Single: Carrie Underwood - Two Black Cadillacs

Carrie Underwood has begun promoting her third official single Two Black Cadillacs with the first performance at the AMAs last week. The performance was not her absolute best, but still was better than any live performance by Rihanna or Katy Perry easily. 

This gorgeous, All American woman is basically the new Shania Twain. Every single she has released has landed at #2 or #1 on the country Billboard charts. Hopefully Two Black Cadillacs will be no exception.

The track is definitely a pop crossover smash which features a darker side of Carrie's dark side. She's shown her darker side on tracks like Last Name and Before He Cheats. However, none of those tracks have dabbled in murder. The single tells the tale of a man's wife and mistress plotting revenge on a man who "wouldn't get away with doing this to them." The wife never meets the mistress until the actual funeral, but obviously they have conspired together over the phone to do away with the no-good husband. I just love revenge stories and this one event tops Goodbye Earl by the Dixie Chicks. Goodbye Earl was fun and campy. Two Black Cadillacs is dark and enticing. 

This song was always asking to be a single. Blown Away was the obvious choice for second single and this was the ideal choice for third single. Carrie's team has always been perfect regarding single releases and promotion so I expect nothing less than perfection from her.

The video trailer was released on Vevo on Black Friday and shows what could potentially be her most spectacular video yet! I cannot wait until January 2013 for it! It needs to come sooner. Check out the trailer below:

 

For those who have not yet heard this future classic, check it out in full below:

 

Overall: 9.5/10

Leak: Cher - Woman's World

The long awaited lead single from Cher's comeback album is finally here! A snippet, as played in a Detroit nightclub, made its way online a few weeks ago, sparking outrage from Cher. She tweeted that she was not angry over the leak, but that they played the demo. She promised that the final version was much better. The demo in its entirety showed up online yesterday. Cher and her team must have decided they had lost this war and chose to finally release the single. Scheduled for an initial January 2013 release after the demo snippet leaked and caused a pushback.

Cher premiered the song on her soundcloud account around midnight this morning and stated that it will be officially out on Monday.

Check out the track below:
Listen to Cher's Woman's World

The track is quite catchy. The club banger takes off right from the start with a feminist anthem of independence and strength after a broken heart, much like Believe with more muscle. Cher bellows long and amazing notes, that first really showed the strength of her voice in You Haven't Seen the Last of Me from her 2010 film Burlesque. Do I think this track will be as successful as Believe? No. The track is great and a whole lot of fun, however, it is tailor-made for the club scene. I don't see this taking off on radio, but will be thumping through every gay bar in the nation by next weekend. The track is nearly flawless regardless. The only part I found that seemed out of place was the repetitive part about everyone in the club standing up. Once again, that part immediately sinkholes the track from any possible radio success.

As for me, I'll be enjoying this song for a long time to come and cannot wait for her album, especially for the P!nk-penned track I Walk Alone. This album seems to be Cher showing her independence. While she's almost pushing 70, you can't tell it. Those that know her age may find it odd that she's singing about dancing in a club, but the track is awesome. The cover is a bit iffy. She looks overly photoshopped and I hate her auburn hair. I do like the font they used for her name. You can see it by the sound cloud track, I haven't managed to get my hands on an actual single cover copy yet. I really do hope this comeback will do better for her than Madonna's MDNA! I've always loved Cher over Madonna. I think it's because I feel that P!nk and Cher are a lot alike, making Cher instantly likeable. Though I prefer her 80's rock, I can't wait for the new album!

Overall, 7.5/10

Leak/Review: Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded The Re-Up

I have to say, I did not expect this to be good. It's a re-release of a massive, schizophrenic mosh pit of genres cram-packed into one small disc. I expected some lame tracks like Champion or Sex in the Lounge when she promised rap Nicki. However, she completely delivers and overrides my original thoughts. The snippets were a letdown...but let me tell you, this actually blew me away on certain tracks.

