Lady A's New Single More Than "Just" OK

After scoring one of the biggest country cross-over hits in recent memory with "Need You Now", there was some big pressure for Lady Antebellum to deliver a follow-up that would score again on both the pop and country charts.

Well it looks like their record label can rest easy, with the release of "Just a Kiss", a sweet mid-tempo ballad that follows the same formula as "Need You Now", which earned them superstar status (not to mention a sh*t load of Grammy Awards).

It was smart of Lady A to not stray to far from the formula that made them cross-over mega-stars, since the single already debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, and is steadily climbing the country charts as well.

Check out "Just a Kiss" and decide if the tune is a solid follow-up!

(Image courtesy of sweetlyrics.com)

Kelly Rowland Has Arrived

Kelly Rowland has had it rough since Destiny's Child split up in 2006, trying to come out from behind the massive shadow that is Beyonce. She started out on a positive note with the Grammy winning duet "Dilemma" with Nelly, but failed to deliver a solid solo album, and was left being the hook girl on modest U.S. hits like David Guetta's "When Love Takes Over."

Well ladies and gents, that is all about to be history with the release of her new single "Motivation", featuring the one and only Lil Wayne.

The song is hottt - a super sexy, slow R&B jam that everyone knew she could produce, but hasn't until now.

The single is already a smash on the R&B charts, sky rocketing this week to #3 and earning the greatest airplay gainer award. The single is also in the top 40 on the pop charts.

And what's the best news Kelly could hear at this stage in the game? Yup, that her song is doing WAY better than Beyonce's sub par track "Run the World (Girls)", which is struggling to make a dent on radio and is currently sitting at sad #65.

I bet Matthew Knowles is having a sh*t fit right about now.

(Image courtesy of shesomajor.com)

Say Hello to...Shontelle?

Shontelle has been hovering below the R&B pop radar for years now. She reached the top 20 on the pop charts with 2008's "T-Shirt", but her real breakthrough did not come until 2010, when her single "Impossible" became a multi-format crossover hit, which finally earned her some recognition in the music biz.

But still, with all of the Rihannas and Beyonces of the world, she has yet to truly solidify her position as a consistent player on the charts.

And with her latest single "Say Hello to Goodbye", Shontelle tries to again breakthrough, with mixed results.

The track is gaining airplay on mainstream top 40, and it's definitely catchy, but there's something missing in the song, as with all of her other singles, that holds it back.

Personality.

Sure, she has a sweet enough voice. The production is solid, but if I heard this track on the radio (and wasn't such a pop music nerd), I would be like "cute song, but I'm bored."

Take a listen to "Say Hello to Goodbye" and see for yourself.

(Image courtesy of http://userserve-ak.last.fm/)

It's Britney Spears Tuesday!!!

It's Britney Spears Tuesday Y'all!!

Today marks the release of Brit's SEVENTH studio album (yes, lucky number 7!) and there are she has officially taken over the media world.

Not only did she KILL it on Good Morning America this morning, but MTV is dedicating the entire day to her, and also airing a new mini-documentary about the lead up to the release of Femme Fatale.

Britney has had 5 of her albums debut at #1 (only Blackout, missed the top spot in 2007, coming in a #2 behind some heated controversy), and it Femme is expected to become big numba six!!

I don't want to jinx it, but I predict the album to open in the 375-450K area, but Britney can always surprise us with some BIG numbers.

I bought my album bright and her this morning, DID YOU!!?!

(Image courtesy of girlstalkinsmack.com)

Britney's Femme Fatale Getting Rave Reviews

It hasn't even been released yet, but Britney Spears' new album Femme Fatale is getting rave reviews from BIG publications, particularly Rolling Stone Magazine, which gave the new album 4 stars.

Here's some of what they had to say:

"Britney Spears is pop music's stealth avant-gardist. For years, critics have dismissed her as a cipher with a wisp of a voice. But from the minute she burst on the scene — heralded by the keyboard power chords of ". . . Baby One More Time" — her music has steered bubblegum into weirder, woollier territory. "Toxic" was a mélange of Bollywood and spy-movie guitar; "Piece of Me" was an essay on 21st-century tabloid infamy crooned over 22nd-century club rhythms. Then there's this year's "Hold It Against Me," which dissolves into a furious dubstep breakdown — easily the most assaultive beat on the Hot 100 right now."

