MADONNA FRIDAY: FROZEN

Madonna had undoubtedly bared her soul many times before the release of her 1998 album Ray of Light. Staring with 1989's Like A Prayer Madge had written about her personal life and inner thoughts many times, but with the release of Frozen, the first single from Ray of Light, things changed. Madonna released the song in the winter of 1998 and it was a complete departure from her earlier work. Only hinted at on Bedtime Stories with songs like Sanctuary and Bedtime Story, Ray of Light took electronic music and added emotion to create a mix that would impact the music industry. Frozen was lush strings, quiet vocals and stunning visuals all wrapped up in the already iconic image of Madonna. Acclaimed by music critics and fans alike, Frozen went to #2 on the Hot 100, making Madonna the artists with the most #2 hits in Billboard history, and #1 in the UK, Spain, France, Italy and Finland was a top 10 hit worldwide. The Chris Cunningham directed video was shot in the Mojave Desert and showed Madonna as an ethereal earth mother, floating and wielding the power of the elements and dealing with Madonna's then-new fascination with mysticism. It received an MTV VMA for Best Special Effects. Frozen is one of Madonna's most important singles because it symbolizes a shift in her music and her image. So on this day when it's finally warming up a bit in NYC, here is Madonna's Frozen. Happy Madonna Friday!

NEW MUSIC: GOOD AS GONE - LEAVE THE LIGHT ON

If Melissa Etheridge and Dixie Chicks had a baby, you would get Good As Gone. I know I don't review a lot of country artists unless they have a huge gay fanbase, but I'm from Texas so country music is in my designer underwear, y'all! Based out of Austin, Texas, this up-and-coming girl power country band consists of LeighAnn Heil and Alexa Manza. The duo's debut album, Leave The Light On, is smart, tight and -- most importantly -- catchy as hell! From the driving (literally) opening track Go Fast, which tells the story of a woman who refused to let life pass her by, Leave The Light On delivers track after track of pure country-rock goodness. Hit the Deck reminds me of early 90s Etheridge with it's husky vocal and slow burn and there are sweet harmonies and melodies galore on Photographs and Sunday Drive. The album fits nicely into the Texas Country category, but also is a great country-pop album that should appeal to a wide range of fans. Think Dixie Chicks, 90s Lorrie Morgan, and a little Shania. YES! Take a listen to the album and buy it on the Good As Gone website, and check for live shows around the Austin area. These girls are rockin' it out, y'all! Take a listen to the ladies' playlist below.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: LONG LOST JANET JACKSON/HERB ALPERT SONG - DIAMONDS

Long forgotten....except by me because I LOVED LOVED LOVED this song!!!! Back in 1987, Herb Alpert was an established horn player who hadn't had a hit in a while. He teamed up with Janet's producing super-duo, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. One of the results was Diamonds, a song recorded with vocals by Janet Jackson and Lisa Keith (but really just Janet) and hit #5 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the R&B charts. Herb didn't have another hit, but Janet was just at the beginning of her streak, which of course boosted this song as well. Don't get me wrong though, the funky horn and "dontcha know, diamonds are a girl's best friend" chorus rocked my world. Check out the mostly forgotten and often underrated Diamonds!!

HUMPDAY SEXY SONG: GOLDFRAPP - STRICT MACHINE

Sure, technically speaking, Strict Machine is about lab rats in a neuroscience experiment, but it's still sexy as all hell. Folow me here. Goldfrapp always takes on subjects and twists and turns them with music and makes them into something totally different. So yes, all those sexy ads Strict Machine has been used for -- whether they be fragrances or video games, cars, television shows or phones -- are all using a song about genetically modified animals. So there you go. Still, this song is a long sex growl, pounding and throbbing it's way right to where your bathing suit covers, reminiscent of the best Blondie song you can think of mixed with Donna Summer's I Feel Love. Oh, did I mention that the video is sex on a stick? YOUR stick, specifically. Cuz it is. Alison is a Little Red Riding Hood making her way through a fantastical city of Siberian Husky-headed men and psychedelic butterflies.  Top that, bitches! Anyway, before you pants pop with anticipation, here is the video for today's Humpday Sexy Song, Strict Machine by Goldfrapp. And yes, it's fucking Goldfrapp day on this blog. Get over it. MWAH!

FILM REVIEW: GOLDFRAPP - TALES OF US

Goldfrapp have always challenged themselves both musically and visually, so it makes sense that they would eventually dip their toes into the world of the cinema. With their latest album, Tales of Us (available on iTunes)  Alison and Will weave together the stories of 10 people, one a deadly stranger, with songs that are dramatic, lyrically impressive and lushly orchestrated. You can read my original review HERE. The film focuses in on five of those stories and, as the Mute website puts it, "Inspired by Goldfrapp’s latest album, Tales Of Us, the striking film is a 30-minute journey through five of the individual stories featured on the album. Stranger, Laurel, Jo, Drew and Annabel interconnect subtly, sharing themes of love, loss, madness and identity, taking the viewer on a unique musical journey." Well put. The film is visually stunning and, of course, the music will move your soul. The film is followed in each city by a special live performance video of songs, both classic and from Tales of Us, that will blow you away. You can actually watch the videos for both Drew and Annabel by clicking the links on their titles. There is a little nudity, so NSFW. They are GORGEOUS! Enjoy the trailer below. There are a few shows left in different cities. If interested go the website for the film HERE and see if Tales of Us is playing near you. In NYC you have one more chance tomorrow, March 27th, at the AMC25 on 42nd Street in Manhattan and Indie Screen in Brooklyn. Both shows are at 8 PM.

THE #1 SONG 20 YEARS AGO TODAY WAS.....

