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'You're Mine (Eternal)' by Mariah Carey

February 12, 2014, 5:55 am
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Mariah Carey is prepping the release of her first album in five years due out on May 6th. The album has been preceded by the singles '#Beautiful' and 'The Art of Letting Go'. It's clear from 'The Art of Letting Go' (which is my favorite thing she's released in years) that Mimi is going back to more of her classic sound, and her brand new single out just in time for Valentine's Day reaffirms that. 'You're Mine (Eternal)' is a beautiful mid-tempo where Mariah sings about a love that is completely intoxicating and she simply can't get him off her mind. Her sultry voice floats easily above the piano driven melody, whisking us away into a love-infused haze. It's classic R&B/pop that Mariah made herself known for and I'm completely in love with it. I have very high hopes for this new album.

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'Dressed to Kill' Music Video by Sharon Needles

February 12, 2014, 12:39 pm
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The Scream Queen herself Sharon Needles hit the jack pot when she released her debut album PG-13over one year ago. She has released single after single, and has accompanied each one with a fantastic video. No matter if it's 'Call Me On the Ouija Board' or 'This Club Is a Haunted House', her videos feature her looking sickening and always contain an element of creepiness. Her latest single 'Dressed to Kill' has always been one of my favorite tracks off the album, and just like it's title, Ms. Needles is ready to hit the runway. The video mainly takes place at a fashion show where Sharon is the one and only model, but she struts down the runway in a plethora of outfits showing off her multi-faceted style. Her onlookers are all covered with paper bags and restrained in place. The video climaxes with Sharon being drenched in a sickly black sludge, but she still looks incredible. Sharon Needles doesn't disappoint, and this is a great last thing to tide us over before the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race begins in less than two weeks.

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'Lookin Ass Nigga' Music Video by Nicki Minaj

February 12, 2014, 2:29 pm
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Nicki Minaj is back!! After her Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded escapade, people we're growing sick of her clownish attire and Top 40 pop music. People had thought the old Nicki was all but gone, but that's not the case. 2014 is set to be a huge year for the female rapper as she's prepping the release of her new album The Pink Print, and in a Beyoncé move, Nicki just unveiled the very first taste of her new material. Mixtape Minaj is back. Anyone who's followed Nicki's career knows she goes hard on her mixtapes and that's something that we've been missing since she made it big. However, her new track 'Lookin Ass Nigga' is a major statement. Over a simple yet dark and menacing beat Nicki spits verses like venom, searing your ears with her filthy mouth. I'm in love with it. She's putting all the men out there in their place as she asserts her dominance over them all. And how does she do it? By wearing some fierce fashion, sitting in a chair in the middle of the desert, and grabbing her ponytail. Simple yet flawless. This ain't never gonna be played on radio, but it's Nicki we're talking about so she obviously has a plan. Welcome back Onika.

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'You're Mine (Eternal)' Music Video by Mariah Carey

February 13, 2014, 11:20 am
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Mariah Carey unveiled her new Valentine's-themed single just yesterday, and last night she premiered the music video. The video for 'You're Mine (Eternal)' basically entails a lot of naked Mimi singing in the middle of a tropical rain forest. Mariah looks stunning, but despite her being naked I don't think I've ever seen her breasts so well-concealed. The lush tropical islandry is gorgeous, the green forest and pond giving the video a Neverland vibe. It is also revealed later than Mariah has wings and she's sort of this pixie creature who leaves glitter in her wake, which we see happen later in Trey Songz's bed. Everything about this new Mimi era is going right, and I can only hope her new album with live up to my expectations.

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'Rumble' by Kelis

February 13, 2014, 2:16 pm
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Kelis switched things up last year when she released 'Jerk Ribs', the first single off her upcoming sixth studio album Food. The album, Kelis says, is the kind of album she has wanted to make for years, and it's refreshing. She's conquered the pop/R&B world, the hip-hop world and the dance world with her previous albums, but her latest is setting her up to show her dominance over the R&B/soul genre. 'Jerk Ribs' was an enticing and funky groovy jam, but second single 'Rumble' puts a swaggerific damper on the soul sound and allows Kelis to croon in the most natural way possible. Kelis sings about a complicated relationship on this record, and it's clear that this new sound is the perfect route to express her artistic representation. Food is due out on April 22 and is shaping up to be another critical hit.

