Hot Video Alert: Beyonce - Run The World (Girls)

After delaying the release for a couple of weeks, mega superstar Beyoncé FINALLY unveiled the Francis Lawrence-directed music video for her new single, "Run The World (Girls)" tonight on American Idol. The premiere just happened to coincide with Beyoncé's appearance as a mentor to the final three. While the video is VISUALLY stunning, the song is still a bit of a mess for me. Produced by Switch, Shea Taylor and Bey herself, the song heavily borrows from club hit, "Pon De Floor," done by Major Lazer and Vybz Kartel. The electro-dancehall infused beat doesn't mix well with Beyoncé's sultry smooth vocals, sounding more like a bad remix than a standout single. I really wanted to fall in love with the song after watching the video, unfortunately I'm still left wanting more.

Here's hoping that the single's premiere on American Idol propels it higher on the Billboard Hot 100 chart because the way things stand right now, it's not looking so good for Bey's upcoming fourth album, 4.  This week the track continues to sink on the charts, dropping 17 spots to #65.  Just two weeks ago, the single peaked at a disappointing #33.  Check out the gorgeous video below and see more of Beyoncé looking fierce and fabulous underneath the weird highway underpass thingy seen on the single artwork (ABOVE).  Kind of reminds me of the bigger-budget version of  Kelis' "4th Of July (Fireworks)" video, no?  "Run The World (Girls)" is the first single lifted off of Beyoncé's fourth album, 4, due on June 28th via Columbia.  Download the single on iTunes HERE.

Check out Beyonce on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube

Hot Remix Alert: Beyoncé - Run The World (Girls) (Steamweaver House Remixes)

Beyoncé's new single has barely been out a week and the remixes are already coming out! First up we have a fabulous Steamweaver house treatment for Bey's new single, "Run The World (Girls)" which made it's digital debut last Friday. The jury's still out as to whether or not I like it the song or not. I'm leaning towards no...but it could be a grower.  Give the Steamweaver remix a listen below.

Beyoncé - Run The World (Girls) (Steamweaver Who Run The House Radio Edit) by Steamweaver

The song was produced by Switch, Beyoncé and Shea Taylor and written by Terius Nash, Beyoncé, Nick van de Wall, Wesley Pentz, David Taylor and Adidja Palmer.  "Run The World (Girls)" is the lead single from Beyoncé's as yet untitled fourth studio album. The song heavily samples "Pon de Floor" by Major Lazer, mixing hip-hop, dancehall, pop and R&B genres. Basically, it's a big jumble of noise. Steamweaver's house take on the track definitely warms me up to the song but I'm still not 100% just yet. Check out the Steamweaver remix above. If you like what you hear, give them a download HERE  Also make sure you download the single version on iTunes HERE.

Check out Steamweaver on the web:
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Hot Video Alert: Sara Bareilles - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) (Live on Billboard.com)

Sara Bareilles is great. She has a great voice. She looks like a Neutrogena model. She's also a talented singer/songwriter. The BRILLIANT "Love Song" from Bareilles' debut album Little Voice is a TERRIFIC pop song. Simple and sweet. Nothing much to it. While she hasn't had a hit as big as "Love Song" yet, Bareilles is set to release her second album, Kaleidoscope Heart on September 7th through Epic, so look out!  First single, "King of Anything" is currently #9 on the Billboard Adult Pop chart.

On this week's episode of Billboard.com's MashUp Mondays, Bareilles treats us to a jazzy arrangement of Beyonce's club banger "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)." Talking of her take on the song, Bareilles tells Billboard:

"If I'm gonna do a cover of a song, I want to completely reinterpret it. It would be hard to imagine it as sort of a doo-wop-y, voice-and-piano kind of song, so I started fooling around with that on the piano, and it ended up being something super-fun."

While I don't know if I'd call this "super-fun," it's quite enjoyable and if you take into consideration the fact that Bareilles put together the arrangement herself, you might even call it impressive.  On a scale of Beyonce to Liza Minelli...Bareilles' version falls nicely in the middle. Check it out for yourself below the cut.

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Watch Glee's Brittany (Heather Morris) Doin' the 'Single Ladies' Dance with Beyoncé!