.....The Sign by Ace of Base. Looking back, maybe Ace of Base was a total cheeseball, but you gotta admit they had some catchy-ass songs. The Sign hit #1 on March 12, 1994, spent four weeks at the top, lost the position to Bump n' Grind by R. Kelly for two weeks and then took #1 again for an additional two weeks. People REALLY liked this song, you guys. The Sign went on to become the #1 single of 1994, the #11 single of the decade, and when Billboard released their top 100 songs of their first 50 years, The Sign was #51 of all the songs in Hot 100 history. Dayum! Not to shabby for a band that is basically an imitation, up-to-date ABBA. Anyway, sit back, relax and try not to bob your head along to this 90s gem. Here is the #1 song from 20 years ago today, The Sign by Ace of Base.

LADY GAGA PREMIERES SHORT FILM FOR G.U.Y.

Lady Gaga is doing a very smart thing with her new video for G.U.Y. She is basically rebooting ARTPOP and going for it big time. Since leaving her longtime manager right on the eve if releasing ARTPOP, things have not gone well. The promo for the album was a mess and album sales have been less than stellar. No video was released for second single Do What U Want, or at least never materialized, which certainly limited its success and many assumed that was the end of the ARTPOP era. Well Gaga is not giving up that easy. With the release of this video, which also features three other songs from the album (ARTPOP, Venus and MANiCURE, Gaga is re-introducing ARTPOP and possibly giving it another life. Starting off with Gaga as an angel shot down to earth and wandering to safety, the video really takes off when Venus kicks in and Gaga and the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Andy Cohen (as GOD) are hosting a pool party at the Hearst mansion. What? Yes, you read that right. Lisa Vanderpump and the gang are in the video!! Anyway, the rest is a feast for the eyes. Here's hoping this reboot pays off. ARTPOP is really a very, very good album and G.U.Y. is and  excellent song. Watch the video below, directed by Gaga herself. A return to form, I think.

MARCH 16th TO 22nd: THE WEEK IN REVIEW

What a week! Let's just hit, shall we?

Kylie Minogue teased and teased and finally released her Sexercise video!!

Lady Gaga announced her next single, told us where to look for the premiere of the video!

Lily Allen released the cutest lyric video of all time to L8 CMMR.

Remember when middle aged people could have #1 pop hits?

And finally, and most importantly, Madonna's album Like A Prayer turned 25 this week.

LADY GAGA TO PREMIERE VIDEO FOR NEW SINGLE G.U.Y. ON DATELINE TOMORROW NIGHT!!

Lady Gaga will be premiering her latest single/video on Dateline tomorrow night, according to Dateline's twitter account. Lady Gaga will also be talking about her video on TV all day today on The Today Show, Access Hollywood and E! News. If the image posted on Facebook is any indication it looks like some sort of alien falls to earth/government conspiracy theme. I'm excited! Please let this reboot ARTPOP!!!! This album really deserves another shot, y'all. It's good. Tune in  to Dateline tomorrow night at 8/7c and listen to G.U.Y. below.

Yes, you heard right: @ladygaga is premiering the music video for G.U.Y. Saturday at 8/7c on @NBC, right before our Saturday Night Mystery!
— Dateline NBC (@DatelineNBC) March 20, 2014

Watch me tomorrow talking about my new video on @TODAYshow @accesshollywood and @ENews! #NewARTPOPSingle
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) March 21, 2014

MADONNA FRIDAY: THE ALBUM LIKE A PRAYER WAS RELEASED 25 YEARS AGO TODAY!

