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'Back to Black' by Beyoncé & André 3000

April 28, 2013, 7:29 am
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The Great Gatsby soundtrack is leaking track by track, and yesterday we got the highly anticipated cover of Amy Winehouse's song 'Back to Black' by Beyoncé and André 3000. Bey and André both in their own rights are geniuses so I had high hopes for this track. I love the production they did to the song because it's so drastically different from the original and unique, but alas, the track really suffers. It's nowhere near as amazing as it could have been, and I actually dislike it quite a bit. The track gets 10x better once Beyoncé comes in half-way through, but it's not really enough for her to save it. It's more of a slap in the face to Amy than anything else. It'll be interesting to see it in the context of the film, but as a standalone track I'm not happy.

This is the only version of the track out there, and it's heavily tagged so I apologize:


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'Walks Like Rihanna' by The Wanted

April 29, 2013, 11:28 am
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The Wanted will be releasing their new album pretty soon so to kick things off they just premiered their new single this morning. The pop quintet are going no holds bard with their new song 'Walks Like Rihanna', an extremely catchy (albeit immature) tune that will be sure to light up the radio waves this summer. The song is nowhere near as awesome as songs like 'Chasing the Sun' and 'I Found You', but it's awesome in its own right. You know I love me some Rih Rih, but these boys are master shade throwers and I live for it. The Wanted have a summer smash on their hands, and I can't wait to jam out to this one in the car.

"She can't sing, she can't dance, but who cares? She walks like Rihanna."


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'Carry You' Music Video by Union J

April 29, 2013, 2:40 pm
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Exactly a week ago I brought you the first listen of Union J's new single, and now today the budding boy band has released their first music video. In the video for 'Carry You' the boys get word of an open mic night, and decide to perform for a crowd of teeny boppers. That's basically the plot of the video which I don't care for because it's too simplistic, but the boys make it fun. They haven't grown much since their time on The X Factor, but I am so excited to finally hear their album. The boy bands are ready to dominate the summer once again.

And as a total and utter side note, Jaymi will always have a special place in my heart :)

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'The Final Three, Hunty' by RuPaul's Drag Race

April 29, 2013, 6:12 pm
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We've made it to the Final Three of the Race, hunties! It's crazy that a whole season of RuPaul's Drag Race has come and gone. Season V brought new, harder challenges that tested the girls unlike ever before, and it wouldn't be complete without new shocking twists from Ru. After all the trials and tribulations, bitch fights and over-done drama, we have our final three queens who are hungry for the crown. Roxxxy Andrews, Jinkx Monsoon and Alaska are ready for their final challenge that has become a staple on the show. This is their last chance to impress us and the judges, and to save themselves from elimination!
Michelle Visage surprises the girls by making an appearance in the Werk-room and giving out their final challenge: the girls will be taking part in RuPaul's new music video for 'The Beginning' (my fave Ru track ever). For the video they will have to do some hairography and chiffonography with Candis Cayne, and then film a courtroom scene where they each play three parts. It's a daunting challenge, but the girls are ready. Candis Cayne comes in to teach the girls the hairography and chiffonography, which Roxxxy excels at, a natural Beyoncé. Alaska and Jinkx have problems with their hair. It's clear this is not where Alaska shines.
They then go into the music video shoot where they film a scene where they're in a car. Roxxxy works it out, looking sickening. Knowing she needs to step it up, Jinkx brings her comedy and creates a story for her character, really getting into it. Alaska just gets lost.
The girls then meet with Gloria Allred to go over their "why I should win" speeches that they will have to give on the main stage to convince Ru why they should be America's Next Drag Superstar, as well as why their fellow contestants don't deserve it. Gloria grills the girls, trying to get them to be their best. Roxxxy struggles, although the editing is ridiculous so who knows what really went down.
Each girl then gets the opportunity of a lifetime: to have a sit down lunch convo with Mama Ru. This is where the emotions really come out, and we get to the bottom of why these queens are doing what they do. As always, Ru looks amazing. This is the moment where she brings out her inner Barbara Walters. The girls each have a great lunch, but it's Alaska whose lunch is the most memorable. She breaks down when she tells Ru that her biggest fear is dying because she doesn't want the castle that her and Sharon have built together to come crumbling down. It's beautiful, and it would be so cool to have the show's first Royal Drag Couple.
We finally get to the courtroom scene that I've been waiting all season to see. Judge Rudy is primed and ready. Each girl plays three roles. Alaska and Jinkx knock it out of the park, coming up with back stories for each character. Creating three fully-realized characters has to be beyond difficult, but it looks like they're professionals. Jinkx and Alaska sent me into fits of laughter. Roxxxy didn't think this was a "comedy" challenge so she basically played a bitch for her three characters. It was sad to see her crumble because she has so much more in her that she fails to give.