SO true!! Britney has been in the forefront of "edgy" pop for over a decade now, and it's about time that everyone realizes the huge impact she's had on pop culture. Rolling Stone goes on to say:

"Femme Fatale may be Britney's best album; certainly it's her strangest. Conceptually it's straightforward: a party record packed with sex and sadness. Max Martin and Dr. Luke, the world's two biggest hitmakers, are responsible for seven of 12 songs: big melodies and bigger Eurodisco thumps. But other producers go nuts, tossing the kitchen sink at Britney. The Bloodshy-helmed "How I Roll" is sputtering, oddly beautiful techno. In "Big Fat Bass," Will.i.am turns Britney into a cyborg obsessed with low-end. ("The bass is getting bigger!" she exults.) On nearly every track, Britney's voice is twisted, shredded, processed, roboticized. Maybe this is because she doesn't have much of a voice; it's certainly because she, more than almost any other pop diva, is simply game. Femme fatale? Not so much. But say this for Britney: She's an adventuress."

All in all, this sounds like a pretty stellar review, and I for one simply cannot WAIT until the album comes out!!

(Image courtesy of http://www.hotnewsonglyrics.com/)

(Image courtesy of http://www.hotnewsonglyrics.com/)

Good Ol' Naughty Fun

Sometimes all you want to do is listen to a super sleazy down and dirty dance ditty, and Wynter Gordon (yes...she spells her name with a 'y') DELIVERS with her guilty pleasure club stomper "Dirty Talk".

The American born songstress reached the top of the Australian and the U.S. dance charts with this jam, which is inescapably catchy.

I DARE you to listen to "Dirty Talk" and not get up and shake it!!

(Image courtesy of http://www.musicboxmix.net/)

Billboard Hits 1,000th #1 with the Help of Lady Gaga

The Billboard Charts just hit a HUGE milestone, and a lot of thanks are in order to the one and only Lady Gaga.

Her latest single "Born this Way" roared onto the charts this week, debuting at #1 and becoming the chart's 1,000th chart topper in the history of the Billboard 100 Chart.

That's a pretty big honor!

The single also shattered a couple major records while on its way to the coveted 1,000th, becoming just the 19th song in history to debut at the top, (Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" was the 18th just 5 weeks ago), and also beating Spears' record for the biggest digital debut by a female ever. Gaga sold 448,000 digital copies of "Born this Way", besting Spears' 411,000 total HIAM garnered in January.

Hmm...not TOO happy she beat our girl Brit's record, but Gaga still has a long way to go to match her 11+ year career.

"Born this Way" also made a record-breaking start on the airplay charts, surging at #6 on the Radio Charts, besting Janet Jackson's previous best of #7 when she premiered "All for You" in 2001.

Here's a rundown of this week's top 10 singles, and again, congrats to Lady Gaga!!

1. Lady Gaga "Born this Way"

2. Katy Perry "Firework"

3. Bruno Mars "Grenade"

4. Wiz Khalifa "Black and Yellow"

5. Pink "F**kin' Perfect"

6. Enrique Iglesias "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)"

7. Cee-Lo "F**k You"

8. Rihanna "S&M"

9. Black Eyed Peas "The Time (Dirty Bit)"

10. Britney Spears "Hold It Against Me"

(Image courtesy of matters.com)

Pink's F**kin' Perfect is F**kin' Great!

Pink's been on a roll the last couple years, and although she hasn't released a new studio album in a while, the singles off her greatest hits collection continue to be solid hits!

"F**kin' Perfect" is the second release from Greatest Hits...So Far!!! following the #1 smash "Raise Your Glass", and it looks like the song is going to be another home run.

The mid-tempo ballad shows the (somewhat) softer side of pop's reigning bad girl, but it still contains that edge that we've come to know and love with the girl formally known as Alicia Moore.

The track is currently #1 on iTunes and should be a serious contender for the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 next week, which would give her back-to-back chart toppers.

What do you think of Pink's new song??