March 21, 1989 is a day that will live in infamy. For countless homosexuals people around the world, we will always remember the day we got Madonna's pop/art masterpiece Like A Prayer and listened to it like our lives depended on it for the next few years....and then some. The original ARTPOP, indeed. Madonna, by the late 80s, was already an icon. She had some of the most recognizable and celebrated singles of the decade, was the most photographed woman in the world and had two #1 album, six #1 singles and 14 consecutive top 10 songs under her belt. Her fourth album was highly anticipated and no one could imagine what direction it would take; the underground dance vibe of her debut, the pop soul of Like A Virgin, or the driving, confident, eclectic feel of True Blue. What Like A Prayer produced was some of the most introspective, honest songs of Madonna's career, especially up to that point, and, as Rolling Stone put it, an album, "...as close to art as pop music gets." Like A Prayer became Madonna's third #1 album and topped the US Billboard 200 for over a month. Critics and fans alike praised the albums autobiographical songwriting and the scope of the songs themselves. There's gospel tinged numbers like the title track, straight up R&B grooves like Express Yourself, Love Song (with Prince) and Keep It Together, as well as the softer, more romantic Madonna on Cherish and Spanish Eyes. Some of the most beautiful and surprising songs on Like A Prayer come from Madonna's willingness to go deep and reveal things about herself, her relationship with her father (Oh Father) her abusive marriage to Sean Penn (Till Death Do Us Part) and the death of her mother (Promise To Try). Of course, the album wouldn't be a REAL Madonna album without a little controversy. Just before debuting the lead single, Like A Prayer was used by Pepsi as part of an endorsement deal with Madonna. A commercial was shot and aired during the Grammy Awards in 1989. It showed Madonna revisiting childhood memories and watching her younger self celebrate a birthday with her family. You can watch it HERE.  Then the actual video came out and all hell broke loose. Almost literally. Burning crosses, kissing a black saint, rape, jiggling breasts in a church building; it's all there, girl. Madonna kept the $5 million dollars she was paid for the commercial but, due to consumer pressure, Pepsi pulled the commercial for good. Some suggest Madonna knew the controversy would cause Pepsi to pull the ad and she was fine with that as she didn't really want to appear in commercials anyway. Win/Win! The video for Like A Prayer went on to win the Viewer's Choice Award at the MTV VMAs that year and was nominated for Video of the Year. The next single, Express Yourself, caused quite a stir with its video as well. Madonna is shown several times grabbing her crotch, quite aggressively, and people did not take kindly to it. Of course, Madonna simply pointed out that Michael Jackson grabs his crotch all the time, why shouldn't she, as a woman, do it as well. Another point of controversy was Madonna being shown naked, chained to a bed. In response to critics saying it degraded or dehumanized women, Madonna said the difference is that she had chosen such bondage and therefore was still in control of her sexuality. The clip is held up by most as an example of Madonna empowering women on many levels and a strong feminist statement. The video for Express Yourself was nominated for Best Female Video at the 1989 MTV VMAs and won for Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Direction and Best Art Direction. Billboard gave it the award for Video of the Year. From that point forward, most of the focus went purely back to the music . Cherish, inspired by the sound of 1960s girl groups, became Madonna's 16th consecutive top 10 single on the Hot 100 and had a simple, black and white Herb Ritts video that featured her soon-to-be boyfriend Tony Ward (yummy) and several other hunky Pepperdine water polo players as mermen. HOT! Fourth single, Oh Father, one of Madge's deepest, most haunting ballads, was also her first single since Holiday to not reach the top 10 on the Hot 100, peaking at #20. The haunting ballad about her difficult relationship with her father after the death of her mother was accompanied by arguably one of Madonna's most powerful, beautiful videos of all time. Shot in black and white and directed by David Fincher, it's more of a short film than a music video, telling the story of Madonna's difficult childhood and on through her abusive relationship with Sean Penn. The video was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Short Form Music Video in 1991. Dear Jessie was released as a single in the UK and hit #5 there accompanied by an animated video in which Madonna only appears a cartoon pixie. Fifth and final US single, Keep It Together, returned Madonna to the US top 10 without the help of a video, one of the rare Madonna singles not to have a visual component.  The album Like A Prayer stands as a milestone in the career of the greatest pop star of our, and arguably any, time. Madonna began to be taken seriously by critics and established herself as a serious artist. Shockingly, Like A Prayer was completely snubbed by the Grammy voters that year -- jealous much? -- but is considered by most to be one of the most influential, artistic and successful albums of the 80s. It appears on almost every list of "greatest albums of all time" and is certainly one of the highlights of Madonna's career. It also sounds as fresh today as it did 25 years ago. A true pop classic by an artist who completely changed the game for women in music...hell, music in general.... Like A Prayer is a testament to an artist taking control of her destiny and baring her soul. Below are the videos released from Like A Prayer. Enjoy and Happy Madonna Friday.
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LILY ALLEN RELEASED LYRIC VIDEO FOR L8 CMMR. MAKES MY LIFE

My fave of her new songs, L8 CMMR, which will be on her upcoming album Sheezus and is featured on the soundtrack Girls Vol. 2: All Adventurous Women Do, is one of the catchiest songs I've head in a long time. I am ashamed to say that I totally missed the release of its lyric video late last month, but fear not, I am sharing it with you now. It's really as good as any official video could be, especially for those of us who BARELY remember classic 80s video games like Super Mario Brothers. Very creative and amazingly fun. Watch as the 8-bit Lily runs over the lyrics, races a car and wins her man. YAAAAAAAS! Obsessed with this song. Enjoy. Also pre-order Lily's album Sheezus on iTunes like yesterday! DO IT!

KYLIE CAMPS IT UP WITH VFILES FOR A HILAROIUS AND SEXY "SEXERCISE" PROMO

Kylie is not afraid of camping it up and her new single, Sexercise, is camp-tastic! So Minogue is launching a whole campaign behind it and VFILES, the online place to go for fashion entertainment, and this video is a humdinger! Featuring a lot of man-meat, this video shows Kylie picking out some eye candy for her upcoming album projects over satellite, Big Brother style. She also delivers some real zingers watching all the boys, including bartenders from one of my neighborhood haunts Flaming Saddles. Watch and love and laugh, then take a look at the real video for Sexercise HERE.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: STARSHIP: A LONG COMPLICATED HISTORY WITH SOME GREAT MUSIC.

Remember when people who looked like this could have
hit record? 

Starship was formed out of the ashes of a couple of bands and many band names. Originally a group called Jefferson Airplane and had lead singer Grace Slick. Formed in 1965, the band had hits like psychedelic classics Somebody To Love and White Rabbit. When Jefferson Airplane broke up in 1972 several members formed the new Jefferson Starship (see what they did there?), added a co-lead vocalist Mickey Thomas, and had a few successful outings with songs like With Your Love and the amazing No Way Out. In 1984 founding member of Jefferson Starship left the group and sued for use of the name Jefferson Starship. Instead of continuing the legal battle and not putting out music, the remaining members, with Mickey Thomas and Grace Slick (the only original member) as the lead vocalists. WHEW! Got that? SOOO in 1985 Starship released their biggest selling album Knee Deep In The Hoopla. It was huge! The album produced two #1 hits: the 80s classic We Built This City and the ballad Sara. They had another top 40 hit from Knee Deep In The Hoopla with the fantastic and underrated Tomorrow Doesn't Matter Tonight (#26). In 1987 the band scored another #1 song with Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now from the Kim Cattrall film Mannequin and their album No Protection. The song was a huge, becoming the 5th biggest single of 1987. No Protection produced one more top 10 hit for Starship with It's Not Over Til It's Over (#9). Grace Slick left Starship in 1988 to reform Jefferson Airplane and Starship, with only Mickey as the lead singer, released Love Among the Cannibals in 1989. Only one minor hit was produced, It's Not Enough (#12) and the band eventually disbanded, after some turmoil among the members. Thomas did announce a new Starship album in 2011 which eventually came to light in 2013. There is no doubt though that Starship's heyday was a big one. The band had a good run on the charts in the mid-80s and that was a very competitive time, especially at most of their ages. In fact, when Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now hit #1 it made the then 47 year-old Grace Slick the oldest woman to ever hit #1 on the Hot 100. Of course, Cher beat that record in 1999 when Believe hit the top spot and she was 52. Still, I'm amazed when We Built This City comes on and I see kids these days who actually know it!! That is a sign of a classic pop song, no matter how annoying it can be sometimes. Ha!! Anyhoo, enjoy the videos below and remember Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Starship Starship!

