iHeartRadio Music Awards – Review

Last night was the annual iHeartradio Music Awards aka the Taylor Swift show. The only take away from the evening was that Taylor Swift nearly swept all of the categories she was nominated in, including Album of the Year and Female Artist of the Year. Not to say these accolades weren’t well earned by T-Swift, especially in the face of her stiff competition in Pop-souls-tress Adele and Justin Bieber, who many thought couldn’t get any bigger and in my humble opinion DID. But it comes as no surprise that Taylor took home so much hardware, I mean she basically has the music industry by the balls. I wonder how long this will last.

In other news, the show overall felt a little lackluster at best. I would have loved to see some WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK, but I guess Rih-Rih is too busy collecting them tour checks and filling stadium seats. Anyway, I’ll spare you all of mentioning every single performance only mention the standout moments of the night.

Really, dude?! – Justin Bieber Debuting his blond dreadlocks

I have no idea what this kid was thinking as far as his hair was concerned, but it felt like one of those major try-hard moments that almost always foreshadow the discussion of cultural appropriation, all before he even uttered a note. Clearly some attention was sought in this little number and attention definitely followed suit. I’m all for ally-ship and an appreciation of things that are not our own, but actually wearing dreads to this award show kind of takes it a bit overboard in my opinion. While I have tried to ignore the fact that everyone has been labeling him as another white guy appropriating black culture and becoming überly successful from it for quite some time, there comes a point where this simply couldn’t be ignored any more. Whether it is avoidable or not, I choose to move on and address this perhaps at a later time just to see how this transpires. I’m sure, in the grand scheme of things, this will all blow over like every other publicity stunt, but nonetheless, it makes the list of standout moments of the evening.

The Popularity Contest – Chris Brown beats The Weeknd for R&B Artist of the Year and Taylor Swfit beats Adele for Album of the Year

While I love me some C-Breezy, I DO NOT understand why he bested The Weeknd in a category that should’ve been swept by the Canadian R&B crooner. The Weeknd basically took over last year with his ubiquitous hits like Can’t Feel My Face” and the even larger hit “The Hills.” He even added number one album to his resume for “Beauty Behind the Madness.” If anyone has given us Michael Jackson vibes (vocally)  as of late has been the Weeknd. This guy literally rose to the forefront on his first top ten hit with Ariana Grande on 2014’s “Love Me Harder.” Followed blockbuster single, featured on the Fifty Shades of Grey Soundtrack, “Earned It”, this guy has been burning up the charts and leading the charge with Alternative R&B. His emotive delivery and almost sadistic tendencies in his music remind us why some of us fell in love with his mixtapes in the first place. By comparison, Chris Brown had a headline grabbing year as opposed to a blockbuster one, as far as the music is concerned. Of course, the guy is an excellent dancer and vocalist, that goes without saying, but many are starting to wonder, have we got this guy figured out? Is there still more we need to know about him? Or is his simply done with pushing musical boundaries? I’m all for people doing what they love most, but I feel like we’ve heard what he has to offer and we’re just not buying it anymore (literally: his sales have been declining in the past few album cycles). His latest effort “Royalty” misled us in to thinking that he was changing his direction due to becoming a recent father. While this is a beautiful time in one’s life, this clearly did not change the way he views women and quite possibly did not change his priorities, as some of us might have hoped. I, for one, was looking for a more introspective, inward looking Chris that I know will come. What is he waiting for? I simply do not know, but one thing is for certain, he wasn’t as deserving of this award as the Weeknd (sorry Chris, I’m still a fan though).