Track-by-Track Review
1. Up in Flames - Her rhymes are flawless and this song is hot. The woman singing in the chorus isn't that great, but this song is absolute fire. Amazing. 9/10
2. Freedom - This track is just okay. It really got my expectations low for The Re-Up. This track is boring like Champion. It's nice to listen to, but, even after multiple plays, I can't recite lyrics. It has no catchiness factor. 5/10
3. Hell Yeah (feat. Parker) - Eh, not totally feeling this one. It isn't something I'll frequent but it was decent for one or two listens. Parker is once again what holds the track back. 5/10
4. High School (feat. Lil Wayne) - This track is fun, but incredibly dirty. "Her p***y is like an oven, too hot to put my tongue in" is probably the most awkward thing Lil Wayne has ever uttered. I won't frequent this too much, but it is better than Freedom and Hell Yeah. 6/10
5. I'm Legit (feat. Ciara) - Okay, when I saw that The Re-Up has features by Ciara and Cassie, I really thought this was Nicki's charity gig for has-beens, but both women turn it out. This track is one of the best, dripping with independent female swag. I love it! 8/10
6. I Endorse These Strippers (feat. Tyga & Brinx) - I really thought I would hate this track. The snippet didn't do anything to change that feeling. The full track just blew my mind. It's so fierce, sexy, and amazing. Hands down the best track from The Re-Up. It's strikingly similar to I Luv Dem Strippers where she featured for 2 Chainz, but this track kills it. Her raps are flawless and intense. This will make its way to my year end Top 100, despite such a late entry. It'll rack up those cumulative plays in no time! 10/10
7. The Boys (feat. Cassie) - Originally, this made me think The Re-Up was going to be messy. I hated it. It seemed like 3 tracks edited together for a schizophrenic stop-go mess. Over time, Nicki's killer raps got the best of me and I fell in love with this song. I'm not totally here for Cassie's parts, but it isn't like it's wretched or anything. Plus, the video was totally cool. Definitely a highlight. 7/10
8. Va Va Voom  - Should I waste my time reviewing this again? I guess it makes sense to include it on The Re-Up since the re-release only includes the standard version of Roman Reloaded. However, they should have added Masquerade too because it's flawless. Va Va Voom's video really killed the song for me. Her videos have a notorious habit of going nowhere when they could have been amazing (i.e. Va Va Voom, Turn Me On, Right By My Side, etc.).  Since the original review, I've lost interest in this song so I'm going to dock it to a 7/10.

This album truly exceeded my expectations tremendously. Nicki proved she still has that flawless rapping queen that we knew from Pink Friday and her mixtapes left in her. The Re-Up complete makes up for the garbage tracks on the original (Gun Shot, Champion, Sex in the Lounge, etc.). The re-release could have honestly infused these tracks and dropped some of the old to make a completely perfect rap album. I love Nicki and Lil Kim, but I have to say Nicki has more rapping talent than Kim ever did....she just needs to showcase it more often. Her flow in Up in Flames and I Endorse These Strippers is sick in such an amazing way. I will be jamming on this. It totally overshadows Unapologetic. The album cover for The Re-Up completely showcases Mixtape Nicki too. She's absolutely gorgeous, I wish she'd stop trying so hard to be blonde. The cover is far far less messier than the original standard and deluxe covers. Keep killin' em, Nick.

Average Rating - 7.1/10

Artwork:

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Leak/Review: Rihanna - Unapologetic (Deluxe)

Rihanna's upcoming seventh studio album finally leaked yesterday. Being known for extremely early leaks, it comes as a shock that we had to wait so long to get a hold of it. It's all over the internet and I won't post links here.