(Image courtesy of prlog.org)

Adele Vs. Sophomore Slump = No Contest

Adele's 2008 debut 19 was an international phenomenon, selling millions of copies worldwide and earning her a gaggle of accolades, including 2 Grammys.

And now it looks like she's about to trounce the dreaded sophomore slump, with her latest single "Rolling in the Deep", and the upcoming release of her 2nd disc 21.

The song is soo insatiable, with Adele's husky, sensual vocals completing a track that will definitely be on many critics top 10 lists.

She even beat out our girl Britney on the UK singles chart, (although Miss Spears is still dominating the charts around the globe.)

Check out "Rolling in the Deep", and then go buy it on Itunes!!!

(Image courtesy of http://myfanwymusic.com/)

FeFe Dobson Returns

Well...she was never actually here to begin with.

Do you remember back in 2003 (when TRL was still going strong), Fefe Dobson scored a modest hit with her single "Take Me Away", then pretty much fell off the face of the earth...aka she went back to Canada.

But she's been plugging away, trying to make it in the biz, and with her new single she may just have a chance yet!

"Stuttering" is a cute little pop gem, with a nice little hook and mid-tempo chorus. Dobson has always had a pretty strong voice, and this song displays her nice tone.

What do you think of "Stuttering"? Does Miz FeFe have a hit on her hands?

(Image courtesy of giantmag.com)

"Hold It Against Me" Premieres, and it DELIVERS

Ahhh!!

This is CLASSIC Britney!!

The Queen of Pop surprised everyone today by releasing her track to radio a day earlier than she claimed, but no one here is complaining!!

"Hold It Against Me" is a bona fide Dance/Pop SMASH (I mean, it's only a matter of time until it tops the Billboard Charts) and is almost guaranteed to be another smash for Spears.

We heard her demo earlier this week, but Britney's vocals make it all her own - There's no mistaking her nasally delivery, her sexy come-hither's, and the monster chorus that she delivers with ease.

Listen to "Hold It Against Me" NOW and DANCE DANCE DANCE!!

UPDATE: "Hold It Against Me" reached the #1 spot on Itunes in less than 12 hours, and in just 1 day is the 16th most played song on pop radio!!!!! She's got another MONSTER SMASH on her hands! Go Brit!

(Image courtesy of bestweekever.tv)

"Hold it Against Me" Hitting Airwaves on Tuesday!

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!

This is going to be HUGE.

Britney Spears has announced that her new single "Hold it Against Me" will hit the U.S. airwaves and Itunes store on 1/11/11, her first new release since "3" last year.

Demos have already leaked of the new track, and people are already saying it's going to be a massive hit, and I have to agree!!

"Hold it Against Me" is a an head banging club anthem, and should dominate radio in the upcoming months.

The artwork for the single has also been released, and Brit Brit looks Sexxiiiii!!!!!

I'm counting down the days until the official single is released, but it's KILLING me. Is it killing you!?!

(Image courtesy of shoppingblog.com)

What the Hell!? Avril Debuts New Single

It's been a while, but Avril Lavigne has FINALLY released a new single, and it's not bad!

In fact, I love it!

"What the Hell" is classic Lavigne - a sweet trifecta of pop/punk riffs, bratty lyrics, and Avril's signature snarling-yet-girly vocals.

Lavigne's last studio album, 2007's Best Damn Thing was an international smash, selling 5 million copies worldwide and spawning the monster hit "Girlfriend".

"What the Hell" may not be as strong a lead single as "Girlfriend", but it reintroduces Avril as the bratty pop tart we all remember, and I'm sure her fans (including myself) will welcome her back with open arms.

What do you think of "What the Hell"?

(Image courtesy of http://ayyyy.com/)

NEW BRITNEY SINGLE TO DEBUT NEXT WEEK!!!

I can't believe this I can't believe this I can't believe this!!!

Just last week the blogs were abuzz with the talk of Britney Spears' new album coming out in March, and a new single to be released "soon". But NO one expected it to be released NEXT WEEK!!!!!

Entertainment Weekly reported that The Queen of Pop's new song "Hold it Against Me" will premiere on NYC's Z100 radio station January 7th, and from what people have been saying, it's gonna be HUGE.