Roxxxy Andrews
I personally think this is Roxxxy's best look during the entire competition. She's not revealing too much skin, and so she looks sexy in a glamorous way. We of course have another cape reveal, but it was well done and didn't look cheap. I also live for her hair this week. Stunning. Out of the three challenges, Roxxxy was the clear winner of the video shoot.

Jinkx Monsoon
Jinkx this week went for a more demure look than we are used to. It's very little camp. I don't necessarily like the dress, but the headpiece and the make-up makes me overlook that. The make-up is her best yet, and she looks stunning. Jinkx was the winner of the courtroom scene for sure.

Alaska
Alaska's runway look this week is my absolute favorite. She went for this glamorous ghoul look that she totally killed. It was stunning, but in a haunting way. She has grown so much since the very first week. I really think she has what it takes to win the competition even though I didn't think she could do it when the season first started. In this week's challenges, her "I should win" speech blew everyone else's out of the water. She turned it into a production and actually gave me chills. She should win just based on that speech alone.

Like I said, I don't think there's ever been a better Top 3 in Drag Race history, except for maybe Season 3. I definitely think Jinkx will be the winner, but the last two weeks Alaska has come from behind and proved she has what it takes. I actually think that after this week's episode Alaska would be the best winner for the show. I'm really torn at the moment, but I think that the show needs a change of pace in winners, and so Jinkx would take the show to the next level. It'll be interesting to see how everything plays out in two weeks at the reunion and crowning ceremony, but based on what I've seen on the internet Jinkx has this in the bag.
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'The Beginning' Music Video by RuPaul featuring Roxxxy Andrews, Jinkx Monsoon and Alaska

April 30, 2013, 9:00 am
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Last week on RuPaul's Drag Race, the final three queens shot the music video for RuPaul's new single 'The Beginning' as part of their final challenge. On this week's 'Countdown to the Crown' Ru-Cap episode, the official video finally premiered. The video starts off with the girls being interviewed outside before they head into the courtroom to face Judge Rudy. We see the scenes played out that we saw last week, intermixed with the car scenes that included the hairography and chiffonography. In those scenes, the girls are cruising down the highway when they lose control of the car and crash. It appears that they go to heaven where Mama Ru rules as the supreme goddess. There's plenty of color and sexiness to make anyone go crazy. I'm a little disappointed with the queens's lipsynchs, though. They really seemed off and not well done. Otherwise I loved the video, and Ru werked it like no other.

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'Lick It Lollipop' by RuPaul featuring Lady Bunny

April 30, 2013, 11:37 am
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After RuPaul's Drag Race finished airing last night on the West Coast, Ru dropped his brand new single, 'Lick It Lollipop'. The song features the one and only Lady Bunny, Ru's partner in crime. Lady Bunny is known for being the head judge on RuPaul's Drag U and for being one of the best drag queen DJs and comediennes out there. The last time the two collaborated on a song was for RuPaul's Champion album, 'Throw Ya Hands Up', which was a fun 80's disco track. This time, Ru goes for more of a Diplo type dancehall track that will have your brain freaking out. I think it's obvious what the two are singing about. I mean, when two drag queens sing about licking a lollipop there can only be one meaning, right? The track is hot and will be a great song for the clubs, but it's not one of my favorites. Ru has a great voice but you never really hear any of it, and it's just more of a DJ track. But it's always a glorious day when we get new music from RuPaul so I'm not complaining.

You can buy and listen to an extended preview of the song on iTunes.
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'Here's To Everything (Ooh La La)' by Misha B

May 3, 2013, 9:14 am
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Misha B, in my opinion, is one of the best artists to ever come off a reality singing competition show. On her season of The X Factor UK she was my absolute favorite, and she completely slayed the other competition each and every week. She has released a couple singles and a couple mix-tapes since her run on the show, and we finally have another new track to jam to. 'Here's To Everything (Ooh La La)' is the perfect summer smash hit to usher in the release of her debut album. The track has a heavy dubstep sound launching the track forwards while Misha's Jamaican accented voice powers through offering a sexy yet strong delivery to the performance. The song is extremely catchy and will have you chanting along from beginning to end. The video is fantastic, and it highlights Misha as an all-around artist. Misha's definitely lost some weight and she's looking amazing. The singer has been having great success in the UK which I hope will one day translate over to here in the U.S. because Miss Misha B is an international superstar if I ever saw one.