Preface: So...where to begin with this review. Let me preface anything I'm going to say by saying that Rihanna used to be my #2 favorite. Rated R was amazingly fierce and completely original. Loud was an amazing follow-up and probably one of her most cohesive albums. Talk That Talk was fantastic musically, but the problems begin here. Her entire Talk That Talk era was a mess. She opens it with the biggest smash of her career, We Found Love. It looks like this could shoot her further to the top of pop. After We Found Love, she released You Da One (a terrible single choice) way too soon after and doomed it. From there, the single releases were all sloppy: Talk That Talk, Birthday Cake, and Cockiness. The only other real hit she pulled out of the era was Where Have You Been. I love the music on that album and it could have been an amazing success if she didn't just fall apart. Her personal life started to overpower her music with stupid, senseless decisions she was making, such as this constant need to cling to the drama surrounding her and Chris Brown. She acts like she needs that attention to continue her career. On top of that, she starts acting like a hot mess on Twitter with a bad attitude and drug paraphernalia pictures. Seriously? Plus the artwork for Talk That Talk was hideous and trashy. I feel like she rushes her albums way too fast. So that's where I stood by the time she wrapped up with that horrible Cockiness performance at the VMAs when she could have promoted Diamonds.

Unapologetic Review:
This album is a change of pace for Rihanna and I cannot necessarily say it is a good one. This album proved to me that Loud was probably her vocal peak. She could belt flawlessly on the track Complicated...but on tracks like What Now featured on Unapologetic, she falters on the longer notes. She seems to have a cluster of slow or midtempo songs that feature short, breathy notes which makes some of the songs seem off beat. I'll try not to point out any specifics in this general description and allow that in the track-by-track.

Once again, we find her doing another duet with Chris Brown. Here's that desperate cry for attention. Let it die. Please. This album is full of samples from Michael Jackson's The Way You Feel to Ginuwine's Pony to The Police's Message in a Bottle. Some tracks she delivers an 80s rock vibe to that I really found incredible production wise such as Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary.

On a positive note, it seems that Rihanna is growing up and aiming for a much more mature sound. I'll give credit where it is due. So, props to her for that. She is no longer that immature rebellious young woman who says dirty stuff just to prove she can. I'm thankful for her being able to knock that off. Madonna lived once, find your own path, Rih dear.

