Category: Rihanna

Could I Have This Song Forever?

2/25/2016

In a male dominated environment, Diane Warren marks a strength diversion in the music industry. She’s one of the most successful female songwriters in the industry. Placing her in league with mega producers and songwriters having scored over 32 top ten hits over the course of her career. And, that’s just as of 2016.

Diane Warren is of Jewish heritage, placing her with other similarly legendary entertainers Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler. The last of which she even wrote a song for, “Moonlight Dancing” being included on Bette Midler’s blockbuster album Some People’s Lives.

Female songwriters have had less of an impact on the music industry in recent times. People claim this has to do with declining record sales and the music industry’s unwillingness to invest money in female musicians. Both country and hip hop formats have seen a drop in female artists, since their peak in the nineties. Songwriting houses only need “one female writer”

That’s why musicians such as Diane Warren are important to the vitality of the music industry. Bonnie McKee and Ester Dean being some of the young blood in the game. Both of them writing hits for megastars Britney Spears, Rihanna, and Katy Perry.

Bonnie McKee

Ester Dean

Both Bonnie McKee and Ester Dean have pursused solo careers. Neither have scored a hit yet, except for Ester Dean’s top 40 entry “Drop It Low”. Diane Warren it seems has never had an interest in the spotlight for herself.

She’s a solitary writer. Most of her hits were penned by herself. Including the Celine Dion smash “Because You Loved Me” that spent over six weeks at number one and the massive Leann Rime song, “How Do I Live.”

The artists she’s had hits for just prove her diversity. She’s worked with balladeers as diverse as Michael Bolton (“Time, Love, and Tenderness”) and Christina Aguilera (“I Turn To You”). Pop artists Cher (“If I Could Turn Back Time”) and Taylor Dayne (“Love Will Lead You Back”). R&B icons Monica (“For You I Will”), Toni Braxton (“Unbreak My Heart”), and Aaliyah (“The One I Gave My Heart To”). Hard rockers Aerosmith (“I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”) and Chicago (“I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love”).

There’s not an icon that Diane Warren hasn’t worked with.

Does anyone remember the underrated Whitney Houston collaboration with Enrique Iglesias “Could I Have This Kiss Forever”? Or the heart wrenching “When Your Eyes Say It” off of Britney Spears diamond certified Oops… I Did It Again.

Currently she’s nominated for an Academy Award for the rape awareness ballad “Til It Happens To You” that she cowrote with Lady Gaga. The song was used in the documantery The Hunting Grounds that deals with the rape epidemic on college campuses. It’s her eight nomination for best original song. It shows if anything that Diane Warren is not going away and that women still have a voice in the music industry.

Buy "Til It Happens To You"

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We Live For Pat Benatar

6/4/2015

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Sometimes I forget that Pat Benatar is a classically trained opera singer and that I can't hit the notes that she can hit. That doesn't stop me from trying. I am that person who will jam out to Pat Benatar in the shower. I grew up on Pat Benatar. It was christian music, Celine Dion, and Pat Benatar. It was really great. Faith Hill was there too.

My love for Pat Benatar definitely comes from my childhood. My father loves all that eighties rock. He's such an archetype for the middle aged white heterosexual male. I don't feel male singers. So many just disgust me at their core. It's so funny, because my father doesn't consider Pat Benatar a “rocker”. I just feel like that's drenched in misogyny. Because, Pat Benatar is a rocker. If you want to come for Sheryl Crow and not file her under rock. Okay. But, you can't come for Pat Benatar.

Right now Pat Benatar is on her 35th anniversary tour. My father bought tickets. For him and my mother. I am the hardcore Pat Benatar fan in this family and I'm just like what the actual fuck. I am trying to convince him to bring me along. He probably won't. It's fine. I didn't want to spend time with him anyway.

I could have been a child of the eighties as far as the music goes. I jam pretty hard to some of these people. Now, I don't know if I would have been a Pat Benatar fan. I do enjoy a strong female, but in all honesty, I would have been on that Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Samantha Fox train. If you don't know who Samantha Fox is you need to get on that. She gave us good sexual realness in the eighties with “Touch Me (I Want Your Body)”. It's slinky and the exact opposite of quality recording.

