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'The Art of Letting Go' by Mariah Carey

November 11, 2013, 11:28 am
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It's been a long time since Mariah Carey has released a song where she's actually showed off her vocals that originally made her famous, and a song that wasn't made just for Top 40 radio. On her Facebook page this morning, Mimi debuted her new single 'The Art of Letting Go' which will be from her new album that has been years in the making. The song has an old school R&B vibe to it, similar to Mariah's original sound in the early days of her career, and it's refreshing. It's simple which allows her voice to take precedence and show that it is as powerful and gorgeous as ever. Her silky smooth voice glides over the notes, and her runs are entrancing. This isn't going to score her a #1 hit single, but it's a beautiful track that shows why she is one of the most talented singers of the present era. Give us more of this Mimi, and your new album will be your best in recent memory.

Post by Mariah Carey.
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'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' by Lorde

November 12, 2013, 9:40 am
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The soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has the greatest line-up of talent I've seen in recent memory as it's already spawned the amazing Christina Aguilera, Coldplay and Sia tracks. Today we get the latest release from the soundtrack from now seventeen year old New Zealand prodigy Lorde. To be honest, my respect for Lorde has been waning because her attitude is a huge turn off. However, her album Pure Heroineis quite impressive. Unfortunately, her contribution to the soundtrack isn't as great. 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' is a clunky track, and fails on many levels for me. Half of the time you can't even hear what she's singing because she's not enunciating and other times it sounds disjointed. The latter half of the song is much better as it has a very anthemic feel to it, but otherwise it's a mess. I expect better from Lorde.

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'Hard Out Here' by Lily Allen

November 12, 2013, 10:49 am
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Lily Allen may have just released the most important song of 2013. Having been absent from the music scene for the past 3 years, saying she retired to changing her name to Lily Rose Cooper, Lily's cheeky social commentary pop perfection has been missed. Her last album It's Not Me, It's You featuring hit songs like 'Not Fair' and 'Fuck You' is one of the best in recent memory and one of my favorite albums of all time. Lily doesn't take herself too seriously and isn't afraid to speak her mind. In her triumphant return to music, today she released her new single 'Hard Out Here' and boy does it pack a wallop. The song is basically a criticism of the pop music scene with Lily singing "I won’t be bragging ’bout my cars or talking ’bout my chains / Don’t need to shake my ass for you, ’cause I’ve got a brain" and "Don’t you want to have somebody who objectifies you? Have you thought about your butt? Who’s going to tear it in two?," the latter directly speaking to Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines' the video for which she also mimics as seen in the image below. Lily is basically tearing down singers like Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke and saying that you don't need to take part in these ridiculous antics to be a pop star. Do you think the auto-tune here is distracting and useless? Well, Lily's playing with everything and even the simple use of auto-tune is a statement she's trying to get across: Enough is enough. Lily Allen has always been one of my favorite artists, and as she proclaims "it's hard out here for a bitch," all I can say is that I'm glad the bitch is back.

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'What Now' Music Video by Rihanna

November 15, 2013, 12:58 pm
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Rihanna never lets her album drag out longer than a year, but it looks like this year we may not be getting a new album from the Barbados beauty. Usually we get a new album every November, but Rih Rih has just released her new single off Unapologetic, 'What Now', and we got treated to the music video today. With this, Rihanna may be having another huge #1 hit in a month or so. 'What Now' is one of the strongest tracks off her latest album, and it just goes to show how much potential she really has. Rihanna really belts it out for a powerful and emotional song. The video takes it to another level. It's a gorgeous and artistic video, and I think it's her best since 'We Found Love'. It seems like Rihanna is going through an exorcism throughout much of the video, her body bending frantically at weird angles but maintaining her beauty and flawlessness through it all. You really just have to watch it to see what I'm talking about. I'm still a fan of Rihanna, and if she continues gracing us with fantastic artistry like this then I will continue to support her.