AHHH. It all makes sense now. So...you all know that I LOVE Glee. While I have special little places in my heart for ALL of the characters, Brittany (Heather Morris) is fast becoming one of my favs. If you watch the show then you've probably noticed Morris KICKING ass with all of the choreography. Good reason! She's an AMAZING DANCER. Case in point, check out this video of Beyoncé performing "Single Ladies" at last year's American Music Awards. Check out the cute blond doing the "Single Ladies" dance to Beyoncé's left. HEATHER MORRIS! Amazing! I have even more respect for this girl.

Heather Morris as Brittany

Did you know that Morris taught the cast of Glee the "Single Ladies" dance? No wonder! Morris toured with Beyoncé last year. This girl is hilarious. Check out a little mini interview with Morris in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly with Sue Sylvester herself, Jane Lynch, on the cover. Thank GOD Morris has been upgraded to a series regular for next season. More witty one liners I hope!

Check out Glee on the web:

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New Look, New Blog Post

Hello friends! It's been far too long. You'll notice a couple of differences on my blog. Well...probably one and that's the layout. I am loving Blogger's new layout design tools. I thought it was time for a change so I just went ahead and changed things over. Still has the same look overall but I'm using a new template.

I thought I would EASE my way back into blogging with a "back to basics" approach - the all too simple "Album Artwork Update." Yeah, I know it doesn't take too long to upload a bunch of pictures but hey - give me a break! I need to take it slow here.

So without further ado...

Oh...Side Note: Some of this information might seem a bit out of date. This is likely because I started the post a couple of weeks ago and never finished it. Forgive me.

I don't really think this song needs any introduction. Written by Lady Gaga, Rodney Jerkins, LaShawn Daniels, Lazonate Franklin and Beyoncé "Telephone" had one of the most anticipated video premieres ever...and for good reason. It's a masterpiece! If you haven't checked it out yet, what are you waiting for? Check it out HERE. I love the single sleeve here. It mirrors the whole Kill Bill influence seen throughout the video in terms of the fonts and still photos. Download the remix EP on iTunes HERE. You can also pick up the video HERE.

"Scars" is the second single from American Idol's third runner up Allison Iraheta last season and it's a ballad. Debut single "Friday I'll Be Over U" was cute, uptempo and fun but didn't really showcase Iraheta's chops. "Scars" should do that and then some.


"Put It In A Love Song" served as Alicia Keys' official 3rd single in the U.S. ("Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart" will serve as her third UK single, due out May 24th) and was released in January. "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" will be her official 4th single and was released to radio on March 15th. It's really a shame that Love Song featuring Beyoncé didn't have more of an impact on radio as it's one of my favorites from The Element of Freedom. "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" is a ballad featuring Drake produced by Noah "40" Shebib. It's got a really stripped down, raw feeling. Not as "fun" as it's predecessor but it really showcases Keys' vulnerability and talent.

"Whataya Want From Me" is Adam Lambert's second single from his debut album For Your Entertainment. After the crazy debacle that was his performance at the AMAs last year, Lambert and his label seemed anxious to move on. Lambert made a series of TV appearances performing the ballad. Written by P!nk, Max Martin and Johan Shellback, the track was originally intended for P!nk's Funhouse album, but never made the final cut. The song is growing on my considerably, thanks in part due to the remixes by Fonzerelli that have surfaced. Check out the video HERE and check out THIS stripped down Australian performance.

Now I've never been a fan of Hole OR Courtney Love for that matter, but I'm always up for a good comeback/trainwreck. To be honest, I was kind of excited about Courtney's long-in-the-works solo career that never materialized so it will be interesting to see how this goes. "Skinny Little Bitch" will serve as Hole's first single off of Hole's fourth album, Nobody's Daughter and fourteenth single overall. The song isn't something I would normally listen to but it's growing on me. After a 10 year hiatus, it's safe to say that this is one of the years most anticipated comebacks. Download it on iTunes HERE.

"Freak" featuring Kardinal Offishall is the new David Guetta-produced single for UK R&B singer Estelle, who took the U.S. (and the world) by storm two years ago with her Top Ten single "American Boy,"featuring American rapper Kanye West. This time around she's pairing up with Canadian rapper/producer Kardinal Offishall on a decidedly LESS R&B/Hip-Hop sounding track. "Freak" is an electro JAM with Guetta's trademark beats all over it. Check out the cool video HERE. Download it on iTunes HERE.

