Reveiw: Jennifer Hudson & Ne-Yo ‘Think Like A Man’ [featuring Rick Ross]

Jennifer Hudson is back, looking amazing and rocking a little choreography, in new video Think Like A Man. It's a mid-tempo affair that she is joined on by singer Ne-Yo and rapper Rick Ross, and is lifted from the soundtrack of a movie that shares the same name.

This definitely brings back memories of 90's R'n'B. I love the way the song builds, starting with a looped chant rolling over some sprightly chords. The beat then kicks in and Jennifer Hudson's consistent delivery brings the empowering lyrics to life with gusto and belief. From there the song's featured co-stars and the middle eight keep it chugging along nicely.

Review: Madonna's "Girl Gone Wild", Better or worse than "Give Me All Your Luvin'"?

Girl Gone Wild is Madonna's second single to be lifted from upcoming album MDNA and its just hit the internet! But the question is, does it share the same corrupt (M)DNA as first and flop single Give Me All Your Luvin', or has Madonna finally given us a worthy comeback single?

I should say outright that I like Girl Gone Wild a lot more than her last single- though that doesn't seem to be an opinion shared by readers on the site if the chatbox comments are to believed (please let me know why below :P). But my fondness for it may be in large part due to it sounding like it would have fitted perfectly on the Confessions On A Dance floor album, an album I am quite fond of.

Review: Brandy And Monica Reunite On "It All Belongs To Me" Plus First Live Performance On Leno

The Rodney Jerkins produced smash hit, The Boy is Mine, was created the last time Divas Brandy and Monica took to the studio together way back in 1998- listen below.

At the time of the release, both singers were at the peak of their celebrity, so it was no small wonder that it was a massively successful collaboration, spending a record breaking 13 weeks atop the Billboard charts.

However, it wasn't just the combined star power that led to the success, but the quality of the song itself: a feisty battle between the two females over a single man, that played on the "rivalry" many thought existed between the pair. All played out vocally atop a synthesised harp loop and a contemporary R'n'b production, that still sounds as good today as it did over a decade ago.

Needless to say I was excited to hear what the pair would come up with when rumours surfaced they were recording together again.

Review: Cassie "King Of Hearts"

Do you guys remember noughties singer Cassie? She was responsible for the ambient, R'n'B hit Me and U back in 2006? If you don't I'll post it below, maybe it'll jog the old noggin. Well, the 25 year old has been teasing with promises of new music for six years now, and finally delivered with new single King Of Hearts.

Review: Madonna Feat Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. "Give Me All Your Luvin'". Yes, It's as Bad As The Leaked Demo Suggested It Was Going To Be

I'm conflicted about the new Madonna release. I really don't want to be ageist, or push on to her expectations of what someone in their fifties should be doing, or how they should be dressing, but its hard when you watch the new video for, or indeed just hear, the new single, Give Me All Your Luvin. In fact, scratch that. On second viewing its not that I take issue with the skimpy clothing or the suggesting dancing, because I actually don't. Its more the immaturity of the whole thing that gets to me. From the obnoxious cheerleader chants of the music itself, to the faux breastfeeding and discarding of a doll, it just all feels extremely tacky.

Review: Alexandra Burke "Elephant"

Want a guaranteed hit record? Who doesn't! Well, you could try the same tactic as Alexandra Burke has employed with new single Elephant, and take a whole load of popular hits and cram them into one song. Genius, right?

Single Review: JoJo "Disaster"

JoJo is back with first single, Disaster, from her third, upcoming 2012 album, Jumping Trains. Originally finding her biggest success as a teenager with début single Leave (Get Out) way back in 2004, the singer- songwriter has returned, out of her teens- though, only barely at 20- readying herself to make the difficult leap from teenage star to it's adult equivalent.

What better way to do this then by adding a rock tinge to the music. Sure, it's clichéd and predicable, but if it works who cares. The question is, does it work for JoJo on Disaster?

Review- Amy Winehouse featuring Nas "Like Smoke"

With Amy Winehouse's passing, it was only a matter of time that unreleased material would be quickly scraped together and rushed out for sale via a posthumous release. Confirmation of this fact happened a few weeks ago and Winehouse's new album, Lioness: Hidden Treasures, has been confirmed for a December, aka Christmas, release. Ching ching ching!

A new song from the album featuring American rapper Nas, who apparently Amy Winehouse's song Me and Mr Jones was about, entitled Like Smoke has made it's way to the internet, no doubt to increase public anticipation for the upcoming album. I'm not going to mince my words, and will just say outright that it's not great. By Amy standards anyway.

Review: Rebecca Ferguson "Nothing Real But Love"

The stand-out singer of last years X-Factor was Liverpudlian born, reminds me a lot of Sade, Rebecca Ferguson. A year after taking second place- that's the same as losing, right?- on the "talent" show she has returned to the delightful world of  music with her own album, Heaven, and the video for her debut single Nothing Real But Love.

Review: Delilah brings effortless cool on debut single "Go"

You know no one can come for Chaka Khan vocally, so the only way to cover her music and survive is to attack it from a totally different angle to the way Chaka did -well unless you're Whitney Houston that is. It's a stratagem British talent Deliah opted for on her debut single Go.

The lyrics and the melody are taken from Chaka Khan's classic, Ain't Nobody but they are painted onto a contemporary backing that screams 21st century UK. The production is simplistic, ambient and ultimately cold but Delilah brings human warmth to it with her soft, sweet voice resulting in a hypnotic groove.