Now on to Taylor Swift, who’s last opus came out in 2014 and arguably wasn’t eligible for a nomination in this year’s album cycle, but ehh, these award shows do whatever the hell they want, right Grammys (See: Meghan Trainor’s Best New Artist Nomination and eventual win). None the less, she swiped the award for Album of the Year from Adele, who’s album shattered records in it’s wake and continued it’s dominance throughout early 2016 until now. While her sales were through the roof, it is arguable that after or earth-shattering hit “Hello” she hasn’t seen much success with her successive single “When We Were Young.” My view on the matter is this, in terms of chart success and overall album recognition, Taylor has certainly taken the cake due to her presence throughout the latter portion of 2014 and all throughout 2015. She has been at the top and literally omnipresent over the past year and a half and she didn’t seem to budge at all. So without a doubt, her she was a constant radio staple in 2014-15, but to award her Album of the Year almost a year and a half after it’s release (it was released in October 2014), seems a bit questionable at best and almost unfair to the albums that were released in 2015. But then again, I don’t make the rules so I guess we’ll have t just deal. So this scenario is quite different from the Chris Brown v. the Weeknd scenario in that it wasn’t in terms of who came out with widely known and recognized content, but rather when each of the contenders released their ubiquitous opuses. Adele, who dominated last year’s album cycle and came in the fourth quarter to take the title of highest selling album of 2015, could have and quite possibly would have snagged the title of Album of the Year had it not been for the unusual inclusion of an album some might have deemed too old at this point to be recognized in this year’s album mix. But I digress – what’s done is done (Congrats T-Swift on your win).

Triple Threat Award – Selena Gomez bests Lady Gaga, Usher and JT

I simply do not understand the importance of this award’s inclusion in this year’s awards cycle. Someone please explain to me the importance of including said award in this year’s never-ending list of categories other than to decorate yet another artist with an award that carries no weight or relevance to last year at all. Yes, some of the names on this list have released material and have impacted pop culture on a grand scale through their philanthropy as well as other business ventures, I quite simply do not understand the relevance of such an award.

Aside from the fact this award is utterly useless, I also don’t quite get why it was left up to the fans to decide who they deem as a triple threat. This, again, turns into a popularity contest and has no basis in fact or in truth (sorry Selenators). She was awarded as a Triple Threat (Singer, Dancer, Actor). Maybe I’ve been blind for the past 5 or so years, but I do not recall in recent or distant memory her ever being regarded as a dancer. That’s like calling Taylor Swift a dancer when she merely does a shimmy and shake at best. While I won’t lie, I love me some “Good For You” and “The Heart Wants What It Wants”, I do not see her as the type of performer that can add dancer to her resume. Yes, she is a widely known actress who got her start on Barney and who rose to prominence in the Wizards of Waverly Place; Yes she’s a singer who has a number of top ten hits under belt and a few #1 albums to boast, but to say that she is a dancer of any kind is quite a reach. I’m just going to end discussion of this category all together simply because I do not want to give any weight to a category that has no relevance to today’s top talents.

Other than that, here is the list of last night’s winners, courtesy of idolator.com. Be sure to sound off and let me know what I didn’t see and what are other notable mentions:

Song Of The Year: Adele, “Hello”
Album Of The Year: Taylor Swift, 1989
Female Artist Of The Year: Taylor Swift
Male Artist Of The Year: Justin Bieber
Best New Artist: Fetty Wap
Best Duo/Group of the Year: Maroon 5
Best Tour: Taylor Swift
Alternative Rock Artist Of The Year: Twenty One Pilots
Alternative Rock Song Of The Year: Twenty One Pilots, “Stressed Out”
Rock Artist Of The Year: Foo Fighters
Rock Song Of The Year: Zac Brown Band feat. Chris Cornell, “Heavy Is the Head”
Country Song Of The Year: Chris Janson, “Buy Me A Boat”
Country Artist Of The Year: Luke Bryan
Dance Song Of The Year: Skrillex & Diplo with Justin Bieber, “Where Are Ü Now”
Dance Artist Of The Year: Calvin Harris
Hip Hop Song Of The Year: Drake, “Hotline Bling”
Hip Hop Artist Of The Year: Drake
R&B Song Of The Year: The Weeknd, “Earned It”
R&B Artist Of The Year: Chris Brown
Latin Song Of The Year: Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias, “El Perdón”
Latin Artist Of The Year: Pitbull
Regional Mexican Song Of The Year: Voz de Mando, “Levantando Polvadera”
Regional Mexican Artist Of The Year: Banda Los Recoditos
Best Lyrics: Rachel Platten, “Fight Song”
Best Collaboration: Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk”
Best Cover Song: Fifth Harmony, Jasmine V, etc., “Uptown Funk”’
Best Song From A Movie: Lady Gaga, “Til It Happens To You”
Most Meme-able Moment: Taylor Swift, “Blank Space” video
Triple Threat: Selena Gomez
Best Fan Army: Beliebers

 

 

 

Beyoncé tracks 7/11 and Ring Off leak

Yesterday morning it was confirmed via Bey’s team that 7/11 will be the next single Bey will release. Shortly after, a snippet of the track made its way online.

