Double Congratulations are in order for Ms Alicia Moore AKA Pink . Firstly the singer is pregnant with her first child with motor cross racing husband Carey Hart! Secondly, and pretty trivial in comparison, Pink has just scored her third US #1 single with Raise Your Glass(Her last being #1 being So What back in 2007)
Watch as Pink reveals her pregnancy on Ellen below
For those times you find current, popular music blurring into one big, loud, mess of sound, I recommend you take a moment to bring yourself back to your musical equilibrium by listening to something that is borne from creativity and self expression and not the pressures of recording a hit. Enter the harp,piano ,harpsichord and Lord knows what else playing,Joanna Newsom and her beautiful song En gallop.
Her music is not initially as easy to digest as the highly processed music we've all gotten used to- and quite frankly still love- but trust me, a bit of Newsom is needed every now and then to maintain musical sanity. Give her a go, you will not be disappointed.
An album track from Brandy called Warm it up (with love) is an unashamedly uplifting song with a commendable message about resisting the current climate of fear and strife with the use of Love and hope.
Warm it up features Brandy's unique alto over a simple backing track that consists essentially of a piano and drum loop, with soft synths used during chorus and middle eight to create contrast to the verses. The overall simplicity of the backing track allows, quite rightly, the lyrics to take centre stage.
The message Brandy brought on this song highlights by comparison how overtly self-indulgent and decadent contemporary music has become of late. Here's hoping her seed of positivity will bloom and blossom in 2011, spawning a new batch of socially aware music to grow and flourish. India Arie I'm looking at you to come back and show the world how its done!
Kesha's new video, for her #1 US hit, "We R who we R" has just premièred on the internet. It's a fun, if nothing special, video with people dancing, pyrotechnics, and Kesha jumping off a building.
Most notable in the video visuals is how Kesha has incorporated the current trend for outlandish clothes (favoured by the likes of Gaga and Rihanna) into her own, uniquely skanky ,style. With studded eyebrows, bullet chains, a fragmented mirrored dress and her trademark scuffed up boy boots, Kesha is in a league of her own.
The song is basically about going out to a club and and just going wild; and it carries her usual auto-tuned rap/singing, tough girl postulating. It won't convert any one who didn't like her earlier stuff but it will give all the little Ke$hites something to dance to at the fast approaching new years festivities and I love it and her.
Ke$ha and her crazy studded eyebrows in the video for
"We are who we are"
Vocal Type: Light-Lyric Soprano Whistle Register:No Vocal Range: C3-D6 (3 Octaves 1 Note ) Vocal Pluses: Janet Jackson is a Diva who knows her instrument, working its strengths and weaknesses to best effect. The voice has an overarching sweet and warm timbre that carries throughout the range, which works beautifully to create layered harmonies [Discipline/ What's It Gonna Be].
The mid-range is where Janet's voice begins to shine, and is where she finds herself most comfortable. Here Janet shows her versatility, being able to play with texture and weight to create contrasting tones. Most often used is a soft, breathy and warm colouring [Rock With You], but she she can also solidify the sound, adding attitude and character to her delivery [Black Cat]. Both styles can be heard used brilliantly in tandem in domestic abuse song What About.
Vocal Type: Light Lyric Soprano Vocal Range:G2-E6 (3 Octaves 5 Note ) ( E3-G5) Whistle Register: No Vocal Pluses: This Diva possessed a remarkably smooth and seductive tone that carried through much of the range. Never considered a "powerhouse" vocalist, the strength in this voice lay in the texture, phrasing and canny use of the different registers to impress. [Listen as she creates drama in I Refuse without falling back on the cliches of power or increased dynamics to do so.]
Aaliyah possessed a solid lower range that was dark and warm. Slightly smokey, the voice was always well supported here, resulting in a sound that was clear, strong and free from the fogginess many Diva's suffer at the bottom of their voice [Death of A Playa].
THE 2010 Soul Train awards took place on the weekend and I had to post this video of a tribute to Anita Baker sung by a group of amazingly talented divas. The full list of divas who performed in the medleyand the time they entered the stage were:
-Chrisette Michele (0.00)
-Tamia (1.23)
-Faith Evans (3.36)
-Rachelle ferrel (5.30) -Lalah Hathaway (7.25)
-Goapele (9.20)
-Dionne Farris (9.20)
