If history has taught us anything, it's that death is one of the best things can ever happen to your career. Elvis, John Lennon, Tu-pac, Aaliyah - all artists who have gone on to become big sellers (in some cases, bigger earners than in life) from beyond the grave.
So yesterday's announcement by Michael Jackson's former manager that a ten track CD of never before heard Jackson recordings will be released this November, was hardly unexpected. The release and success of 'This Is It' in cinemas and on DVD and CD have already proved that MJ is still a massive global brand ripe for the exploiting so an announcement of more music has been eagerly anticipated by fans.
It's safe to say this new music will not be the last we hear of Michael Jackson in the coming years. Drip feeding us only ten tracks certainly suggests there is much more to come - especially as there are rumours of more than one hundred unheard Jackson songs.
I'm interested to see how Sony decide to promote the project and what the songs themselves are like, hopefully they will genuinely be 'new' recordings and not a bunch of tracks left on the cutting room floor from previous MJ albums.
After a two years hiatus, Robyn has returned with the first of three albums to be released this year, 'Body Talk Part 1'. The brilliant lead single 'Dancing On My Own' found the singer in familiar territory to her breakthrough hit 'With Every Heartbeat'; an electro-dance pop beat with melancholic lyrics lamenting love lost and vowing to carry on. Whilst her previous eponymously titled album was full of hits, so far the 'Body Talk' series has yet to really impress. That said the 7-track CD is not without it's charm, with the exception of the lead single, the track 'Cry When You Get Older' is 80's hip-pop heaven - something Robyn is very good at.
However one of the stand-out tracks is the closing number 'The Girl and the Robot'. Not really a new track, it first featured as a single from the band Röyksopp in 2009 with Robyn's vocals and gained wide spread critical kudos in Europe before being included on Robyn's own album. Described as "a demented choral, electronical masterpiece", 'Robot' finds Robyn in full-on obsessive bunny-boiler mode with lyrics set to a back drop of haunting sounds and back-up vocals. Even for an artist as experminetal and unique as Robyn, the track is "out-there".
Let's hope that as the 'Body Talk' series continues it will continue to provide more of the same. Check out 'The Girl and the Robot' below.
He doesn't look too happy about 'it' on the latest cover of 'Ultimate Comics' by Marvel. In all seriousness though, well done to Marvel for bringing themselves in to 2010.
To your left is the front cover of the latest manifesto of hate book by the future president of America Sarah Palin. Needless to say, there won't be a book review of it here.
This is the first promotional poster for Britney Spears' latest fragrance 'Radiance'.
Whilst the bottle isn't actually as terrible as you first think it is, the image of Spears only continues to look more bizarre. I mean is that even her body? It looks like her (heavily retouched) face of nowadays has been added to her body of circa 2001. It's certainly not the body of the more curvy Britney of recent years.
Plus what's with the hair? It looks like liquorice. That said, it does look better than it does 99% of the time.
The young girl to your left is not, as you may rightly assume, a young Rihanna - she's actually the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith and her name is Willow Smith (eyes roll).
The nine-year-old girls's own stylist (which in itself is just wrong) says that she's "very involved" in her own style and "rebellious". "Rebellious". At nine-years-old? Good luck Will and Jada - by the time she gets to her teens can you imagine what a spoilt nightmare Willow is going to be? And they only have themselves to blame.
There's nothing wrong with little Smith dressing how she wants - playing dress-up (which is essentially what this faux-Rihanna look is) and being creative should be encouraged at any age. I just worry that already having a stylist and being tabloid fodder will do her no favours later in life.
Expect Willow to have an agent by ten. (That's if she doesn't already).
Well it has - they've actually made a film called 'Titanic 2' - available in your local DVD bargain bin soon. Of course it has nothing to do with or stars any of the same people in the iconic DiCaprio/Winslet version. If you fancy a good laugh, watch the trailer below.
A contender for worst film of the year so far perhaps?
The photo to your left was taken last year at the 'World Beard and Moustache Championship' in Alaska, but it's the hat, not the facial hair that is the real eye-catcher.
....then the video below will blow your mind all over again. Something so well hidden, yet completely in plain sight through-out the film. The question is though - how is it played over THAT final scene?
The pictures above of Paris Hilton on holiday in Italy this weekend, bring a few adjectives to mind (desperate, attention-seeking etc.) but non more so than opportunist. What with Lindsay Lohan currently in jail and Britney and Nicole embracing their roles as mothers in recent years, there is once again an opening in the pretty girl being drunk niche - a position Paris is more than willing to fill. Topless pic? check. Nazi salute pic? check. Quintessential lady garden pic? of course, check.
I'm not quite sure when it was, but Hilton lost what little cultural significance she had a long time ago and photos like the ones above only reinforce what desperate lengths she has to go to extend her fifteen minutes of fame just that little bit longer. Part of me only wants Lindsay Lohan to have a comeback in movies, purely to drive home further the fact that Hilton, unlike Lohan and Ritchie, is the party girl with no talent or personality. Here's hoping this is the last time we'll have to see her body parts.
Following a break last week and not straying too far from previous ‘Underrated’ posts, this week’s post centres on another album by a female musician – Kylie Minogue’s 2007 CD ‘X’.