7/11 sees Beyoncé experimenting more with auto-tune and special effects based on the 30-second clip. In fact, Bey’s voice is almost unrecognizable in some parts, sparking some mixed feelings from members of the Bey-hive with some disliking her unnecessary use of auto-tune and others raving that it’s a certified club banger. No doubt the single is catchy and does reference the catchy dance flexin, which has become increasingly popular in 2014. Being the artist she is, it wouldn’t be surprising if she were looking for that next dance hit (because we all know how crazy we go for a new dance; i.e. The Shmoney dance, flexin, and of course Bey’s own Single Ladies).

Bey’s second of the two new tracks is Ring Off, which has been receiving more of a positive response from her fan base and does in fact see her revisit some of her usual subject matter (unfaithful men, breakups, etc). The midtempo track also made its way online and has enjoyed a more positive response than the latter song. But then again, as topsy-turvy as this industry can be, there’s no telling which track would dominate airwaves as it all depends on the marketing approach, something that Bey’s team cares too little about this time around.

Check out the tracks here Which track sounds like a hit? Be sure to spill the tea below.

Update: Billboard.com has posted links to the full tracks here.

Chart Chat: A Swift Takeover

For all of us who haven’t been keeping track of what’s been happening in pop music, here’s what’s been up in a nutshell.

Taylor Swift has extended her record atop the Artist 100 to 5 weeks after topping both the Hot 100 and the Billboard 200 for yet another week. She simply cannot be stopped; capturing another Billboard feat, Swift replaces herself at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as Blank Space zooms to #1 from #13 last week.  She became the first woman to replace herself at #1 on the Hot 100. The former #1 Shake It Off falls to #3 this week while Meghan Trainor’s eight-week-number-one debut single continues to go strong at #2.

Below the scurry for the coveted #1 spot is Maroon 5’s Animals, which falls from its #3 peak this week to #4. Notably, the band captured another #1 on the Pop Songs chart and now tie Destiny’s Child for the most #1s on the Pop Songs chart for a duo/group. Tove Lo’s #3 hit Stay High falls to #5 this week followed by rising hit Take Me to Church by Hozier, coming in at #6. Hozier’s hit reaches a new peak this week and could quite possibly continue its ascent up the charts as it is currently sitting at #2 on the iTunes download chart while also rising on the On Demand Songs chart.

Bobby Shurmda’s #6-peaking hit Hot N***a falls by one this week to #7 while holding on to the top spot on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj continue their Hot 100 streak with Bang Bang as it falls from #5 to #8 this week.

Last but not least, this week the Hot 100 welcomes two new top 10 hits as Sam Smith increases his number to three, as I’m Not the Only One climbs to #9. As stated, it is his third top ten, following his #2-peaking Stay With Me and his assist on Disclosure’s Latch, which peaked at #7. Following Smith is Nick Jonas at #10 with Jealous. Jonas’s solo set also makes its debut this week on the Billboard 200 with 37,000 copies at #6.

Speaking of the Billboard 200, the highest debut this week was by the Foo Fighters, with their album ‘Sonic Highways’, which debuted with 190,000 copies. This set could have easily debuted at #1 on a number of weeks this year, but I guess the Foo Fighters couldn’t fend off the unstoppable might of Taylor Swift and her latest LP ‘1989’, which logs in another 312,000 copies sold. It is the only album chart 3 consecutive 300,000 plus selling weeks since Beyoncé’s self titled set in 2013 (‘Beyoncé’ the album debuted with 617,000 copies in just three days, then charted another 374,000 followed by another 310,000 copies sold). Other debuts include Pink Floyd, whose album ‘The Endless River’ arrives at #3 with 170,000 copies sold, Garth Brooks, whose album ‘Man Against the Machine’ debuts with 130,000 copies. The rest of the top ten includes Big K.R.I.T. (debuts at #5 with 44,000 copies sold), the self titled Nick Jonas album at #6, Now 52 at #7 with roughly 37,000, Pentatonix’s ‘That’s Christmas to Me’ (#8 with 34,000 sold), Sam Smith’s ‘In the Lonely Hour’ (just over 30,000 at #9) and closing us out is George Strait’s ‘The Cowboy Rides Away’ (30,000 at #10).’

