I actually thought Robin Thicke was a good choice for this slightly stripped down meets lounge singer version of “Nothing On You”. Ricco Barrino has been sitting in while Bruno Mars’ own star is on the rise, but he turns the song into a Fantasia Barrino squall down with the Devil. LOL. I think Robin was a little pitchy, but let me not nitpick. LOL.
The Melanie Fiona-assisted “Airplanes” is after the jump!
I know I am going to catch some hate for that title, but seriously. It was sleepy time over here. I know it was an acoustic performance and featured just a piano and John, but I tell you, I fought to make it through these full clips…
Check out his acoustic version of “Wake Up Everybody” and the other two you can see after the jump below:
On Aug. 19 John Legend dropped by The Recording Academy headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., to perform a few songs, chat with GRAMMY.com and even pick up a surprise replacement GRAMMY Award. Legend is in the midst of a tour with the Roots supporting their new album Wake Up, a collection of classic ’60s and ’70s R&B. During his visit, Legend played a few solo songs at the piano, including the album’s title track, originally a hit for Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes (and their vocalist, Teddy Pendergrass), and “Shine,” the album’s only original song.
“[These] songs evoke an era of activism and a time when musicians were really a part of the social movements that were happening, and their music reflected that,” says Legend on why the concept of the album appealed to him.
He also performed versions of “Shine” which is the other new song on the album and also “Save Room”. I just can’t get into this “Wake Up Everybody” cover. I’m trying, but it just zaps all the zeitgeist that the song exemplified for that moment in time. His version is slightly bland and undercooked. Just my opinion!
So I was super stupid busy this weekend, and I’m currently working with a handicap in this recession for a few more weeks with my internet being down, but I managed to get enough access to hear that Lauryn Hill’s big comeback at Rock The Bells hip-hop fest in NYC was pretty lackluster and terrible, as some folks were just outright saying. However, I heard that she brought out such luminaries as Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, Chris Rock, etc. to show love during her set. Much to my chagrin, they just came out and waved. Anyone one of them could have helped this little legend that could.
We love L-Boogie, but I think we might have to let her past be her past and maybe choose whether or not we want to embrace her future. Maybe some new songs would let us let the past go? What ya’ll think?
This performance was all over the place and she replaced “hype” with precision. I see you Lauryn! RITA LOUISE WATSON! Get it together! LOL.
“Man of the House” is actually one of my least favorite songs on the record, but leave it up to Fantasia to get the yt folks up out their seats on a song about a no-good man and her having to stand up for the rest of the family to take care of business!
Fantasia appeared on the George Lopez Show to deliver a rousing performance of one of the seemingly many singles from her recent album. “Man of the House” I feel trades in on empty synths and surface lyrics, and really feels a bit like album filler, but I’m sure there’s a Fantasia fan somewhere out there that this song was made for. I highly doubt it was that yt lady on the front row who was throwing her hands up, but she was just probably caught up in the “Fantasia Spirit” that she often brings to her live performances. Hallelujah and pass the divorce papers!
I got to give it up to Katy Perry. Though “California Girls” is irksome, it’s still a catchy slice of pop and she is more than likely going to evade the sophomore slump with her 2nd album of the same name. She even managed to give Snoop Dogg a #1 hit, keeping him in the money despite the fact that his hip-hop records of late are barely registering on the pop culture charts. He’s become a caricature of himself, but he is still making money.
Katy Perry has Dr. Luke in her back pocket and is riding her rhythm-less Soul Train all the way to the top of the charts though. “Teenage Dream” gets STUCK in your head musicwise though, and while Katy Perry may make the songs that we get sick of hearing on the radio, this girl has vocal chops. Her church upbringing can be heard all through her music if you listen. Reminds me of when Christina Aguilera and Pink first came out — I’d always be like…”hmmm, OK! I hear ya’ll!”
Shouts to my girl Elle B. on the backup vocals who is an artist in her own right!
This “DJ Got Us Falling In Love” song is just NOT my cup of tea, but I figured out a couple of weeks ago that I was not Usher’s targeted fanbase, so I just gave up caring LOL. However, one thing I can always applaud and give props to Usher on is his staging and live performances. He consistently proves why he has been around for so long. His performances are always usually tight, right, and out of sight LOL.
The staging, the dancers, the routines, and even his live band ALL compliment and accent Usher’s already formidable stage presence and presentation. Even more so, the band ALWAYS kicks his songs into a higher gear, and I walk away feeling like I should feel guilty for liking a song like “DJ Got Us Falling In Love”, but not with a funky backbeat like they gave it on this performance. I actually could have gone to this performance while in NYC last week, but I don’t do crowds! Versus, the release of additional music as a companion to Raymond Vs. Raymond will be out soon, as well as the re-release.
Bilal performed at the UCLA Jazz Fest over the summer and performed one of my favorites, his song “Something To Hold On To”, from his unreleased Love for Sale album. It was a gem that went hard on wax, and I have to enjoy I kind of enjoyed this performance live. I somewhat his frantic style of performing live, full of wails, improvisation, and emotion (and/or drugs some say LOL!).
You can pre-order his new album Airtight’s Revenge here if you are interested — and it drops September 14th. Are you ready for new Bilal Oliver music!? Oh and if you haven’t seen him performing his new song “Think It Over”, you can catch that here!
Fantasia has taken to the airwaves to share her story and is still promoting her album, which just dropped today by the way. Despite the controversy over her alleged suicide, she has decided to hit the ground running and not let he troubles distract her from making the Back To Me record a success. She chats with Robin Roberts about why she tried to kill herself and also took to the stage to perform her single “Bittersweet”.
“Bittersweet” is one of the best songs on this album. Chuck Harmony really laced Fantasia with a couple of nice joints right from the beginning — expect her album review soon. This performance doesn’t disappoint, but I was a little sad it wasn’t as “fiery” as a usual Fantasia performance. However, I feel she seemed a bit somber in general and is tailoring it a bit for her audience. I guess we will have to get the Gospel version tonight when she appears and performs on “106 & Park”…
Interview after the jump…
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Fantasia – “Man of the House” [Download]
Fantasia’s latest single “Man of the House” sounds like something she’d HAVE to record on her first album because “the label made me do it.” It’s template, it’s lazy, it’s not very interesting, the subject matter is a bit trite (though I’m sure she relates to it as a single parent on some level?), the beat sounds stale and retreaded…we could go on.
The fact is “Even Angels” didn’t get off to that GREAT of a start, and while on her TV show they were pushing “Move On Me” (which actually seemed really dope), we get “Man of the House”. I don’t know who Fannie Mae pissed off over at her label, but they clearly are not giving her the benefit of the doubt.
And now all this scandal about her being a homewrecker, denying it, etc. With God on her side, Fantasia may get through this scandal. But without some hitmakers on her side, she may not get through another proverbial “flop”. Someone please page Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis or Carvin & Ivan and them to help her out. SOMEBODY.
This is better than any of the songs we’ve heard so far. Those horns! That swing of that track! Give us “Move on Me”! Please.
I love this! I love VV Brown and every time I’ve tried to play her music for friends, they give me the side-eye. Ya’ll, you got to open up your mind LOL! She’s not really doing anything crazy — the music is a little whimsical and off-kilter sometimes if all you listen to is Trey Songz and Rihanna, yes, but girl really does her good singing and her lyrics are interesting. You should give it a chance, trust me. After a couple of listens, I think you will get it more and realize you like her too!
She was just on David Letterman and her album Travelling Like The Light is out now, so you should really check it out. Just once. For me! It’s only $7.99 too.
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