There were high hopes for Kylie Minogue’s tenth studio album before its release; it had been preceded by an almost decade-long comeback, which had seen Minogue score some of the biggest hits of her career, including ‘Spinning Around’ and ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’. It would also be her first album since she had been forced to take a career break, having been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. Fans and critics alike were curious to see how the events of the previous two years would have impacted Kylie’s sound and creativity. The result left many scratching their heads.
Following the completion of her ‘Showgirl’ tour at the end of 2006(which had been postponed following the cancer diagnosis), Kylie focused all her attention on the new album, to be called ‘X’. A title either in relation to the disc being Minogue’s tenth album (X is 10 in Roman Numerals) or in reference to fans referring to the new album as ‘Album X’ in online forums prior to its confirmation, depending on who you believe. Producers of the day including Calvin Harris, Freemasons and Boodyshy & Avant were brought in to create a new sound for Kylie – a sound that divided fans and many felt was ‘unauthentic’.
‘X’ is not a bad album; in fact when it’s at its best ‘X’ is some of the most exciting music of Kylie’s career. It is however by no means perfect - there is no clear direction in either its theme or sound, not mention there are some incredibly boring and even annoying moments (See ‘Sensitized’). That said, the lack of a clear direction does make ‘X’ a dramatic and interesting listen for music fans, but alienated much of the hardcore Kylie fans who felt she was trying to be everything but the person they wanted her to be: Kylie Minogue.
Many fans had hoped in the wake of her cancer battle, that pop’s eternal pixie princess would have come of age and begin to reveal herself as a multi-layered, credible ‘artist’, in the same way Madonna had a decade earlier with ‘Ray of Light’. Instead, ‘X’ focuses on familiar Kylie themes of falling in love and dancing, set to an array of futuristic electro and r’n’b influenced sounds, with - crucially - almost no mention or reference to the big C. As a result, ‘X’ has become to Kylie fans what ‘Hard Candy’ is to Madonna fans; something they’d rather pretend didn’t happen.
Unlike ‘Hard Candy’, ‘X’ really does include some of the best tracks Kylie has made in recent years. Songs such as ‘Like a Drug’ and ‘Speakerphone’ that criminally didn’t receive single treatment are electro dance-pop heaven and find Minogue for the first time sounding authentically sexual. The widely panned (and reviled by fans) lead single ‘2 Hearts’ is a great addition to the album taken in context of the experimental nature of ‘X’. Second single ‘Wow’ is great radio-heaven pop-fodder and the brilliant Calvin Harris produced ‘In My Arms’, was paired with the only decent music video to come out of the ‘X’ era – futuristic high-fashion - trademark Kylie, and no one else does it quite as well. ‘The One’ produced by Freemasons is a gorgeous euro-pop arrangement and probably the best track on the album (especially in its remixed form), however by the time it was released as a single many Minogue fans and the public had already moved on from the project.
It’s telling that Kylie has decided to work with Stuart Price on her latest disc ‘Aphrodite’ – the man behind Madonna’s ‘Confessions on a Dance Floor’ which reconnected her with her fans after the disappointing sales of ‘American Life’. Kylie is clearly hoping that he will work that same magic for her, following the strong backlash from ‘X’ by her fans. And while ‘Aphrodite’ is a quintessential Kylie album, ‘X’ is a much more accessible album for the casual Kylie listener and pop music fan. Although it’s not life changing or introspective in any way, shape or form, perhaps ‘X’ is the most honest Minogue has ever been with her audience? The message seems to be that she doesn’t want to dwell on the sad times or for you to know the real Kylie Minogue; she just wants to make you dance. Well if the result is 'X', then that’s fine by me.
To view previous articles in our Underrated series, click here. Otherwise,enjoy 'Like a Drug', below.
I know I've alluded to my mild dislike of Katy Perry in the past, however this has never had anything to do with her music. It's more to do with the way she promotes herself - I don't really buy the whole 'wink wink nudge nudge' aspect of her out of place ridiculously sexualized image (see the 'California Gurls' video) - and the way she comes across in interviews has always seemed a bit.... dense. I'm also not a fan of the way she used and then dropped the gay community during much of the promotion for her first album 'One of the Boys'.
As I said though; her music (specifically her singles) is usually top quality pop music and new single 'Teenage Dream' is no exception. The title track from her forthcoming second album is a delicious mix of radio friendly 80's guitar riffs and pop hooks about the joys of falling in love - it's almost guaranteed to put a smile on your face. In fact, 'Teenage Dream' and previous single 'California Gurls' have lead me to believe that Perry's new disc may well be THE pop album of 2010. We shall see when it's released next month, but until then enjoy 'Teenage Dream' below.
Yesterday the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) forced an American teenager's local school district to award her $35,000 (£22,000) in damages following her school's decision to ban her bringing a female date to her prom, and enforcing a rule that only male students could wear a tuxedo to the event in Fulton, Itawamba.
