Melanie Fiona - Change The Record

My pick for the second single off Melanie Fiona's 'The MF Life'. 'Change The Record' featuring B.o.B. produced by Carlos 'Los Da Mystro' Mc Kinney (Schoolin' Life, My Love). 

New Music: Leona Lewis - Collide!

Songstress Leona Lewis returns to music with 'Collide', a track slated to kickoff her third solo studio album. The song is poised to place her in the dance realm, creating a younger and edgier vibe that starlets Katy Perry and Rihanna have had great success with. The track comes courtesy of French producer Sandy Vee (Firework, Commander, Sexy Bitch) and songwriter Autumn Rowe (Happiness, Swagger Jagger) and has an airy familiarity to both 'Firework' and 'Only Girl (In The World)'. 

Lewis's team have pulled a Beyonce and sampled 'Penguin', a song released in 2010 by another major international DJ, Avicii. While there is still a dispute about whether or not the song is an original production by Avicii, his management have already inferred legal action against the release of 'Collide' saying, "To answer everyone, the first time I heard Leona Lewis 'Collide' was today. I didn't produce it and neither me or my manager could approve it."

Hopefully it's all worth it because a #29 peak on the Billboard Hot 100 [see 'Run The World (Girls)'] is probably not going to sit well with J Records and Syco after the release of the commercial flop that was 'Echo'.

The track has it's positives, it's chorus is catchy and the Vee definitely gave it the 'Stargate touch', enticing you in and shamelessly having you fist pumping by the time you reach the second verse. What bothers me most about the song is not that it's a mere rip-off of yet another club tune though, it's the fact that the lyrical content is so basic and predictable that it's almost insulting to a singer of Leona's stature. The verses definitely take the cake:


Verse 1

"I'll pick you up when you're down, be there when no one's around, 

When you're in unfamiliar places, count on me through life's changes 

I'm in tune with how you feel, everything about this is real

When you're in unfamiliar places, count on me through life's changes"

Verse 2
When you're in unfamiliar places, count on me through life's changes,
Know that you're never alone,
In me you can find a find a home,
When you're in unfamiliar places, count on me through life's changes  

Ultimately, I don't think we'll be seeing this on top of any chart. It's undeniable that Lewis can sing and we were all in agreement that she needed a 'new, younger direction', but I'm not sure that following the dance trend was the best idea. This track barely touches on her abilities as a vocalist and should've been used as a demo in her car if she wanted to show BFFs Katy and RiRi that she could also do a dance anthem.


I really hope the material from this album proves to be more substantial and directional than this. As I've said before, this tells us nothing about Lewis that we don't already know, and doesn't tell us what type of artist she wants to be. To make a long-lasting career in this industry she's going to have to define herself and prove that she deserves to be on the top of any chart. 


Personally, I think they've missed the mark with this track, and I'd prefer to see Lewis doing more R&B influenced records that showcase her unique vocal stylings. Hopefully Syco will pawn this off as a 'promo single' before releasing some serious material prior to the album's release in November. Take a listen to 'Collide' below as well as Avicii's 'Penguin' and let me know what you think!

Songwriting Feature: Sonyae Elise!

Sonyae Elise is currently staring on Bravo's 'Platinum Hit' with judges Kara DioGuardi and Jewel. I've taken a liking to the show and how it gives insight into a different side of the industry. After the first episode, I was a bit skeptical about Sonyae's ability as a writer, but she has really begun to prove herself as one of the most talented writers we've heard in a long time.

Sonyae's ability to take a lyric and rewrite it to create stark visual imagery is astounding. On 'Stranger To Love', Sonyae pens "Restore my strength, manage to kiss me weak, woke up the woman and put the girl to speak". On another Platinum Hit track, 'Love Me To Life', Sonyae writes, "I'm a walking fraction of who I used to be, love came along and knocked the air out of me", "And if you need the proof, I've got the scars, better make sure that never happens again, and love me to life". She just has such a fresh approach to writing that it makes you want to hear what she has to say next. I really think she has a great career ahead of her as a songwriter. Take a listen to her work below and let me know what you think!

New Music: JoJo - Limbo!

Yet another track has leaked from JoJo's upcoming third studio album, 'Jumping Trains'. This time, it's a very personal leak for me. I actually heard the song, 'Limbo' a few months ago when the amazingly talented Jessica Ashley demoed it for JoJo's project. Take a listen to JoJo's version of her song below and let me know what you think! Also be sure to check out Jessica's music on her Youtube, Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Beyonce continues '4' promo in France!

Beyonce is hot on the promo trail for her fourth studio album, '4' which will be released next week. She is currently on the European leg of the tour, and performed her first concert in Nice, France over the weekend to help push the album. Peep some of the footage from the concert below and let me know what you think!

Crazy In Love

Run The World

Single Ladies

Medley (Bootylicious, Bug A Boo, Telephone)

End of Time

Sweet Dreams

1+1

Live| JoJo performs new track!

In preparation for her return to music, teen singer JoJo took to the stage in New York to perform the title track off of her upcoming LP, 'Jumping Trains'. Take a look at her performance below and let me know what you think! 

In related news, the video for the first single, 'The Other Chick' has been filmed with director Kai Regan and should premiere shortly. 

   

Beyonce's '4' Leaks!

Yes, Queen B's '4' has leaked. I was one of the first to take a listen to the 'early release' of her new album but I decided to take my time and come up with a few solid points before blogging about it. The album has been receiving positive reviews from critics and fans alike. Beyonce seems to have left the club bangers behind on this album. Instead, she lets her voice do all the work and shines on many of the albums mid-tempos. 

I'm impressed with the change in sound, the album's complete production credits haven't been released as of yet but we do know she enlisted a few different producers to work on the album. I'm particularly liking the spacey electronic elements on 'I Care', 'I Miss You' and 'I Was Here', definitely a different sound for her but it works. 

Overall, Beyonce presents good quality music with an impeccable vocal performance on each track. That being said, I don't think this album will be flying to the top of the charts with a single anytime soon. Ultimately, I think this album will sit well with fans who respect and know her true talent as a performer.

My favourites: 

I Care

I Miss You

Start Over

I Was Here

What do you think of the album?

Introducing: Karmin Music!

Pop singer/songwriters Amy and Nick form the duo Karmin, a Boston based group that is slowly becoming a Youtube sensation with the release of various covers. Nick, a trombonist who's style is influenced by rock complements the R&B/Pop background of Amy to create a group with distinct style and sound. Take a listen to a few of their covers below and let me know what you think!

No doubt, they'll be signed soon. I'm sure we'll be hearing from them a lot in the future.