Kelly Rowland is getting ready to release a new album later this year. This will be her first album since parting ways with both Columbia Records and Music World Management(Mathew Knowles). Kelly teamed up with French producer David Guetta and they created a WORLD WIDE smash hit "When Love Takes Over". Kelly has just inked a new deal with Universal/Motown Records and even has new management! Things are looking good for Ms.Rowland, however this is only the beginning. I am extremely excited for Kelly but at the same time i am VERY nervous. Kelly has a completely new team behind her so I dont know what to expect from how she will be handled I just hope it will be 10 times better than the way she was handled in the past. With the success of her song with Guetta Kelly has decied to go in a "new" direction which is dance infused with R&B. I dont know why this surprises anybody Because Rowland was NEVER a strictly urban artist nor was DC. Kelly is gearing up for her 1st official single titled "Commander". This song is pure FIRE! Everytime I listen to it I just want to dance! I am still confused as to if this is only the international single or if the states will have the same single aswell. Rowland has been making her rounds and generating a nice little buzz for herself and I am soooooooo happy to finally see the wheels turning for the fresh new start to her career. Kelly was recently in London and did two VERY good interviews where she talked about EVERYTHING check them out:
Yesterday Robyn "Rihanna" Fenty released her 5th video off her last album Rated R. The black and white Melina directed video is very.....strange to say the least! Don't get me wrong I think the video is pure HOTNESS but RiRi's videos just seem to be getting darker and darker....Rihanna is seen in black face wearing chains, sporting horned head dresses and even playing dress up as legendary rockstar Slash. check out the video for yourself:
In other Rihanna news she is releasing ANOTHER video very soon! Rockstar 101 is the US single the rest of the world will be getting "Te Amo" the video was shot last month in Paris. She is currently in Europe on tour! She'll begin tour the US in july! If you havent already purchased your tickets maybe these clips will convince you!
Last Night 4/10/10 was the FINAL show of the US leg of the Alicia Keys Freedom Tour along with special guest Robin Thicke And Melanie Fiona. Alicia couldn't have picked a better place to close the tour than Oakland,Ca! Ofcourse I was in attendance! I bought my tickets just before going in and boy oh boy was it slim pickings! Not to mention tickets for Ms. Keys are NOT cheap! They were 50 bucks a pop and this was for the NOSE BLEEDS(sec. 204 to be exact!) The show was set for a 8:00pm start and buy 7:59 with a BARELY filled arena Canadian native Melanie Fiona took to the stage! She came out belting some song from Kill Bill according to my friend. The song was about being shot by a man, and she tied it into a song of her own titled "Bang Bang". Fiona's set was short and sweet:
Kill Bill song/Bang Bang Give It To Me Right Monday Morning Sweet Thing-Chacka/Mary J cover(It must be a law for opening acts to cover a classic!) It Kills me AY Yo!
By 8:19 Melanie was thanking us and walking off stage. She definately proved she has VOCALS! But every two seconds she felt the need to remind that her name was MELANIE FIONA in her TWENTY minute set he must've introduced herself a good 8 times! She was good none the less. Keep in mind my seats were in the damn roof so I couldnt see shit! On top of this the screen on my side of the arena was having technical issues! All in all Melanie did her thing so Ill give her 8 on a scale on 10.
Next up was Robin Thicke. Ive never been much of a fan of his so for me his set was kinda boring. Luckily for him the arena was pretty full! He certainly is in good with the ladies becuase, they went BANANAS when he came out The only songs of his I knew were:
Shakin It For Daddy Shooter Sex Therapy Lost Without You
other than those four songs I didnt know what the hell he was singing about! This was not a good thing because Robin spent most of his set singing in a high pitched airy tone(ala Lost w/out you) so it made it hard for me to even make out what he was saying! While performing Shooter Robin and his back up singers made the most saddest attempt "raise the roof" it was HILARIOUS! I think that may have been the the first time it dawned on me that Robin is in fact white! He was moving stiff as hell. Before exiting He decided rep for his Young Money homeboy Weezy by rapping the ENTIRE song of "A-Milli". This is when my night got interesting...on the right of me there was a young lady sitting next to me. She had to be about 16 y.o. She was a "big" girl and had beautiful chocolate skin, however my friend kept reffering to her as PRECIOUS! As soon as the Weezy beat dropped Precious jumped out her seat and started rapping her ass off! The ENTIRE section 204 had thier eyes glued to her and she didn't care Its like Wayne Carter was inside her, she was making facial expressions and all! Just when you thought it couldn't get any better she started channeling Nicki Minaj and making SILLY faces and shaking like she had turrets! All my friend and I could do is watch in amazement. she was rocking so hard her hair clip AND earring flew off! Once the song was over she sat back down and acted like NOTHING had happend! After the brief BET Hip Hop Awards moment my friend and I went down to the lobby to meet up with some of his friends who were also at the show. It turns out that these particular friends had a VIP suite! And they were willing to give us their tickets to get in! These suites are NICE you have no need to leave at all! You get yout own personal bathroom and TWO tv screens to watch the show on and there is even a private bar for you to use to you never have to go down to the main lobby!