For those unfamiliar to the story, Constance McMillen (who was barely 17 at the time) was intending to attend every school students right of passage - her high school prom. The problem came when McMillen, an openly gay young woman, made it clear her intentions were to bring another female student as her date and wear a tuxedo; news got back to the school board who subsequently barred any student from bringing a date of the same gender and any female student from wearing a tux. When Constance (rightfully) made a fuss about the issue, the school district decided to cancel the prom; turning the poor girl in to enemy number one amongst her fellow students. However at the time, the ACLU stepped in and demanded the event be reinstated, which it was.
Then, as if she hadn't been through enough, the school secretly and unbeknownst to McMillan, held two separate proms on the same night. Of course all the 'normal' students got to attend the main event, whilst Constance and ten other 'undesirable' students were taken to a different location - segregated from the other students like they were carrying the plague. Naturally, she knew what had happened as soon as she turned up and once again the ACLU stepped in and took the school district to court, resulting in yesterday's monetary settlement.
I really can't imagine anything more degrading and offensive to put a teenage girl through; whoever made these series of ridiculous and extremely offensive decisions needs to be fired. All she wanted to do was dress how she wanted and bring the person she wanted to her special night, yet somehow by just being herself and living her life the way she wanted, others who should have known better turned it in to something terrible. Thank goodness I live in a country and went to a school where I could be who I wanted and only had to deal with the narrow point of view of other students, not of the people there to protect us.
Following the fan-made Lady GaGa Barbie dolls we featured last week, some company in Asia have decided to start manufacturing these completely amazing unofficial GaGa 'nesting' dolls.
I'm slightly disappointed at the lack of hair bow....
I'm counting down the weeks until Minaj releases her as-yet-untitled debut album, until then enjoy her latest solo music video for the so-so track 'Your Love'.
The 2011 edition of the Guinness book of Records has certified pop icon Madonna as the biggest selling female artist ever, with 200 million records sold worldwide and another 75 million sold in the US.
It's hardly a shock - there is nobody alive in the entertainment industry today who works harder than Madonna. Her influence both musically and culturally is far reaching; from Lady GaGa's music and videos to her own charity work in Malawi, even after nearly 30 years since she débuted her first single 'Everybody' to the world, Madonna is still at the top of her game. And she's not slowing down. This summer she begins shooting her first motion picture 'W.E.' across Europe and New York and is rumoured to be releasing her 12th studio album at the end of 2010.
To your left is the front cover for the US version of JLS's début album. The amount of make-up, plucking, waxing, preening and photoshoping all make this photo a true piece of art.
Expect the music to be as fake, generic and lifeless as the cover.
Earlier today actress celebrity Lindsay Lohan entered in to a 90 day jail sentence due to violation of the terms of her probation following a DUI conviction in 2008.
As she entered the courthouse, a fan in the crowd of paparazzi threw glitter over Lohan. There's something slightly poignant about this picture that I just can't put my finger on - she's certainly not looked this glamorous for a long time.
One of the most anticipated films of 2010, 'Inception' lives up to the hype; delivering jaw dropping special effects, a complex, gripping and practically flawless storyline as well as multi-layered, well thought-out characters. Leonardo DiCaprio continues to prove he is one of the best actors of his generation, although his character's back-story in 'Inception' is very similar to that of his character in 'Shutter Island'. Other notable performances were from Ellen Page, who has never actually been in a bad film and Joseph Gordon-Levitt who finally gets to display what a great actor he is in a mass-appeal feature.
There really aren't many flaws in 'Inception' apart from one or two not-very-noticeable holes in the plot and the fact the technology used by the characters to enter the dreams is never properly explained - which, with the already complex plot, is probably a good thing. The storyline is nowhere near as hard to understand as some would have you believe, but it will have you trying to fully understand it after leaving the cinema (and I'm sure this is the intention of the films creators).
In case you hadn't guessed, I couldn't recommend 'Inception' enough. Even if you're not up for watching a film you have to think about, 'Inception' is worth watching for the special effects and cinematography alone - it is a stunningly beautiful film as well as superbly written and acted. Even if I was in to such things, I'd give it five stars, but I'm not so I won't. Just go see it!
And just like that - Miley Cyrus goes from tween starlet to full-on proper pop artist.
The daughter of Billy Ray has broken free of the squeaky clean Disney-friendly image established by her starring role in 'Hannah Montana', with her third album 'Can't be Tamed'. It's the obvious next step in the life of a pop princess; build up a clean virginal image, then take off most of your clothes and sing about more 'mature' subjects (see Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera etc.) The decent dance-pop lead title single and it's accompanying video ruffled quite a few feathers with it's Britney-esque 'provocative' outfits and sexy dance-routines, setting the tone that carries on through 'Can't be Tamed' of breaking free and rebelion. Well, as rebellious as Cyrus can be - she is, after all, still signed to Disney owned record label Hollywood Records and has one last series of 'Hannah Montana' to film.
Today's track is one of the only exceptions to that theme; the rock-pop ballad 'Take Me Along'. It's 'Don't Stop Believing'-like intro and emotional delivery make it Miley's most mature effort to date. With lyrics expressing the confusion and hurt of a love lost, it's likely to appeal to her core audience and if it receives single treatment it may be the breakthrough single Cyrus has yet to really have. Enjoy the track below.