NEW LADY GAGA VIDEO AND SINGLE COMING IN "3.5" DAYS

Lady Gaga has announced via her twitter that she has a new single/video coming out soon. There was no video ever released for second single Do What U Want. Reports surfaced that the video for that song was so disturbing that her label refused to release it. One thing that is reported to be part of the video is R. Kelly grabbing a bottle of ARTPOP bbq sauce and pretending to pee on Gaga. I mean, I would like to see that. Sounds fun......ish. Anyhoo!!! We know from early ARTPOP interviews that Gaga already had a video ready for Venus, so it could be that song and video which would sit well with me. I love that song. Looking over fan reaction on twitter it looks like most want Gypsy or G.U.Y. which are both amahzing. I would love for it to be the title track. Either way, I hope Gaga can pull it together a bit after her letting that chick vomit on her at SXSW and before the ARTPOP Ball kicks off.

I'm so excited for you to see the new video! 3.5 days! Can anyone guess the #NextARTPOPSingle
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) March 19, 2014

HUMPDAY SEXY SONG: KYLIE MINOGUE - LES SEX

Yes, my last four posts have been about Kylie Minogue. So sue me! Here is a live performance that I somehow missed of Kylie performing Les Sex, the excellent track from her glimmering new album Kiss Me Once. Apparently a month ago Kylie took the the dive bar The Old Blue Last to host a night of Bingo and Karaoke and perform three tracks from her then-upcoming album. Here is one of those performances that makes for a perfect Humpday Sexy Song. Enjoy Kylie's Les Sex. If you'd like to hear the album version click HERE.

NEW KYLIE MINOGUE: SEXERCISE

NSFW!!! WHOA!! Looks like someone is feeling her oats.....and everyone else's boobs too. Kylie is giving you bi-curious realness in her newest video Sexercise. Quite possibly her most sexually explicit video ever, Sexercise has Minogue pumping her hips and fondling several other women in a steamy aerobics class. Of course they are all in stilletos. They're not savages. Watch below and get Kylie's new album, Kiss Me Once, now on iTunes.

KYLIE MINOGUE TEASES NEW VIDEO/SINGLE TO BE RELEASED TOMORROW: SEXERCISE

Get into it! Kylie's new album, Kiss Me Once (review HERE), is out today and tomorrow, 3/19/14, she will unveil a new video for what I can only presume is her next single, Sexercise. Looks like it's going to be steamy....literally and figuratively. The track, co-written by Sia Furler and produced by The Monsters and The Strangerz, is a sexy little diddy with a dark beat and Kylie's cooing vocals. Be careful listening to it at the gym, you might lose control. Take a look and sweat a little.

REVIEW: KYLIE MINOGUE - KISS ME ONCE

WOOHOO!!! I love the day a new Kylie album comes out! It's like Gay-Christmas! So....Christmas. Kylie Minogue is back with her 12th studio album, Kiss Me Once, and it's a doozy. Packed with wall-to-wall dance jams and sweet harmonies, Kiss Me Once is definitely a Kylie album, but with a bit of an twist. Working with some new producers, namely executive producer and hitmaker for the stars Sia Furler, Minogue's stretches her sexy-cutie-pie brand a bit and includes collaborations with Pharrell, Enrique Iglesias and Greg Kirsten. Kicking off with first single, the anthemic Into the Blue, Kiss Me Once delivers several radio-ready tunes. Million Miles is particularly catchy and the Pharrell written and produced I Was Gonna Cancel is easily one of Kylie's funkiest tracks 2003's Red Blooded Woman. More album highlights are Sexercise (I am glad I like that song, but THAT TITLE!!) the light and breezy Feels So Good, which actually a cover of Indiana by Tom Aspaul, and the stunning electro-ballad If Only. Les Sex is the perfect PG-rated raunchiness that Kylie always does so well. The title track sounds like a classic 80s/early 90s Kylie track. It's almost like being in a time machine, y'all! Beautiful is a duet with Enrique Iglesias that sounds a lot like Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap with the use of its vocoder. Quite lovely. Bonus track Mr. President is a hard hitting Trash produced sexy piece of EDM. Pretty sure this has club hit written all the fuck over it. This is worth the price of the Bonus Track edition of Kiss Me Once for sure, but coupled with fellow bonus track, the dreamy Sleeping with the Enemy, produced by Lily Allen collaborator Greg Kurstin, you are getting your moneys' worth fo'sho'. All in all, there is not a bad track on Kiss Me Once, as we've come to expect from Kylie. It's available on iTunes now. Get it! Meanwhile, enjoy the album sampler of Kiss Me Once below.

NEW JENNIFER LOPEZ: I LUH YA PAPI (FT. FRENCH MONTANA)

Catchy, sexy, fun summer song, y'all. AND THIS VIDEO. I will say no more.