The eightes were a great time for women in rock. Debbie Harry was fronting Blondie, Joan Jett was killing it solo and with the Blackhearts, Stevie Nicks was not letting up, and Pat Benatar was releasing a string of hits from 1979-1985. Pat Benatar was an album a year girl. Much like Rihanna was dipping and doing it for us.

Her break out hit was “Heartbreaker”. The classic, iconic, hard rock song. She followed it up with “We Live For Love”, which has those warm chugging guitars, and I love it. This is probably where my father is coming from when he says she isn't a rocker. She's had some very pop moments like “We Belong”, but balancing between pop and rock is part of being a successful musician.

Buy "Heartbreaker"

Buy "We Live For Love"

Her follow up album was Crimes of Passion and it's certainly the defining moment of her career as far as sales and hits go. It features “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”, “Treat Me Right”, and “You Better Run”. All hard rock staples. This is also the album that has “Hell is for Children” on it. It discusses child abuse and really does what music is supposed to do. Talk about social issues and comment on them. Love songs are great, but once in a while we really do need to make a statement. Crimes of Passion is definitely one of her most coherent albums. It also includes one of my favorite album only tracks “Wuthering Heights”.

Buy "Wuthering Heights"

She followed this album with five more albums and subsequent hits “Fire and Ice”, “Little Too Late”, “We Belong”, “Love is a Battlefield” and “Invincible”. Pitch Perfect 2 covers “We Belong” and did they succeed the way Pat did. No of course not. But, it's a classic song. “Love is a Battlefield” was on her live album and Joyce loves this song. She knows every word. Joyce and I jam out to Pat Benatar. My place of business also places that song. It is not my favorite Benatar song, but I feel it.

Pat Benatar kept her name out there during the eighties. It's why she's still as remembered as she is. She had a string of consecutive hits and she was hard to get away from. It was after Seven The Hard Way that she took a three year break between studio albums. Then, she released Wide Awake In Dreamland (which has a horrible album cover) and it had a hit. It sold well, but it was not the colossal success of her other lead singles and “All Fired Up” really doesn't rank among Pat Benatar's most recognizable hits.

Her singles had lukewarm response, then she took another three year break. Recorded a jazz album. It just was not a solid plan. She didn't transition into the nineties. People weren't feeling it. This was the time of TLC and the alternative sound of Nirvana. When she did go back to her rock sound radio was not receptive to it. Maybe if she'd gone a Courtney Love/Hole kind of sound she could have maintained her success. But, then I feel like the only reason we really bought into Courtney Love's band is because of Kurt Cobain and the massive success he had with Nirvana.

Madonna was also charting new territory at the time. Female singers had a shelf life of a decade. Madonna was the one trail blazing. Pat Benatar was not able to reap the benefits that Britney Spears and Mariah Carey have been able to by maintaining their careers without people looking at them side eyed.

Personally, I would be here for a Pat Benatar comeback and I definitely think with the right kind of promotion Pat could release a new album of solo material and sell. Look at what Bruce Springsteen has been doing. I think she has a market if she wants it. I'm sure she doesn't need the money, though. She's killing it with these tours. The woman is also 62. Pat Benatar has earned the right to sit down if she wants to. We're still going to love her anyway.

We live for Pat Benatar.

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They're Back Pitches

12/18/2014

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The trailer has finally come out for the sequel of the decade.

Pitch Perfect will be slapping us in the face on May 15th of 2015. I'm ready. I have been ready. This movie is all I'm really living for. That and Madonna's new album and subsequent tour.

I've seen Pitch Perfect a million odd times. I was obsessed with this movie. I had Pitch Perfect viewing parties. I forced people to watch this movie. I would still force people to watch it. I love it. Of course I have the soundtrack. If you don't have it, you are not acatastic. You are probably a member of the Sockapellas. I don't know what to say to you.

If you haven't seen this movie I can't be friends with you. Funny thing about that is that's something I said to Buttercup and it came true. This movie is also the reason I stopped talking to Miss Sara Bellum. This movie has systematically ruined my friendships.

