Lana Del Rey's fourth major label studio album is shaping up to be the artists most eclectic set yet. The singer recently released, “Coachella-Woodstock In My Mind” that takes her back to the hip-hop roots of Born To Die. It's hard to imagine it fitting within the contextual concept of an album with a “Lust For Life” and “Love”, but we know Lana is more then capable. The singer revealed that she wrote this song at Coachella- fittingly enough. The song focuses on the political issues surrounding the world, she spoke about this on her Instagram, saying essentially that she felt ingenious to be enjoying life when all these things are happening in our geo-political climate. |
Key Lyric: Got A Million Things I Wanna Say / Like What Is It All For? Will It Be Okay? Lyrics reference Led Zepplin's eternal, “Stairway To Heaven” and she talks about giving everything away if she could just ask God one question. The main draw of the song is it's topical lyrical content, but regardless it fits into Lana Del Rey's musical canon that she continue defies in regards to her muses.
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“Good Time” is a rave by the numbers pop jewel with Paris cooing over a seductive electronic beat. Paris is clearly hoping to recreate the success of “Stars Are Blind”. Sometimes she forgets how polarizing she is.
Buy "Good Time"
She followed it up with the breathy “Come Alive”, a beautiful, if not hit worthy song that she released in 2014. This song was the subject of the first post on this blog. You can read about it here.
Buy "Come Alive"
This is what she needs to do. Run a print campaign, go on TV. Be a tabloid star again. Get people talking about her and all the while be dragging her new music out along with it. Paris has matured though and I don't think that appeals to her.
Fortunately we have a stream lined cast to keep our expectations up.
We have the single lonely girl played by Dakota Johnston. She was born a star from the help of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. Her mother is still beautiful by the way. Dakota might be a little boring, but we have time to work that out of her. She seems picture perfect to play this role especially after scandalizing us in 50 Shades of Grey of franchise. Her mother refuses to watch them.
The two I saw in the trailer are supposed to be are white candy. Neither of them are too sweet. Jake Lacy is going to be there. He's fine. I've never seen him before. Ander Holm is also in it. I only know him as the pastor that Mindy Kaling dates in The Mindy Project. I'm sure he's a fine actor. I will make my judgement on the movie screen .
Damon Wayan is also in it. The junior one. I think he cute. I have no idea what his role is, but he's bound to be funny. If the writers don't let us down this movie will be amazing.
He wasn't wrong, but he was stanning hard. Who are universally famous Australian recording artists? Olivia Newton-John, Kylie Minogue, and ACDC. Sia if you want to go current. Their platinum certification is 70,000 copies compared to the United States a million copies. The thresholds are wildly different. Havana Brown's “We Run The Night” sold over a million copies in this country. She might be one of the highest selling Australian recording artists, but that doesn't mean well renowned.
This was the song I stood for. “Bullet Blowz” was good. It was a club banger. Too much of a club banger for radio. That's a damn shame, because that song is amazing. Havana slayed it. Our bald headed boy DJ Kronic served up some sick beats. You couldn't figure out the name of the song to save your life. It was tragically not destined for success.
Buy "Bullet Blowz"
The music video? To die for. Literally. There are sexy shirtless men surrounded in a stilted western themed extravaganza where Havana Brown gets her revenge. The concept is already more original then the shoot she and Pitbull did for “We Run The Night”.
Buy "Battle Cry"
She croons. She slays. Havana Brown's “Battle Cry” deserves to top your end of summer playlist.
With any luck we should have a second studio album release by the end of this year. I will keep you updated. With even more luck it might even be released in the United States. Wouldn't that be nice. Shipping from Australia takes too much time.
This album is bound to only expand on Lana Del Rey's sound and cement her growing fanbase. The first teasings of the album we have was when Lana released the audio to the titular track “Honeymoon”. It was moody and seductive. Her voice being the centerfold to it's lush surroundings and stylistically leaned closer to Ultraviolence then Born to Die.
Honeymoon should have a similar promotional campaign to that of Ultraviolence. That means more songs (!!!) will be released. One or two more music videos will be produced. The album will sell a few hundred thousand copies worldwide in it's first week on sale, then maintain a steady stay on the chart until the next follow up.