Diana Mae Vickers is the latest pop star to come off of the UK talent show The X-Factor. Vickers competed in the 2008 series (Alexandra Burke, JLS), ultimately being signed with RCA Records. "Once" is the debut single (April 19th) from her forthcoming album Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree, due to be released May 3rd. After X-Factor, Vickers went on to star in her first West End show, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, showcasing her talent on the stage. Nerina Pallot, Ellie Goulding, Starsmith, Alexis Strum, Patrick Wolf, and Guy Sigsworth are just some of the big names Vickers' collaborated with while making this album. "Once" is a beautiful song (with a beautiful video) and I think she has lots of potential to become another X-Factor success story.

"Pyromania" is a new single from Cascada, and while it's not part of the Evacuate The Dancefloor album, it's got a very similar sound. According to lead singer Natalie Horler, Cascada is working on a new album so in all likelihood "Pyromania" will make an appearance. I like the cheesiness of the song. While I don't think the track will have much influence on mainstream radio here in the U.S., I think that this song has the same potential to do well in the clubs. I'll always be a closet Cascada fan. They are SUCH a guilty pleasure! Check out the new video HERE.

"Upside Down" is Paloma Faith's 4th UK single, released on March 15th. I am a HUGE fan when an artist's artwork all follows a theme and so far Faith's has been consistently top notch. Colorful costumes, crazy hair and makeup...I love it! The song is also one of my favorites from Do You Want The Truth or Something Beautiful? It's got a great old fashioned jazzy feel to it. The video is also fantastic, as are the club remixes from Cahill. This is one artists who I would die to se live here in the U.S. I think we're ready for a Paloma Faith invasion.

Poor Pussycat Dolls. They keep losing members left and right! With all of the girls now working on solo projects, Robin Antin and Nicole Scherzinger both are saying that some "new faces" will be coming on board. Sounds like a reinvention. I honestly can't say that losing Carmit Bachar was all that devastating to the group's success but losing EVERYONE except for the lead singer? That could be potentially very jarring. I mean, who are we kidding...it's always been Nicole Scherzinger front and center with her back up dancers and I can't foresee that changing so who really cares who's in the group, right? As long as the songs are hot, that's all that really matters? At any rate - Kimberly Wyatt has released a new promo single called "Not Just A Doll" in which she claims to be a "dreamer" and that she's "not just a doll." Nothing spectacular, but feel free to check it out on iTunes. The real solo album I'm looking forward to from this crew is Melody Thornton, though it would be interesting to hear what Jessica Sutta comes up with. I quite liked her in German DJ/Remixer Paul Van Dyk's "White Lies."

Taio Cruz is another fantastic British artists that I've been familiar with for quite some time, who's starting to get popular here in the States. His single "Break Your Heart" was released in America at the end of February and went all the way to the top of Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Pretty impressive for a first single! I'm guessing that the re-jiggered American version featuring Rapper Ludacris didn't hurt. U.S. radio stations do tend to prefer it's pop music with R&B/Hip-Hop influences, so Taio Cruz's blend of the two musical genres should do him very well here in states, and I couldn't be more thrilled. I've already turned several friends onto his beats. America - get used to Taio Cruz. He's gonna be huge. Now...if only the video for his next UK single would finally premiere. Cruz is releasing "Dirty Picture" featuring the ever popular Ke$ha on April 26th. It will serve as the official third UK single. If the U.S. label were smart, they'd release it as his second U.S. single. Ke$ha is sort riding high at the moment.

Music's Biggest Night

What can I say about the Grammys? While it was certainly more enjoyable than the Golden Globes (YAWN!) I'm still glad I TIVO'd the whole thing because there are always performances that I want to FAST-FORWARD through (i.e. - Dave Matthews Band, Eminem/Drake/Lil' Wayne, etc.). I know that the Grammys are celebrating ALL music, which is great. I, personally, do not listen to all music, so having the option to skip those undesirables is...well...desirable.