PRINCE RELEASES MOST RADIO FRIENDLY SONG IN YEARS....WITH ZOOEY DESCHANEL

Prince has not exactly put out music for the masses in the last few years. With the exception of songs like Musicology (2004) and Black Sweat (2006), Prince is more experimental in the last decade or so. There are rumors that Prince is heading out of independent music label land back to a record company. L.A. Reid was recently seen leaving a listening of his new album PLECTRUMELECTRUM (what?). Now Prince has released FALLINLOVE2NITE with New Girl's Zooey Deschanel (of all people) that he previewed a part of when he appeared on the New Girl post-Super Bowl episode. It's definitely not experimental. It's straight up pop pleasure. Prince has even brought back his alter-ego Camille, last seen on hits like U Got The Look (1987) and Partyman (1989), for this piece of pop perfection. I would personally love to see Prince go for it and put out a balls-out pop record after all these years. Even if he has to drag the girl responsible for the worst cotton commercial ever with him. I mean....... Anyway, enjoy FALLINLOVE2NITE below and love it 2DAY. In case they take down the video below, click HERE to listen.

MADONNA FRIDAY: DRESS YOU UP

Ah, MADONNA-MANIA!! I LIVED IT, I LOVED IT!!! Dress You Up was the 4th single from Madonna's 2nd super successful album Like a Virgin. Dress You Up was my favorite song when I first bought the album and I listened to it ALL OF THE FUCKING TIME!!! This song continued her streak of top 5 Hot 100 hits and was her first live video. This clip is taken from The Virgin Tour and you can see that Madonna's 80's look was in full swing. She didn't quite have her future theatrics down yet, but The Virgin Tour is pretty awesome nonetheless. Dress You Up was added to the "Filthy Fifteen" list of the Parents Music Resource Center (Thanks, Tipper Gore), due to the perceived sexual nature of its lyrics. Hilarious! If only they knew what she had in store later on. Erotica anyone?  A classic 80s song, enjoy Madonna's Dress You Up.

LEA MICHELE DEBUTS AT #4 WITH LOUDER

Lea Michele did pretty well (I'm a poet and I know it). Louder, the debut album from the Glee starlet, debuts at #4 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The set sold 62,171 copies in its first week, coming in behind the soundtrack for Frozen (#3), Pharrell's G I R L (#2) and Rick Ross' Mastermind (#1). All but Frozen are debuting this week on the album chart. Nice, Lea!! Congrats. First single, Cannonball, only hit #75 on the Hot 100, but could get a boost from the album's release. There are many other songs on the record that are single-worthy, so keep putting them out, Columbia Records!!! Some critics are saying that Lea doesn't exactly sell the songs or that they are overblown and too loud. It's called belting you shit heads!! I know it's been a long time since an actual SINGER put out a pop album, but in all those places certain other "singers" grunt, Lea sings notes. You'll get used to it. Don't worry. You can get Louder now on iTunes. Below is an audio track of my favorite song from Louder, You're Mine. The chorus melts me every fucking time!! Enjoy, bitches.

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THROWBACK THURSDAY: ANNIE LENNOX - DIVA

Annie Lennox is definitely one of the most celebrated and compelling voices in modern pop music. As lead singer of Eurythmics, Lennox -- along with Dave Stewart -- created chart success paralleled by very few of their peers throughout the 80s. After Euythmics decided to take a break in 1990, Lennox took some time off, had a baby, and eventually, luckily for all of us, decided to return to music. Needless to say, she nailed that shit. Lennox unleashed Diva in the Spring of 1992 and the world took notice. From the first single, the beautiful Why, to the yearing soul of Cold, the brilliantly gleeful Little Bird, to the swagger of (my personal favorite) Money Can't Buy It, Diva was a masterclass in singing and songwriting. Lennox wrote an album of songs that dealt with motherhood, sisterhood, heartache, triumph and love. To accompany the record Annie released a video album featuring 9 of the 11 tracks from Diva directed by Sophie Muller, with whom she had collaborated during her time with Eurythmics. Visually stunning and owing much to the pure beauty of Lennox' face and her charisma, the video album went on to win a Grammy for Best Long Form Music Video. The album was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance - Female at the Grammys as well. The Brit Awards honored Annie with Best British Album, Best British Female Artist and nominated her for Best British Video for Walking On Broken Glass. Her producer, Stephen Lipson, was also nominated for Best British Producer. The album hit #1 on the UK charts, but only #23 in the US, although it has sold over 2 million copies in the States since it's release. Diva's amazing roster of singles were Why (#5 UK, #34 US), Precious (#23 UK, N/A US), Walking On Broken Glass (#8 UK, #14 US), Cold (#26 UK, N/A US) and Little Bird (#3 UK, #49 US). Diva stands as a stunning album that shows no signs of aging all these years later, and the same can be said of Annie. A true pop classic. Enjoy some videos from Diva below.
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BECK PERFORMS WAKING LIGHT ON THE TONIGHT SHOW

Beck's new album Morning Phase is a beautiful masterpiece (my review HERE) and it's single Waking Light is the perfect example of how gorgeous it is. Performing it live on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Beck easily entrances with his voice and the band it NAILING it. Enjoy and get Morning Phase now in iTunes.

HUMPDAY SEXY SONG: I'M A SLAVE 4 U - BRITNEY SPEARS

Oh, Britney! You saucy little bitch. Britney was sick of the teen-queen image back in 2001, so she did what any sensible pop starlet does....she slutted it up!! Not that Britney hadn't already shown some skin before, but her music, in general, was on the safe side. I'm a Slave 4 U, written and produced by Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams a.k.a. The Neptunes, was full-on sex kitten material and Britney cooed her way to one of her sexiest hits. The song is accompanied by the perfect video. Taking place in a sauna/dance club, Britney dances her ass off, gets licked by a male dancer and teases about every boy and girl in the place. It was a shift in her career and easily one of her best singles of ever. Don't you miss this Britney? THOSE ABS! Anyway, watch the video below and be a slave to her. Hump away, m'friends. Hump away. FUN FACT: I'm A Slave 4 U was written for Janet Jackson and intended for her album All For You. Her loss, Brit's gain.
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LILY ALLEN THINKS HER EXCELLENT NEW SINGLES ARE "RUBBISH"