Like what you see? Be sure to check back next time for the breakdown of the Billboard Charts. And be sure to spill the tea below on what you think next week’s chart might look like.

The Rundown: Shaking Off That Bass (Nov. 7 Edition)

So for those of us who haven’t been keeping up with our pop news lately, here it is, in a nutshell.

First, let’s talk about the most obvious thing: Taylor Swift. Say what you want about this girl (‘She abandoned her country roots!!’; ‘She’s so awkward!’…), but the girl knows how to sell some records. For yet a third time she has broken the million sales mark in first week album sales. This is clearly unbelievable in a time like now, where albums sales are progressively going down each year. Not only that, but she has returned to the summit on the Billboard Hot 100 after spending eight weeks in the runner-up spot, thus dethroning Meghan Trainor’s All About That Bass. And here’s a piece of history for you, Swift also tops the Artist 100, subsequently making her the first artist to ever top the Hot 100, Billboard 200 and Artist 100 charts simultaneously (Go Swifties!!!!!!). And here’s the bad news related to Taylor Swift: her entire artist catalogue has been swiped from Spotify. Not even her first LP is listed on the subscription based service (ouch!!!). Way to push those sales, girl!!!!!!!

In other news, last night Azealia Banks pulled a Beyoncé by dropping her entire LP Broke With Expensive Taste (her oft-delayed LP that was supposed to see the light of day back in early 2012). Well I can hardly say she completely pulled off the element of surprise because one thirsty fan uploaded an image to spottily of the album and it’s cover art . Not only that, tracks were being leaked, which kind of means she had no choice, but to drop it or risk the world hearing it for free anyway. Well, nonetheless we can finally put a lid on the much thought about question, “When is her debut album coming?” I’m sure this was a question that was on all of our minds (Right…moving on).

Talking about thirsty fans uploading spoiler images, last weekend the world was a buzz about what was rumored to be a Beyoncé Volume 2, featuring track names such as Donk featuring Nicki Minaj, Renouncement featuring Justin Timberlake and Cherry, a rumored remix to Blow featuring Rihanna. The world was extremely excited for this and I, as one of millions, wanted such a body of work to see the light of day. It was also said that the LP would have a similar surprise rollout as the previous LP and would hit stores on Nov. 25, Monday. Well they were kind of right. Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment team announced Monday, November 3 that the album would be repackaged and shipped Monday, November 24th (catch the error of the previous release date yet?). So now we know that the Platinum Edition will see the light of day, we also know it’s content (please see below):

PLATINUM EDITION BOX SET: MORE AUDIO CD
7/11
Flawless Remix (Featuring Nicki Minaj)
Drunk in Love Remix (Featuring JAY Z & Kanye West)
Ring Off
Blow Remix (Featuring Pharrell Williams)
Standing on the Sun Remix (Featuring Mr. Vegas)

“LIVE” DVD
Run The World (Girls)
***Flawless
Get Me Bodied
Blow
Haunted
Drunk In Love (Featuring JAY Z)
1 + 1
Partition
Heaven
XO

ORIGINAL CD
Pretty Hurts
Haunted
Drunk in Love (Featuring JAY Z)
Blow
No Angel
Partition
Jealous
Rocket
Mine (Featuring Drake)
XO
***Flawless (Featuring Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)
Superpower (Featuring Frank Ocean)
Heaven
Blue (Featuring Blue Ivy)

ORIGINAL DVD
Pretty Hurts
Ghost/Haunted
Drunk In Love
Blow
No Angel
Yoncé/Partition
Jealous
Rocket
Mine
XO
***Flawless
Superpower
Heaven
Blue
Grown Woman