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'Kids (The Chainsmokers Remix)' by Mikky Ekko

November 17, 2013, 9:44 am
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You probably will recognize Mikky Ekko as that guy on Rihanna's song 'Stay' which has been a highlight of her career. Mikky Ekko was largely forgotten about, but he has released some solo music and with some help from the fantastic Chainsmokers, his music has become that much more accessible. Mikky's song 'Kids' is a great song on its own and I really enjoy his vocals, but with an assisting hand from The Chainsmokers the song has turned into this huge EDM track in the vein of Avicii or Calvin Harris. The production is fantastic, and I think this just shows why The Chainsmokers are such a fantastic DJing duo. This may be their best remix yet, and I'm totally in love.

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'Fire & Ice' by Aiden

November 18, 2013, 6:31 am
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Aiden is continuing his "song a week" blitz by releasing the new song 'Fire & Ice' which is the first track on his upcoming EP Aiden. Following 'Satisfy Me' and 'The Cleaner', 'Fire & Ice' is continuing the strong and self-assured sound Aiden has built with his new music while also giving us yet again a somewhat different sound. The song starts off with an 8-bit synth and then continues building until it becomes very hypnotic. The beat is entrancing, and I love the journey Aiden's vocals take us on. On the verses he's very nonchalant in his delivery, but then when he hits the chorus he goes back and forth between a faux-rap and his signature falsetto. It's an awesome track, and I can't wait to hear the EP in its entirety.

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'Perfume (The Dreaming Mix)' by Britney Spears

November 19, 2013, 5:55 am
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Continuing with the stream of leaks from her upcoming album Britney Jean, the alternate version of second single 'Perfume' leaked late last night. It's nice to hear what the song originally sounded like before will.i.am got his grubby little paws on the song and ruined it with his unnecessary production. The alternate version lets Britney's voice take center stage as she's accompanied by a guitar and piano and a hollow, eerie beat. I really like hearing the backing vocals because it makes it more beautiful. I could totally see Britney performing this live and it could be a huge moment. Britney Jean is just a few weeks away but at this rate we may have the whole album by the end of the week. No matter what, I'm excited for Britney Jean because it's going to be her Ray of Light album. It's for the fans and will win over the critics despite it's (probably) low selling numbers. In the end, this is the best Britney has ever been and for that I am thankful.

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'Unconditionally' Music Video by Katy Perry

November 20, 2013, 6:11 am
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Katy Perry's album PRISM wasn't as fantastic as it should have been, but there are a few gems on it and this is one of them. 'Unconditionally' is the follow-up single to the basic but smash hit 'Roar', and it's a good move. The song is a massive ballad where Katy really belts it out. There's no doubt this is going to be a huge hit on the charts, and now with this music video it should do even better. The video in and of itself is beautiful. Katy looks gorgeous as she's singing in the snow and when she's at a ball and people are all dancing around around. Things get really good once she starts catching fire and then later is hit by car. It's all done in semi-slow motion which makes it even more powerful. While they are pretty gruesome things to see, they are metaphors for how an unconditional love can feel. The video also includes an owl launching off of Katy's arm, but let's forget about that weird nonsense. No matter how basic her music is, she always delivers with the video.

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'Say Something' Music Video by A Great Big World featuring Christina Aguilera

November 20, 2013, 4:10 pm
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A Great Big World is a relatively new band who actually got their start while they were studying at my school, New York University. The two rose to fame as a result of one of their songs, 'This Is the New Year' being featured in an episode of Glee. Most recently, they collaborated with the one and only Christina Aguilera for the emotional ballad 'Say Something'. On it's own, the song has an understated beauty and simplicity about it, and Christina's surprisingly held back vocal does wonders for the track. The video takes it to another level emotionally. There's a young couple and an older couple who part ways, and although almost no action takes place it's more moving than you could possibly imagine. The old man lying with his wife as she's dying left me in a pool of tears and I had shivers running all through my body. This is a rare gem in the music scene right now, and it deserves all the success it can get.