After a two year hiatus from touring and recording, controversial singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse has announced that her third studio album will be released in the coming months. She told the Metro newspaper that "the album will be six months at most. It's going to be very much the same as my second album" which is good news for Winehouse fans who've had to wait five years since the release of her mega-selling breakthrough album 'Back to Black' - which has gone on to become an all-time classic and garnered Winehouse critical acclaim and multiple awards around the world.
That album also began a downward spiral for Amy, who by all accounts has succumb to all the trappings of fame; a failed marriage, drug and alcohol abuse as well as rumoured eating disorders and self harming. She couldn't even go to the Grammys in 2008 to collect her 5 awards as her US visa was denied following charges of cannabis possession in the UK. Winehouse suffered more embarrassment that year when she was caught smoking crack on video tape which was sold to a national newspaper.
Amy and her record label will be hoping a third album will erase memories of any previous bad publicity and re-establish her as a major recording artist, but can she top the amazing 'Back to Black? Hits like 'Rehab' 'You Know I'm No Good' and 'Love is a Losing Game' have defined Winehouse's career and set in motion a major change within the music industry towards that style of music. With hit-maker Mark Ronson on board, things do look hopeful for the project, but it remains to be seen whether it will live up to its predecessor or be a sad attempt to mimic that albums success.
My heart skipped a beat when I found these Lady GaGa dolls online and realised I didn't own one. It turns out they're actually (very well done) fan-made reincarnations of some of GaGa's most recognisable looks.
On a side note; can you imagine such a world?
Little Emily puts at the top of her Christmas list:
1. Lady GaGa doll (the one with the cigarette sunglasses, not the latex nun outfit)
I know it's not really pop culture, but living in the UK it's been hard to avoid the subject of Raoul Moat, the ex-prisoner who shot his ex-girlfriend, killed her partner and shot a police officer.
We know it all ended with Moat shooting himself, having spent the best part of a week on the run from Police and it is of course, a horrendous series of crimes. And yes, the Facebook/crime scene tributes to the psychopathic killer are at best, disgustingly distasteful - however what no one seems to be discussing is the handleing of the whole thing by the media.
Having only caught moments of the 24hour news coverage revolving around the story, it became clear that some broadcasters had caught cabin fever and had begun talking about Moat as if he were 'John Everyman', standing up for what he believed in and 'doing it for the little guy'. It really had to be seen to be believed.
Not to mention in the aftermath, the whole lynch-mob mentality where news channels and newspapers (specifically the one's run by Rupert Murdoch) have turned anyone associated with the story - Moat's brother (who ridiculously described the way Raoul died as "a public execution"), the 21-year-old girl who set up the first Facebook tribute page and Paul Gascoigne - in to a minor celebrity. All the while there's Moat's ex girlfriend recovering in hospital from her injuries, the family of her partner mourning the loss of their son/brother/friend and the police officer who is permanently blind as a result of being shot by Moat.
What we have all been witness to over the last three weeks is British media at it's absolute worse. I really hope that the families and friends involved are allowed to grieve in privacy once this is all over (and they've all sold their stories to a Sunday tabloid), rather than go through the ordeal of the media spinning this story out of all proportion for the rest of their lives.
The billboard above has caused a certain amount of controversy over in Canada, enough in fact it get it banned. The PETA made ad, which features 90's icon Pamela Anderson in a bikini with her body parts labelled like a piece of meat in a butchers has been labelled by Montreal officials as 'sexist'. However PETA, who made the ad deny it is sexist and have said, if anything, the propaganda poster is 'sexy'.
I have to say, I side with PETA on this one. It seems that the Canadian officials either don't 'get' the irony in the poster, don't want to aggravate the meat industry (which is a whole other issue for another time) or worse, are paranoid about authorising anything that may possibly offend anyone. Firstly, Pamela has been running around in nothing more than a swim suit for the best part of two decades now, so the notion it's at all shocking to see her half naked is ridiculous. Secondly, the intention of the advert is quite obvious and clever which isn't something you can always say about PETA's methods (red paint and cat walk shows come to mind). I do understand how the picture itself can be misinterpreted as sexist - reducing women to body parts, like a piece of meat - but that's half the irony in it.
Anderson, who is Canadian-born, released a statement following the ban stating "In a city that is known for its exotic dancing and for being progressive and edgy, how sad that a woman would be banned from using her own body in a political protest over the suffering of cows and chickens," - she has a point. I like to think censorship in almost all forms is wrong and when (as Pamela said) the intentions are political, you do have to wonder why such a advertisement would be banned. That said, if only someone would have taken down those hideous and offensive David Cameron billboards in May the world would be a much better place.....
Above is the trailer for the film 'The Social Network', about the true story of the creators of social networking site Facebook. It looks pretty promising until you see Justin Timberlake and his white boy afro are in it..... this could go either way.
Recently, Scottish-born actor John Barrowman has expressed a wish to appear in hit show 'Glee'. Barrowman has even claimed to have met with the show's casting people and suggested he'd be good at playing one of lead character Rachel's dads.
Ryan Murphy, if you're out there, please do not let this happen. I have nothing against Barrowman specifically, but with the amount of rumoured guest stars in the upcoming series, 'Glee' is in risk of ruining what made it so great in the first place - the multi-layered and well written main characters. From the Glee kids themselves and their mentor Will Schuster to Jayne Lynche's deliciously evil Sue Sylvester and guidance counsellor Emma - these are the characters that make the show so great, not the guest stars.