I can see how some of us might be disappointed to hear that the re-release will feature only two new songs as opposed to the faux-album, which saw us seeing 10 new songs and the ***Flawless Remix featuring Nicki Minaj. Well, on the bright side, I’m always thirsty for some new Bey so no disappointment here. Although it would have been great to have a Beyonce Part 2 album, we must be realistic, Beyonce is not the type to pump out albums annually, period. And with that said, be sure to pick up your copy on Nov. 24th, just in time for Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

Other artists considering the repackaging route include Iggy Azalea and in a way Selena Gomez. Iggy has already announced and has been promoting her repacked freshman LP The New Classic: Reclassified featuring chart-toppers like Black Widow and her seven-week #1 single Fancy featuring Charlie XCX as well as seven new songs, including her latest single Beg For It featuring Mø (which she performed on SNL two weekends ago, October 25th). Selena Gomez, on the other hand, is repackaging her career highlights in the form of a Greatest Hits so far kind of way. Yes there is new material, but for the most part it’s some of oldies. but goodies. And we all know what that means (usually if an artist releases a Greatest Hits album, she’s probably doing so to fulfill the album quota for a label company, possibly to switch labels; but who knows). But all of this will hit stores Nov. 24th so be prepared to be overwhelmed with repackaged/Deluxe albums on the way.

Lastly, here’s some more news for  you:

– Luke James and Jessie J are officially an item.

-Kelly Rowland welcomes into the world Titan Jewell.

-Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel are expecting!!!!!!!!!

-Beyoncé Leads the Forbes list of top-earning musicians with $115M.

– Taylor Swift will perform new single Blank Space, which debuted at #18 this week on the Hot 100, at the AMA’s.

Until next time my DIVO-ted followers. Be sure to spill the tea on all things pop below.

The RunDown: Sept. 24th Edition

So much has happened since my last post so let’s dive right into it.

Over the weekend, Mr. and Mrs. Carter brought their On the Run Tour to televisions across the country via their HBO Special, which aired Sept. 20th at 9pm. The show was insane, sending media outlets and mags into a frenzy. But should we expect any less from two of the biggest stars in the business? The chemistry. The excitement. Not to mention, Beyoncé performed her much buzzed about ***Flawless Remix featuring none other than the Queen of Rap herself, Nicki Minaj. The two re-enacted their boastful track for the first time on television and it certainly did not disappoint. I honestly thought it was one of the major highlights of the evening. The surprise (well not so much a surprise since social media sort of ruined it) guest matched Queen Bey’s braggadocio, swag for swag. Truly a sight to behold.

While we’re talking about Queens, earlier this week details surrounding the Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul Mary J. Blige’s upcoming studio release. Fresh off a new record deal with Capitol Records, Mary worked some of the UK’s finest to concoct an album that is sure to be of SOULFUL proportions. Her lead single Therapy, co-written by guest vocalist Sam Smith, serves as the album’s official taste. Other noteworthy tracks have surfaced such as her Disclosure produced track Right Now, which shows Mary dabbling in EDM once more as well as her Emile Sandé-penned,  midtempo track Whole Damn Year. Surely, Mary is coming back and strong on this upcoming release.

Fergie Ferg is making a comeback. The Dutchess expected to release a followup to her solo debut LP, which was 8 years ago. Not that she hasn’t been busy, of course as one-fourth of Black Eyed Peas, serving us some chart-topping realness. But now the time has come for another solo project. The first taste of the album is entitled L.A. Love (LA LA). If her sophomore album will be anything like her last album, then this album is sure to rattle the charts. Stay tuned for that.

And speaking of front-women making solo projects, Gwen Stefani, the original Harajuku girl, is making her solo return. She has already done so, in way, as a featured vocalist on the latest Maroon 5 album V. I am so excited for everything she is about to dish out to us, which should be arriving later this year/early next year. Reports are saying that she is releasing a single Baby Don’t Lie in Ocotber while simultaneously working on a solo project as well as another No Doubt album. Oh and in case you live under a rock, she is the latest addition, along with Pharrell Williams, to the Voice judging panel. Talk about a busy woman.

If you’re excited about what’s to come, spill the tea below.

