Music Review: Keyshia Cole “Woman to Woman”

Woman to Woman

Release date: November 19, 2012

Label: Geffen Records

Purchase: Amazon | iTunes

Interesting how just recently I was venting over r&b being dormant and forgotten in the industry, and here comes Ms. Keyshia Cole with an album that sounds like a blast from the past. Woman to Woman is deemed the best album the soulful songstress has released since 2008’s A Different Me, with 2010’s Calling All Hearts short of the artist’s full potential. 

After being in the biz for over seven years, Cole is ready to show how much she’s evolved in her artistry and as a ‘woman’. You know what that means, it’s time to analyze and find out just how good Keyshia’s fifth attempt is. Should I add this one to my collection, or give it a pass?

Continue reading “Music Review: Keyshia Cole “Woman to Woman””

[Review] Trey Songz “Chapter V”

RFile:Trey songz chapter v cover real.jpgTrey Songz has a new album out entitled, Chapter V. Kai succinctly sums it up as: lacking depth, showing no growth, if anything, regressing creatively as an artiste. Scathing review but, as a fan, probably even stan simply put, I’m beyond devastated by this lackluster release of an album.

It has been three years since I last bought his album ‘Ready, which I dearly cherish. His excessive sex laced theme in subsequent albums and mixtapes, ensured a self-induced three year long fast from his music. There was a creativity void  that I was looking for him to fill, of which,judging from his latest efforts,  he hasn’t.  

I randomly came across his announcement of a new album release on twitter two days ago, and my heart flattered a little.  It was sort of like a  reunion of  a first love that never died. We were both willing to reconnect and give the relationship a second shot. Yap! It was all good until my hopes were shattered into tiny little microscopic mini hearts after taking a listen, prompting me to scratch my head in wonderment and ask Were we ever meant to be, or I should completely let go? Find out why this  fan, is non too pleased with his latest work of disaster oops, excuse me, art. Continue reading “[Review] Trey Songz “Chapter V””

Sex Talk: Let’s do the do boo!

Sex is a connector of sorts especially in relationships.  After all those late nights cuddling and many a day spent walking in the park, hormones start crisscrossing like busy pedestrians on Times Square.  The pace is much faster, and progressively so when the two of you are alone. 

Continue reading “Sex Talk: Let’s do the do boo!”

B.o.B sees “Strange Clouds”

The “Airplanes” guy has returned with a new single called “Strange Clouds.” And if you take away the strange fart sounds from the dub-set effect and Lil Wayne‘s ridiculous rap and puppy noises in some parts, this song is actually enjoyable. I mean, it’s already aiming for number one on iTunes, so either that means B.o.B has a strong fan base, people will support the “Airplanes” guy no matter what he does (cause that song still has a strong effect on them), or “Strange Clouds” is obviously just that good. So be sure to listen, purchase, and tell us what you think.  Continue reading “B.o.B sees “Strange Clouds””

[Review] Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter IV”

Tha Carter IV

Lil Wayne has always been the transitional rapper; his lyrical style evolved from paper to spur-of-the-moment magic that still has me bedazzled to this day, because it shows how good his freestyling skills are. Let’s put aside the fact that clarity in his rhymes varies, because when he does make sense, Lil Wayne knows how to cook up a hit record. In all honesty, “Tha Carter IV” is the best release since “Tha Carter III”, merely because it has a lot of good songs on the album; that’s right! I said it. I wish to forget that the rapper ever released “Rebirth”, because in my opinion that was one of the worse albums of his entire career, despite its moderate success and my love for “Drop the World”. I like being pulled in by whatever it is I’m listening to and that previous release didn’t quite do it for me. Thankfully, “I Am Not A Human Being” woke me up, and “Tha Carter IV” kept me interested. Continue reading “[Review] Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter IV””

Lil Wayne shows us “How To Love”

Lil Wayne has finally unveiled the music video for the deep acoustic, r&b influenced hit single “How To Love,” and gives us two different scenarios of how one person’s life can be with and without love. This is my favorite song ever from the rapper because of the strong message he conveys in the lyrics. And the melody is just addictive. Check out the music … Continue reading Lil Wayne shows us “How To Love”

[Review] Kelly Rowland’s “Here I Am”

Here I Am

Kelly Rowland has returned with her highly anticipated third album “Here I Am”. The singer steamed up the summer with her hot single “Motivation”, showcasing her growth as a woman and as an artist. She’s definitely come a long way from her previous releases which she described as “a struggle to find her sound”. Kelly explored all areas necessary in finalizing her latest album, getting inspiration from both her europop and r&b influences. This is evidently a first for the singer as she had never taken such a risk before, sticking to her urban roots for “Simply Deep” and “Ms. Kelly”. What makes this talented artist stand out to fans is her sultry and sensual persona that has proven to be quite appealing. The new album is an interpretation of Kelly’s journey to discover her true identity; in the end, she’s hoping we can understand just who she is and be able to accept her. Continue reading “[Review] Kelly Rowland’s “Here I Am””

2011 BET Awards!

The  2011 BET Awards was held on Sunday June 26th at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, and the show was everything but organized. You’d think after being around for a few years and now classified as a prestigious award show that it’d have everything under control, however last night I felt as if I was watching the first show ever. Here’s what in my opinion would have made the show exceptional: Continue reading “2011 BET Awards!”