After a few short minutes of waiting Alicia Keys took to the stage She had this cool BIG Introduction explaining to you via video what "The Element Of Freedom" meant. The video was made it seem as tho she was behing bars and then she emerged on stage locked up in a cage sing Caged Bird which went into Love is blind, and this where she broke free. The Big Intro set you up to believe that Keys was going to take you on a journey which is what she did NOT do! It was just a regular setlist:
Caged Bird Love is Blind Trouble You Don't Know My Name Fallin’ Another Way to Die Karma Heartburn Like the Sea I Need You Prayer for Forgiveness Diary Like You’ll Never See Me Again Wait Til You See Me Smile Go Ahead Put it in a Love Song Unthinkable (I’m Ready) Backup singer interlude: Feeling Good Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart Superwoman If I Ain’t Got You No One Encore Empire State of Mind
The show didnt have a story at all it was just song after song after song...Alicia However did sound good but not as good as her back up singer Whitney! She stole the show!! Alicia changed outfits twice(Lil Wayne changed more at his show!) and the second outfite wasnt until the AFTER her background singer sung. The Visuals were cool but weird at the same time. I cant remember which song it was but her backdrop was colorful images of Princess Diana, Ghandim, Bob Marley, and a few other well known ppl and but the one thing they all had in common was that they were ALL dead! It was rather eerie to me. The show was still good. She did most of my faves I never really listened to her her latest album so I didnt really know the songs that she performed off that cd except the ones that come on the radio. Alicia is a good performer. This is the second time I've seen her live but I think this may very well be my last. Her show wasn't bad but it wasnt the kind of show that made me wanna go back and watch again. I think her set on the 2004 Verizon Ladies First Tour was WAY better....I give the Freedom Tour 7/10 stars. Here are my highlights:
Today I got the best news ever!!! My bff(in my head ofcourse) Robyn RIHANNA Fenty announced the dates of her US "Last Girl On Earth Tour"! She's coming to Sacramento July 9th and Mountain View July 10th, so you know that means....double the fun!!! RiRi wouldn't dare hit the road alone, it has been confirmed that Ke$ha will be joining her along with the Harajuku Barbie/Mistress/Black Hannah Montanna/Nicki Lewenksi aka Nicki Minaj!!! This just can't get any better(although I can do without Ke$ha). Surprisingly enough it does! Ticket prices are EXRTEMELY low! Some cities are under $100.00 for front row! Im so happy I could just scream! I originally had a weekend trip to LA in the works with a friend of mine for 4th of July weekend but that has been cancelled cuz I need to save ALL my coins for Rihanna! I need not one but two ALL black ensambles eqiupped with nasty eyewear and other acceroies. I only have a little over 2 months but I think I can pull it together...atleast I hope I can!
Last Girl On Earth US Tour Dates: •Friday, July 2 - White River Amphitheatre – Seattle, WA •Sunday, July 4 – General Motors Place – Vancouver, Canada •Tuesday, July 6 – Pengrowth Saddeldome – Calgary, Canada •Friday, July 9 – ARCO Arena – Sacramento, CA •Saturday, July 10 – Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA •Wednesday, July 14 – Hard Rock Casino Albuquerque presents The Pavilion – Albuquerque, NM •Thursday, July 15 – Comfort Dental Amphitheatre – Denver, CO •Saturday, July 17 – Mandalay Bay Events Center – Las Vegas, NV •Wednesday, July 21 – Staples Center – Los Angeles, CA •Thursday, July 22 – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Phoenix, AZ •Wednesday, July 28 – Philips Arena – Atlanta, GA •Friday, July 30 – Ford Amphitheatre – Tampa, FL •Saturday, July 31 – American Airlines Center – Miami, FL •Tuesday, August 3 – Verizon Wireless Music Center – Indianapolis, IN •Thursday, August 5 – Molson Canadian Amphitheatre – Toronto, Canada •Saturday, August 7 – Bell Center – Montreal, Canada •Sunday, August 8 – Comcast Center – Boston, MA •Wednesday, August 11 – Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, CT •Thursday, August 12 – Madison Square Garden – New York, NY •Sunday, August 15 – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY •Wednesday, August 18 – Susquehanna Bank Center – Camden, NJ •Friday, August 20 – Jiffy Lube Live – Bristow, VA •Saturday, August 21 – Hersheypark Stadium – Hershey, PA •Sunday, August 22 – DTE Energy Music Theatre – Detroit, MI •Wednesday, August 25 – United Center – Chicago, IL
Robyn Fenty better known by her middle name Rihanna released her new video yesterday. The video is for yet another uptempo track off her Rated R album called Rude Boy. This is the 4th video to be shot and it was directed by the great Melina! Melina also directed Rihanna's video "Hard" aswell as Solange's "I Decided" and Beyonce's "Green Light" & "Upgrade U" just to name a few. Check out the video:
I love it! This video rocks! I think I may be having a Wendy moment but Robyn & I a bff's in my mind! Maybe my opinion is biased but Rihanna never fails when it comes to the music videos. The next one is ALWAYS completely different from the last. This video takes Robyn back to her Barbados island roots which is LONG overdue. The little choreography was cute especially giving that RiRi damn near NEVER dances...I must admit that video was definitely giving me a mixture of Solange's I Decided & M.I.A.'s Paper Planes. But Robyn made it her own. The video is VERY colorful and fun. I am so excited for her to go on tour this summer!! Rated R is instores now
Yesterday Lady Love herself Ms. LeToya Luckett released her new viral video for her new single Good To Me. This is the 4th. single to be lifted off her sophmore album Lady Love. I was very excited when I found out the song was getting a single treatment because it one of my fave tracks on the entire album. Check out the video:
The video is very raw to say the least....it is obvious that it was made on a tight budget which is not surprising due to the fact LeToya is signed to a WACK record label. However the rawness is what I like most about this video. It works really well. This video is more about the song rather than the video and LeToya looks FLAWLESS and so does her love interest! Now all we need is a live performance so Toya can prove she can hit that note! Lady Love is instores now!