It's like an addiction.

Now of course Sara Bellum and I are friends again. It did however put a deep riff in our friendship. We didn't talk for a good eight months? I don't know. I would tell you all the dirty details of why this severed our loving relationship, but honestly I don't remember what it was about. Like it was the high note that lost The Treblemakers the national championship, but it wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. It just was the final breaking point.

This movie is the reason for a lot of my obsessions. I love Rebel Wilson, I even watcher her not very good show Super Fun Night, because of her role as Fat Amy. I have also danced like a mermaid, because of her. I am an embarrassment to society.

It also introduced me to Anna Kendrick, who is hysterical on twitter. I've said that before. I will say it everyday. I love her twitter account. She may not tweet a lot, but when she does you retweet it. You add it to your favorites. You embrace it as part of your family.

To the dude who just called me a "spinner" - You think I haven't seen enough porn to know what that means, but the joke's on YOU. Wait.
— Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47) November 10, 2014

Then, there is Ester Dean who plays Cynthia Rose. The fiercest lesbian. Ester Dean is just a bad ass singer/songwriter. She's written for Beyonce, Rihanna, and Nicki Minaj. I repeat that she has written for BEYONCE. Once, you've written for Beyonce you can just die. Your life goals have been completed.

I might be a common white girl being obsessed with Pitch Perfect the way I am. After all everyone was obsessed with this movie. I just love this movie so much. We are all ready for this sequel. This movie slays me. I do not mind saying that. I will be a common white girl. I wear scarves to school and I bought 1989 the day it came out. Sometimes you just got to be a stereotype.

The reason I did this throwback Thursday was so I would put it out there that Pitch Perfect 2 is coming to theaters in May, but knowing me I will end up doing a Media Monday article on the fact that my favorite movie is coming out, and then a Friday Favorites on how great this movie is. Be prepared for the onslaught.

Also Todrick Hall put out a very funny, Pitch Perfect parody, Bitch Perfect on YouTube in November. I love it and it also makes me very uncomfortable. You know Todrick. Embrace it or don't. I'm in between on that. I'm honestly not sure, which way I'm leaning.

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1988

11/20/2014

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When Taylor Swift named her new album 1989 she just missed an important year in music history. Her birth year was practically out of the eighties and her observation that '80's music just felt so right' is tepid. It's been right,since 2008. Lady Gaga anyone.

Not to discredit 1989. It was a great year. Madonna's iconic critical and commercial phenomenon Like a Prayer was released (including the cross burning video), disco Queen Donna Summer had her last top ten hit with “This Time I Know Its For Real”, Bette Midler had her number one hit “Wind Beneath My Wings”, and Cher continued her musical comeback with Heart of Stone and it's two top ten hits “If I Could Turn Back Time” and fan favorite “Just Like Jesse James”.

And, that's just the highlights of my music catalogue. 1989 was a great year, and it was ground zero for the biggest country/pop crossover of all time.

But, it was only recently that I thought of Paula Abdul. I was at home. Not at my morning class, watching Wendy Williams as one does, when Paula Abdul came on. I love her so much. I don't know why anyone hates on her. She's fantastic. I don't know how she's so nice.

I was just enamored by this interview and I had to write a Throwback Thursday, so here we are. Now I was not born in the eighties. I am barely a nineties baby. However, I enjoy this decade. Especially, Paula Abdul's number one hit “Straight Up”. Her first in a string of hits from her first album.

People my age know her for American Idol, what I don't think they realize is that she was a colossal commercial success by herself. She should be icon status. Her debut album had five top ten hits (four number ones), a feat achieved by the likes of Fergie and Katy Perry. Hallowed ground.

When Jennifer Lopez became popular there were many comparisons to Paula Abdul. Citing her mediocre voice and reliance on record producers for hits. They expected Jennifer to fade out just like Paula did, but a decade later and Jennifer is still here.

The question I ask is why Paula fell away. She may not have written her own music, but she had an ear for what would sell. Not something to undermine. That's how Rihanna does it. Her second album followed up the commercial success of Forever Your Girl with another commercial success that went multi-platinum and produced the iconic “Rush Rush”.