Lily Allen is never one to hide her true feelings so when a fan called her new singles "docile pop rubbish", Lily spoke her mind and AGREED! WHAT? Nonsense. Lily, I'm afraid, historically does not have a very high opinion of herself, but this has gone to far. Granted, I might be a little biased because I love Lily, but I have really enjoyed all of her new music and I'm going to defend it. I think Hard Out Here is classic, biting Lily. Air Balloon is her sweet side. L8 CMMR is pure, sassy joy and Our Time is a great party-with-your-pals anthem. I WILL keep the faith, Lily. Below is the beginning of the conversation with that evil, doubtful hater fan on twitter and then what they said after and the new videos for the songs released so far from Sheezus:

@RFWilding what you've heard so far yes. All i can do is do my best, the labels and the radio stations won't play the better stuff.
— Lily Allen (@lilyallen) March 10, 2014

@lilyallen Fair play, still gonna buy Sheezus see what the rest offers. I have faith! Chinese is one of my favourite songs of all time.
— Reg Wilding (@RFWilding) March 10, 2014

@RFWilding keep the faith
— Lily Allen (@lilyallen) March 10, 2014

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THE #1 SONG 30 YEARS AGO TODAY WAS....

.......Jump by Van Halen. Up until the the release of Van Halen's album 1984, the group had been a straight forward hard-rock band. All guitar and swagger, but no pop elements to their music necessarily. 1984 would see a huge change for the Van Halen's sound and for their success on the charts. Adding a lot of synth, Eddie Van Halen other passion besides the guitar, 1984 came out of the gate hard with the band's first and only #1 single ever, Jump. Jump is probably Van Halen's most recognizable song and certainly one of their most beloved. The song and the album, although their most successful up to that point, also lead to the eventual break up of Van Halen with their lead singer David Lee Roth, who thought the more synth-driven direction of the band was the wrong call. Regardless, Jump hit #1 on the Hot 100 February 25, 1984 and stayed atop the list for five weeks. The album went on to produce three more Hot 100 hits with I'll Wait (#13), Panama (#13) and Hot For Teacher (#56) and the band later replaced Roth with Sammy Hagar and had many years' worth of chart hits thereafter. David Lee Roth went solo and, sticking to his heavy-metal guns, covered the hard rock classic California Girls by the Beach Boys to much success. See what I did there? Jump, though, is still their crowning glory and one helluva pop-rock anthem. So here is the #1 song 30 years ago today. Enjoy and -- if you remember it -- feel old.
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HAPPY MONDAY SONG: TAKE YOUR TIME (DO IT RIGHT) - S.O.S. BAND

I mean......this song is A-MAH-ZING!! Right on the verge of the "Disco is Dead" movement of the late 70s/early 80s, S.O.S. Band released a disco song that was so undeniably good that no one could resist it. Granted, there is some funk in there too, but let's all face facts, she's a disco number, girl. Take Your Time (Do It Right), released March 18, 1980, shot up the R&B chart (Then the Soul Singles chart) to #1, hit #1 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart and #3 on the Hot 100. Even though this is the only real hit S.O.S. Band ever had, I would say it's a pretty good one to one-hit-wonder it on. I'm sure you agree. Listen below and shake your groove thing. You can do it. Take your time. Do it right. Enjoy and Happy Monday!!!

NEW LILY ALLEN: OUR TIME. RELEASE DATE FOR SHEEZUS ANNOUNCED.

Lily Allen has a new song and video out!!! Our Time takes our girl back to her bad girl days. Lily plays several versions of herself out on the town, smoking, drinking, throwing up and getting in fights, all set to a very lovely tune. Oh, the irony. Another great track from what promises to be a standout album for 2014. So glad Lily is back. Oh, also Sheezus, Lily's third studio album, has set a release date!!! May 5th. You can pre-order on iTunes now! The tracklist for Sheezus is below.
Sheezus
L8 CMMR
Air Balloon
Our Time
Insincerely Yous
Take My Place
As Long As I Got You
URL Badman
Silver Spoon
The Life For Me
Hard Out Here

MADONNA FRIDAY: SUBSTITUTE FOR LOVE (DROWNED WORLD)

Madonna is not one to complain, but she is one to give her opinion. In the summer of 1998 Madonna was riding high off the critical and commercial success of her Ray of Light album, and the dreamy, ethereal song Drowned World/Substitute for Love analyzed that success and how it factored into Madge's life. As much a criticism of herself as the trappings of fame, the song was introspective, enlightening and a refreshing look behind the curtain of a superstar's life. Though the song was not released in the US, it was a top 10 hit in the UK and the video is pretty awesome. Directed by Walter Stern, it shows a typical, frantic day in the life of Madonna, with stalkers and hangers-on who want nothing more than a piece of her fame. The bizarre special effects used on the faces of the wannabes is creepy and sends a very pointed message about not being able to trust anyone when you are living in a bubble. Don't feel sorry for Madonna though, because she comes home to a loving child and a very comfortable life. Enjoy the video for Drowned World/Substitute for Love.

REVIEW: KELIS - FOOD. A TASTY, SPECTACULAR NEO-SOUL MASTERPIECE.

OOOOOOOOH, GIRL!! Kelis' new album is retro-futuristically nailing it! FOOD (pre-order on iTunes now) is a combination of 60s/70s soul, 80s neo-funk and....well.....Kelis. Written mostly by Kelis, Dave Sitek, of TV on the Radio, and Todd Simon, the album is like sitting in a music lounge in Harlem and having your mind blown by the sexy lady on stage. Lady sings the blues, y'all! Kelis has described the album as "an unspoken kind of lovefest" but I have no idea what that means. If it means that it's fucking awesome, then I agree. I mean, the cover photo alone is worth the price of the album, but there's SOOOOOOO much more going on here. Kelis' has moved from her last album of club anthems very comfortably into the role of soul sister and it seems a very appropriate fit.