Standout performances for me included the dramatic opener starring Lady Gaga and Sir Elton John, P!nk's high-flying (and soaking wet) number and the Michael Jackson tribute featuring Usher, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood and Smokey Robinson (minus the 3D FX). Halfway decent performances included Green Day's "21 Guns" performed by the cast of the American Idiot musical, the Jamie Foxx/T-Pain/Slash & Doug E. Fresh spectacle, the Les Paul tribute with Jeff Beck & Imelda May and The Black Eyed Peas doing "Imma Be"/"I Gotta Feeling." Disappointing performances included Beyoncé's "If I Were A Boy"/"You Oughta Know" medley and Taylor Swift's off-key "Today Was A Fairytale"/"Rhiannon"/"You Belong With Me" (the latter two featuring an appearance by Stevie Nicks) medley. The Fast-Forward-Worthy performances for me included Bon Jovi, DMB, Lady Antebellum, Maxwell and The Zac Brown Band.

All in all it was a good show. I did get excited for a minute when I thought Stephen Colbert was going to be hosting the show, but then I realized that the Grammys typically don't have a host. All the better if you ask me. It was overall GREAT seeing all of the musicians and miscellaneous stars of film and television present awards and random Lifetime Achievement awards. It was also great hearing someone from the industry telling the television audience to help support the artists by buying music legally. We'll see if America listens. Hopefully they do.

The only thing I'm really left on the fence about is the whole appearance by Michael Jackson's children - Paris & Prince Michael. Did they want to be there or did someone else want them to be there? I would like to think that they wanted to be there to honor their father. Both kids were obviously nervous, but felt the need to speak out about their father. It was touching in a way, but also rather unnerving.

Music's Biggest Night was just that for CBS. 25.8 million Americans tuned in to watch the broadcast which is the largest audience for the telecast in six years. Pretty impressive!

Photos Via Grammy.com

Here's a rundown of some of the bigger categories:

Record Of The Year: Kings Of Leon - "Use Somebody" (given the choices, I would have to agree)
Album Of The Year: Taylor Swift - Fearless (not necessarily my first choice, but good for her)
Song Of The Year: Beyoncé - "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" (DEFINITELY agree)
Best New Artist: Zac Brown Band (I personally was for The Ting Tings but whatever)

For a full list of the nominees and winners, check out Grammy.com.

Check out the Grammys on the web:
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Hot Remixes: Steamweaver Remixes the likes of Beyonce, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, and more!

Ever since Steamweaver contacted me last summer about his remixes of Beyonce's "Sweet Dreams," and "Right Here" by Carmen Reece he's been busy mixing up todays hottest hits readying them for the dancefloor. Since Beyonce & Carmen Reece, Steamweaver has remixed the likes of Britney Spears, Rihanna, Nick Harvey and now Jennifer Lopez. Steamweaver is fast becoming a big name on the unofficial remix front and now with official mixes in the can for Nick Harvey and Brian - things are looking up. I can't wait to hear what's next! Be sure and check out all of Steamweaver's stuff on his MySpace page. In the meantime, here's his remixography to date:

Beyonce - Sweet Dreams

Sweet Dreams (Steamweaver Club Mix) - 7:16
Sweet Dreams (Steamweaver Radio Mix) - 3:51
Sweet Dreams (Steamweaver "Lights On" Dub) - 8:04
Sweet Dreams (Steamweaver Tribe-A-Pella) - 6:17

Download them HERE

Carmen Reece - Right Here

Right Here (Steamweaver Club Mix) - 9:20
Right Here (Steamweaver Radio Mix #1) - 3:48
Right Here (Steamweaver Radio Mix #2) - 4:31

Download them HERE

Britney Spears - Steamweaver Megamix (Dirty Radio Edit)

Download it HERE

Brooke Hogan - Hey Yo

Hey Yo (Steamweaver Radio Edit)
Hey Yo (Steamweaver House Remix)
Hey Yo (Steamweaver Dub Mix)

Download them HERE

Rihanna - Russian Roulette

"I loved the song from the moment I heard it, and wanted to do something very dancey and anthemic, while keeping the dark and emotional mood from the original. The tempo was tough (around 80BPM), so I decided to go 133BPM - not too slow for the vocals, neither too fast for the genre. Anyway, I had fun with this one, especially with the vocal manipulation (check the full mix!)"