After Spellbound, she released her as of 2014 final album Head Over Heels that despite only minor impact still sold over a million copies in the United States. This was deemed a commercial failure and Paula was dropped by her record label.

She disappeared after this. This album may not have been the high point of her career, but it wasn't a disappointment. Over the years there have been multiple rumors of new material, even a Kylie Minogue hit that was supposed to be on Paula Abdul's 'new' album that has never surfaced.

At this point. We will never get new music from Paula Abdul, leave what was a solid career at that. A solid career. Dancer, head cheerleader, extremely successful musician. Paula Abdul is not a side note. She was incredibly relevant to what was pop culture.

Her popularity even brought around Shut Up And Dance (The Dance Mixes)one of the most successful remix albums of all time. Sitting behind Michael Jackson's pseudo remix and studio album Blood on the Dancefloor, Madonna's You Can Dance, and Jennifer Lopez's J to tha L-O.

The critics weren't wrong. The only difference between Jennifer and Paula is that Jenny's from the Bronx and Paula's from the west coast. Both started out as dancers. Both had successful recording careers. Both ended up on American Idol. A coincedence?

I think not.

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T.G.I.F. (Thank God I'm Fergie)

10/24/2014

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Has the world waited longer for anything more then the return of Fergie and Gwen Stefani? Gwen made a recent appearance in a mildly entertaining duet “My Heart Is Open” on Maroon 5's new set V. Still announcements of an upcoming album from her have yet to appear.

Dutchess Fergie on the other hand recently dealt us a blow with “L.A. Love”, which you may or may not have heard on the radio. Now, we all l loved The Black Eyed Peas. I enjoyed “Boom Boom Pow”, “Meet Me Halfway”, “Imma Be” and “I Gotta Feeling” as much as the rest of the world. But, what I yearned for was a follow up to The Dutchess.

Over the course of eight years since “London Bridges”. We saw a re-release of The Dutchess that included four extra tracks “Labels or Love”, “Barracuda”, a duet with Nelly, “Party People”, and a remix of “Clumsy”.

We saw a misfitted dance pulse of “Feel Alive” on a Step Up Soundtrack and euphoric party peak of “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)” for The Great Gatsby movie. The song is the reason for why I bought the soundtrack. And, Lana Del Rey's “Young and Beautiful” goes without mention.

Buy "Feel Alive"

Buy "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)"

2006 was a great year. Fergie ruled. Just think about. The start of the reign with “London Bridge”. The heavy sexual innuendo of that song was lost on me for a good bit of time. It took me a while. Just like Flo Rida's “Right Round”. That song is nasty. I can't listen to it the same way, now that I know. What I know about that song.

Buy "London Bridge"

Then, came “Fergalicious”. What happens when you combine “Fergie” with “Delicious” apparently. The ubiquitous song set in the candy factory and also the song I got turnt to at prom. I thank this song for my life choices, for my excellence in grammar. Where Gwen Stefani taught me how to spell “B-A-N-N-A-N-A”. Fergie with the assistance of Will.I.Am instructed me on “D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S” and “T-A-S-T-E-Y”.

That explains a lot about my English grades.

Buy "Fergalicious"

Finally “Glamorous” came to us. A video with guns and gangsters and Ludacris. That was the last time that man was relevant to me. Actually that's not entirely true. I was very intrigued by his reworking of the classic “Barbie Girl” song into “Party Girl”. And, as he instructed. If you ain't got no money, take your broke ass home.

Buy "Glamorous"

With “Big Girls Don't Cry” we finally got the hit ballad every pop star needs. Just like Madonna needed “Crazy For You” and “Live to Tell” or Rihanna has requisites of “Take a Bow” and Stay” every great pop star has released a ballad to great critical acclaim at some point in their career. That is what “Big Girls Don't Cry” was for Fergie. I still know every word. It's just like when “Back to December” comes on the radio, I like to pretend I hated it, but I can still sing every word from memory. This song needs no reminders. Although, I do wonder if Sia heard of it. Her song is “Big Girls Cry” and Fergie's is “Big Girls Don't Cry”. Where is the lie?

