Updates Coming Soon!

Hi all, sorry I've been hectically busy with university work. Updates are coming soon though, check back here tomorrow and there'll be a bunch of new updates! In the meantime, buy your copy of Mariah Carey's "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" and let me know what you think!

MJB: Stronger on Letterman!

Mary J. Blige performs "Stronger", a track taken off the "More Than A Game" film soundtrack. Peep the performance below and let me know what you think!

I really didn't enjoy this peformance. I thought Mary was off key for most of the performance and her vocals were really not up to scratch. I feel as though I was watching a Mariah performance from the "E=MC2" era. Mary battled to hit the high notes and to sustain any of the long winded ones which are featured at the end of the single. Let's hope she gets some vocal rest before the release of her new album in November!

I Am... Beyonce in Brisbane!

Superstar diva Beyonce brought her I Am... tour to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Being the huge fan that I am and not having seen her perform live, I booked my ticket early and made sure I got the meet and greet package!

Anyway, it was a great show and the set list was pretty standard so I'm not going to post it. Peep my pics and let me know what you think!

Mariah's Memoirs Leak!

Mariah Carey's upcoming album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" has leaked. Due to be released on 29 September, the album now faces sales losses in the first week so this is really a pity. Anyway, I'll confess, I downloaded the album but I must stress that I will be buying my copy come next Tuesday! After listening to the album Mariah has really put together another SOLID album from start to finish. Peep my favourite tracks below and let me know what you think (if you've taken a listen to the material)!

Betcha Gon' Know

H.A.T.E.U.

Ribbon

Standing O

Up Out My Face

More Than Just Friends

Angels Cry

On a related issue, "I Want To Know What Love Is" is a great cover but really should not have served as the second single, or any single for that matter. "H.A.T.E.U.","Up Out My Face", "Angels Cry" and Standing O" are smashes just waiting to happen and I really hope they get chosen as singles. It would be a real shame if we had a repeat of "E=MC2" where "Migrate" and "For The Record" which were great tracks were never released.

Kris Allen: First Single!

American Idol Season 8 winner Kris Allen will release his debut on 17 November. The official first single for the album, "Live Like We're Dying" has hit the net. The song was originally intended for Irish band The Script. Listen to the song below and let me know what you think!

To me this is just okay, nothing great here. It really sounds like a song The Script would have on one of their albums so I'm not sure how creative or original Kris is trying to be on this album. Anyway, I'm sure radio will eat this up which is what they're aiming for.

Joss Stone Update!

Finally! Joss Stone's recorded and complete album, "Colour Me Free" will see the light of day on 20 October. Stone was in a battle with her record company to be released from her record contract earlier in the year. It now seems that she will release "Free" under the same lablel, whether this is due to force or having worked out her issues with the label is unknown.

Anyway, peep the official album cover artwork above and listen to the first single, "Free Me" below!

Exciting stuff! Great production and vocals, just what I expect from Joss. Roll on 20 October.

Mariah Carey on Oprah!

Mariah Carey performed her latest single, "I Want To Know What Love Is" on Oprah Winfrey's talkshow this week. Peep the performance below and let me know what you think!

Great performance! After much criticism it's reassuring to see that Mariah still has the vocal ability that made her famous. A special mention must be made of the whistle notes at the end of the performance (ear-pleasing stuff!). Random: I've posted a pic of Mariah on the show, she looks incredible - the outfit and hair are really on point!

MC: Back With Hype!

Hype Williams will shoot the video for Mariah Carey's second single, "I Want To Know What Love Is" off her upcoming album "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel". Hype and Carey last collaboration in 1998 on the the singer's "Sweetheart" video. The video is said to be released next week to coincide with the release of her album (29 September).

I really can't see this happening though! Anyway, I thought the video for "Obsessed" was mediocre and I'm a real fan of Hype's work so hopefully "Love" will prove to be something exciting!

Random: Keri Hilson Picks Sixth Single!

How singer/songwriter Keri Hilson has been allowed to release six singles from her debut album, "In A Perfect World..." is really beyond me. While the album is a good offering there really shouldn't have been money set aside for the release of four singles, let alone six.

Anyway, I am really posting this to let you know that one of my favourite tracks off the album, "Change Me" featuring Akon will be released as the album's sixth single! While I'm glad the song is finally get a release, I really hope Keri lays off the project after this release! Listen to the song below and let me know what you think!

While not #1 material I really think with the right promotion Hilson might see a Top #20 here. Let's hope so for her sake.

Alicia Keys Update!

After the release of "Doesn't Mean Anything", RnB superstar Alicia Keys stopped by 106 & Park to talk about the upcoming album. Keys announced that the album will be released in December and a second single, "Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart" (produced by Jeff Bhasker - see Kanye West's 808's & Heartbreak) has already been chosen.