Here's hoping Murphy realises that before 'Glee' goes the way of 'Will & Grace' before it - all showbiz and no substance.
The video for Christina Aguilera's next single 'You Lost Me' from her latest album 'Bionic' will premier on MuchMusic.com next Tuesday 20th July. By the looks of things, Christina has stuck with what she knows best for the video, which is show casing her greatest asset - her voice. Gone are the whips, chains and ball gags from much of the promotion for 'Bionic' and lead single 'Not Myself Tonight', distractions which have hindered the sales of the LP and led to many copycat accusations from critics. With the release of 'You Lost Me' Aguilera and her people will be trying to silence such criticisms and possible get the album campaign back on track.
The video supposedly takes place in a single room where Christina and her 'lover' are trapped as they are slowly engulfed by flames and ash - it's a strong image and one that perfectly suits the feeling of the song, which is one of the best from 'Bionic'. Aguilera's overall appearance is softer in the video, one she will be hoping translates well with her target audience of young women, rather than alienate them with her out of place and over the top sexually aggressive imagery in 'Not Myself Tonight'. More 'Beautiful' than 'Dirrty'.
It remains to be seen if the single and video for 'You Lost Me' turn the fortune's of 'Bionic' and the current state of Aguilera's career around. She may have established herself as a great talent with longevity previously, but this current incarnation has not done her any favours. Perhaps, even if things don't turn around with 'You Lost Me', with the release of her first feature film 'Burlesque' at the end of the year, Christina can re-establish herself as a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry.
Below is the trailer for latest film "from the mind of" M. Night Shyamalan, "Devil". Let's hope, unlike his most recent work, the movie is as good as it looks.
In a bid to remain relevant, Robbie Willaims is preparing the release of another greatest hits package, called "In and Out of Conciousness: 1990-2010" it will include two new tracks written by *wait for it*.... Gary Barlow - in fact the first single 'Shame' is even a duet between Williams and Barlow. Yawn.
The video for the track has already been shot and features the two men dressed as the main characters from 'Brokeback Mountain' a film about two male cowboys who fall in love. So once again Robbie, who as far as I can recall has never spoken vocally about any gay rights issues or donated anything ever to any gay charity, is using the gay community (and the idea that he might just be gay himself) for his own gain. I find that whole shtick quite offensive really.
This and the fact that he's not made anything good since his last greatest hits in 2004 means I won't be buying it, but I expect the project to become totally unavoidable come October when the album is released.
Female rapper Lil Kim applying what we can only assume is her foundation at a photo op to celebrate her '34th' birthday. Ronald McDonald must be proud....
Today's 'Song of the Moment' is a new track from Kelis' latest album 'Flesh Tone' - the Benny Benassi produced 'Brave'.
The track begins with Kelis saying goodbye to an old lover over the top of an electronic sound that creeps up on you before exploding in to a powerful thumping electro baseline that is instantly recognisable as a Benassi production and perfectly suits the raw soulful sound of Kelis' vocals. It's dance floor and radio ready perfection, the lyrics are adult and sophisticated with various metaphors of bravery, not to mention a chorus full of hooks.
In general terms, Kelis is amazing and her new album is her best release since 2003's 'Tasty' which featured the monster hit 'Milkshake'. 'Flesh Tone' is somewhat of a reinvention for Kelis; gone are the R'n'B and hip-hip influences of her earlier work and in their place are 21st century electro-dance influences, supplied by the likes of David Guetta, Jean Baptiste and Benassi. 'Brave' along with the singles 'Acapella' and '4th of July' is one of the highlights of the album and the campaign to get it released as a single starts here! Check the song out below.
Rumour has it that pop superstar Britney Spears is preparing the release of her 7th studio album towards the end of 2010 and we could be hearing a single as early as the end of August.
This pop music fans, is brilliant news. Following on from the release of her last studio album, the pop-tastic 'Circus' in 2008, which is widely considered to be Spears' comeback disc, this new record has been widely reported to resemble the dance-pop urban sound of 2007's 'Blackout' (see our review of that album here). Britney - in a post GaGa world - needs to reassert her place at the top of the pop princess tree and will be pulling out all the stops to ensure this project is one of strongest of her career. It will also nicely co-inside with the upcoming Britney-themed episode of 'Glee', which returns this September. It has been confirmed that episode will be the second show of the new series.
Roll on Autumn.....
Let’s begin with some fact and opinion; ‘American Life’ is by no means Madonna’s best album – that honour goes to 1998’s ‘Ray of Light’. It is her least selling disc to date, but is certainly not her worst (see 1994’s ‘Bedtime Stories’) – as we have come to learn though, great sales do not mean great album and vice-versa. ‘American Life’ is merely a victim of bad timing, bad press and poor choice of first single.
To give it a bit of context, ‘American Life’ was released in April 2003 to a world, specifically America, still wrapped up in 9/11 hysteria, following the terrible terrorist attacks in New York City. Gun-ho George Bush-America was the tone of the day and anything that was deemed even moderately anti-American – even if it wasn’t – was reviled by the press and public. America was in the midst of ‘The War Against Terror’ (TWAT if you will) and literally just about to invade emancipate Iraq from the tyrannical leader Saddam Hussein. Global political tensions were at an all time high.