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'Absolut Drag Ball' by RuPaul's Drag Race

November 21, 2013, 6:20 pm
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It's the annual ball episode of RuPaul's Drag Race where the Top 4 create three sickening looks to debut in front of the judges showing off their charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. This is the very first ball, and it's sponsored by Absolut Vodka which later becomes the primary sponsor for the show. For the mini-challenge, the girls head to the main stage to have a vogue-off in the spirit of Paris Is Burning. Fun fact: this is the only mini-challenge in the herstory of the show to take place on the main stage. The girls battle it off, and in the end Ru declares Nina the winner. As always, Shannel claims she should have won the battle. Ru tasks the girls with designing three distinct looks for their main challenge: Swimsuit, Executive Realness and Evening Wear. For their Evening Wear look, Nina gets to pair the girls up with a flavor of Absolute Vodka. She gives raspberry to BeBe, citron to Rebecca, mandarin to Shannel and gives herself mango.
The girls seem to be really struggling with this challenge, and it's clear that not many of them are equipped to sew their own outfits. BeBe and Shannel seek help from Nina who gets crafty while Rebecca has no idea what she wants to design but BS's her way through her chat with Ru. As the girls are working, Ru stops by with an unexpected guest to liven the werkroom: Charo! After they have some fun, Charo tells the girls that in addition to their outfits, they must also incorporate actual pieces of fruit into their outfits. The girls are not happy about it, especially BeBe since she's working with raspberries.

BeBe Zahara Benet
BeBe is a stunner, as always, and kills it with each of her three looks. BeBe stuns in her Executive Realness look, coming out in a sexy grey skirt and her raspberry pink blouse. For her swimsuit, BeBe features her gorgeous body as she comes out looking like she's a Miss America contestant. She's absolutely gorgeous and is serving fish on a platter. For her final look, BeBe struts out in a gorgeous floor length gown that's cinched at the bottom with a big poof. It's elegant and classy, and BeBe has everyone's jaws on the floor. Her beauty is unreal.

Nina Flowers
Nina looks prettier than she has ever before, slinking out in a green number that makes her look like a secretary from the '60s. She says it is a tribute to her mother who has been her number one supporter all her life. Nina wears a one-piece for her swimsuit as well as a cape. It's just okay and the colors are hideous, but it's what she had to work with. She then comes out in a beautiful flowing dress for her Evening Wear, and she stuns as well. The mangos in her belt and around her collar are genius. She was by far the best at including her fruit in her wardrobe.

Shannel
Next to take the stage is Shannel, and she comes out looking like a Californian business mom. She's got long blonde locks and a bodacious body hidden underneath the black skirt and orange top. Shannel's defining aspect is her hat which sits around her black bun. I really like it and thought it was actually the best of the three, but when she did that slurping noise with her mouth it totally threw me off. Jeffrey Moran's reaction basically sums up my reaction. Shannel does it up big Vegas-style for her gown, coming out with an asymmetrical collar that could double as a pillow. I like it and think it works well.

Rebecca Glasscock
The final queen to take the stage, Rebecca comes out in a pantsuit which she then takes the top off of and lets the lemon yellow blouse underneath unfurl. I doubt any business woman would wear something like that, but it's pretty. Rebecca also comes out in a one-piece for her swimsuit look, and it's pretty good. The only thing I don't like are the little ribbons in her hair. She looks like she's twelve. For her final look, she goes for something flowy like Nina, although she doesn't quite hit the mark. Her hems aren't finished, and it's a tad boring.

In a shocking turn of events, when asked who the queens would eliminate, Shannel nominates herself. She believes the judges never recognize her as being beautiful and it leads to Ru reassuring her that she is gorgeous. Unsurprisingly, Shannel and Rebecca fall into the Bottom Two. During the Lip Sync For Your Life, Rebecca captures the emotion of the song better than Shannel who resorts to her Vegas style of performing with lots of ass-shaking which is out of place. Rebecca survives another lip sync as Shannel is told to sashay away. We're only two weeks away from the finale. Who will win it all? You could just Google it, but my bet is on Nina or BeBe.
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"Bring It!" by Manila Luzon featuring Jinkx Monsoon