I'm sure this album will be awesome, Alicia never disappoints!

Shakira: She-Wolf on AGT!

After Leona Lewis's performance on America's Got Talent, Shakira performed "She-Wolf" on the show. Peep the performance below and let me know what you think!

She Wolf AGT Live
by yardie4lifever2

In related news, Shakira's album, "She-Wolf" has been pushed back to 9 October.

Leona Lewis: Happy on AGT!

Hot on the promotional trail for her upcoming album, "Echo", new diva Leona Lewis performed her latest single "Happy" on America's Got Talent. Peep the performance below and let me know what you think!

This performance was great vocally, I just wish Leona would do a bit more than stand there and belt out the occasional high note. In related news, "Happy" is really not doing that well on the charts, I think this will either lead her team to push for a second single to be released soon or to an album delay. What do you think?

Alexandra Burke Update!

X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke will release her debut album on 19 October. You can peep the official cover above and view the tracklisting below. Let me know what you think!

"Bad Boys"
"Goodnight Good Morning"
"Silence"
"All Night Long"
"Bury Me"
"Broken Heels"
"Dumb"
"Overcome"(produced by Ryan Tedder)^{[citation needed]}
"Gotta Go"
"You Broke My Heart" (written by Pixie Lott)
"Nothing but the Girl"
"They Don't Know"

Toni Braxton: Webcast!

Toni Braxton did a live chat with fans that logged onto her website this morning. Ms. Braxton was in New York and took time out to speak to her fans before going to present Leona Lewis at the VH1 Divas concert. The chat is a great watch and gives some interesting insight into her upcoming project.

Just briefly, Toni confirmed that the album will be released 8 February 2010 and will be preceded by two singles, one of which is "Yesterday". So far, the project features no guest artists but she talked about adding Trey Songz to one of the tracks. Twenty two tracks have been recorded for the album and she will be doing no more studio sessions.

It is up to her team to now pick twelve tracks which will be released to mainstream. The album still has a working title of "Pulse" and may feature a few of the tracks which have already leaked, "Melt (Like An Iceberg)" being a likely possibility. Peep Toni also performing an acapella of her new single (she still has vocals I must add, can't wait for a live performance)!

Watch the interview below and be sure to check out Toni's official website to hear her new single.

Sneak Peek: Whitney's Bill Video!

People.com have posted a sneak peek of the upcoming video for Whitney Houston's single, "Million Dollar Bill". Peep the video here and let me know what you think! I'm liking this preview, it looks more lively and fresh - something I was hoping that Houston would be aiming for this time around. While both singles released so far have been of good quality, I'm surprised by the fact that they haven't performed on the charts. What do you think?

Alicia Keys: Doesn't Mean Anything Cover!

Peep the official cover for Alicia Keys's new single, "Doesn't Mean Anything" below. While the song is still growing on me, the single cover is nothing great. I'm still looking forward to hearing what she will be offering this time around.

Whitney Houston: I Didn't Know My Own Strength Live on Oprah!

The much anticipated performance of Whitney Houston's "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" has premiered! Watch the performance below and let me what you think!

While a better showing than her GMA performances a few weeks ago, I can't say this performance was as great as I was expecting it to be. I thought 3:55 - 4:40 was a bad excuse for leaving out notes that she was once famous for hitting and holding.

Tidbit: LMAO at Oprah trying her best to sing along with Ms. Houston at 2:45. I'm assuming she didn't know the words as per usual (see many other performances on her show where she tries to sing along).

New Alicia Keys Music!

Listen to the brand new Alicia Keys single, "Doesn't Mean Anything" here! The song is said to be the first single from an upcoming untitled fourth studio album. While not straying too far from her previous hit, "No One", "Anything" features production from Krucial Keys and great trademark vocals from Keys.

I am however a little on the fence with this one, I'm not 100% sure that this will be as big as "No One" as I feel it doesn't have the same appeal factor that "No One" had. Anyway, I guess time will tell. What do you think of the track?

Alicia Keys Snippet!

A snippet of the lead single off Alicia Key's upcoming album has hit the net. The single, titled "Doesn't Mean Anything" will drop 29 September and precedes her as yet untitled fourth studio album. Listen to the snippet below and let me know what you think.

The song sounds good, I'm just not sure it's #1 material. I'll reserve my final judgement until I've heard the entire track, but knowing Alicia I don't think we'll get a flop here.

Kanye West Apologizes!

After receiving a lot of criticism about upstaging Taylor Swift at this years VMAs the one and only Kanye West has apologized on Jay Leno. Peep the apology below and let me know what you think!

Mariah: Up Out My Face Live!