Jerk Rib is an ultra funky ode to her musical roots. Horns and bass take us to Harlem and lay down a soulful path where Kelis remembers her dad writing and playing music and telling her to "look for melody in everything". Good advice, great song.  Breakfast rolls with drums and love move this tune along. Singing about finding the right man and getting it on lock, Kelis' voice is soft and smooth as she welcomes us to "the real world" with the tease "maybe we'll make it to breakfast". Sexy.  Forever Be reminds me of the musical Hair, which a great thing. It has a 60s flower child feel. It's sexy, sure, but also hopeful and happy. There's a pulsing undertone that gets your ass shaking. Floyd finds Kelis sounding like Prince in the late 70s, early 80s, serving pure neo-soul on this ditty. Floyd is a sexy come-on that glides along on horns and beats like a girl flirting with you on the street. The refrain "I want to be blown away" repeats over and over as the dreamy, breathy voices accompanying it drift through the background. Beautiful. Runner is running away from fame and troubles. Kelis sings about her the person who is there to save her on this moody, psychedelic track that lets K's voice stand out and emote her loneliness over a dramatic accompaniment.  Aquarius is a natural comparison to Hooch. Blasts of trumpets cut through the sighs and moans as the sassy track builds. I swear you feel like you are in the 70s listening to Hooch. Barry White, eat your heart out. Kelis has full command of soul here. A Latin inspired groove drives Cobbler onto the dance floor. An aggressive, sensual flirt that is reminiscent of Milkshake, one of Kelis' signature tunes. Bless the Telephone switches gears a bit to deliver a simple, guitar track that would make James Taylor swoon. Written by British poet, singer/songwriter Labi Siffre and from his 1971 album The Singer and The Song (which explains the folky sound), Bless the Telephone is all about how good it is sometimes just to hear the voice of someone you miss. Friday Fish Fry is back to the soul, this time with some southern grit to it. Kelis is in a full sweat as she lets her inhibitions go and takes control of every man in sight. A real barn-burner and an album highlight for sure, Friday Fish Fry needs a video STAT with lots of guitars and tambourines! Change sounds like a 60s rally song, with deep male background voices and a quite build that eventually busts out like pure freedom. It's actually about a jerk who keeps screwing our girl over. It's dark and powerful and Kelis' gives a great vocal on it. Rumble is the second single released from FOOD before it's official release and it's a spectacular soul song. Laying down the law and telling her man not to go, Kelis' croons with confidence on this, possibly the best song on FOOD. Rumble is electric and an instant classic. Biscuits 'n' Gravy starts with a simple piano riff and some deep shit going on in the lyrics. A very personal song that bursts into a crescendo at the end that is quite a powerful payoff. Dreamer closes out the album with soft vocals, piano and strings drifting off into the clouds. Quite beautiful and a very different sound for Kelis and certainly the most ballad-like of all the songs on FOOD. Dreamer is the softer-side of Kelis. I would say FOOD is the album to beat in 2014, and it's going to be an uphill battle for everyone else. Enjoy the video for first single Jerk Ribs below.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: FAITH - GEORGE MICHAEL. THE #1 ALBUM OF 1988

George Michael was known for a few things: 1) Being the lead singer of Wham! 2) His flowing, blond locks and 3) being straight. In 1987 all of that changed one of those things changed. George Michael officially went solo. His very first solo album, Faith, was no fucking joke, y'all. Faith spawned six top 5 songs on the Hot 100 and stayed at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for a non-consecutive 12 weeks. It went on to be the biggest selling album of 1988 and the first time an artist had the #1 album and #1 song of the year (Faith and it's title track) since Simon & Garfunkle in 1970. It's first single, I Want Your Sex, hit #2 on the Billboard US Hot 100 prior to the album's release date (It was also included on the Beverly Hills Cop II Soundtrack) and then Faith, Father Figure, One More Try and Monkey all hit #1. The sixth and final single, Kissing a Fool, hit #5 on the Hot 100 in late 1988. Yes, George Michael took a Sinatra-like jazz song to #5 on the charts in 1988. Suck on that, Buble! The album also became the very first by a white solo artist to hit #1 on the US R&B charts. Buble, you may also suck on that, but it's less suitable for you. Faith won Album of the Year at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards. George won Favorite Artist (Pop AND R&B) and Favorite Album (R&B) at the American Music Awards that year as well. Faith was the #1 single of 1988, One More Try was #11, Father Figure was #27, Monkey was #45, and Kissing a Fool was #91. I Want Your Sex was the #24 song of 1987. The album is considered one of the best of the 80s and certainly one of the best solo debut albums of all time, says me. George later went into hiding somewhat, not appearing in his videos or making appearances for his next album, because there was SOOOOOO much media attention on him during this time. Regardless, Faith is a pop classic by any standard and most of it really stands the test of time. I have to say that Father Figure is one of my favorite songs of all time. It is so sexy and so lush that I get chills every time I hear it. Listen below and watch George in all his 80s hunk glory in the videos for each single. He was SOOOOO hot, you guys! Faith was a monster album and you are required to like it.

HUMPDAY SEXY SONG: I NEED A MAN - EURYTHMICS

Damn, Annie Lennox can sing!! Back in 1988 Eurythmics were going through their rock and roll resurgence and I Need A Man, from their album Savage, allowed Annie to prowl, growl and tell it like it is....to VERY sexy effect. One of the most recognizable and favorite videos by Eurythmics, directed by the great Sophie Muller, finds Lennox in full sex mode; blond wig, tight dress and tipsy dancing. HOT!! Here is your Humpday sexy song to dance around to this afternoon. Drink some wine and slur along, sluts! Enjoy and you're welcome, sexy people!