So contrasted are the two versions that it took my brain- though it's not really a healthy specimen- a couple of minutes to dredge up the Chaka sample on the track. Chaka Khan herself is said to have called the track "Genius" and I agree!

Rating: 8/10

Review :Rihanna Feat Calvin Harris' "We Found Love " : ultimately one boring affair.

Seems like Rihanna is still riding the Euphoric Club sound that she opened last album Loud-which was only released LAST YEAR!- with on Only Girl (in the world). This time she's enlisted British producer Calvin Harris to come up with the lead single, called We Found Love, from the as yet untitled album due in November.

First listen to Rihanna's new single has me feeling like its missing a little magic, perhaps a punchier middle eight or a stronger melody. It's compounded by the song veering towards sounding lazy, lyrically, with way too much repetition occurring. Its a styling that will find We Found Love no doubt sounding amazing in the club, with the right atmosphere, bass heavy speakers, and a few drinks- doesn't everything?- but it doesn't translate well to a more intimate listen.

Ultimately the song is a yawn fest, that could have been helmed by any singer. Stripped is any of Rihanna feistiness or character, and the song comes off being more about Calvin Harris' production than Rihanna's voice. We Found Love should really have been reserved for Calvin Harris' new album, and as such been credited the other way round as himself featuring Rihanna, because she most certainly is not coming off as the main attraction to his show.

Rating: 2.5/5
Listen to We Found Love, below.



Calvin Harris - We found Love (Breeazy Intro Edit) by itsBreeazy

Review: Florence + the machine, "What The Water Gave Me" and "Shake It Out"

I am really glad to hear some new music from Florence + the Machine. Her last release, Lungs, was pretty close to musical perfection, so I was really eager to hear what the next musical instalment form the singer would bring. Two new tunes from the new album, Ceremonials, have hit the web in the form of "buzz track" What The Water Gave Me and the albums actual first single Shake it out.

What the Water Gave Me: What the Water gave me shows the growth that has taken place since the last album. Though the music is still grandiose and avant garde, the youthful exuberance of Lungs seems to have mellowed, giving rise to a more focused, darker sound that has a more mature feel than her previous work.

Review: Nicki Minaj feat Rihanna "Fly"

 

New single, Fly, finds rapper Nicki Minaj showcasing a softer, more personal side, chronicling her own life's struggles and triumphs. The track also features Barbadian singer Rihanna, who offers up her vocals on a chorus that lyrically seeks to give the song a more inclusive feel than the verses by remaining general and broad with its imagery and empowering message. Its a combination that works well;  allowing the song to be both personal to Minaj while also being universally accessible to anyone listening.

Single Review: Melody Thornton "Sweet Vendetta"

Instead of going down the Euro-dance, synth-pop route that everyone seems to be veering down, ex-Pussy Cat Doll Melody Thornton has decided to take a different, retro, route- perhaps partly inspired by the sound and success of Adele's Rolling In The Deep- with her first solo release Sweet Vendetta. 

Single Review: Sugababes "Freedom"

After the commercial and critical disaster that was 2010's album release Sweet 7, the Sugababes are back with new single, Freedom. Will this be the release that finally helps shift public focus from the joke that is their revolving door membership back to it being about their music again?

Review: Leona Lewis : "Collide" What do you think?

Leona Lewis is back with new single Collide and depressingly, even after a few listens, its not sitting well with me.

With the lukewarm success of her last album, it looks like the team behind Leona have decided to push towards the club sound that is EVERYWHERE to ensure her new endeavour will recapture past glories. So I guess who better to turn to than producer Sandy Vee- who had a hand in producing the massive sellers that were Only Girl (In the World) and Fireworks- to deliver a hit.

Lana Del Rey- "Video Games" Heaven in song form!

Video Games by Lana Del Rey has got to be one of, if not the, most beautiful songs I have ever heard. Don't let the title fool you, this isn't a loud, electronic cacophony celebrating the joys of playing on a gaming console. What it is, is a beautifully, luscious, bitter-sweet love song that somehow manages to sound effortlessly timeless and classic despite just being released.

Single review: B.Scott "Kiss Kiss"

Just because you're a man, doesn't mean you can't be a Diva. Enter case in point fierce, cross dressing, Youtuber, blogger and all round media darling B.Scott and the video for his new single Kiss Kiss.

Nicola Roberts "Beat of my Drum" Single Reivew

The dark- or should that be ginger?- horse of now defunct girl group Girls Aloud finally peaks her head above the musical canopy today with the premier of new single Beat of my Drum. But whereas her fellow band mates have failed to set the music world alight with their endeavors how can the member of the group with arguably the weakest voice be able to buck that trend?By being smart, switched on, and playing to her strengths, that's how!

As mentioned above Nicola's voice is nothing of real note- having a light, soft, floaty timbre with a warm colouring that's average at best. Qualities that allow it to blend well in a group situation, but were always going to be difficult to sell a whole song on. However, if Beat of my Drum is a sign of things to come, Nicola seems to be aware of her own voice and its limitations, and has taken the smart move of switching up her vocal style. Now opting for a talk singing delivery- favoured by the likes of Uffie and Ke$ha- to ride the real star of the show, the song's Diplo production.

Lady Gaga: "Hair" Review

Newly release Lady Gaga "Buzz track" Hair is a song that deals with the themes of acceptance, repression, freedom and creativity all via the metaphor of the songs namesake.