video) recently covered the hit and I think that it was interesting to hear a toned-down version with female voices. 

I think that this song works even better as an unplugged track than the studio version.  The girls gradually built it up by first starting with just a guitar accompanying their beautifully harmonized voices. 

Eventually, shakers and another guitar were added and the ladies really upped their vocal intensity in those last few bars.

I really respect when artists sing a song that was originally recorded by someone of the opposite gender since I think it does require some creativity.  It can be a real disaster but sometimes it works (like Mariah Carey's reworked version of Phil Collin's Against All Odds). 

Watch the video and tell me what you think!

image: Total Assault Press

Post from: She Plays Music

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