Mariah Carey performed one of my hit picks from her upcoming album. Titled "Up Out My Face" the track has a "Shake It Off" similarity to it. I'm really liking this one and I'll say it again, it'll serve great as a third or fourth single! Listen to Mariah perform the track at her Vegas event below and let me know what you think!

Contradictory to many reports of the diva having lost her trademark vocals, I really think this is a great performance from Mariah and it'd put many of today's pop stars to shame!

New Toni Braxton: Yesterday!

Finally, after years of waiting an official first single from Toni Braxton's upcoming project has been released. Premiered exclusive online to Essence magazine, "Yesterday" is a mid-tempo, classic Toni track. The track was produced by DJ Frank E and will precede her as yet untitled album said to have a release date of February 2010. You can peep the official single cover above (Toni looks great) and listen to the track below!

Vocally Toni sounds great and I'm really liking the production on this one! Though not #1 material, I think this will get Toni more airplay than material from her last album "Libra", which was grossly overlooked in my opinion.

Kelly Rowland Update!

"When Love Takes Over" singer, Kelly Rowland is hard at work on her third studio album due for release early next year. New details have emerged from the project which is said to already feature production from David Guetta. Now, Jermaine Dupri, Jim Jonsin, Adonis and Brian Kennedy have been added to the credits for the as yet untitled project.

I'm really glad Kelly is getting to work with some of the best producers in the business. I truly believe that with the right record, she can be propelled into international superstardom like her counterpart, Mrs Carter. For Kelly's sake, I hope this project delivers some hit material!

Whitney Houston: I Look To You Video!

The video for the title track off Whitney Houston's comeback album, "I Look To You" has premiered. Peep the clip below and let me know what you think!

Preview Mariah's Memoirs!

You can now preview Mariah Carey's upcoming album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" here, or you can download the 30 second snippets here. Judging from the snippets my favourites are:

Betcha Gon' Know

H.A.T.E. U.

Ribbon

Inseparable

It's A Wrap

Up Out My Face

More Than Just Friends

Angels Cry

. What are you liking?

Initially I was a bit worried about the "Memoirs" project due to the lead single, "Obsessed" but after taking a listen to this preview I think Mariah has really served up something original, current and classic. As far as singles go, I can see "Up Out My Face" and "Angels Cry" doing pretty well and I think "Ribbon" and "More Thank Just Friends" would probably do quite well on the urban charts. All in all, I can't wait until 29 September!

Where Have I Been!?

Sorry all, I have been back home in South Africa for the past three weeks so posts have been slow. I am now back in Australia (my other home) so posting will continue as normal! Anyway, a lot has happened since I've been gone so I'll be updating for quite a while!

Kyle

Music Tidbits!

This is just a random post to give you guys a quick rundown of what's happening in the music biz.

1. Chris Brown has finished work on his new album "Graffiti"- no release date yet

2. Krucial Keys has been working on new Alicia Keys material - first single coming soon!

3. Beverley Knight's "100%" will hit stores tomorrow, buy your copy!

4. Toni Braxton will release her first single from the new album during September!

Leona Lewis: Happy!

So, it has premiered! The official first single from Leona Lewis's sophomore effort, "Happy" has hit the net! The track sees Leona teaming up with OneRepublic frontman, Ryan Tedder to create another midtempo ballad. Listen to the track here and let me know what you think!

I don't know about this one. Although the production is pretty much standard and Leona's vocals are on point I can't say I'm hearing #1 material right here. Maybe it'll grow on me. Tidbit: you can also peep the official single cover above.

Mariah Carey: Memoirs Tracklisting!

The official tracklisting along with the production credits for Mariah Carey's upcoming album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" has been released. The album is almost entirely produced by The Dream, Mariah and Tricky Stewart with a little help from Jim Wright. Peep the tracklisting below and let me know what you think!

1. “Betcha Gon’ Know (The Prologue)”
2. “Obsessed”
3. “H.A.T.E.U.”
4. “Candy Bling”
5. “Ribbon”
6. “Inseparable”
7. “Standing O”
8. “It’s a Wrap”
9. “Up Out My Face”
10. “Up Out My Face (the reprise)”
11. “More Than Just Friends”
12. “The Impossible”
13. “The Impossible (the reprise)”
14. “Angel (the prelude)”
15. “Angels Cry”
16. “Languishing (The Interlude)”
17. “I Want to Know What Love Is”

Shakira: She Wolf!

Peep the official cover for Shakira's upcoming album, "She-Wolf" which will hit stores on 2 October.

Robbie Williams Update!

British star, Robbie Williams will release his first album in three years on 9 November. The album, "Reality Killed the Video Star" now has an official first single, "Bodies" which will be released to mainstream 11 October. The album is said to be produced entirely by Trevor Horn. Peep the official cover above and tracklisting below. You can also listen to the single below and let me know what you think!

