Showing posts with label versus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label versus. Show all posts

Monday 29 February 2016

Is Rihanna's "Kiss It Better" a Rip-Off of Beyonce's "Dance For Me"?

Beyonce vs Rihanna


Rihanna's Anti wasn't an immediate smash for me. Missing the hooks and microwavable pop-production like her other albums, it required a little more dedication before it really took hold. Definitely a risky move from the Diva, since she isn't really known for making music that requires much effort to get into. However, girl done good!

Wednesday 14 October 2015

[Duelling Divas] "Memory" From "Cats"


I've been around a fair few years. And I've known that there's a musical dedicated to my most favouritest of creatures for most of that time. Yet, I still have not taken my toosh to see the musical, Cats.

It could have something to do with me hating people and not wanting to be sat next to a stranger for an extended period of time. But that doesn't explain why I've never watched it online or when it's been on television...hmmm. None of this is your concern, so I'll save the rest of this self-exploitory descent into madness for my angst-ridden diary.

Monday 9 March 2015

[Duelling Divas] Which Diva Sang "Resentment" Best?


I sorta feel like I've written about Resentment somewhere before. How else would it be that I was vaguely aware that it had been recorded by three Divas- Beyonce, Jazmine Sullivan and Victoria Beckham- before today?

Sunday 25 May 2014

[Battle] Beyonce Vs. Christina Aguilera: Which Is The Better Singer?



It's time to stir the pot again! I only realised today how successful the Demi Lovato Vs. Ariana Grande post had been, so I thought, "Hey, let's try again with two new divas".

Today's battle centers around two peers who, though having differing voices, styles and techniques, get compared an awful lot. This is perhaps understandable when you consider both are of the same generation. However, the comparisons are further fueled- in my opinion- by Beyonce fans who feel slightly aggrieved that Aguilera- aka "The Voice of a Generation"- often gets labelled a vocalist, while Bey is referred to as an "entertainer". 

Wednesday 15 January 2014

[Battle] Demi Lovato Vs. Ariana Grande - Which Is The Better Singer?

ariana vs demi


New segment time! Get out the decorations, it's party time! Done? Now put em away! Ain't nobody got time fo' no party! So what's the new segment? Well it's something I've previously avoided out of fear of the site being overrun by nutters- but I live in fear no more!! Why? Because all that drinking over the holiday season has given me some sort of brain damage and I now trust people to be sensible when dealing with Divas being pitted against one another!

Friday 12 July 2013

[Versus] Who sang "Whataya Want from Me" better: Adam Lambert Or Pink?


pink adam lambert

I'm wagering everyone in the world already new this, but I just found it out, so here goes: Pink originally recorded Whataya Want from Me! Say whaaat!!! That's not all, she co-wrote it (with Max Martin, and Shellback) for her album Funhouse, but for some odd reason it didn't make it onto the finished product. Fast forward to 2010 and her version finally gets a release on the international copy of the Greatest Hits... So Far!!!, allowing us all to hear it! (So I'm only 3 years late to this party!)

Monday 24 June 2013

[Versus] Who Sang "Stay" (Live) Better: Demi Lovato Or Rihanna?


Demi Lovato is one of the new generation of Divas- along with Ariana Grande- whose vocal profile gets a heck of a lot of hits daily. Not only that, but I know there are a number of regular readers, or "Lovatics", who also enjoy the X-Factor USA judge's musical output and voice. This being so, I thought I'd play to the crowd and post her rendition of Rihanna's Stay, which was filmed at the B96 Pepsi Summer Smash in Chicago.

Needless to say, Demi has no problem handling the Mikky Ekko assisted duet. For the most part she refrains from going crazy with the pipes, sticking pretty faithfully to the song's melody. But let's get real, no one wants to hear a cover sang exactly as the original was- there's kinda no point- and Demi knows it, "Lovatomising" the song at its climax by taking it up an octave. Vocally impressive, but does it match or even best Rihanna's original?

Wednesday 20 February 2013

[Street Fight] Kelly Clarkson Versus Clive Davis


Everyone loves a scrap between celebrities! There's nothing quite like these supposedly perfect individuals putting aside their "professionalism" and taking digs at each other in a public arena. This week's beef isn't really new, but more a reopening of old wounds inflicted years back.

Enter combatants: Clive Davis and Kelly Clarkson.

Friday 8 February 2013

Vocal Battle: Keyshia Cole vs Michelle Williams



As thrilled as I was to see Michelle Williams hit the stage during Beyonce's Super Bowl half-time show, it seems it wasn't a sentiment shared by everyone.

Surprisingly, the most notable criticism came from fellow Rnb Diva Keyshia Cole. Taking to her Twitter account during the half-time show, the Trust And Believe singer posted this gem; "I think I was frightened to blink for a sec. Then Michelle sung and woke my a** up from my daze! She always f***n the groove up." Ouch.

Friday 28 December 2012

[Listen] Lana Del Rey's Original Demo Of Cheryl's " Ghetto Baby"

cheryl cole ghetto baby music video


Now, I'm sure that Cheryl Cole- I just can't get used to the single moniker name she's going by now- can at least dance. But for some reason, her Rankin directed video for "Ghetto Baby" features the kind of camera angles and fast edits that seem to contest my surety.

So, either she was less rehearsed than usual with the choreography, leading to the less than polished routine, or Rankin isn't quite as adept a director as he is a photographer, and it's his fault. But since I don't really care either way, it's whatever it is.