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'Countdown to the Crown' by RuPaul's Drag Race

May 6, 2013, 4:48 pm
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Since this week on RuPaul's Drag Race Ru hosted the yearly countdown special before the winner is announced next week at the reunion, I thought I'd do a post on the Final Three and let you know where I think they stand. Season V has been one of the weaker seasons in my opinion, which is upsetting. But, there have been some fierce contestants, and I have loved all the new challenges and twists that RuPaul added this year. And some of the best lip syncs in the history of the show happened this season. With the good always comes some bad. However, the show keeps increasing in popularity, and I am so excited to see the legacy of this incredible show keep expanding. Now on to the girls.

Jinkx Monsoon
When this season first began, Jinkx was on my radar but I wasn't sure how far she would make it. Either she would be too much schtick and get eliminated early, or she would be like Pandora Boxx on steroids. Thankfully she turned out to be the latter. Jinkx was a standout from the beginning, and each week she progressively got better. She blew me away, and she really impressed the judges because she is the only contestant in Drag Race herstory to be in the Top 3 every single week. The first time she fell out of the Top 3 was Top 4 week when she lip synced for the first time against Detox. She serves glamour, she gives camp, and dang the gurl can sang. The show has never had a winner like her, so I think it would be great to see a camp queen don the crown and be a new face of the show.


Alaska
I'll admit it, at the beginning of the season I had discounted Alaska. I saw her as a cheaper version of Sharon, and I didn't think she had what it takes to win. Oh how wrong I was! Alaska quickly grew to be one of my top favorites on the show this year. Her humor, ever-evolving aesthetic and genuine nice disposition proved she has what it takes to represent the face of RuPaul's legacy. She was the only queen this season to never fall in the Bottom Two and thus never had to lip sync for her life. That's quite an accomplishment. It was mid-season that she really picked up the pace and came roaring with a gusto that has been unseen in this competition before. To be honest, if Alaska wins I would have no problem with it. And to see Drag Race's first Royal Couple would be amazing.


Roxxxy Andrews
Oh Roxxxy, where do I begin? At the beginning of the season I was behind her 100%, wanting it to be her and Detox fighting for the crown. Then she fell off the radar, giving either bad or lackluster performances. It was her lip sync against Alyssa that changed everything. She picked herself back up, began meeting challenges head on and got me interested in her again. And then her attitude got in the way. Roxxxy (along with Coco) is this season's reigning bitch, but who cares when she gives face and serves body-ody-ody? She's a pageant girl, but I can't see her winning because lacks traits. She's not as well rounded as her fellow competitors. I love her, but she is not winning material.

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'Silicone' by Detox featuring Willam Belli and Vicky Vox

May 6, 2013, 4:57 pm
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The trifecta of queens taking over the world at the moment, DWV, are once again serving comedy music realness in their music video for their brand new single. Season 4's Willam and Season V's Detox, along with squirrel friend Vicky Vox, have once again teamed up to release their new parody of Robyn's iconic 'Dancing On My Own'. 'Silicone' is Detox's singing debut, having been the rapper on their previous songs such as 'Boy Is a Bottom'. I've been waiting for this day to come, and I'm so excited to see Detox getting her moment in the spotlight and stealing the show. As you can guess, the song is about getting silicone injections like many queens do to retain their feminine figures. Detox has been vocal on RuPaul's Drag Race about the amount of work she has had done, and now she's poking fun at herself. I think aesthetic wise, this is my favorite DWV video. The girls all look sickening. I always look forward to new music from DWV because each song they release is an instant hit.

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'Live It Up' by Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull

May 8, 2013, 11:28 am
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Jennifer Lopez is determined not to quit, and after her fantastic previous album LOVE? Jenny from the block is back to dominate the summer once again. Enlisting the help of Pitbull for the umpteenth time, J-Lo has created another dance club hit that already has me dancing around my room like a maniac. It's a sexy, bombastic track that will be the anthem of the summer. Thankfully Pitbull's main part is just the opening so you can skip over it if you want #Shade. I personally think this is one of her best tracks she has released in a long time. Jenny ain't playing ya'll! She's also going to perform on the American Idol finale next week, and is apparently going to be taking her chair at the judges table back from Mariah Carey. Honestly, I prefer Jennifer over Mariah any day.