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'To Russia With Love' by Courtney Act

February 14, 2014, 5:28 am
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The kick-off of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6 is only 10 days away and so, as always, all the queens past and present are jumping on the publicity train and are releasing their new music. Courtney Act is the first queen from Season 6 to release music in the form of 'To Russia With Love'. It's an amalgamation of many things: a Valentine's Day single, a statement against Putin in Russia and the Olympic Games, and just a feel good dance track. This is her first release since her single 'Welcome to Disgraceland' which I covered last year. The new single is very Kylie Minogue which I love. It's an electronic dance song that sounds like it could be played on the radio today. Courtney's voice is literally perfect on this song, and I'm enjoying it so much. The video will be released on Courtney's birthday, the 18th.

You can listen to the song on SoundCloud.
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'U' by Austin Mahone

February 16, 2014, 12:37 pm
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Austin Mahone released a new single on Valentine's Day for all of his Mahomies and it's one of his best songs yet. Austin has tried out a variety of different sounds from his hip-hop 'Banga Banga' to Latin club jam 'Mmm Yeah', but 'U' is a win for all. The suave R&B beat fits his voice perfectly and actually makes sense for once. The song reminds me a lot of old Justin Bieber which isn't necessarily a bad thing. And of course this is a V-Day song so it's super cheesy and cute. Who doesn't love a bit of cheese? It's obvious from all these releases that Austin doesn't have a clear sound, but if he can take 'U' and infuse some 'What About Love' bangers then he could have a winning album on his hands.

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'Drunk In Love (Remix)' by Beyoncé featuring Jay Z and Kanye West

February 17, 2014, 7:56 am
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Beyoncé's 'Drunk In Love' single has blown up more than I ever thought it would, eclipsing pop single 'XO' which Ryan Tedder said would blow us all away and storm the charts. 'Drunk' has given us the iconic "serfbort" line and many entertaining Vines of white girls trying to surf in the bathtub as well as the sexy opening performance of this year's GRAMMYs. Regardless of all that, Bey has just released a bunch of new remixes for the track, including a Kanye-assisted one that basically puts all other remixes to shame. My hatred for Kanye knows no bounds, but this remix is well-crafted and gives the urban tune another majah urban edge that'll have you twerking and booty poppin' all night long. And it clocks in at over 6 minutes of epicness. In a few days a video will actually be released which features Beyoncé as a sexy cowgirl which should give us even more amazing GIFs.

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'Unbroken' by Britney Spears

February 17, 2014, 11:45 am
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Last night was one of those days that we never know when they're gonna come, but when they do it's legendary. That's right, last night was Britmas! 'Unbroken' is an unreleased track from the Femme Fataleera produced by Fraser T. Smith who produced the legendary bonus track 'Scary' as well as 'Trouble For Me'. The song is an epic t.A.T.u.-esque J-Pop euphoric dance track that would fit well with 'Now That I Found You' off Britney Jean. The song is easily better than almost everything on Britney Jean and apparently was the original direction that Femme Fatale was headed. It would be amazing to hear what an album like this would sound like, and I quite frankly think it would be an amazing career move for Britney. She needs to take some risks, and material like this could send her into another realm of superstardom.

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'2 On' by Tinashe featuring ScHoolboy Q

February 18, 2014, 7:27 am
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Tinashe is currently my new artist to watch and the one with whom I'm currently obsessed. She released a mixtape back in November, but she's finally making her record label debut with her first single '2 On'. Produced by DJ Mustard (who recently did a similar club jam with J-Lo), the song is a sexy electro-R&B tune that reminds me a lot of the days when Ciara actually made good music. It's a party anthem that makes you all hot and bothered while grindin' up in da club, and what more could you want from life? Tinashe has a pleasant on the ears voice that mixes well with the dark party scene music she's produced. I'm all for this, and I'm excited to hear what else she has in store for us.

