NEW RIHANNA VIDEO: AMERICAN OXYGEN

This is a little more like it. After the travesty of Bitch Better Have My Money, Rihanna gets serious with American Oxygen. The song and the video show both sides of the United States, the good and the bad, the dark and the light. It's quite powerful imagery and definitely boosts the song, IMO. Watch below.

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

....Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis. Remember Leona Lewis? She won The X Factor is the UK and released this as her debut single there in 2007. It became the #1 single of 2007 there. Then in 2008 Leona's record label released her album in the US. Bleeding Love shot up the charts and hit #1 for a week, then went away for two weeks to make room for Mariah's Touch My Body, then back to #1 for another week, then gone again for a week while Lil' Wayne stepped in with Lollipop , then back again for two more weeks before ceding to Rihanna's Take A Bow. Settle down, bitch!! Anyway, the song ended up being the second biggest hit of 2008 in the US, behind Low by FloRida (basically the same song, right?) and making Leona potentially the next huge thing, with frequent comparisons to Mariah Carey. Well, that didn't happen. While she has continued with her success in her native UK and despite her debut album, Spirit, hitting #1 in the US, she has only charted one more album -- her sophomore effort Echo hit #13 in 2009 -- and two other top 40 hits in the American Hot 100 since. But, as far as one-hit wonders go, Bleeding Love is not a bad one to have under your belt. Am I right, ladies? The song has sold over 4 million digital downloads in the US alone and was the 7th most successful song on the Hot 100 from 2000 to 2009. Work, girl. Anyway, here is the #1 song from seven years ago today, Leona Lewis' Bleeding Love. Or as I like to sing it, "I keep peeing. Keep, keep peeing blood." You're welcome.

HUMPDAY SEXY SONG/#1 SONG 5 YEARS AGO TODAY: RUDE BOY - RIHANNA

Rihanna is no stranger to being sexy. I mean, this girl has been naked on a red carpet more times than I have in my bathroom. She's also had a number of very, very sexy songs. Rude Boy, from her best and most underrated album Rated R, is a brazen, forward call to a bad boy to "get it up" and give her what she wants. I bet he does too. It hit #1 on the Hot 100 on March 27, 2010 and stayed at the pole position for five consecutive weeks. That rude boy had staying power, girl. Ouch. Anyway, here is the Humpday Sexy Song for this April Fool's Day and the #1 song from five years ago today, Rihanna's Rude Boy.

REVIEW: LILY ALLEN - SHEEZUS

Lily Allen has two full length albums under her belt; 2006's Alright Still and 2009's It's No Me, It's You. Though the sound changes, one thing remains: Lily's biting wit and clever lyrics. Allen's newest effort, Sheezus, does not disappoint on that front. Instead of the retro-kitsch of her debut or the electronic-influenced follow up, this time Lily delivers a (mostly) hip-hop inspired album (thus the name riffing on Kanye's Yeezus) full of shimmering gems just in time for summer. Of course, we have had plenty of build up with the release of the hard-hitting satire on Hard Out Here last November and the airy charm of Air Balloon in January, both of which hit the top 10 in her native UK. As bright and fun as those two singles are, they are just the tip of the iceberg on Sheezus. Insincerely Yours in particular is a standout track with it's sort-of-sampling of Michael McDonald's I Keep Forgetting (it doesn't, but does it?) the biting lyrics are all sass and stank. "Let's be clear, I'm here to make money, money, money" Lily croons over the smooth beat. L8 CMMR, which was featured on the Girls soundtrack this season, is probably the most romantic, happy song to ever contain the words "motherfucker" and is my favorite track on the album. Sheezus is not ALL hip hop though, much like the country-tinged It's Not Fair on It's Not Me, It's You, As Long as I Got You swerves off the theme of the music and delivers a zydeco number with aplomb. Lily's softer side comes out as well on tracks like the pensive Take My Place, the sexy Close Your Eyes and Life For Me. But of course, it being Lily, the album still has the brutal Hard Out Here and the fuck you of Wind Your Neck In to remind us of the amazingly sarcastic social commentary that Lils does so well. Sheezus delivers on everything you expect from a Lily Allen album and then some. The maturity of a mother is new on this album and Lily has grown lyrically and musically from her 2009 self. Enjoy the vids below! Sheezus is available on iTunes today.