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'Schizophrenic' by Two Dudes in Love featuring Jinkx Monsoon

May 8, 2013, 11:38 am
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Jinkx Monsoon came out victorious Monday night, snatching the crown and becoming America's Next Drag Superstar on the ever popular RuPaul's Drag Race Season V finale, and Monsoon Season it is. Here in New York the rain has come to stay all week long, and with a flash flood warning this morning it's clear that Jinkx wasn't joking during her final declaration on Monday's finale. Now, she has released this groovy track with the electronic group Two Dudes in Love. On their new song 'Schizophrenic', Jinkx channels Little Edie of Grey Gardens fame, the impersonation that made her the queen on everybody's lips during the Snatch Game. The song is this subdued techno track that entrances your whole being. It's incredible, and I'm excited to see Jinkx release music because we all know she has a killer voice.


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'Walks Like Rihanna' Music Video by The Wanted

May 8, 2013, 2:44 pm
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A week ago British boy band The Wanted released their new single 'Walks Like Rihanna', and yesterday the boys dropped the music video for it. Not a lot of people are a fan of this song, but I'm head over heels for it and this new video pushed my love over the edge. In the video the boys are fawning over this girl, and while they're filming their video they pay homage to the two greatest boy bands of my generation, The Backstreet Boys and N*SYNC. Hey, if you do anything related to N*SYNC you'll win me over. The product placement for the new water got on my nerves, but you gotta make money somehow. The video is just a lot of fun which is all it should be considering its obvious message. I'm so excited to hear their new album!

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'#Beautiful' Music Video by Mariah Carey featuring Miguel

May 10, 2013, 12:16 pm
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Last night on American Idol, Mariah Carey debuted the music video for her brand new single '#Beautiful' featuring R&B it-boy Miguel. When the song was released a few days ago I thought it was very bland and a weak first single. The song has grown on me a bit, but it's still not my favorite. It's a very laid back track that I think is very generic. There really isn't anything too special about it. The same goes for the video. All it consists of is Mimi riding on the back of a motorcycle with Miguel, dancing sexily on a motorcycle in the middle of a field, and dancing sexily for Miguel in a short yellow dress. That's it, and it's just about Mariah being beautiful. It's pretty self-indulgent, but at least Mimi looks incredible. I don't think she's looked this amazing in years. She's a hot mama, but hopefully her new album will be a little spicier than this track.

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'Dirty Laundry' by Kelly Rowland

May 15, 2013, 8:42 am
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I can't put into words how amazing this song is. I know I'm the King of Hyperbole, but this is no joke. I have not heard such an emotionally raw and real song like this in a very long time. Kelly Rowland is going back to her R&B roots for this album, leaving the dance tracks at home. At first I was hesitant about this idea because I think she succeeds in the dance genre, but if the rest of the album is going to be like this then I have no qualms. 'Dirty Laundry' is the most personal record Kelly has ever released. It actually took her over a dozen tries just to lay down her vocals without sobbing. It's an emotional roller coaster that starts after she released her debut album and she had to watch her best friend Beyoncé conquering the world while she was on the sidelines being ignored. It quite frankly was a dark time for Kelly as she sings, “When my sister was on stage / killing it like a mother fucker / I was in a rage / feeling it like a motherfucker.” The song then takes an ever darker turn when she starts singing about an abusive relationship she was in where the man was "hitting the window like it was me / And still it shattered. He pulled me out and said 'Don’t nobody love you but me / Not your mama / Not your daddy / and especially not Bey.'" It's a disturbing track to say the least, and I'm actually sitting here feeling violated with tears rolling down my cheeks as I write this. Kelly is on her game this time around, and I just pray she gets the recognition she deserves. She's a star who is no longer in Bey's shadow.

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'Ooh La La' by Britney Spears

May 17, 2013, 8:20 am
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In a surprise that shocked everyone, Britney Spears announced that she would be singing the theme song for the new The Smurfs 2 film. Britney did it as a gift to her sons Sean Preston and Jayden James which is about as cute as it can get. The film doesn't come out until June, but like all of Britney's work, it leaked early this morning and you're in for a surprise. Of course it's another uptempo dance-pop track with a bunch of auto-tune, but it's a much different sound than I've ever heard Britney do. She sings the chorus in this ultra high voice, perhaps trying out her own Smurfy voice. And then, it's got more of this chanty, Avril Lavigne 'Girlfriend'-esque sound. It's extremely cute and catchy, and I can't wait to go to the theater and hear this song blasting over the credits at the end. This is also a great little something to tide us over until Britney moves to Vegas for the next two years to do her residency at Planet Hollywood.