MC: I Want To Know What Love Is Cover!

Peep the official cover for Mariah Carey's second single "I Want To Know What Love Is" above! I think they've done a great job with the artwork this time around, what do you think?

Whitney Performs on GMA!

Whitney Houston took to the stage to promote her new album "I Look To You". Watch her perform the two lead singles, "I Look To You" and "Million Dollar Bill" below and let me know what you think.

Many people were debating the quality of her voice from the performances. I have to say that while her vocal performance wasn't of her standards, she still does have an incredibly good voice and stage presence. In related news, Whitney is said to have performed the Dianne Warren and David Foster collaboration, "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" on The Oprah Show. I would hope that her showcasing on Oprah will prove that she still has the voice everyone has been waiting to hear. Only time will tell!

Whitney Does GMA!

Whitney Houston is currently doing the promotional rounds for her new album "I Look To You". She has taped an interview with talkshow super-host Oprah which is said to include a performance of one of the singles off the album.

Today, she taped performances for Good Morning America but according to reports, the performances didn't go that well. Houston apparently got through only three songs before her voice cracked and then disappeared. After apologizing to fans, Whitney blamed the Oprah taping and walked off stage.

The performances will air tomorrow, I will post them then and give a review of the much anticipated performances. Let's hope this isn't as bad as Mariah's performance of "Obsessed" on America's Got Talent last month.

The Blueprint 3 Leaks!

Jay-Z suffers a leakage on his new album, "The Blueprint 3" which is due on 11 September. The album was preceeded by the single "Run This Town" with Rihanna and Kanye West which is starting to grow on me.

The album mainly features collaborations with other artists and while I'm not a Hip-Hop/Rap fan I might take a listen to a few of the leaked tracks. In saying that, this should be a relatively successful release and I'm guessing we'd see sales of around 250 000 in the first week.

Peep the official tracklisting and cover below and let me know what you think.

1. What We Talkin’ About (Featuring Luke Steele of Empire of the Sun)

2. Thank You

3. D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)

4. Run This Town (Featuring Kanye West & Rihanna)

5. Empire State of Mind (Featuring Alicia Keys)

6. Real As it Gets (Featuring Young Jeezy)

7. On to the Next One (Featuring Swizz Beatz)

8. Off That (Featuring Drake)

9. A Star is Born (Featuring J. Cole)

10. Venus vs. Mars

11. Already Home (Featuring Kid Cudi)

12. Hate (Featuring Kanye West)

13. Reminder

14. So Ambitious (Featuring Pharrell)

15. Young Forever (Featuring Mr Hudson)

New MC Demo: Up Out My Face!

Another demo for a track off Mariah Carey's upcoming album "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" has leaked. The track, titled "Up Out My Face" was presumably written by The Dream and Mariah with production by Tricky Stewart.

While the lyrics are clever and production is good there is nothing groundbreaking here. This could really only serve as an album cut in my opinion.

In other news, the album track sequencing has reportedly been completed "I really hope you like this sequence. Its kind of different for me..but I think that's a good thing."

Leona is Happy!

Leona Lewis's first single from her upcoming album, "Echo" is reportedly titled "Happy" and will be released this Sunday! The single will also be performed for the first time at VH1 Divas which will be taped on 15 September.

The album is due in mid November so I think it's great that the single is released at least two months before the album to ensure she gets the amount of exposure she deserves. After so many recent leaks though I'm hoping she will not suffer any sales losses.

Lets hope "Happy" is also something to write home about because I'm not wildly impressed with the material that has surfaced. Are you looking forward to the single?

Whitney Covers Ebony!

Hot on the promotional trail for her new album, "I Look To You", Whitney Houston covers Ebony magazine.

In the article Whitney talks about the inspiration for her new album and her past struggles. In related news, I have now bought my copy of the album. After listening to it a fair few times I must say I'm quite impressed.

I think we should see sales of around 400 000 in the first week and I think this would be a great accomplishment seeing as she has been out of the limelight for a good seven years now. Have you bought "I Look To You"? What do you think of the new album?

Britney Spears News!

Britney Spears will release a greatest hits album titled "The Singles Collection" this November. The first single from the collection is said to debut next month and will apparently be one of four new songs to be featured on the album. This should be interesting! What do you think?

Madonna Celebrates!

The video for Madge's latest single, "Celebration" off her upcoming greatest hits album of the same name has premiered. Peep the video below and let me know what you think.

I'm not much of a Madonna fan and I really don't think the song or video is anything special. I'll be interested to see what first week sales of the album look like as it's due the same date as Mariah Carey's "Memoirs" (29 September).