AMAZY MUSIC AWARDS 2012: TOP 20 SINGLES; 20 THROUGH 16

Girls, girls, girls... 2012 was a big year for the ladies in music (again). I love the ladies...in music. Here is the first installment of four for my top 20 favorite songs of 2012. Here we have a breathy newcomer, a reunited girl group, a hot mess, a classy new mom and an American Idol. Watch and love and stay tuned tomorrow for #'s 15 through 11.




20. National Anthem - Lana Del Rey
19. Something New - Girls Aloud
18. Where Have You Been - Rihanna
17. Catch My Breath - Kelly Clarkson
16. Skyfall

RECENT MUSIC REVIEWS ALL IN ONE PLACE FOR YOU

Here are the new music reviews I did recently in a tidy little post. Click on the link and enjoy.

KE$HA

SOLANGE

RIHANNA

CHRISTINA AGUILERA

REVIEW: RIHANNA - UNAPOLOGETIC

For an album called Unapologetic, I sure felt like I'd been wronged by listening to it. I love Rihanna. She has had some of the best singles of the past decade and an astounding run of the charts thus far in her career. She is already tied for 3rd among women with the most #1 singles on the Hot 100 (11) with Whitney Houston and she's only been charting since 2005. Remarkable. Her albums are not always strong, but they ALWAYS contain singles that are obvious chart hits. 2011's Talk That Talk was her best album since the under-appreciated Rated R. Unapologetic does not have a single obvious hit on it. The first song on the record, Fresh Off the Runway, is one of the most irritating, jarring songs I have ever heard. It seems to strive to make an impression through "shocking" use of the F word and annoying repetition. What is this? Not cute, RiRi. The first single, Diamonds, is interesting in that it's a little something different from Rihanna. The song, currently sitting at #2 on the Hot 100, is atmospheric and smooth and THE standout on the album. Take the good where you can get it on this one. Numb (ft. Eminem) is clunky and drones along like a dying sloth for the full three-and-a-half years minutes that it lasts. It's not good, people. Loveeee Song (ft. Future) is a song that could have been saved with a better duet partner. I don't know who Future is, but if this is the future I hope the Mayans were right. His "voice" (or the computer that generates his "voice") should not be allowed to be recorded under any circumstances. Jump references Ginuwine's Pony. That's all I'll say about that. Right Now (ft. David Guetta) at least has a little life to it, which automatically makes it different from most of the album, but it is painfully generic and sounds like a Nicki Minaj reject from her last (not great) album. She also teams up with former assailant Chris "The Fist" Brown on a song called Ain't Nobody's Business which I absolutely refuse to acknowledge with a review. And just for the record, it's EVERBODY'S business because he decided to beat up another famous person. Here is one good thing!!!! There is a song on Unapologetic that I kinda like. Love Without Tragedy/Mother Mary is actually an interesting, heartfelt sounding song that I'm sure will never see the light of day, much like her best work on Rated R. Sad. The rest of the album is pretty boring and it pains me to say so. I know this review is much more negative than I would normally put on the blog, but I just had to vent my frustration with this album. If Rihanna is going to continue her album-a-year pattern, she's gotta put quality on an even par with quantity. Skip this one if you are not a completionist. Sadly, I am. Maybe some of these tracks will grow on me. Oh, wait. THIS JUST IN: They won't.

NEW VIDEO: RIHANNA - DIAMONDS

Rihanna's video for her single Diamonds is finally here. The song was released September 27th and currently sits at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, so I'd say it's just about time, girl! Anyway, the song has not grown on me much over the past month and change, but the video is beautifully shot, if confusing. Rihanna has Cassie's haircut, rolls some weed diamonds and smokes them, floats in water, watches a horse come back to life(what?), wanders through the desert, reverse-trashes a hotel room and attends some post-apocalyptic street riot. You know, a day in the life. At least Fist Chris Brown isn't in it. Ugh. RiRi's new album, Unapologetic (I cannot with that title) drops November 19th.