Russian Roulette (Steamweaver Bonus Beats) - 4:56
Russian Roulette (Steamweaver Club Anthem - Vox Up) - 12:11
Russian Roulette (Steamweaver Club Anthem) - 12:11
Russian Roulette (Steamweaver Mixshow Instrumental) - 8:13
Russian Roulette (Steamweaver Mixshow - Vox Up) - 8:13
Russian Roulette (Steamweaver Mixshow) - 8:13
Russian Roulette (Steamweaver Pad-A-Pella) - 9:34
Russian Roulette (Steamweaver Radio Instrumental) - 4:31
Russian Roulette (Steamweaver Radio Mix - Vox Up) - 4:31
Russian Roulette (Steamweaver Radio Mix) - 4:31
Russian Roulette (Steamweaver Tribe-A-Pella) - 9:32

Download them HERE

Nick Harvey - Wurkin (Steamweaver Club Mix) - 10:56

Buy it HERE

Vibelicious & Dean Boudreau - Last Christmas

Last Christmas (Steamweaver Radio Christmas)
Last Christmas (Steamweaver Club Christmas)

Download them HERE

Jennifer Lopez - Louboutins

"These are House mixes, quite different from my usual Big Room style, but I hope you like it :)"

Louboutins (Steamweaver Designer Radio Mix) - 3:45
Louboutins (Steamweaver Designer Club Mix) - 7:30
Louboutins (Steamweaver Runway Dub Mix) - 8:00

Download them HERE

Brian - Too Grown For That

Too Grown For That (Steamweaver Radio Mix) - 3:59
Too Grown For That (Steamweaver Radio Mix With Rap) - 3:59
Too Grown For That (Steamweaver Club Mix) - 8:22
Too Grown For That (Steamweaver Padapella) - 6:06

Buy them HERE

Hot Music News & Snippets: Adam Lambert, Gabriella Cilmi, Grammy Nominations & More

In the wake of negative press that Adam Lambert's controversial American Music Awards Performance left behind, the talented young singer is now just focusing on the music. Lambert sang his heart out on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (airing December 1st), singing a powerful rendition of the album track, "Whataya Want From Me," which was co-written by singer and P!nkMax Martin. Perfection. This is exactly the kind of performance that Adam needs to be doing going forward. I'm not saying that all of this flack that he's been getting is completely justified, in fact I do agree that there's a certain double standard in play here - but this was just a smart move on the part of Adam and his management. Just Adam, a microphone and his fabulous rock-star voice. No theatrics or spectacle. Hopefully this is the kind of performance we can expect when Adam Lambert joins Barbara Walters, Whoopie Goldberg and the the other ladies of The View on December 10th.

Australian pop singer Gabriella Cilmi (whom I absolutely love) is readying new material for her follow up to 2008's Lessons To Be Learned. Gabriella has been keeping her fans posted via her official blog and Twitter. According to a recent Tweet, Cilimi's apparently met with her label's A&R reps and new material should be premiering very shortly. Going in a decidedly more sexy direction than her last album, Cilmi worked with Xenomania & Greg Kurstin, Dallas Austin and Danger Mouse (one half of Gnarls Barkley). According to Cilmi, "[the album was] inspired by Donna Summer, Flashdance and 80s disco." This sounds potentially HOT! The album is due out early next year, preceded by the first single and video. "The first single is all about unleashing your inner super-hero and it's a big anthem for women." Brilliant! Can't wait to hear Gabriella's new stuff. I always thought she had an interesting voice.

Kelis is one of those rare artists whose entire collection I own. Ever since I took a chance and purchased Kaleidoscope at my local college music shop, I was hooked. Kaleidoscope = brilliant. 2001's Wanderland wasn't so much my cup of tea, but she redeemed herself with 2003's Tasty, known as the album that made Kelis famous here in the U.S. Meanwhile, her 2006 album Kelis Was Here bombed in my book, and on the charts. Not so coincidentally, Kelis Was Here was the first album without her long time collaborators The Neptunes. If this pattern of one brilliant album followed by one not so brilliant album is any indication, her new album is going to be HOT and so far, things are heating up nicely. Newly signed to Will.I.Am Music Group via Interscope/Geffen Kelis will be releasing the David Guetta produced single "Acapella," which has already been getting attention since it premiered online on November 23rd. Entertainment Weekly added "Accapella" to it's Must List in the December 11th issue on newsstands right now. Other collaborators include will.I.Am, Free School, Boyz Noize, Burnze and DJ Ammo.