The track list for the album has been unlocked. It features fourteen songs of love and heartbreak. Or something like that.
Some notes on the tracklist. Song number two was originally thrown around as the concept for the album. How about that for a fun fact. Track 9 has it correct. Lana is our religion. And, in true form of predecessors Paradise and Ultraviolence there is a cover song. “Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood” is an old jazz standard. Hopefully it will stand up just as well as “Blue Velvet” and “The Other Woman” did.
I won't be. But, if this Lana Del Rey collaboration pans out, I will be tempted. I'm a slut for Lana. This Friday Halsey also releases her debut album Badlands. That's certainly something to check out. The new Lana Del Rey album is set for release on Friday September 18th. And, in case anyone is counting that's 25 days away.
Ivy Levan
No Good August 7th Ivy Levan continues a trend that is bound to pick up support this coming year. Her debut album is being released on a Friday instead of the now traditional Tuesday. I have spoken of Ivy Levan on two occasions on this blog. I have to say that I'm obsessed with her and eagerly anticipating this new release.
Some of the production has been handled by Diplo, the man who is half the team behind “Where Are You Now?”, the frenetic “Bitch I'm Madonna”, and two of M.I.A.'s studio releases. He is also featured on No Good on the track “27 Club”. Sting also makes a guest appearance on the highly infectious second single “Killing You”. No Good has the potential to be the anti-pop album of 2015.
See Swamp Biscuits and Lick My Biscuit for further reading on Ivy Levan.
Buy "Biscuit"
Her music is looming and atmospheric. It has a radio friendliness that Lana Del Rey lacks. Melanie Martinez is the pop Lana (who's album Honeymoon is set for a September release). She plays with all the tropes of a troubled childhood. These themes have become common in the pop landscape with Natalia Kills and Lana Del Rey treading similar territory. However, Melanie plays it with her own vivacity and voice. The character she is portraying is a “cry baby”
The tracklist has yet to be confirmed. However, it is expected that the five preceding singles “Dollhouse” (my personal favorite), “Carousel”, “Soap”, “Sippy Cup” and “Pity Party” are to be included. “Pity Party” also samples the Leslie Gore hit “It's My Party (I Can Cry If I Want To)”. It's going to be a fascinating release.
Buy "Dollhouse"
I can't imagine her becoming a major pop star. At least not at this point in her career, but I certainly do enjoy her music. Two singles have been released from this album so far. “Hurricane” and “Ghost”. My personal favorite is “Ghost”. I think it's the most accessible pop tune here. However, with Ella Henderson's similarly titled hit earlier this year it's hard to imagine it grabbing a foothold.
Buy "Ghost"
Much like Ester Dean her focus has been behind the music's production. She is a hit maker and what's more sexy as fuck. Besides a stray studio album she released in 2004, Bonnie McKee's solo career has been uneventful. She's planning on changing that.
I have sporadically been watching Bonnie McKee's career since she released “American Girl” back in 2013 from her still upcoming studio album. I heard this song on the radio of all places. I heard multiple times all in the same day and it was clear. I was either going to love it or I was going to hate it. I really thought this song was going to blow up. It didn't.
Buy "American Girl"
The only thing that worries me is that Bonnie McKee is no longer with her major record label. Something about not having artistic control or whatever it was. She is no longer with them. Now, I like “Bombastic”, but this needs a good record label push. The song and the video are not on the viral level of “Gangnam Style”.
This is also hopefully just a teaser for her album, which should be released at some point later this year. And, “American Girl” along with “Sleepwalker” will find their way on to the track list. The EP is called Bombastic and it's guaranteed to be just that. It's out on June 30th. It will be the four hottest songs of the summer all in one place. You can preorder it now on iTunes.
Buy "Bombastic"
Preorder the Bombastic EP
Granted I didn't buy any of those albums. I am working on it. I was trying to save money by not buying music. And, then I bought 20 albums this month, so I think it worked out really well for me.