Tuesday 18 December 2012

[Watch] Lady Gaga And The Rolling Stones Duet On "Gimme Shelter"

lady gaga mick jagger



Lady Gaga joined The Rolling Stones on stage during their performance of "Gimme Shelter" in Newark, New Jersey on Sunday night.

For whatever shady reason, I enjoyed Gaga's trippy dancing. But let's be honest, she was never going to be able to compare vocally with Mick Jagger's usual duetting partner on the song: one Lisa Fischer. In fact, she didn't even compete with Florence Welch, who took to the stage to sing the same song with The Stones during their London gig last month. (See both renditions below.)

Friday 22 June 2012

Duelling Divas: " I Will Always Love You"



This is what happens when us normal, regular folk try to tackle the Whitney Houston version of I Will Always Love You:


Though the critically acclaimed song was written and released by Dolly Parton in 1973, it wasn't until Whitney Houston covered the song two decades later that it really took on the iconic status it now enjoys. In fact Houston's rendition was such a worldwide phenomenon, and so different from the original, that many didn't realise it was a cover or a Country song.

Tuesday 20 December 2011

Duelling Divas: "O Holy Night". Which Diva Sang It Best




What better way to celebrate this festive and cosy time of year then by pitting Diva against Diva in a deadly O Holy Night Sing off! Okay, so this isn't a new thing, having done the same thing last year with Silent Night, and it isn't that deadly really, but its still fun for me to do! Besides this year's post features the added bonuses of my comments about the versions, as well as- more importantly- the chance for you to express your opinion via the poll at the bottom!

Some fun facts about the Christmas carol, courtesy of Wikipedia of course, before we begin. O Holy Night was written by French Poet Placide Cappeau and was composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847! The words to the carol have been changed somewhat since then, and for anyone wanting to sing along as they listen, they are as follows;

Monday 19 September 2011

Beyonce Versus Solange: Whose voice do you prefer?

solange and beyonce


Juvenile perhaps, but definitely with tongue-in-cheek, I ask the question: Beyonce or Solange Knowles, which is better? In reality, you can like them both, but for the sake of this post imagine there's a metaphorical gun to your head and force yourself to choose!

Tuesday 16 August 2011

Duelling Divas: "Over the Rainbow" Which Diva sang it best?


It's hard to believe that Over the Rainbow, the song that came to be the signature tune for the classic musical that was the Wizard of Oz, was almost omitted from the film after the chief executive at MGM and the film producer felt that it "slowed down the picture". Luckily the song was reinstated and went on to win the hearts of audiences from the moment it was released, eventually being voted the song of the 20th Century.

Judy Garland, at the age of 16, was the original vocalist of Over the Rainbow. Her sweet, rounded, thick contralto voice, with its perfect phrasing and strict adherence to the melody gave the world a master class in effective singing, belying her youthful years. Until this day her rendition has never been matched for its purity or ability to communicate the innocent, almost naive, sentiments of desire and hope the lyrics speak on.

Friday 22 July 2011

Duelling Divas "At Last" Christina Aguilera Vs Beyonce: Who sang it best?


Etta james first covered At Last in 1960 and as far as I am concerned her rendition will always be the best. Not because it's the most well known version, or the one that brought the song to the worlds attention, but because of Etta James' masterful and impassioned delivery.

Etta James utilised her contralto range perfectly, never becoming self-indulgent, showy or overwrought. Instead her voice coexisted with the beautiful lyrics and captivating  instrumentation harmoniously, giving us the resulting classic we know and love today. But how does the renditions of fellow Divas, Beyonce and Christina Aguilera, fare in comparison.

Monday 4 July 2011

Duelling Divas: "Star Spangled Banner" Sing off!!


Today is the fourth of July, a federal holiday in America that commemorates the singing and adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and thus the creation of the United States of America.(Don't say you never learn anything!)

Our American friends should be out celebrating and enjoying themselves, but we'll mark the day here at DivaDevotee with a tribute to the American National anthem, the Star Spangled Banner- an anthem that is renowned for its difficulty due to the octave and half range it calls for but that's something that shouldn't be no problem for our Divas! Below is a compilation of various Divas putting their own twist on every patriot's favourite song. If you manage to get through them all please vote below as to which was your favourite rendition! Happy Fourth of July!

psst, if you know of any other holiday/s a country celebrates coming up, and can think of a good way for me to honour it via a Diva related post, please email me at divadevotee@gmail.com!

Saturday 2 July 2011

Duelling Divas: Who sang "You've got the Love" better, Florence Welch or Joss Stone?

You've got the love is a song with so many twist and turns in its development, not to mention all its subsequent remixes, that I'm not even going to attempt to cover its inception and evolution in this post, because quite frankly I can't even make sense of it.

Tuesday 26 April 2011

[Duelling Divas] Mariah Carey Vs Celine Dion - "Open Arms"



At a recent show in Las Vegas, Canadian vocalist Celine Dion gave a classy, subdued and restrained performance of Journey's classic rock anthem Open Arms. Mariah Carey, who had worked with both the band's bassist and drummer before that point in her career, also covered the song in her own inimitable style on her 1995 album, Daydream.

Tuesday 9 November 2010

Why Mariah Carey is Better Than Madonna.

Mariah carey vs Madonna fight punch boxing
Slightly misleading post title because I'm not sure I believe that. To make up my mind once and for all I am going to pit the two Divas against each other in a number of bouts with the overall winner being decided by who wins the most categories.It's handbags at dawn! DING DING: bout one!