So then here you have Madonna release the title track ‘American Life’ from her 9th studio album which finds the icon exposing and rejecting all sorts of myths surrounding the supposed ‘American Dream’ and features the then 44-year-old-rich-white-lady rapping a verse about all the luxuries her fame and wealth have brought her. The obvious irony was lost on listeners. The cover of the album also raised eyebrows with it’s black and white photography capturing Madonna in Che Guevara-esque military outfits. Never one to shy away from anything controversial, many felt Madonna had once again gone too far - actually, they hadn’t seen anything yet.
Shortly before the release of the ‘American Life’ album, it was leaked that the Jonas Auckerlund directed video for the title track would feature Madonna, once again in full military garb, invading a catwalk show (in a camouflaged mini-cooper, as you do) before throwing a ticking grenade in the direction of a George Bush lookalike. Combine this with the imagery of Muslim children being laughed at by the audience, injured soldiers smearing blood down the runway and Madonna drinking a soy-latte, many who saw the video found it distasteful. In reality, the video for ‘American Life’ perfectly encapsulates what the song is about – we are living in a world of war and destruction, yet we allow ourselves to be distracted by fame, fashion and glamour instead of doing anything about it. Of course, it’s a hard pill to swallow when the one dishing it out is someone who, perhaps more than anyone ever, has gained so much from such ‘distractions’. In the end, the video was never officially released by Madonna (it did, as many things do, find it’s way online) however regardless, the damage was now done.
Upon it’s release, the album ‘American Life’ was savaged by critics who found it to be nothing more than the ramblings of a spoilt, self absorbed, ageing pop star that of all people, was not in a position to criticise society in such an abrupt way. Many of these analyses seem to be slightly unfounded as much of ‘American Life’ has Madonna musing on her personal life and relationships, not on global politics as suggested. A lot of reviewers also pointed out that the entire disc was written and produced by Madonna and French-man Mirwais Ahmadzai, suggesting that somehow merely working with someone French was in some way anti-American. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the thinking Madonna was up against. Despite debuting at number one on the charts in both the UK and US, ‘American Life’ did not sustain it’s momentum beyond 2 singles and by the time Madonna infamously kissed Britney Spears on stage at that year’s MTV VMA’s, it was all but forgotten by the record buying public.
My biggest problem with all this is not the video, the song itself or the press’ reaction to any of it, but that it was all a distraction itself from the album. The song ‘American Life’ is not the best song on the disc and certainly does not represent the album as a whole; however it’s hard to establish which does, as ‘American Life’ is more of a concept album to be taken as a whole rather than a collection of individual songs. Perhaps the brilliant ‘Nothing Fails’, with it’s simple melody, folk guitar and a church choir that comes from nowhere would have been a more subtle start to the project’s campaign? It is certainly one of Madonna’s best ballads ever and should have received single treatment.
Other stand-out tracks include second single ‘Hollywood’, the techno James Bond theme ‘Die Another Day’ and album closer ‘Easy Ride’, which despite it’s quite simplistic lyrics is a hidden gem in the archive of Madonna songs. ‘X-Static Process’ is another great, understated track that finds Ms Ciccone at her most honest; her voice is raw and untouched, the lyrics are sincere and unguarded. Perhaps the best track on ‘American Life’ is ‘Mother and Father’; a techno-pop explosion that finds Madonna lamenting on the death of her mother when she was a child and her subsequent, fraught relationship with her father throughout the rest of her life. Madonna continuously declares ‘i’ve got to give it up’ in reference to letting go of the past and moving forward in both the mourning of her mother’s death and the issues with her father. To date, Madonna has not referenced either her childhood or her parents since.
Madonna toured ‘American Life’ and re-worked some of her biggest hits in 2004 on the ‘Re-Invention World Tour’ that went on to become the biggest selling tour in history, before she would later top it with her subsequent ‘Confessions’ and ‘Sticky & Sweet’ world tours. The two albums she released since ‘American Life’ (2005’s ‘Confessions on a dance floor’ and 2008’s ‘Hard Candy’) have seen Madonna return to her disco and dance routes; the antithesis of (and possible reaction from) ‘American Life’. This is not a bad thing; Madonna has always proven, as she once said herself “I tend to excel at anything I attempt” and I’m sure whether it’s techno-folk, electro-dance or something entirely different ,whatever Madonna attempts next she will excel at that too. Long live the Queen. Below is a slightly edited version of the 'American Life' video (No Bush) and the beautiful 'Nothing Fails'. Enjoy!