November 22, 2013, 12:31 pm
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Manila Luzon is no stranger to crafting dance tunes with catchy hooks having spawned the irresistible singles 'Hot Couture', 'Best XXXcessory' and 'The Chop' with Latrice Royale. For her latest offering, Manila teamed up with RuPaul's Drag Race Season 5 winner Jinkx Monsoon for the new song 'Bring It!'. The song has this very old school feel it, something that may have come out of the late '80s/early '90s but still is very current. The chorus is of course as catchy as you would expect, and Manila has a lot of fun with the lyrics which include many references to her other songs and Drag Race sisters. The most surprising part may be Jinkx Monsoon's rap. Yes, girls, our favorite Broadway beauty Jinkxy raps and she does an incredible job. It almost doesn't even sound like her but it's fantastic and adds a fun element to the song. I'm so excited to see the video because I know it's going to be a fun time with two of my all-time favorite queens.

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'God Made You Beautiful' by Beyoncé

November 23, 2013, 8:00 am
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Beyoncé has been teasing music for the longest time now from 'Bow Down' to 'Grown Woman' to 'Standing On the Sun', but we still have yet to get any official confirmation as to when she's dropping her new album. Bey has been seen filming a couple different music videos over the past few months but it's all very hush hush. So whenever we get new Bey music it's going to be well worth it. The former Destiny's Child singer is getting ready to release a new documentary Life Is But a Dream, and for it she recorded a special song 'God Made You Beautiful'. The song is a departure from her usual sound as she goes the more gospel route of her former bandmate Michelle Williams. The song is really beautiful, and probably one of the best songs she has released in years. It's not too try hard, and she's obviously not trying to compete with her pop diva contemporaries. This is a song from the heart and it shows. It would be nice to get a smash hit that will burn the charts, but I know Bey doesn't release anything until it's perfect so I will patiently sit here waiting.

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'Crying For No Reason' by Katy B

November 24, 2013, 8:20 am
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I wrote about Katy B back in August of 2011, and as a refresher she is a British musician who originally rose into the spotlight as a hardcore dubstep artist. Her music was fantastic and really captivating, and I saw potential in her from the very beginning. She is currently prepping the release of her album Little Red in 2014, and the single 'Crying For No Reason' is one of the best songs I've heard all year. With her Lily Allen type voice and the dark electro-ballad stylings of Robyn, 'Crying For No Reason' is an incredible track that will give you chills. When the beat drops after the one minute mark the song soars above the music scene casting its shadow over all the generic garbage out there right now, and the track continues climbing in its heavenliness. Katy's voice builds and its silky texture overlies the catchy beat creating a fearsome duo. If Katy B isn't one of your favorites after listening to this, I don't know how else to convince you.

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'Timber' Music Video by Pitbull featuring Ke$ha

November 25, 2013, 6:37 am
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Pitbull released the first single off his new album almost two months ago, and it's a hoedown that features Ke$ha making it one of the most bizarre musical pieces of the year. But you know what, they pull it off and it's one of my favorite songs right now. Say what you want about him, but Pitbull knows how to make a catchy tune and with Ke$ha singing the hook it's out of this world. The video for 'Timber' is as country as you would expect it to be with Ke$ha working in a bar pouring drinks and doing the grapevine in her denim booty shorts. Ke$ha looks absolutely gorgeous in the video sporting an array of looks. Pitbull, as he does in almost every video, filmed his scenes on a beach and doesn't interest with Ke$ha at all. I'm starting to see a pattern here and I don't understand why because, especially in this video, the beach scene doesn't make sense. Putting that aside, the video is a lot of fun and makes the song even more fun to jam out to.

Post by Pitbull.
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'Better Man' by Aiden

November 25, 2013, 1:24 pm
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Aiden sans the Grimshaw is releasing his new eponymous EP tomorrow, and conitnuing with his Monday schedule he has released the final track today for our listening pleasure. 'Better Man' may just be the best offering yet, clearly saving the best for last. 'Better Man' is a much different song than the rest bringing a much needed club banger to round out the EP. The song is written by Aiden and Dimitri Tikovoi who is most known for writing for Charlie XCX and Nicola Roberts. The EDM jam is sick and out of this world, and it is by far one of my favorite songs Aiden has ever released. His new image is one that I really respect, and it just goes to show he is a pro at evolving musically which is what it takes to stay relevant in the music scene.