RECAP: NEW MUSIC & VIDEOS THIS WEEK

Just to put it all in one place for ya. There was a lot of new music/videos happening this week. I gave it to ya once, and now I've givin' it to you ALL at once. Here is No Doubt, Rihanna, Kylie, Ke$ha, Lana Del Rey and Christina Aguilera belting out the songs you'll be hearing for the next couple of months. Enjoy and have a great weekend, peeps!

NEW MUSIC: RIHANNA - DIAMONDS

It's been about 20 minutes since Rihanna released her last album (Talk That Talk was released November 2011), so naturally she's gearing up for the next one!! Diamonds is the first single from Rihanna's upcoming, as-yet-untitled album. Written by Sia, Benny Blanco and Stargate, the song is a mid-tempo, atmostpheric tune with a catchy "shine bright like a diamond" refrain. I like it. Rihanna may need to take a break eventually, but I have to say for someone who puts out an album every nine months, she is really able to find great songs and great people to write for her. Check out Diamonds by clicking this link: Diamonds

RIHANNA HITS THE SNL MUSIC STAGE

Rihanna hit the stage at SNL and gave it her all. Did she sing well? It's hard to tell with all the reverb at first, but she certainly made some interesting moves along with some questionable notes. She slapped her....um....nether regions a few times just for good measure. I will admit that I've been down on RiRi lately because of all the Chris Brown mess. She seems to be a little off kilter. Anyway, I DO like the Talk That Talk album and these tracks are pretty good, especially the second set. Watch Birthday Cake w/ Talk that Talk and Where Have You Been below. The second performance is MUCH better vocally and stylistically in my opinion.

NEW MUSIC/VIDEO: CHERYL COLE - CALL MY NAME

Brit popstar and former Girls Aloud member Cheryl Cole is back with the first single Call My Name from her upcoming third solo album, A Million Lights, due in June. The Calvin Harris produced single is very of-the-moment sounding with a lot of clubland synths and build-ups a la We Found Love, also a Calvin Harris track. Coincidence? I think not. I am not sure how I feel about this song or video. There's something a little I-don't-know about it, but Cheryl looks amazing, as usual. I always forget how much she looks like Shania Twain. Right? Doesn't she? Yes, she does. Anyway, take a listen and judge for youself. Here's Cheryl Cole's Call My Name.

NEW VIDEO: RIHANNA - WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN

Rihanna seems to be back on track with the video for Where Have You Been, the fifth single from her Talk That Talk album. It's definitely one of the standout tracks on the record and the best single from it since We Found Love for sure. (They've picked the wrong songs for singles in my opinion) Anyhoo, the video is great, showing off RiRi's moves and letting her look all kinds of faboosh throughout. Nicely done, Rihanna. Stay away from Chris Brown and keep this up.

RIHANNA FINDING KATY PERRY A MAN???? INSULTING FANS ON TWITTER.

Um...I think I'd look for help somewhere else, Katy. Having her good friend Rihanna help her find a suitable mate is like having Lindsay Lohan be your AA sponsor. A "source" says Rihanna wants to help Katy get back our there dating after her divorce from "comedian" Russell Brand. Rihanna decision making is questionable at best, wouldn't you say? Aside from befriending and ALLEGEDLY getting back together with the douche who beat her face, Rihanna has also taken to attacking the looks of young girls who criticize her on twitter. Not good, RiRi. So Katy, I would look elsewhere for a matchmaker. Maybe someone who is known for being lucky in love, like Jennifer Lopez. I kid, I kid.

NICKI MINAJ IS THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN IN NEW VIDEO: TURN ME ON

A combination of Bride of Frankenstein and Bjork's All is Full of Love video, Nicki Minaj provides vocals for David Guetta's Turn Me On. Gotta say, the song and video are pretty freakin' awesome!!! Nice to see Nicki using her vocals on this dance floor burner, not that she doesn't give us a little tast of her rapping skills. Don't worry! Enjoy this high tech clip. Doesn't Nicki sound like a higher-pitched Rihanna on this?