For a long time now there have been rumours that pop star Beyonce does not write her own tracks. Despite the fact that B's name appears in the credits of many of her hit songs including 'Crazy in Love', 'Irreplaceable' and 'Single Ladies' the rumours have persisted. Along the way there have been various forms of supposed 'proof', including an early demo of the aforementioned 'Irreplaceable' by Ne-yo that is virtually word-for-word identical to the one later recorded by Beyonce, yet somehow she has gained a co-writer credit. More recently producer Bangladesh stated, when asked about the topic "It doesn’t matter if Beyonce is there physically writing the song. I mean even if she’s not, it doesn’t mean that she can’t. It might be a case of her not having time or whatever". It's hardly a denial. It's certainly an interesting topic. There's a lot to be gained (financially as well as in terms of credibility) from having a song writing credit on your own track, and the lines between genuine songwriter and slightly changing the words of a song are very much blurred. Famously, Leona Lewis admitted the only reason Simon Cowell received a song writing credit on her single 'Footprints in the Sand' is because he came up with the idea for the track, despite the fact he didn't write a word of it. By the same token then, should Britney Spears have been listed as a co-writer on her track 'Piece of Me'? She didn't write a single word of the lyrics, but she is clearly the inspiration behind them. Whether Beyonce has been totally honest about her song writing or not, what is undeniable is her talent - not only vocally but in her stage presence - she is clearly a force to be reckoned with and continues to be one of the most commended and rewarded artists of her generation. Although it's a sticky subject, we will probably never know for sure either way..... perhaps it's just easier to believe what we're told?
I don't really listen to the radio these days. Not only do I not have a car, but also I like to be in control of the music I listen to, so really can't be doing with listening to whatever some middle-aged suit thinks I should be. As a result this little 'gem' nearly alluded me - pioneers of terrible music Scouting for Girls, doing a reworked version of their song 'Famous' with lyrics about Radio 1 DJ and all round dreadful human being Fearne Cotton. It's what Popjustice called "the sound of music dying".
I can't pinpoint what it is I can't stand about Fearne - maybe it's her unjustified sense of self righteousness, her terrible taste in almost anything or perhaps it's the fact that she comes across as a bit of a twat? Whatever it is I've come to terms with it. As for Scouting for Girls (who, to the best that I can figure out, have released the same song but with different lyrics several times), they bore me to distraction.
Anyway, if you're brave enough, please see below.
Today's 'Song of the Moment' is the second single to be taken from Eminem's new album 'Recovery', the hip-hop ballad 'Love the Way You Lie' featuring Rihanna.
When we first heard this song we didn't really like it, but after seeing how well it's done in the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, we gave it another listen and decided that actually it is quite listen-able. It's certainly the most passionate and commercial Eminem has sounded since he returned from his 3 year hiatus at the beginning of 2009. His raw verses, pitted against Rihanna's sweet, almost broken, vocals in the uber-catchy chorus make this not only popular radio fodder, but an all-round great track that draws you in further with every listen.
'Love the Way You Lie' is certainly quite the credibility-coup for Rihanna's camp and ought to give her career the much needed boost it needs after the so-so success of her (rather good, but not very well selling) latest album 'Rated R' - she is due to release her next album at the end of this year. Meanwhile Eminem's career continues to go from strength to strength after the mega success of 'Recovery' and first single 'Not Afraid'. Now bring on the music video - we expect lots of dark, epic glamour shots.
Fresh off receiving 19 Emmy award nominations on Thursday, 'Glee' creator Ryan Murphy has revealed that he is in the middle of creating a Britney Spears themed episode of the hit show.
This clearly makes perfect sense. After paying homage to Madonna (in probably one of the best ever episodes of the show), a Britney-dedicated show is definitely the next step - Spears' back catalogue of pop dance songs about love angst and self empowerment lend themselves well to the themes and story lines in 'Glee'.
Might I also suggest Michael Jackson and Elton John episodes at some point? Wouldn't you just DIE to see Lea Michelle's Rachel & co. perform the 'Thriller' routine? Or another guest appearance by Kristen Chenoworth, singing 'The Bitch Is Back'?
We'll have to wait and see what surprises Murphy has in store for us Gleeks when 'Glee' returns this September.
Welcome to a new feature to !point. called 'Coming Soon' where we take a look at who or what is bubbling under the mainstream surface across pop culture. This edition looks at rising female rap superstar Nicki Minaj.
It's ironic that we feature Nicki Minaj in our 'Coming Soon' post today as it seems this week she has finally broken in to the mainstream in the US, scoring the first solo number one single on the rap charts by a female MC in nearly 9 years (the last woman to achieve the chart's summit was Missy Elliot with 'Work It'). The song in question 'Your Love' is also Minaj's first solo single and is really only distinctive for it's sample of Annie Lennox's 'No More I Love You's' - Nicki's own personal rap style is distinctive for her Trinidadian, almost British sounding, fast-paced delivery.
This is not Nicki's first taste of chart success since she emerged on to the US hip-hop scene around 18 months ago - she has been a featured artist on Ludacris' hit "My Chick Bad" and Usher's next UK single "Lil Freak". Minaj has also found herself featured on infectious tracks by superstars Mariah Carey (on 'Up Out My Face') and Christina Aguilera (on 'WooHoo') as well as remixes for tracks by Beyonce, P Diddy and Lil Wayne. With such heavy weight endorsement behind her, the native New Yorker is prepared to blow up in a big way across the international hip-hop scene; people have not made this much fuss over a female rapper since Lil' Kim.