Yeah, Yeah, I know I'm a bit late here regarding the Grammy Nominations. I can't say I'm too shocked or appalled by any of the results, aside from maybe Whitney Houston snub. When I saw that Whitney wasn't nominated, I assumed that it was because her album wasn't released in time for consideration, but then I read reports that producers rushed the album into release in part to be considered for a Grammy. Other than that, things played out as I expected them to with artists like Beyonce (10 nominations), Taylor Swift (8 nominations), The Black Eyed Peas (6 nominations) and Kanye West (6 nominations). Included amongst this years Album of the Year nominees are Lady Gaga's The Fame as well as albums from Beyonce, Taylor Swift, The Black Eyed Peas and Dave Matthews Band. As for record of the year, we have Beyonce's "Halo," "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas, Kings Of Leon's hit single "Use Somebody," "Poker Face" and Swift's "You Belong With Me." Up for Song of the Year this year we have "Poker Face," "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)," "Use Somebody," Maxwell's "Pretty Wings" and "You Belong With Me." Best new artists include the Zac Brown Band, Keri Hilson, The Ting Tings, MGMT and the Silversun Pickups. Check out a full list of nominees at Grammy.com.

Hot Video Alert: Beyonce - Video Phone

Massive Album Art Update - Part 1

After my West Coast vacation, I've been M.I.A. (save for one album art update from Chicago). I apologize. I've been busy with work and personal stuff. The plan is to start regularly updating again so bear with me. I find album art updates to be the easiest way to break back into a blogging routine, so here goes nothing! - All artwork found on Coverlandia.

Colour Me Free is the long anticipated 4th studio album from British soul chanteuse, Joss Stone. This album has been pushed back a couple of times by Stone's label, a move which Stone has been vocal about in the press. Now with an official release date scheduled for October 20, the promotional materials are starting to come together, starting with some album artwork. The album features collaborations from Jeff Beck, Sheila E, Raphael Saadiq, Dave Sanborn, Nas and Jamie Hartman.

"Say Goodbye" is the second single released off of the new Katharine McPhee album, Unbroken - due for release on January 5th. A beautiful ballad, "Say Goodbye" is more like what I expected her first album to sound like. Following less than a month after first single "Had It All," "Say Goodbye" appears to simply be a promotional single although I can't confirm that this single won't be officially released to radio.

"Thinkin'About You" is the second single off of the new Mario album, D.N.A. (following "Break Up" featuring Sean Garrett and Gucci Mane). The album is due to be released on November 3rd in the U.S. (November 2nd in the UK). No word yet on a release date for the second single, but I'm guessing it will be closer to the album's release date this fall.

I know that I already included the single artwork for the new Natalie Imbruglia single, "Want" in my last update, but it was pretty low quality. I just wanted to take the time to upload a new higher res version of the artwork. Natalie truly looks fantastic on this cover and the song is definitely growing on me (as are the remixes). Check out the stunning video here.

No Angels are a popular girl group out of Germany. Released September 11th, Welcome To The Dance is the fifth studio album from the girls and the second post-reunion album after the girls broke up in 2004. After reforming in 2006 (minus one member) they recorded 4th album, Destiny which featured productionj from Jiant & Twin, Max Martin, Steve Mac among others. The first single is "One Life", the video for which can be seen HERE.

This is the album artwork for the new Norah Jones album, The Fall, set to be released November 17th (November 16th in the UK) via Blue Note Records/EMI. I'm really excited to hear this album. I have Jones' last 3 albums and while there's no denying her talent both as a singer and as a songwriter, her last 2 jazz albums have bored me to tears. After hearing Jones collaborate on The Lonely Island c0medy album, Incredibad (listen to "Dreamgirl") I got excited about her new sound. This new album marks a new direction for the singer collaborating with producer Jacquire King who has worked with Kings of Leon, Tom Waits and Modest Mouse. This new sound sounds very promising, especially since Jones has assembled a talented new group of musicians for the new album. Can't wait!