Xtina Welcomes Baby Girl

The now mother of 2 has welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world Saturday, August 16, 2014. “So proud to welcome our beautiful daughter Summer Rain Rutler into the world”, tweets an elated Aguilera. The Voice coach already has a six-year old son Max Laron Bratman of her previous marriage to Jordan Bratman. The two were married for 6 years before filing divorce in 2010 (and for those of us Xtina fans who remember 2010, that was sort of a rough year for her with Burlesque and Bionic not reeling in the major attention the two rightly deserved). Anyways, Congrats to the 2nd time MOMMY!!!!! Now that the baby is out, I’m sure it won’t be long before we hear another major announcement from the pop siren (Lotus followup….. cough cough).

Beyoncé Earns Video Vanguard Award

As if the list of this woman’s accolades needed to get any longer (5 solo #1 albums, Billboard Millennium Award, 2013 Superbowl Halftime Performer, voted People Mag’s Most Beautiful Woman, 16-time Grammy Award Winner… and the list goes on), Beyoncé can now add to her hefty list The Michael Jackson VMA Video Vanguard Award winner. This award is awarded to an artist who has, for years, been captivating audiences and the world with some of the most buzzed about and most iconic videos. She joins a  list of pop’s elite performers including Madonna, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and last year’s recipient, Justin Timberlake. Not to mention, she leads the VMA pack with 8 VMA nominations this year, including Video of the Year (an award she has won once before for Single Ladies) for her top-ten hit Drunk In Love featuring her rapper-mogul husband, Jay Z. Such an amazing fete for such an extraordinary artist.

MTV also broke the news that Bey will be making a return to the VMA stage after a 3 year hiatus (remember 2011, when she debuted her baby bump and when Blue Ivy was nothing but a fetus?). She will be joining show-opener Usher, Ariana Grande, Maroon 5, 5 Seconds of Summer and many more. The big question is, what will the Flawless Diva perform? Will it be Drunk In Love? Partition? Or will it be the remix of Flawless? Tune in to the broadcast and watch Queen Bey murder the stage.

***Check out her last VMA appearance below and Blue’s debut to the world:

Just In Case You Missed It (Rundown: Aug 4 2014 Edition

Over the past week there have been some major releases.

First things first, the much anticipated collaboration between Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj Bang Bang, kicked off the very busy release week. The song instantly rose to #1 on the iTunes chart in several countries, including the U.S. (it currently rests perfectly at the top spot). Hear the much buzzed about track below.

Next up were releases from Disney alums Nick Jonas and Hillary Duff. Nick Jonas’s Chains showcased a new image for the former Jo-Bro. The sound is very different from what we are used to, but this is definitely not a bad thing. I can see him following in the vain of Justin Timberlake, during the time he transitioned from Disney star to Boy Band star then to solo star. Not to mention he has been maturing in more than just his music (and I’ll leave that comment alone from there). Duff, however, seemed to jump right back into her niche, with breezy vocals on yet another staple Duff-tastic song. If there were ever a summer song, Chasing the Sun is definitely it. She, like Nick, simultaneously released the single as well as the accompanying music video. Watch both below and sound off.

And the backlash to Nicki Minaj’s single Anaconda (which hit digital retailers today) continued as mediatakeout.com posted what seemed to be unphotoshopped and un-retouched photo of the Anaconda cover art. Nicki just can’t seem to catch a break. Anyway, Nicki teased, as of last night, the upcoming jungle-themed video for her latest single. Check out the teaser below.

And while we are talking about Nicki Minaj, she was featured on a track by none other than the Queen of surprise Beyoncé. On Saturday, Beyoncé posted via Soundcloud a remix her buzzed about BEYONCÉ cut ***Flawless, featuring the rap diva herself. The two added a spin on the female empowering track, including a reference to the now infamous elevator scuffle between Bey’s own sister and husband. “Of course sometimes shit go down when there’s a billion dollars on an elevator”, sings Bey as she finally references the occurrence for the first time herself. Oh and for those of you in the cheap seats, she repeats herself to reiterate the sentiment. As a result, Bey’s original cut featuring Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche has been on the rise on the lower rungs of the iTunes chart.