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'Lick It Lollipop' Music Video by RuPaul featuring Lady Bunny

May 17, 2013, 9:52 am
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RuPaul, the original Supermodel of the World, has just released her new music video for her new summer jam 'Lick It Lollipop', the first single off her upcoming album of duets. Ru goes for an auburn wig this time which is awesome because we haven't seen this look in a while on RuPaul's Drag Race. For this video, Ru employed the services of model Miles Davis Moody to ramp up the sex. Like all of Ru's videos, it's pretty simplistic: RuPaul and Lady Bunny work the screen in all their glory, serving up Honey Mahogany-realness in their caftans, as they're interspersed with shots of a nearly naked Miles "enjoying" himself to the fullest. Lollipops make their debut to play along with the tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and if it weren't already obvious what the song was about, Bunny gives you a pretty clear visual. The only thing I'm upset with is that it's such a short video, but it's Ru and she knows how to string us along until the next big thing comes along.

#BedBathAndBeyoncé

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'Live It Up' Music Video by Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull

May 24, 2013, 10:53 am
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Jennifer Lopez never fails in her music videos, and this time and she does it once again here. In the video for the summer smash 'Live It Up', J-Lo walks the runway of a fashion show in some sickening outfits. The first outfit with the feathers is my absolute favorite, but she looks stunning in each one. And of course she gives us some fierce dancing with her back-up dancers. Jenny from the block keeps the party going as she heads out to the beach where she meets up with her collaborator Pitbull and the two go crazy having fun. It's a great summer video to go with a great summer jam.

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'Absolutely' by Jessica Wild

May 24, 2013, 11:09 am
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Jessica Wild, one of the contestants on RuPaul's Drag Race Season 2, has just released her second single, and it's a party track! The song 'Absolutely' was inspired by Absolut vodka which is a big sponsor of Drag Race, and Jessica participated in the challenge when the girls had to promote the new flavor Absolut Açaí. It was one of Jessica's most memorable moments, and so she thought it would be a great way to connect with her fans. The song is a big dance track with Jessica singing about drinking and having fun, and she even names off a few flavors Absolut has to offer. The Absolut team would be stupid if they don't pick her up and use her as their next sponsor. I'm really hoping she does a video for this because it would be so much fun. And who wouldn't want to see some more Jessica Wild, one of the most underrated queens in the show's herstory?

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'Wild' Music Video by Jessie J featuring Big Sean & Dizzee Rascal

May 26, 2013, 1:47 pm
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I was a huge Jessie J fan when she first released 'Do It Like a Dude', but over the last year I've really lost touch with her. She got horrid reviews on The Voice UK and she just wasn't doing anything so I kind of forgot about her. Now she's released the first single off her sophomore album, and it's giving me life. Jessie J's name is about to be all you see because this song is on fiyah and the music video is even better. In the video, Jessie struts her stuff with her new look, having shaved her hair for charity. She looks incredible, and in the video she goes crazy and dances with her signature style. She's scantily clad the entire time and werks that body like no other. Dizzee and Sean come in to aid her, and they rock the beat. Big Sean's verse is a little annoying, but Dizzee Rascal smashes it. The song is not what I was expecting at all: Jessie's more R&B/hip-hop style mixed with some dance elements and a whole lot of bass. It basically covers all her bases, and I can see this lighting up the radio in the coming weeks. If the rest of her album is going to be this strong, she has my attention.

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'You've Changed' by Kelly Rowland featuring Beyoncé & Michelle Williams

May 28, 2013, 8:13 am
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Kelly Rowland will be releasing her new album Talk a Good Game on June 18th, and just today a new track has leaked which is one everyone has been clamoring for. It's her collaboration with Destiny's Child members Beyoncé and Michelle. It's definitely not a Destiny's Child track, but Kelly takes the lead and creates a great nostalgic tune. 'You've Changed' has a very '90s groove to it which is always a nice treat. Kelly asks, "Ladies, ya'll wanna do it again?" and you know you're in for a treat. The girls all let their vocals mesh together like seasoned pros, although none of them were actually in the studio together. The world can never get enough of Destiny's Child, but Kelly is her own artist and her album could not be released sooner. I have to say, she's my favorite member of DC and she's ready to bring it harder than ever before.

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