Buy "Big Girls Don't Cry"

Clumsy was the final hit off the album that we all now. My mother is obsessed with this song. My mother loves Fergie. I just don't love this song, the way the world does. I like it. I wouldn't change the radio station. But, it is not my jam for life.

Buy "Clumsy"

This album is classic. If you don't have it. You must not enjoy pop culture. Besides the obvious tastemakers. Album only tracks “Pedestal” (A venemous diss off) and “Here I Come” are all reason enough to buy the album. My mother also thoroughly enjoys the closing ballad “Finally”. It's a little too syrupy sweet for me, but if my mother likes it. Fergie likes it. I might just be missing something. I do thoroughly enjoy a hidden part at the end, that consists of a minute of “Maybe, we can take a real long ride...”. I can't imagine what she's suggesting.

Buy "Pedestal"

Buy "Here I Come"

Buy "Finally"

Buy "The Dutchess"

Eight years after The Duchess was released everything on it is still fresh and relatable. It's no wonder the world is clamoring for new Fergie music. The only way our appetites have been whetted is by her work with The Black Eyed Peas. But, after a four year break from the Peas. We need Fergie.

This extended stay away from the spotlight has moved Fergie from the dutchess to the Queen. And, Queen Fergie recently dropped “L.A. Love”. One of the slickest hip-hop productions to come around in recent times. The album is coming. Be prepared world. She's ready. And, she's coming for you.

Buy "L.A. Love"

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Damn It Jay-Z

8/16/2014

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As a die hard fan of both Beyonce and Rihanna it occurred to me as I was listening to Talk That Talk how much their careers have mirrored each others. Now I blame Jay-Z for this. Not that either of this powerful women shouldn't take inspiration from each other, but they are two radically different people. But, when Jay-Z was launching Rihanna's career he saw his chance to copy some of the things that Beyonce had done from the beginning. But, even after Rihanna had proved herself with Good Girl, Gone Bad the Carter Administration still decided to meddle.

Let's just start with their make-up. At the start of both their careers. These women were glossed up to the hilt, almost to the point of mockery. Just take their album covers for Dangerously In Love and Music of the Sun (Terrible even by teen standards).

They've both had their major hits with collaborations with Jay-Z. Both “Crazy in Love” and “Umbrella” were game changers for both women. Both were incredibly successful. And, of course there were others “Run This Town”,"Talk That Talk", "Upgrade You", “Drunk in Love”, and “On The Run”

Now, I might be over estimating Jay-Z's involvement on both of these women, it may have been more of a subconscious uncoupling more then anything. But, certainly when Beyonce said “Hey, boo. Want to rap on Drunk in Love for me.” He could have been like, “Bae. Rihanna did a song called Drunk on Love three years ago.” The titles are surprisingly similar. But, that doesn't prove that they've been checking each other over the past ten years. There's more.

Buy "Drunk In Love"

Buy "Drunk On Love"

You remember “What's My Name?” yes? Did you know Beyonce also did a song with Drake on her self titled release called “Mine”? Or that my girl Ester Dean is a frequent collaborator for Rihanna, and that she also contributed to Beyonce's 4.

Buy "What's My Name"

Buy "Mine"

Visually they both had practically topless album covers on Unapologetic and the standard version of 4. Truthfully they've both been sexuallizing themselves since their start. Rihanna started her switch over to grown woman around the time she was doing “S&M” and “Only Girl (In The World)”, while Beyonce started more during her I Am... Sasha Fierce phase. Of course they've both kept pushing the boundaries of that in their videos with “Partition” and “Pour it Up” respectively. That being said. I'm here for both of these videos. More then here actually. I live for them.

Buy "Partition"

Buy "Pour It Up"

Even, their personal lives have started having things in common. Chris Brown hit Rihanna. Solange hit Jay-Z. Not quite the same thing, but physical violence in their personal lives either way. I don't know if you agree with my assessment, but that's none of my business. I just think it's very interesting.

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Could I Have This Song Forever?

We Live For Pat Benatar

They're Back Pitches

1988

T.G.I.F. (Thank God I'm Fergie)

Damn It Jay-Z

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