ADELE POSTS THIRD #1 THIS WEEK WITH SET FIRE TO THE RAIN

Adele has done it again. Claiming the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 this week after Rihanna's We Found Love has sat there for 10 weeks, Set Fire to the Rain, the third single from Adele's blockbuster album 21, becomes her third consecutive #1 song. Not only that, but 21 is in it's 17th non-consecutive week at #1, the longest since The Bodyguard sountrack in 1992-3, and makes Adele the first person to have three #1 songs AND a #1 album at the same time. WORK! Billboard reports:

"As Adele's set "21" leads the Billboard 200 album chart for a 17th week, "Fire" is the third single to top the Hot 100 while "21" has sat atop the album tally. First single "Rolling in the Deep" began a seven-week Hot 100 reign the week of May 21, 2011, when "21" was in its sixth week in charge of the Billboard 200. Follow-up "Someone Like You" crowned the Hot 100 the week of Sept. 17, 2011. In the song's fifth and final week at No. 1 (Nov. 5), "21" returned to the Billboard 200 apex for a 13th frame. With "21" at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 four another four weeks as of this week, "Fire" (Adele's third career Hot 100 topper) makes the set the first by a single artist to have led the Billboard 200 concurrently with three Hot 100 No. 1s."

Pretty darn impressive, Adele. She is the only person really selling the crap out of albums right now. I have to say, I love this song, although I am STILL waiting for Adele to release my fave from 21, Turning Tables. That song is freakin' AWESOME!!!! This'll do for now. Here is Adele singing Set Fire to the Rain live at the Royal Albert Hall. Oh, and I threw in Turning Tables from the same performance, cuz I felt like it.

2011 AMAZY MUSIC AWARDS. SINGLES: 5-1

Okay. You can stop pacing the floor now. Here they are!!! The top 5 singles of the year as given to you by ME! What other source can you possibly trust? It's been a big year, especially for the ladies in the music business, and as you can see by #s 15-6, my opinion is no different. Well, the ladies have it for the top 5 as well. Fellas, you better step up your game in 2012. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, WHERE ARE YOU? Anyhoo, here are the biggest, brightest bits of pop for 2011. Top it. Try.


5. Super Bass by Nicki Minaj
4. We Found Love by Rihanna



3. Firework by Katy Perry



2. Till the World Ends by Britney Spears



1. Born This Way by Lady Gaga

DJ EARWORM BRINGS US HIS ANNUAL UNITED STATE OF POP MASH UP

Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Rihann, Pink, Britney: you name it in 2011 and DJ Earworm brings it to us in this mashup. Watch and relive the year in pop. Good stuff, y'all!! Excellent mashup.

NEW RIHANNA VIDEO: YOU DA ONE

I love this song. Ever since I bought RiRi's new album, Talk That Talk, I have been obsessed with You Da One. It's bright and sunny and fun. yay!! Well, here is the video for the single and it's dark and crotch-centric with a dash of Grace Jones in Vamp and A Clockwork Orange. I don't like the video as much as the song and certainly not as much as the AMAZY video for We Found Love, but any excuse to listen to the song is A-okay with moi. So without further adieu, here is You Da One.

THIRD ANNUAL AMAZY MUSIC AWARDS: ALBUMS

It's that time of year again. 2011 is coming to a close and I have to tell you what albums you should have liked this year so you can determine if you have good taste or not. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!!! Okay, let's get to it. Here are my top 10 personal fave albums of 2011. Suck on this!! THE THIRD ANNUAL AMAZY MUSIC AWARDS!!!

10. James Blake by James Blake - the debut album by the British newcomer is quite possibly the most depressing thing I have ever enjoyed. Quiet and eerie, the album is a look into the psyche of a brilliant young artist. Very ethereal and wonderfully different, it will be interesting to see what comes next from Blake.

9. Sing It Loud by k.d. lang - aside from the fact that it's always good to hear new music from k.d. lang, Sing It Loud especially delivers the goods. It's all there; the dreamy voice, the astounding harmonies, the perfect lyrics and that pop/country twang only lang can do. I was lucky enough to see k.d. in concert this year and she is at the top of her game. Sing It Loud is a must-have.