Track-by-Track Review:
1. Phresh Out the Runway  - This song gives some serious Talk That Talk vibes and had me concerned off the bat. The track contains a fun and fast pace beat but I felt as if she was trying too hard to be Nicki Minaj and get that urban smash. Her voice seems flat and nasally in it, not an attractive sound for Rih. Overall, it's still one of the better tracks. 6/10
2. Diamonds - I did not like this song right away. It seemed that she was trying to pull the diamond imagery from We Found Love to coin another smash. However, this is a beautiful song and a unique decision for lead. Upon hearing the whole album, I could not pick a more flawless lead single choice. I hope she gets that next #1 single with Diamonds. 10/10
3. Numb (feat. Eminem) - This song is so flat, terribly flat. I don't like her voice as deep as it seems in some of the songs on this album. This seems like she's trying to hard to fit in the urban crowd. Eminem is amazing and should have had a longer feature. His part is good, but I am getting sick of these two collaborating much like her and Chris. Overall, Eminem can't make up for Rihanna's lackluster performance. 4/10
4. Pour It Up  - This initially struck me as another flat, deep song that would annoy me when I heard the snippet. Once I had the full thing, I quickly found it one of the catchiest songs on the album. 7/10
5. Loveeeeeee Song (feat. Future) - I knew I would hate this song from the moment I read the obnoxious title and it totally lived up to my expectations. For once, Rihanna doesn't kill the song herself. Her parts are decent, but this Future guy is terrible...and the six extra E's on the title. No, just no. 4/10
6. Jump - This song better be a single at some point. The Ginuwine sample of Pony is simple fantastic. Mixing in some dubstep creates a twenty-first century club banger for the ages. So much fun. She'd be dumb to not release this....but then again her last era of single choices was treacherous. 9/10
7. Right Now (feat. David Guetta) - Add Guetta to Rihanna's lineup of usual suspects. The two pair up again to create what is sure to be a smash, although all too predictable, single choice. The beat goes hard and the song isn't half bad. 7/10
8. What Now - One of the better slow songs. It definitely had potential to be heart-wrenching if she didn't falter on the longer notes. They could have at least touched it up in the studio. The breakdown is what completely sold me to liking this song. 6/10
9. Stay (feat. Mikky Ekko) - I know I was complaining about her re-using features, but who is this guy? I really just can't get into this song. It's flat and boring from both parties. 5/10
10. Nobody's Business (feat. Chris Brown) - This guy again. BIG SIGH. The song's lyrical content is completely pleading for more drama. I have to say the 70s funky vibe to it is awesome, but Rih could use some English lessons. It's "nobody's business" not "nobudy biznih." Get Chris Brown's wand outta your mouth and speak clearly. The song could have been better if it featured someone else. 5/10
11. Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary- I don't get why she tied these two songs together really, but I like the Love Without Tragedy portion more than Mother Mary. Borrowing the track from The Police's Message in a Bottle, it has that 80s rock feel which makes it unique. One of the better tracks for sure. 7/10
12. Get It Over With - This is a decent song, but it seems too long. I read a comment somewhere where someone had said this would have served as a good interlude. Honestly, I feel that way too. It's flat and anti-climatic but has great lyrics. 6/10
13. No Love Allowed - While Man Down seemed like one of the worst tracks on Loud, this song is actually one of the better songs on Unapologetic. I guess it shines in comparison to its competition on this album. The chorus is great, but I never really have enjoyed the Island feel to these songs. 6/10
14. Lost in Paradise - This song is on the better half of the record. I feel that the DJ going "bass slap" in the dubstep breakdown kinda throws off the song, but it's cool at the same time. This has single potential. 7/10
15. Half of Me  - A fantastic ballad about the life of the rich and famous. I like it a lot, more than I expected. However, it comes off as a bit anti-climatic in the end. I love the verses. 8/10

Overall, this is potentially Rihanna's weakest album since 2006's Girl Like Me.  She is overusing the same collaborators as she has in the past couple of years. The album comes off as very subpar, like a rush job....oh wait, her albums are all rush jobs since Loud. She tries to cram a lot of the tracks into an urban mold. I don't know why she thinks that that's a good idea. I mean look at others who have tried it: Keri Hilson, Ciara, Keyshia Cole....you get the picture? In fact, Rihanna can't even pull it off as well as they did. The flat sound she puts off in those songs is unbecoming. I don't think I will frequent this album anytime soon or in the future in the way I do with Rated R and Loud. Talk That Talk was even more solid and cohesive than this...and that's not saying much. The only cohesion this puts off is that the majority of it is slow and boring. The album artwork is an absolute mess, with random words sloshed all over it, words that have no relation to the music for the most part.

Album average - 6.1/10

Album artwork

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Review: Christina Aguilera - Lotus (Deluxe)

The long anticipated return of Christina Aguilera is officially upon us. Rumors began circulating in mid-January about her comeback single being titled "Love Your Body." Turns out, rumors were almost correct when she unveiled her lead single "Your Body" in September. The single did anything but take off. With it's opening week sales, it saw its peak at #34 on the Billboard charts. From there it sunk on the charts. It only received mediocre reviews. Let's hope Lotus can live up to its name and endure these hard times. It is predicted to only sell 75k in its first week. Could these be the end times for Xtina?