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'Flaws (The Chainsmokers Remix)' by Bastille

February 19, 2014, 9:24 am
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Bastille are the bees knees at this point as their global domination continues to escalate. Their album Bad Blood is perfection, and now The Chainsmokers are putting their own spin on one of the band's tracks. In typical fashion, The Chainsmokers take this gorgeous indie pop track and turn it into a euphoric progressive house tune that elevates the song into a different realm of being. The beautiful synths provide a lush atmosphere on which Dan Smith's vocals really shine. And while you're at it, make sure you check out The Chainsmokers' first original track '#Selfie' (which I covered a while back) because it's quickly becoming a viral hit.

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'To Russia With Love' Music Video by Courtney Act

February 19, 2014, 11:58 am
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Courtney Act is shaping up to be one of the front runners of this year's RuPaul's Drag Raceas her illustrious career precedes her. On Valentine's Day the Australian queen released her brand new LGBT empowerment anthem 'To Russia With Love' which uses Vladimir Putin's anti-gay laws as the backdrop for the tune. The bombastic bop of a song has nestled its way into my heart, and as it's Courtney's birthday today she decided to share the video with all her fans. As per usual she looks stunning, donning an array of vivid red outfits and lipstick. The video sees Courtney both in drag and out of drag sharing some beautiful moments with her man. If drag queens ran everything the world would be a much better place.

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'Jerk Ribs' Music Video by Kelis

February 20, 2014, 5:52 am
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Kelis headed to Rio de Janeiro to film the music video for the first single off her upcoming jazzy R&B/soul album Food. The video for 'Jerk Ribs' mainly chronicles the ins and out of the photoshoot for the Food album with Kelis donning a plethora of gorgeous looks. There are also moments when she is performing the song where she channels her inner Etta James in what become my favorite parts of the video. And yes, there's even a giraffe by the end. I'm a little disappointed because it felt like this video was just thrown together, but maybe because that's I'm used to spectacles like her 'Acapella' or 'Blindfold Me' videos. But no matter what, I'm sure this album will be another worthy addition to Kelis' discography.

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'Make Her Say (Beat It Up)' by Estelle

February 20, 2014, 9:33 am
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I'm sure everyone remembers Estelle's 2008 mega-hit 'American Boy' featuring Kanye, right? It's one of those songs that still gets played on the radio from time to time, and it invokes so many memories of when I lived in England. That is a defining song in my life, and so when I saw Estelle had released a new buzz single I was intrigued. Well, maybe I got more than I bargained for with this one. 'Make Her Say (Beat It Up)' is quite NSFW as Estelle explicitly sings about her vagina and how she wants her man to "fuck [her] again babe but never the same." It's a sexy no-holds-barred R&B groove that is a fun listen, although it may be a bit much. But we're all talking about her so that's what she wants, right? In any case, Estelle is poised to make a big comeback and I'm excited to see what she's gonna bring.

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'Dark Horse' Music Video by Katy Perry featuring Juicy J

February 20, 2014, 3:40 pm
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It's no secret that the PRISMera hasn't been a favorite of mine, and Katy just hasn't been winning me over recently. However, her new single 'Dark Horse' is a standout track on the album and one that I think is one of her best songs ever. Today we've finally gotten the video and I'd actually wager to say that this is her best video to date. The video is an epic caricature extravaganza done in true Katy fashion with lots of bright colors and humorous moments. It takes place in Memphis, Egypt where Katy is a Cleopatra type character with a penchant for magic. She dons an array of Egyptian apparel, bizarrely including a grill, and she looks flaw-free. It's Gaga-level couture and Katy pulls it off effortlessly. The CGI is spot on and doesn't make the video feel cheap which 'Roar' suffered from. It's a lot of fun with some epic moments of Katy harnessing her power in the most girly way possible. I'm a fan of this one, and hopefully when 'Walking On Air' becomes a single we'll get an equally amazing video.

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'Wild Wild Love' by Pitbull featuring G.R.L.