[Review] Jennifer Lopez’ “LOVE?”

LOVE?

It’s been four years since Jennifer Lopez released an album, and we should all know by know the stress she endured to finally be able to get back in the music game. After her relationship with Sony Music Entertainment ended, the fate of “LOVE?” was left uncertain. Well, J.LO has officially dropped her 7th studio album and it’s truly a soundtrack for the summer. You’re guaranteed to hear club bangers, hip hop, and mid-tempo r&b tracks. I listened to the entire album over and over without finding spot fillers. “LOVE?” is an excellent comeback effort from the superstar and with producers like RedOne, Tricky Stewart, StarGate, Lady GaGa, and The-Dream, she can do no wrong. Here’s a full review of the album from my perspective: Continue reading “[Review] Jennifer Lopez’ “LOVE?””

J.Lo unleashes the reggae influenced “I’m Into You”

Jennifer Lopez unveiled a new track from her upcoming album “Love?“. The new single titled “I’m Into You” features Lil Wayne and incorporates elements of reggae. Definitely a more summer feel, and a stretch away from the dance number “On The Floor“. I’m loving it either way. And I can imaging myself on the islands while listening to this wicked song. Check it out below and let us know what you think.  Continue reading “J.Lo unleashes the reggae influenced “I’m Into You””

[Review] Chris Brown’s “F.A.M.E.”

You can’t ignore the fact that Chris Brown‘s fourth release is the definition of hot. “F.A.M.E.” embodies a mixture of mind-blowing r&b, pop and dance songs. An impressive combination indeed, I mean the album is #1 on Billboard and reached the top 10 on several European charts, need I say more. And while I have this fantastic piece on replay, I will make my best attempt to convey my thoughts to you in the following review: Continue reading “[Review] Chris Brown’s “F.A.M.E.””

VERBAL & Drake in “Some Other Place”

VISIONAIR

VERBAL, a Japanese rapper and member of hip hop group M-flo, has teamed up with Young Money star Drake on his latest single “Some Other Place“. The song is from VERBAL’s first solo album “VISIONAIR“, which will be released on March 16th, but can be pre-ordered now on amazon. The collaborative track “Black Out” with Namie Amuro & Lil Wayne (Young Money founder) is also included on the album, because it’s actually VERBAL’s song and they’re the guest artists riding on it. “Black Out” is also included on Namie’s album “Checkmate“, which we also posted about recently. “Some Other Place” sounds hot in the teaser but as you may have discovered from my previous rants on the topic, I hate auto-tune. That’s the downfall to this song, other than that it’s hot. Listen to the snippet and tell me what do you think? Continue reading “VERBAL & Drake in “Some Other Place””

Namie Amuro collaborates with Lil’ Wayne?

Japanese hip-pop artist Namie Amuro will be releasing a collaboration album titled “Checkmate” on March 23rd, and the full tracklist was recently revealed on her official website. Aside from the fact that Namie will be collaborating with Kpop group After School on what seems to be their first release in Japan, American rapper Lil’ Wayne has also made an appearance on the album. I’m not surprised that Amuro is working with a western rapper, in fact this collab is quite interesting. You can listen to the snippet below. Namie’s collab album also includes artists AI, Yamashita Tomohisa, and Tsuchiya Anna: Continue reading “Namie Amuro collaborates with Lil’ Wayne?”

Auto-Tune 2: Will The Real Singers Please Stand Up

Gone are the days when singers were freely and passionately singing without the help of “pitch correction”, yes, I am referring to the infamous auto-tune. This is a continuation of my previous post, “what do you think about auto-tune?” Why the continuation you wonder? it’s because i’m truly annoyed with this audio processor that is plaguing the music industry.

Too many artists are utilizing auto-tune into their music: Ke$ha, T-Pain, The Black Eyed Peas, Akon, Kanye West, Jason Derulo, Rihanna, Lil Wayne, and quite a few others. I found it rather ironic that Jay-Z released a single titled “DOA (Death of Auto-tune)”, but still used the device on another track, and on the same album (ain’t that funny).

Continue reading “Auto-Tune 2: Will The Real Singers Please Stand Up”