I can't believe we are already two days into 2010!!! Time REALLY flies! I can't deny that 2009 was a great year for me. A lot of good things happend, but I must admit Im very excited to see what this new year has instore for me! Before I jump head first into 2010 Im going to take the time to list my top 5 albums of 2009. Anyone that knows me well enough knows that my life revolves around music!(Id probably die if I had to go without my iPod!!)A lot of decent music dropped last year but there were 5 albums that really stood out for me and they are(in no particular order of course):
1. Jay-Z The Blueprint 3:
Im not really much of a rap fan...Im WAY more into R&B but, the older I get the more I appreciate rap/hip-hop music. Now I'll admit I never paid Hov much attention until '03 Bonnie & Clyde(for OBVIOUS reasons). But I have learned that Jay-Z is the shit! And in my opinion this album is a CLASSIC! I can literally play this album all the way through! Every song on the album is single worthy. But what can you expect from the "best rapper alive"? I don't have the entire Jay collection(but i definitely plan on getting it before his concert in March!) but the 5 albums that I do have are all the shit! I honestly like every single one! The Blueprint 3 was farthest thing from a disappointment. And it is most definitely worth the 15 bucks!
Stand out tracks: Real As It Gets On To The Next One Off That Venus VS. Mars Already Home Young Forever What We Talkin About
Stand out tracks: Muah Devotion Friend Lover W.F.Y. On Point Go Shawty
3. Rihanna Rated R:
Say what you want about her but Robyn makes G.O.O.D. music! This was one of the top two albums I anticipated the most this year. And it was most definitely worth the wait! This album is one those that have to grow on you because it is so different from anything she has ever done. The music is very aggresive(she cusses like a sailor!) and and emotional. She showcases so many different sides, one minute she's hard and the next she is vulnerable. You can tell she put her heart into this album because it appears to be a bit more personal than her others. I have all 4 of Rihanna's albums and if I had to rank them all this would be no.2 coming rite behind her debut Music Of The Sun. On each album Rihanna grows and evolves into something different and this album DEFINITELY show's the growth from her last album.
Stand out tracks: Stupid In Love Rockstar 101 Russian Roulette Fire Bomb Rude Boy Photographs G4L Te Amo
4.LeToya Lady Love:
LeToya Luckett FINALLY made her return to the music scene with her sophmore album Lady Love this past summer and I was in love at the first listen! Now as you already know LeToya was an original member of Destiny's Child(and also my original favorite girl!). Lady Love is pure R&B. I honstley have no idea why people sleep on her because the girl is BAD! She is beautiful makes good music and can actually sing. This is a album every true R&B lover should have! There isnt one song on this album that I don't like. The music is so real and relatable. This album is undeniably a classic!
Stand out tracks: She Ain't Got... Good To Me Over Regret I Need A U Drained Matter Love Rollercoaster
5. Keri Hilson In A Perfect World...
Now this is the album I anticipated the most! I waited 3 LONG years for this album to drop. I think this may actually be my all time fave cd of 2009 by far! Although there is ONE song that I just can't stand but it's not Keri's fault, it's Akon's for trying to sing!! He ruined a perfectly good song. This album came out back in March and I still play it like it came out last week! A lot of people hated on Keri this year but she did her thing and definitely deserves the success she has been getting. If you don't have this cd GO OUT AND GET IT NOW!!!!!
Stand out tracks: Knock You Down Make Love Intuition How Does It Feel Tell Him The Truth Where Did He Go Energy
All of these albums are classics on their own rite to me. I recommend all five!