"...the hook is just amazing," said Sharon Dastur, program director for Z100.

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

The countdown officially has begun! In one week, we will all experience the NEW Britney single, and our minds will be ROCKED!

CAN'T WAIT!!

(Image courtesy of http://britneyspearsblackout.com/)

Natalia Kills KILLS It

Little known singer Natalia Kills had the privilege of opening for Robyn on her most recent tour, and I was lucky enough to see her and fall completely in love with her music!!

She's kind of like a more Gothic Gaga, but her songs are extremely catchy and right up my electro pop alley!

Her first single "Mirrors" is a sleazy dance pop track with a killer chorus, and I've been listening to it on repeat for days now!!

Check out "Mirrors" and dance dance dance!

(Image courtesy of idolator.com)

Sweet as Pie...Sad as Hell

The Band Perry is one of country music's breakout stars this year, with their hit single "If I Die Young" becoming a top ten hit on the country charts, and continuing to rise on the pop charts.

The song is super pretty, but SUPER sad! It's about a girl who says that if she dies young, she'll be happy with the life she's lead...

But the lyrics and context of the song, combined with the sugary sweet delivery by singer Kimberly Perry make it a very interesting little ditty.

Check out "If I Die Young", and let me know if you get a little teared up.

(Image courtesy of parcbench.com)

NEW MJ SONG!

The first posthumous single released after Michael Jackson's death has just been released, and it is one of the best MJ tracks he has ever released in the past 15 years!

"Breaking News" begins with soundbites from various media outlets reporting on Jackson's public debacles, but the track itself is solid, combining vintage MJ beats and vocals with contemporary construction.

The track will be streaming live for a week on his website, but you can also listen to the track at the most trusted source (aka my most trusted source) for music news, billboard.com.

What do you think of the King of Pop's new track??

(Image courtesy of muslimmatters.org)

Bruno Mars Has Arrived

With arrests for possession of cocaine aside, the arrival of Bruno Mars to the world of pop/R&B music has yielded some (mainly me) to proclaim him as the male Alicia Keys.

Now, only time will tell if Mars has the staying power, but his debut album Doo-Wops & Hooligans hit the top 3 on the Billboard charts, and his lead single as a solo artist "Just the Way You Are" has become an international #1 hit.

His recent performance on SNL was fantastic, and it appears as if he has the whole package!!! He can sing (VERY well), play the guitar, write, and look damnn good doing it at the same!

His next single "Grenade" is already heating up radio stations across the country, check it out and jump on the Mars bandwagon!

(Image courtesy of http://3.bp.blogspot.com/)

Katy Perry Still on a Roll

It's been quite a year so far for Katy Perry. Not only did the pop star recently marry funny man Russell Brand, but she's also scored TWO #1 songs ("California Gurls", "Teenage Dream") and a #1 album, Teenage Dream, and now her third single "Firework" looks to be another huge hit!

Perry dedicated the song and video to the "It Gets Better" video campaign, where celebs talk to kids who've been bullied against telling them to be strong and that it will, well, get better.

The video is awesome, and you can't help but feel a little inspired when you watch it. Perry also sounds the best she's ever sounded - her vocals in the past have been a little iffy but there's no denying now that she can actually sanngggg.

Check out the video for "Firework" and get on your feet, because I guarantee you you'll want to start dancing!

(Image courtesy of musicparadise.com)

I F***Ing Love This Song

As one half of the quirky duo Gnarls Barkley who produced the Grammy winning mega hit "Crazy", Cee Lo Green has always been at the forefront of eclectic, R&B/Funk infused jams, and his latest single delivers 100%.

"F*** You" has everyone on the web talking, saying that it could be the 'song of the year', and I have to agree!!

It's fun, catchy, and extremely infectious. and Green has always been able to sing like no other man in the business. This week the song debuts on the Hot 100 at #96, but is expected to make a substantial leap next week after its first full week of sales.

I'm hoping that the song turns into another monster smash for Cee Lo, who has been a favorite of mine for quite some time now.

Take a listen to "F*** You" and enjoy!!

(Image courtesy of contactmusic.com)