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'How Could I Want More' by Jamie Lynn Spears

November 25, 2013, 5:05 pm
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Today is a big day for the Spears sisters. Britney put her new album Britney Jean up to stream on iTunes so basically the world has gone nuts devouring the Pop Princess's latest release. Overall, I think it's one of her best, even rivaling Blackout. I'll have my official review up before Thanksgiving, but first it's all about the little sister who was once known for her starring role in Zoey 101. Jamie Lynn was a big star in the '90s, but then she got pregnant and the public turned against her. But she's back to start her music career as a country artist. Jamie's first single 'How Could I Want More' is a mellow tune that reminds me of old school Taylor Swift but even more country. The tune is quite beautiful and really shows off how great of a voice Jamie has. What's cool is that having heard her big sister's track 'Chillin With You' (on which she is featured) it's clear that she has a very versatile voice. I'm excited to see what else she has in store for us in the future. And can you imagine her performing at one of Britney's Piece of Me shows? Today has been awesome and it's all thanks to the Spears sisters.

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'Beloved' by Say Lou Lou

November 26, 2013, 6:29 am
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Say Lou Lou are a Sweidsh-Australian dream pop sister duo who make some pretty awesome music. They formed their own record label à Deux this year and here we have their latest release. 'Beloved' is a beautiful synth-pop track that is heavenly and entrancing. When it gets to the chorus and builds they remind me a lot of Ellie Goulding. They have soft, sweet voices but the passion radiates out and concocts a dreamy tune. They have a lot of potential and I really hope to hear more from them in the future.

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'Satisfy Me' Music Video by Aiden featuring Thaddaeus Tribbett

November 26, 2013, 10:35 am
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Aiden has been teasing us with his new image and new sound for the past month, and with the release of his brand new EP Aiden today, he has also dropped the music video for the first single 'Satisfy Me'. The video is quite striking as we find a naked Aiden on display as a scorpion crawls on his shoulder and he has snakes wrapped around his neck. All the while Aiden is releasing his pain and anger into the camera as he screams the lyrics. There are even times when scenes of Aiden literally screaming and looking terrifying are interspersed. The entire video is done through flashing images which makes for an intriguing visual. Aiden is literally shedding his former self and baring his soul to the world. Right now, Aiden is my favorite male aritst in music and this just proves why. His artistic brilliance is sublime.

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'Why Do You Think You Are Nuts?' Music Video by Sharon Needles

November 26, 2013, 11:53 am
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Sharon Needles is most known for having won Season 4 of RuPaul's Drag Race, but last October the scream queen started her music career with the release of her phenomenal album PG-13. The album is made up largely of dance pop tracks, but there are two punk rock tunes that are obviously Sharon's forte. 'Why Do You Think You Are Nuts?' is one of them, and it serves as the third single from her album. I usually skip this song on the album because I don't care for it, but I completely understand why Sharon wanted to release it. Sharon's video is actually a shot-for-shot recreation of the original video which has gone on to become a cult classic. It features Sharon performing the song on a Public Access channel with roaches crawling on the wall behind her. It's a video full of adrenaline, and I cannot ever fault Sharon for her artistic endeavors.

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'How Could I Want More' Music Video by Jamie Lynn Spears

November 26, 2013, 3:50 pm
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Jamie Lynn Spears released her debut country single yesterday, and now we are treated to her first ever music video. The video for 'How Could I Want More' takes place in a recording studio where we see Jamie working on her music and possibly falling in love with her guitarist. We also see her with said guitarist performing the song for the camera. It's simple yet effective. Jamie looks gorgeous, and it's wonderful to see her following her dreams and pursuing what she loves. She has a fantastic voice, and with the support from her sister's fans I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more about Jamie Lynn in the future.

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