Lastly, Beyoncé had the honors of introducing the first peak into the much talked about novel Fifty Shades of Grey, which features Bey’s 2003 breakout hit Crazy in Love. The execution of the track, however, was much different from the original styling the world has come to know and love for 10+ years. In fact, the frequent collaborator on her last full-length release was the man behind the reworking of the 2003 hit and it sounds just as infectious the original. Check out the Fifty Shades trailer and be sure to spill the tea below.

Nicki “STRIPPED-DOWN” For New Single

 

Whomever said Nicki has been quiet lately (ehem…Forbes) is surely eating their words this time around. Nicki Minaj has exploded once again, this time due to her publicly glorified ASS-ets. As of July 24th, Nicki released into cyberspace via twitter and instagram the cover art for her upcoming Polow Da Don-Da Internz-produced single Anaconda, which should hit digital retailers this Monday, July 28th. Twitter basically imploded with retweets, memes and gifs regarding the NSFW cover art, which depicts Nicki Minaj in a bright pink athletic top paired with a pink g-string showing off her hugely famous derriere.

Nicki has hinted in the past that she is going for a more stripped down look months ago when she debuted her long natural locks as opposed to the colorful wigs and elaborate make-up she came to be known for during her Pink Friday and her Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded  album days, especially around the time of her second album. While the photo has proven buzzworthy, it is not too surprising coming from an artist like Nicki Minaj, who has made a career on her curvaceous figure alone. With all this talk of her peeling back the layers and showing the fans the multiple sides of Nicki, it leaves one to wonder how much more peeled back can she get? Birthday suit perhaps?

This latest stint is one of the many moves Minaj has been up to lately, with her laundry list of features with veteran and rookie artists alike (Usher, Ariana Grande, Jessie J and August Alsina, just to name a few). In fact, one day after she debuts her own single Anaconda, she will be featured on another sure-to-be blockbuster debut from Jessie J. Jessie J and Minaj have both been teasing the release of Bang Bang, which also features everyone’s new favorite, Ariana Grande. Hold on to your wigs ladies because Nicki is taking names.

Check out some of the funniest moments below:

 

 

 

Pop’d UP: What’s Surfacing this week

 

So this week isn’t done yet and I am going through the motions because so much has been revealed via twitter within the past couple of days.Kicking off the week, Brandy quietly dropped a cover of Magic, a recent Coldplay cut from their 2014 LP Ghost Stories. I must say, they do not call this woman the vocal bible for nothing. In true Brandy fashion, the cover was crisp, tonal, full and complete with harmonies only the most experienced of vocalists could fathom. Simply put, the cover was MAGICAL (for lack of a better word). Not that you haven’t heard me say this already, but this has been on constant replay since Sunday. Twitter has been trending her cover so much that the cover went straight to number one yesterday on Billboard+Twitter’s Trending 140. Let’s just hope the hype she received surrounding her cover can be repeated with her upcoming seventh album, which she has said she will begin working on this summer. But for now, experience the magic of Magic below and be sure to check out the original track as well, as it is nothing short of amazing (but of course you knew that, it’s Coldplay).

Next up, as of an hour ago, Dawn of the now-trio Danity Kane posted on her instagram a preview of a track that peaked my interest. The preview features Dawn swiftly flowing over a percussive beat that sounds so alluring. But not to be out done by production, Dawn’s vocal prowess shone forth as her tone added an expansive presence to the track. While it is unclear what the track name is, it is safe to say that whatever #DK3 have been cooking up in the studio, it is clear they have some club bangers pending on the burner. Let’s only hope that they are released sooner rather than later. (Hear the snippet below).

Lastly, the moment we all have been waiting for!!!!!!!!! The World Music Awards tweeted a pseudo-confirmation that Adele’s next album will be 25, following the trend she used for her two earlier releases 19 and 21. They also stated that she will be touring in 2015 to support the upcoming LP. Things seem to be piecing themselves together because earlier this year on her birthday in May, Adele tweeted, “”Bye bye 25… See you again later in the year x.” With news like this, I feel like a child on Christmas.

With news of Adele dropping another sure-to-be-hit album this year, Danity Kane working on their long-awaited LP and Brandy gracing her stars with another song to fawn over, I must say that my appetite is whet for things to come.

 

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