So here's the great pop album everybody was hoping Adam Lambert would make, ever since he ran wild on American Idol three years ago. It wasn't just Glambert's dynamite-with-a-laser-beam voice that got him into our national knickers:
Before you buy, let us try!
So here's the great pop album everybody was hoping Adam Lambert would make, ever since he ran wild on American Idol three years ago. It wasn't just Glambert's dynamite-with-a-laser-beam voice that got him into our national knickers:
What’s most surprising about Paul McCartney’s new LP is not that it’s full of pre-rock pop standards, but that it took him so long to get around to this kind of project. He was the son of a jazz band leader who turned the future Beatle on to songs like 1933’s "It’s Only a Paper Moon," among the tunes covered here. McCartney’s writing always had old-school flavor: "WhenI’m Sixty-Four" and "Martha My Dear" evoked vaudeville; "Yesterday" echoed Nat "King" Cole’s style. Like Rock 'n' Roll, John Lennon’s 1975 album of primal rock gems, Kisses on the Bottom is the sound of a musician joyfully tapping his roots; and like his former song writing partner, McCartney is better transforming influences than mirroring them. But it’s fun, and touching, to hear him crooning his way through the great American songbook.
McCartney clearly loves the sentimentality these tunes thrive on. "More I Cannot Wish You," from the 1950 musical Guys and Dolls, is wrapped in a lush orchestral arrangement by Sinatra vet Johnny Mandel, and McCartney sinks into it with the avuncular warmth that flickered through "Let It Be." On Fats Waller’s "My Very Good Friend the Milkman," McCartney invokes a lost world where lovers courted via postal service, singing in a sugared half-whisper. As the title suggests – a cheeky pun from "I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter," another Waller cover – McCartney also revels in the lyrical wit."We three/We’re not a crowd/We’re not even company," hesings on "We Three (My Echo,My Shadow, and Me)," a hit for the proto-doo-wop vocal group the Ink Spots. Context also adds humor: See the 1926 standard "Bye Bye Blackbird," which always vied with McCartney’s "Blackbird" for the species theme song.
Remarkably, aside from some acoustic guitar, Macca doesn’t touch an instrument. The ensemble is led by Diana Krall, a jazz-pop pianist who now has a track record of wooing British rockers – like Elvis Costello, her husband. With some A-list jazzbos (including drummer Karriem Riggins), the group complements McCartney’s playfulness while trying to steer clear of corn. Krall’s cozy swing animates "It’s Only a Paper Moon," and even "The Inch Worm" is rescued from the kindergarten curriculum. Cameos imprint the two McCartney originals, which hold their own. "My Valentine" recalls Cole’s take on "My Funny Valentine" and features supple acoustic guitar by Eric Clapton. The slow dance "Only Our Hearts" is brightened by a Stevie Wonder harmonica solo.
There’s an irony here: The Beatles played a big role in permanently confining this style of pop to the margins. And if McCartney doesn’t bring much beyond his beloved timbre to these melodies, there’s a lovely honesty to the set, which reads in part as a love letter to Nancy Shevell, the new Mrs. McCartney. One imagines, had things played out differently, her hook loving husband might have wound up doing just this: happily playing standards, with miles of charm, for whomever turned up at the pub.
*****
Rolling Stone
Macy Gray is going the interpretive route for her next album, covering songs by the likes of Kanye West, Metallica and Radiohead.
Teen solo artist IU has started the new year in exactly the same way she closed out 2011: On top of the world and the charts. Her recently released single, "You and I," has been perched atop the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 chart for five consecutive weeks and running.
This is quite a feat considering that the highly digital nature of the Korean music market makes for very short stays at the No. 1 spot (the previous record was Davichi's three-week stint).
Reminiscent of British born singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae, IU's angelic voice and cute girl-next-door charm combined with vocal abilities on par with much more experienced artists gives IU a unique appeal that has helped her secure a more age-diverse following. "You and I" is a bubbly tune depicting a girl daydreaming about the various stages of her future life with her lover. The usage of harps, horns, and other unique instruments coupled with IU's crystal-clear voice has the ability to take the listener flying through IU's romantic fantasy world.
To start 2012, we have decided to look back at three other artists who have achieved chart greatness by scoring the No. 1 rank for consecutive weeks in a row.
Two Weeks: T-ara's "Cry Cry"
The seven young ladies of T-ara can look back on their successful 2011 and smile as they've recently enjoyed skyrocketing popularity in Japan with the Japanese version of their hit "Bo Peep Bo Peep." In addition, one of their latest Korean singles "Cry Cry" achieved the top seat in the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100 chart for the weeks of Dec. 3rd and 10th. This song marks a departure of T-ara from its normal cutesy, bubble gum tunes and the group's exploration into a more mature and sexy sound and look. In this Britney Spears-esque track, the girls sing about the tear-inducing heartbreak caused by a runaway lover.