REVIEW: LEA MICHELE - LOUDER

Now that she has the next couple of years of her life planned, let's focus on Lea's new album she released yesterday, Louder. One of the only REAL vocal albums to be released recently, Louder presents Ms. Lea is fine form, belting out tune after tune and delivering a compelling set of pop songs that are radio ready. Mostly full of power ballads with a couple of piano ballads and some beats thrown in, Louder delivers on Lea's promising pop-chops she shows covering other artists on Glee. First single Cannonball, co-written by hit-maker Sia Furler, is a powerful statement of coming through tragedy that was recorded after the death of Lea's boyfriend Cory Montieth. There are many heart-pounding songs on the album, like the churning On My Way and the title track. Celine-worthy ballads abound in the form of the gorgeous You're Mine and album highlights, the gutsy Burn With You and the exquisite What Is Love?. These songs take off with vocals that will put to shame all other so-called pop divas recording today. Lea also co-wrote the amazing If You Say So with Sia Furler and it's dedicated to Corey. It will rip your heart out. Overall, I would say that Lea Michele has some vocal performance Grammys in her future, if there is justice in this pop world. Quite a stellar debut for a performer with the potential to become a huge star. You can pick up Louder on iTunes now. Below are two videos with Lea Michele listening to snippets of and talking about each song on the album and the story behind them. Enjoy and get Louder today!!!

LEA MICHELE CONFIRMS FUNNY GIRL REVIVAL

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS! I mean, c'mon. We all saw this coming right? Her character, Rachel Barry on GLEE, is currently mounting a production of Funny Girl on the show, so if anyone had any brains they'd get a Lea production working on Broadway. Who is that person with the brain? DUH! According to Lea they are in the planning stages following GLEE's creator Ryan Murphy buying the rights. Of course he is doing it. Lea as Fanny is a no-brainer anyway. She can sing like there's no tomorrow, she's funny, she's Jewish, she's charismatic. She's an American beauty rose with an American beauty nose. You see where I'm going with this. The girl's got moxy, just like Babs did DOES. Don't kill me, Barbra!! Of course, right now Lea is finishing up the current season of GLEE and promoting her new album Louder (review to come), which is available on iTunes and currently playing on repeat in my ear holes. It's good, y'all. Get it HERE, watch GLEE Tuesdays on Fox and read the Broadway World interview with Lea here. LEA!!!

IDINA MENZEL NAILS "LET IT GO" ON THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JIMMY FALLON

THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT, BITCH! Brushing off the Travolta-gate mispronunciation of her name -- Adele Dazeem has it's own twitter now, by the way, and you can Travoltafy your name -- Idina Menzel, who also has a twitter,  joined Jimmy Fallon and The Roots on The Tonight Show and sang the shit out of Oscar winning song from Frozen Let It Go, more than making up for her somewhat shaky performance at the Oscars. She looks relaxed and like she's having a blast. Anyway, watch the adorable performance, and you betta' hit that high note, Adele Idina. Damn! Now I'm doing it. By the way, my Travoltafied name is Wesley Orteez.

REVIEW: G I R L - PHARRELL WILLIAMS

He has produced and appeared on so many songs by others that you might not realize that Pharrell Williams has only released one solo album prior to his most recent album G I R L, 2006's In My Mind. The critics and record buying public did not exactly go crazy for that album and Pharrell himself has expressed his displeasure with it. This time around, Williams took his time, worked with artists he liked and the results are a fun, funky and uplifting album. Starting off the album with a flourish of strings, Marilyn Monroe is P's ode to lovers and all the women out there. It's a great start to the record and immediately puts both of Justin's last albums in their place. Speaking of which, Justin guests on the album on Brand New, although he does not outshine our tiny beat master. Since Pharrell has produced almost every hit you've heard in the past ten years, it's no surprise this album is chock-full of hits. Gush is pure Michael Jackson Rock With You, sexy and confident. Of course, we all know Happy and are in love with it and it hits #1 on the Hot 100 right as the album is released. Come and Get It Bae features Miley Cyrus and take on some of her country twang to great effect, much like the Pharrell produced 4X4 on Cyrus' album Bangerz. Gust of Wind is a smooth, breezy track with Daft Punk. Another retro-tastic throw back to early MJ and it's an album highlight for sure. Lost Queen is an almost eight-minute opus that fills every moment with beats and lyrics worth the time. Take note, Justin. Don't just do an album of 10 minutes songs for no reason, girl. Know Who You Are is almost ruined by Alicia Keys. But then again, everything is almost ruined by Alicia Keys. That's all I'm going to say about that. It Girl closes out the album with a shot of funk and disco that sends you off into a booty shaking dreamland. I can't wait to see what the next single will be. Pharrell is finally getting his center stage spotlight and he is going to take advantage. I am guessing this will be a big summer album. Enjoy.

HAPPY MONDAY SONG: PHARRELL WILLIAMS SINGS "HAPPY" AT THE OSCARS

AWWWWW!!! Just when I thought Pharrell Williams couldn't get any cuter, he did. Last night He-Who-Wear-The-Big-Hat took the stage at the 86th Annual Academy Awards and made all of our lives a little happier. Singing his Oscar nominated song Happy from Despicable Me 2, Pharrell was joined by joyous dancers and hit the audience to shake it with Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams! Though Happy didn't take home the statue (it went to Let It Go from Frozen), it IS sitting at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, so take that Idina Menzel (or Adele Dazim, as John Travolta pronounces it). So watch below, enjoy and try NOT to be happy listening to Happy! Happy Monday, y'all!! Pharrell's album G I R L is available now in iTunes. Review coming soon.