Look out for Nicki Minaj's debut album when it's released at the end of the year and in the meantime enjoy the fun video for the aforementioned Mariah Carey track 'Up Out My Face' featuring Minaj....
This week the newspapers in the UK have been abuzz with stories of one particular national sweetheart being struck down with a potentially life threatening disease. The story has been confirmed by her 'people' and has meant all scheduled work (including a major part in one of the UK's biggest Saturday night TV shows) has had to be postponed for the foreseeable future.
Now this is pure speculation and only my opinion, but what if this story was actually a curtain to cover a much darker, more sinister one involving the same star? She has had a fare share of pressure placed on her in the last year including her TV gig, recording two albums, criticism for her abilities as a stage performer and not to mention an impending divorce from her adulterous husband. It's enough to make a girl crazy - perhaps even contemplate trying to kill herself?
Headlines like '******* ****** IN DRUG OVERDOSE' or '****** ****** IN ANOREXIA SHOCK' might sell papers, but do incredible damage to the image of a star like the one we've described. However, if her people can intercept it with a story that does no damage to the star's persona (like said star contracting a deadly disease) and still sells papers, then everybody wins - especially the newspapers, who can use this leverage to command unrelated exclusives with the star that will sell even more copies down the line.
As I've said, this is all speculation based on purely my own scepticism over not only the relationship between PR and press in today's media landscape, but also over what we as the public get to know and not know about public figures. We shall see what happens next.
In celebrity entertainment news, Lindsay Lohan has literally (and dramatically) just been sentenced to 90 days in jail, as well as a further 90 days in a inpatient rehab program by the judge in her DUI case for violation of probation due to her not attending numerous alcohol education sessions. Of course, the gossip mongers have been vying for blood in this case almost since it began and even more so in the month since Lohan had a SCRAM bracelet attached to her ankle to monitor her alcohol intake (Lindsay is banned from consuming drink under the terms of her probation).
Hopefully, finally, Lindsay can now realise the state her life is in and perhaps during the course of her time in jail and rehab go some way towards getting it back on track. She's the last of the 00's 'it' girls left and her drunk girl shtick has been getting old for years now - DUI is one of the most reckless, irresponsible crimes you can commit and this sentence really is something she should have been given first time round. Many will feel justice has been served today, however it's truly a sad state of affairs for a young star who has been on a downward spiral for a long time. The victim of a bad childhood, fame and excess Lohan is the poster child for the pit falls that too much, too soon can bring.
Here's hoping this is just the beginning of something positive for Lindsay.
Today's 'Song of the Moment' is the brand new single from former X-factor winner Alexandra Burke, 'Start Without You'. This track has been doing the rounds for a while now, however it's not the type of song that is instantly likeable - in fact, it's quite un-likeable if you only give it one listen. Sampling elements from the The Carpenter's cover of the Hank Williams song 'Jambalaya (on the Bayou)' the track packs RedOne-produced dance hall/reggae verses (similar to that in Rihanna's 'Rude Boy') with a more Vengaboys, cheesy pop chorus. Hardly the cocktail for a hit single in 2010.
However 'Start Without You' is what is referred to as 'a grower' - although not immediately obvious, it is literally filled with hooks and it's also pretty fun, which is always something looked down upon by artists trying to get established with any kind of credibility. The fact that Burke has decided to release this instead of a mid tempo ballad (which she is more than capable of) may mean that not only does she recognise a good song when she hears one, but she's more concerned about pleasing her existing fan base than trying to prove anything. The woman sang live every Saturday night for ten weeks - she's proved herself.
It's not yet clear what 'Start Without You' is - it could be Burke's first single from the re-release of her platinum début 'Overcome' or from a completely new second disc (rumoured to be titled 'The Beast'). Either way it could well be her next big hit, if listeners will give it a chance. Enjoy the track below....
In case you weren't aware, pop icon Prince recently announced he would be releasing his latest album '20Ten' exclusively via newspaper publications in Europe like he did with his previous record 'Planet Earth'. During an interview with one of these newspapers 'The Mirror' (which is more of a tabloid these days) Prince justified his decision of releasing '20Ten' through such medium and not the internet like many other artists, saying “the internet’s completely over". He also compared the web to MTV stating "The internet’s likeMTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated". All I can say is pot, kettle, black - if anyone should know what it's like to be outdated, it's Prince. I mean can anyone name the last song he released, or even one that was any good? The last one I can think of is 'The most beautiful girl in the world' which is nearing 20 years old now, hardly at the forefront of cutting edge music is it? Prince's place in pop culture, in particular pop music history is undeniable. He has clearly influenced several generations of musicians who have come since his hey day of the 1980's, not least Robin Thicke, Usher and even Michael Jackson. But, like Jackson, Prince has become somewhat of a media oddity and his credibility tarnished by such ridiculous comments like the internet being 'outdated'. A fun fact about Prince is that he was born in 1958, the same year as Michael Jackson and Madonna - three artists who it's debatable have had the biggest impact on music and music videos today. Yet out of all three, the one who has been written off the most, yet consistently proved the critics wrong is Madonna who is still enjoying chart success nearly 30 years since her first single was released. If Prince would only embrace new trends and evolve with the times (and get his head out of his behind) he may also remain not only culturally, but musically relevant too.