Two Weeks: Hugak's "Hello"
A common stereotype in the music industry is that reality TV winners are often all hype and rarely achieve real success after their time in the audition show spotlight fades. The Korean music industry is no exception, but Hugak, the winner of the second season of "Superstar K" exceeded all expectations when his debut single and soulful ballad, "Hello," immediately snatched the No. 1 slot upon its debut-- beating out some of the hottest girl groups including Kara and Brown Eyed Girls. Hugak was able to maintain the #1 ranking for two consecutive weeks (week of Oct. 8 and 15) and all of his preceding singles have also been met with great success.
Three Weeks: Davichi's "Don't Say Goodbye"
Davichi's Heri Lee and Minkyung Kim are known as one of the most vocally skilled duos in the K-pop industry and the success of their second album "Love Delight" and title track "Don't Say Goodbye" is proof of that. "Don't Say Goodbye" is a medium-tempo pop ballad accompanied by strings and piano, which paints a picture of a woman lamenting the imminent breakup with her lover. When asked about the success of this track, the two women commented, "We tried to create a love song that could be enjoyed by listeners of all ages, not just youngsters. We believe the lyrics and melody have the power to bring back painful but cherished memories of past loves." Davichi sure did achieve its goal of creating a song that can be enjoyed by a wide spectrum of listeners as the single spent three consecutive weeks (Sept. 17, 24 and Oct. 1) at No. 1.
Three years is not a particularly long period of time, but for a marquee hip-hop artist like Young Jeezy, it's an eternity. The last time Young Jeezy put out an album -- in 2008, when he released "The Recession" -- Barack Obama had yet to be elected, and the actual recession was only starting to take hold on the U.S. economy. Jeezy put both of those top-line news stories to good use on "The Recession," an underrated departure from his "Thug Motivation" series that saw the Atlanta superstar lament the lack of jobs in the U.S. before toasting Obama's imminent election on the stellar single, "My President."
"Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition" hits shelves after months of non-starter singles and album delays; with a final release date of Dec. 20, the album may be arriving too late to make an impact on many Christmas wish lists. Still, "TM103" finds Jeezy clearly reinvigorated, and ready to redefine the hard-hitting sound that he rode to prominence in 2005. The album features a strong mix of solo cuts ("Nothing," "What I Do (Just Like That") and guest stars ( Jay-Z and Andre 3000 on "I Do," Jill Scott on "Trapped") that's reminiscent of Jeezy's debut, "Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101." Yet the rapper has subtly improved his wordplay and expanded his thematic reach, while sticking to his specialties of inspiring the masses and flipping off detractors. "I betcha feel like the whole world hatin' on you/But what's the holdup? The whole world waiting on you," Jeezy tells himself on "F.A.M.E.," the album's best cut.
"TM103" may not be as consistently entertaining as Jeezy's earlier work, but the man hasn't lost a step, either. Let's just hope that "TM104" doesn't take as long to see the light of day.
Which songs on Young Jeezy's "Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition" are among his best work? Here's our Twitter-length track-by-track review.
1. "Waiting"
Jeezy opens "TM:103" by stating the obvious to the blocks and blogs, they've been "waiting on 103."
2. "What I Do (Just LIke That)"
Jeezy gives us a play-by-play track of his day to day on the trippy Drumma Boy-produced track.
3. "OJ" feat. Fabolous and Jadakiss
Young correlates the clearance of street hustling with O.J. Simpson' s relieve of charge. Two NY finests join in on the wordplay.
4. "Nothing"
"Nothing" is a direct message to the haters: Jeezy made himself into something.
5. "Way Too Gone" feat. Future
Jeezy boasts his champagne living has him gone, over Mike Will outerspace soundscapes.
6. "Supafreak" feat. 2 Chainz
An austere banger in the vein of "Recession's" "By The Way," but 2 Chainz sounds out of place.
7. "All We Do"
"All we do is smoke and fuck, smoke and fuck," Jeezy rasps, quickly explaining why "TM103" took so long to finish.
8. "Leave You Alone" feat. Ne-Yo
Piano loops, subtle synths and classiness courtesy of Ne-Yo make this a winner.
9. "Everythang"
Vivid descriptions of Jeezy's hustling days are offset by a celebratory but forgettable hook.
10. "Trapped" feat. Jill Scott
Ms. Scott and Jeezy spar over J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League's opulent production, and an unexpected collaboration pays dividends.
11. "F.A.M.E." feat. T.I.
Stunning single features upfront introspection from two Atlanta heavyweights, but the beat seals the deal.
12. "I Do" feat. Jay-Z and Andre 3000
"International Player's Anthem," four years later. Jeezy combs the crowd for a bride, while Hov and Three-Stacks toast l-o-v-e.
13. "Higher Learning" feat. Snoop Dogg, Devin The Dude and Mitchelle'l
Shockingly, a song called "Higher Learning" with Snoop Dogg is about weed. Soulful paean to that green is a serviceable posse cut.
14. "This One's For You" feat. Trick Daddy
Young salutes his fans, while Trick Daddy returns and bemoans young dudes wearing "tight shirts and skinnies."