Florence + The Machine
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful June 2nd
This is going to be my first Florence + The Machine album. I've decided this is going to be my first experience. I've always liked them, but I am obsessed with their song “What Kind of Man”. The music video is great. Florence Welch has very nice breasts by the way. And, if it is representative of the album at all. This is a stellar release.
Hilary Duff
Breathe In. Breathe Out. June 16th
Buy "Sparks"
Ryn Weaver
The Fool June 16th
Buy "Octahate"
Giorgio Moroder
Deja Vu June 16th
Britney Spears is covering “Tom's Diner” and that song has already been released. It's an invigorated cover and it's Britney. It's a necessary addition to any album collection. Kylie Minogue was on the lead single “Right Here, Right Now” that although catchy, failed epically. Mikky Ekko is also on the album if you have any interest in him after his duet with Rihanna on “Stay”. This might not be an album for you to buy blind, but definitely look into. Giorgio Moroder has been in the industry for a long time and it's sure to be memorable whether or not it's something you want to turn up to at the gym.
Buy "Tom's Diner"
Tori Kelly
Unbreakable Smile June 23rd
This album should be interesting. This is the only one I'm a little hesitant on buying, but I hope it will be good. I have my fingers crossed. I most certainly will be tweeting and tumblring about if it does not live up to expectations.
Buy "Nobody Love"
Carly Rae Jepsen
Emotion June 23rd
No fucking idea. Probably some hybrid of what's made Iggy famous. A few rap verses and a ready to kill chorus, that Britney Spears saunters over and proceeds to suffocate the Australian rapper with. I almost hate to admit the fact that they both need a hit. This isn't Britney Spears giving Iggy an up and come up. Britney needs this as bad as Iggy.
The last Britney album, Britney Jean, went largely under appreciated, despite the icon status that “Work Bitch” should be given. This residency tour is sucking the life out of Britney and the album was not promoted the way it needed to be. And, as a member of the Britney Army. It failed.
Now, I don't think Iggy is dead and done for. But, right now her career tombstone is reading 2014-2014. Her tour got canceled. Opening acts Nick Jonas and Tinashe dropped out. Tinashe proceeded to join Nicki Minaj. Like god damn. Punch the Australian in the kangaroo already. And, if you read my music reviews from last year, you know I was underwhelmed by The New Classic.
That said Shakira is playing the same card as Britney. Shakira is also rumored to be working on a single with the Australian rapper. Now, why Shakira thinks this will work when she couldn't even get a top ten hit out of a song with Rihanna on it, I don't know.
End of a long story. This song is going to slay. I don't doubt that. Apparently Iggy is going to be releasing a new album this year and this is the kick off single. Someone should probably explain to Iggy that if this was her song it would “Iggy Azalea & Britney Spears” instead of “Britney Spears featuring Iggy Azalea”. Sit down.
Now Britney said she is not planning on releasing a new album this year, but if this song is a hit. You better believe will have an October/November release. Britney doesn't write her own music. Some good producer will whip up a few songs. She'll put her vocals over it and we will have classic Britney.
Cross your fingers that “Pretty Girls” is the anthem we've been waiting for.
The new show is called Younger and it's going to premiere on TV Land on Tuesday's at 10/9 central. I will not be watching as I do not have cable, however I will be buying the first season when it comes out on DVD and there will more then likely be a Friday Favorites on the subject.
Some positives about the show is that it is a female driven cast. More rare then it should be and with the cancellation of Hot in Cleveland, Younger will have to be that strong female lead return. Downsides include that Hilary Duff is not starring in the main role.
What then is the twist in this show? Sutton Foster is actually a recently divorced single mother who is 40, not 20. She is pretending to be younger (hence the title) in order to get a start from the bottom. This show is going to be a mess. I don't know if it's going to be a good mess. Which is why we're going to watch the pilot episode at the end of the month.
TV Land is very hit and miss on their comedy. They nailed Hot In Cleveland. The Exes and Retired at 35 were a mess. Granted I only watched the first episode, but if you don't kill the first episode why do you expect me to watch the second. And, I think the Soul Man is funny, but that's a spin off of Hot In Cleveland. Here's to hoping that TV Land kills it with Younger.
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AboutIn the words of Madonna, "Music makes the people come together." SOCIAL MEDIA
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