Aside from the sales and airplay issues she's finding, the content of this album is actually great. The album is far more cohesive than Bionic was in 2010. A lot of the tracks are dismissible after a couple listens, but there are some that will surely become fan favorites for ages to come. Let's break down the track listing:
1. Lotus Intro - This intro really should have been considered a song, considering it has a run length of 3:17. It gets a bit repetitive, but I love the Lotus theme and imagery. All in all, it serves as a great intro, but is a bit unnecessarily long to be considered an intro. 7/10
2. Army of Me - Proclaimed as Fighter 2.0 by Christina herself, I had high hopes for this track and it definitely delivers. I love belting along to this track in the car and really can identify with it. Is it as good as Fighter? Hell no, but still a good song. 9/10
3. Red Hot Kinda Love - One of the dismissible tracks I referenced earlier. It's got a great beat and a real 80s pop feel. However, I feel the way she says "co-o-o-o-l" in the chorus kills the flow and breaks up the vibe. If she had done it in a smooth manner, this song could have been epic. Unfortunately, it comes across as simply mediocre. 5/10
4. Make the World Move (feat. Cee-Lo Green) - I did not anticipate liking this song at all. I have never been a fan of Cee-Lo Green. Thankfully, he doesn't have that big of a part. I love the message of this song and the overall feel of it. My favorite lines are "The time is now / No time to wait / Turn up the love / Turn down the hate." This song should definitely serve as a single. 9/10
5. Your Body - While I like this track, the first thing I have to say is what in the world was she thinking releasing this as the lead single? The song is good, but very reminiscent to me of Not Myself Tonight....and we see where that got Bionic. The video was cute, however, this album would be doing so much better if a different lead single had been chosen (and if she had promo-ed more). Overall, 6/10
6. Let There Be Love - The ideal choice for the second single. It's a good song that showcases her vocals, but not one of my favorites. The reason it should be the second single is that it is enough of the generic pop-dance garbage that the radio is eating alive right now. It would get her name back out there and rack up the airplay. 7/10
7. Sing for Me - I was absolutely FLOORED by this song. It brought me to tears on the first listen. This is the Xtina I know and love. Her vocals are killer and totally flawless. You cannot miss this one! 10/10
8. Blank Page - A nice ballad but has some issues. I feel there is no flow or rhythm to it. The lyrics are great and so are Xtina's vocals...as usual. I just can't get into this song, but I respect it. 6/10
9. Cease Fire - When the snippets came out, I thought this would be one of my favorites, but now that I hear the full thing, it feels so forced. She seems to struggle to make the lyrics fit to the beat and the track itself falls flat. 4/10
10. All Around the World - I like this song and it definitely has a chance to smash the club. As much as I want to not like it because it feels generic, I catch myself jamming to it in the car. So, I have to give props where they are do. This falls a lot into the vein of Let There Be Love. 6/10
11. Circles - If you cannot get into this song, someone has obviously never pissed you off. This is an anthem to certain people in my life. I love how different the sound of it is too. The filter on her voice in the chorus does remind me of the Speak-era Lindsay Lohan in songs like Anything But Me. It's probably the most catchy song on the album. 8/10
12. Best of Me  - I like this track a lot for its lyrical content. However, as an English teacher, I have a problem with the line "you won't get the best of me no more." Every time I hear it, I mentally correct it to "anymore." I don't find myself listening to it all too much. It's a nice ballad but has nothing on Sing for Me. 6/10
13. Just a Fool (feat. Blake Shelton) - I would have loved for her to collaborate with someone who isn't on The Voice. It's tacky to only feature the two judges she hadn't previously worked with. However, this song delivers. It could easily become a country smash. 7/10
14. Light Up the Sky - A decent anthem and I respect the effort....but, by this point in the album, she's gone over the same thing at least three times. This one is a little flat. 5/10
15. Empty Words - There are no words for this song other than FLAWLESS. I am in love. Easily my second favorite on the album. I can't even point out the best parts of the song. The lyrics are phenomenal. Check this out! 10/10
16. Shut Up - It's campy, but, after some time, can grow to be amusing. I would have preferred they didn't do a tacky censor job on it. Maybe that was the point to make it campy. It's not like the album wasn't already explicit because of Circles though..... 5/10

I would like to personally thank Christina for leaving off the million little interludes she normally utilizes. The album is empowering and probably Christina's second best album, only second to Stripped. Make sure to check it out!

Overall average - 6.5/10

 

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