February 21, 2014, 7:47 am
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The only reason why I'm writing about this song is because of the featured artist (such as 'Timber'). Pitbull's music is always the definition of basic, but it's the featured artists whose vocals shine and make the track as enjoyable as it is. Mr. 305's latest single was just released yesterday and it's a bonafide hit. 'Wild Wild Love' features up-and-coming girl group G.R.L. who recently released 'Show Me What You Got'. If this song gets big enough I think this could finally give them the exposure they need to successfully break out on their own. The song itself is Pitbull's typical dance pop formula, but following the trend he's introducing the more folksy bluegrass element which works great here. The acoustic guitar beat blends well with G.R.L.'s vocals as they really belt it out and go for it on this one. I'm sure we'll all be sick of the song in a few months, but as long as G.R.L. get the recognition they deserve I'll be happy.

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'Dear Nicole' by Frankmusik

February 21, 2014, 2:17 pm
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I'm surprised I haven't been a fan of Frankmusik for the past few years. I've heard of him but hadn't ever paid much attention, that is until RuPaul announced that he was doing a duet with Frankmusik on his upcoming album Born Naked due out this Monday. Anyone who knows RuPaul knows he has exquisite taste so I decided to dig through the vaults to see what Frankmusik had to offer. What I found blew me away. Thankfully Vincent Turner aka Frankmusik is getting ready to release a new album By Nicole due out this year. The new single 'Dear Nicole' was just released a few days ago and it's quite something. The song starts off as a beautiful mid-tempo with Frankmusik's soft vocals gliding effortlessly over the beat. But then comes the moment when the beat drops and suddenly you don't know what's happening any more. I literally had an "oh shit" moment listening to this. After the drop, the song explodes into an ultra-suave electro dance tune with a pulsing beat, and Frankmusik blows everything out of the water as he belts notes left and right like it's an every day occurrence. This is music done right, and I get chills each time I give the song a listen. Frankmusik is one to watch.

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'Geronimo' by RuPaul featuring Lucian Piane

February 24, 2014, 6:24 am
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Today is the day that I've been waiting for since last year: it's the season premiere of the brand new sixening season of RuPaul's Drag Raceon LogoTV at 9pm. And of course with that comes a slew of new releases from the queens, but none are as important as the release of the album that will slay them all. RuPaul has had a string of hits over the years, especially since he teamed up with producer Lucian Piane for his Champion and Glamazon albums, and I have to say that they are a force to be reckoned with. RuPaul's hotly anticipated new album Born Naked was released today and it's astonishing how much I'm in love with it. I'll put my review up tomorrow, but here we have the first single. 'Geronimo' is one of the more upbeat tracks on the album and could not be a more perfect introduction to the album. It's got a great New Orleans bounce booty-poppin' beat with Ru speak-singing over the top. What I really love about this song is the infinite number of pop culture references thrown in as only the queen of all knowledge can. While it's not my favorite song on the album, this is a fierce introduction. And the video, in recent Ru-fashion, includes some bootylicious man candy and lots of ass ass ass.
"I slay these bitches double dutch. I slay these bitches so what's up?"

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'Stay In Love' by Plastic Plates featuring Sam Sparro

February 24, 2014, 12:44 pm
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Another Valentine's Day release that may not have made as big of an impact as it should have is this track from DJ/producer Plastic Plates. Enlisting the help of stellar vocalist Sam Sparro, who has played a part in many iconic hits over the years, Plastic Plates creates a dreamy disco pop tune that will have you swooning. With the sweeping synths and Sam's silky smooth voice wafting over the top of the beat, we get a euphoric tune about love that will be stuck in your head for days afterwards. Who doesn't want to get lost in music like this?

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'Empire' by Shakira

February 25, 2014, 6:29 am
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Following the release of the debut single from her upcoming self-titled tenth studio album, Shakira is kicking off her return to The Voice with this exclusive pre-order track. Unlike the unashamedly pop collabo with Rihanna that kicked off the era, the new track 'Empire' is a gem. 'Empire' is much more pop-rock than anything Shak has done in years with a stadium-ready anthemic chorus. Shakira's vocals sound much more suited to this type of sound as guitars and massive drums back her warbling Colombian voice. I seriously can't put into words how happy hearing this makes me. Let's just hope Shakira is more 'Empire' and less 'Can't Remember to Forget You'.

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