8. Cinderella's Eyes by Nicola Roberts - the British import and member of uber-girl group Girls Aloud, Nicola came out of nowhere with one of the catchiest albums of the year, stealing the thunder of those other, more famous Girls. Every song is sunny and catchy and Nicola's voice is made for Brit pop. Beat of My Drum is an undeniable jam and it's only the tip of the iceberg. Well done, Nicola. Let's have some more.

7. All You Need Is Now by Duran Duran - how do you relaunch your career? Take it back to the beginning and update that shit. And few have had better beginnings than Duran Duran, the seminal 80s British band. AYNIN, Duran Duran's 13th studio album, is the perfect update of their mega-successful 80s brand; sexy, brash, lush and, did I mention, SEXY! Simon and the boys nailed it on this one and took me back to the days of Rio and The Reflexwith the title track and especially Girl Panic. Stellar.

6. Talk That Talk by Rihanna - released barely in time to make this year's list, it certainly makes an immediate impact. Talk That Talk comes out just over a year after RiRi's last effort, Loud, but, IMHO, leaves it in the dust. The #1 song We Found Love and follow up You Da One are just two of multiple single-worthy tracks that I'm sure will be playing on the radio all year. If you are gonna rush out new music, this is the way to do it.

5. Femme Fatale by Britney Spears - catchy songs, improved videos, smiling; Britney may be back on track after all. Femme Fatale, Spears' 7th studio album, finds our Brit-Brit cooing and crooning to a lot of dancefloor friendly songs, like the fantastic Til the World Ends, and even giving us some real pop melodies on songs like Criminal. It's also the first album in Britney's career to produce three top 10 singles!! The ol' gal still has it. Keep it up, Britney...as long as you want to, that is.

4. Beth Ditto EP by Beth Ditto - sporting a mere four songs, the robust lead singer of Gossip, Beth Ditto, released an EP so powerful it overcomes its competitors in the album category. Each song is crafted perfectly to fill the sad-but-dancing gap left by Robyn's Body Talk series from last year. Good Night, Good Morning alone is enough to make you fall in love with this set. Beth's voice is a revelation and her appearance is unique, to say the least, but also wonderfully rebellious. Here is hoping that her next solo effort will have even more music. Beth is on her way up.

3. Gaslight by fDeluxe - the Prince proteges have not recorded together since the release of The Family in 1986, which is the name they went by then. Together again after 26 years and sounding better than ever on their own terms (and without the Prince-given name), the band kicks out one of the best albums of this or any year with Gaslight. The Minneapolis sound is in effect with an updated funk and sincerity that comes with age and wisdom. A powerful show of musicianship and perseverance, fDeluxe deserve recognition for this album. Hope they get more of it.

2. 21 by Adele - no denying, it's been the year of Adele. The British blue-eyed soul singer came out of nowhere to steal the heart and $$ of music listeners this year. Her album combines soul and pop in a way that reached the masses, over 4 million of the masses to be exact, making 21 the biggest selling album of the year. Her heart and soul are all over this record. Two #1 songs spent multiple weeks at the summit of the Hot 100 and her album keeps coming back time after time. Adele is on fire!

1. BORN THIS WAY BY LADY GAGA - Lady Gaga had a lot to live up to, not just sales-wise, but for her fans. She promised this album would be for her little monsters, and boy is it! Songs about acceptance, empowerment, rebellion, joy, love, Jesus, fashion and sex abound on Born This Way. Even a little country. Epic in its scope, BTWdelivers hook after hook, "Gaga" after "Gaga" until we are completely spent. From the #1 title track to the moving The Edge of Glory, this album has hidden treasures that have yet to see the light of day, like hopeful singles Heavy Metal Lover, Bloody Mary and Black Jesus + Amen Fashion, and they are SCREAMING for videos. Gaga sold 1.11 million album with Born This Way in it's first week, the largest first week sales in over five years, and the album is just revving up. Here is to ANOTHER year of Gaga. She's here to stay, peeps!!!!

So there you have it, the top 10 albums of 2011. Stay tuned in the upcoming days for a special, three-day installment of the top 15 songs of 2011. It'll be totally worth it. Don't believe me? Then you, my friend, are stupid. Just kidding. No, I'm not.