I'm certainly interested to hear what Ryan Tedder and the rest of OneRepublic has to offer here with their second studio album, Waking Up. Admittedly I only really got into OneRepublic after hearing the remix of "Apologize" that appeared on Timbaland's Shock Value album. Since then I've heard a lot from Ryan Tedder on various pop songs (Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" co-written with Jesse McCartney and the controversial "Halo"/"Already Gone" by Beyoncé & Kelly Clarkson respectively). I also enjoyed "Stop and Stare" off of the Dreaming Out Loud album. Perhaps this new album (and new single "All The Right Moves") will get me excited about the band once again. It doesn't appear that they are going in an urban direction with this album but here's hoping we get some interesting remixes.

Wow. I can't believe I Am...Sasha Fierce has already had 7 singles released. Insane! "Video Phone" is set to be the 8th single released from Beyoncé 's album, and one of the least exciting singles if you ask me. Out digitally on September 22nd "Video Phone" will also be released in a physical format on November 1oth. I'm hoping for some hot remixes like we saw for previous Sasha Fierce singles, "Sweet Dreams," "Halo," "Ego," "Diva" and others.

"Tardy For The Party" is the new single from Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member Kim Zolciak. If you've been watching the Bravo show it's evident that Kim is passionate about her music career...at least semi-passionate. The divorced mother of two attempted to get into the country music business during Season 1 where she met with a vocal coach (who told her she didn't know what she was doing) and producer Dallas Austin. Season two shows Kim working with new ATL cast member Kandi Burruss (formerly of Xscape), moving in a distinctly pop/dance direction. The single was released on September 1st on iTunes and subsequently reached the Top 10 on the iTunes Top Dance Tracks chart. Kim is currently rumored to be working on her debut album and while I don't really think Kim has much in the way of vocal talent, this song is very catchy. I'd definitely be interested to hear what the album will sound like. The single artwork on the other hand...very amateurish.

Yet another piece of artwork has been released for the new Madonna single "Celebration," this time from the vinyl single release. "Celebration" marks Madonna's 40th number 1 single on the Billboard Dance Hot Dance Club Play Chart. The video has been released for the song, using the Benny Benassi remix and featuring a guest appearence from Madonna's own daughter, Lourdes. Madonna looks amazing as usual. The compilation album of the same name is out in the UK on September 21st and in the US on September 29th. The album was released on September 18th in several European and South American countries.

Finally, the single artwork has been unveiled for the new single, "Forever Is Over" by The Saturdays. I absolutely LOVE this single. I've said in the past that it reminds me of a classic Girls Aloud track and this cover is very reminsicent of an old Girls Aloud single sleeve. As if the song couldn't get any better, look out for terrific remixes from Buzz Junkies and Manhattan Clique. The single is the first off of their upcoming as-yet-untitled second studio album (apparently Colonial Masses was just an internet rumor). The single will officially be released on October 5th, followed by the album's release on October 12th.

The CD/DVD version of The Veronica's live tour was released in Australia on September 1st. The tour began in South Wales Australia back in February 2009, having the girls play all throughout Australia and New Zealand before heading to the U.S. in June, playing Buffalo, NY on June 3rd. The tour took the girls all over the U.S. and Canada, before moving onto Japan in early August. The girls are also playing some dates in the UK starting on September 23rd in Glasgow - promoting their new UK single "4Ever" and album Hook Me Up which is due to be released on October 5th. Having seen these girls open for Natasha Bedingfield in an intimate setting like the Paradise Rock Club, I have no doubt that they could fill an auditorium. I'm glad they are continuing to see international success. Go girls!

I love that DJs are releasing mainstream albums nowadays. I guess this has always been the case, but dance music is certainly attracting a higher calibre of artists. I remember back in 2002, purchasing DJ Sammy's Heaven album. I loved that album! While there were no big name collaborations, the vocal element that these singers added to these straight up dance tracks helped get me into dance and house music. More recently I've really been getting into French DJ David Guetta's new album and now Dutch DJ Tiësto's forthcoming album Kaleidoscope is set to become one of my favorite dance albums of the year. Featuring collaborations from Sneaky Sound System, Priscilla Ahn, Calvin Harris, Tegan & Sara, Emily Haines of Metric, Jónsi of Sigur Rós, Kele Okereke of Bloc Party, Cary Brothers and Nelly Furtado - Kaleidoscope is everything that I want out of a dance album.

"Yesterday" is the first single off of the new Toni Braxton album, due for release in February of next year. Now signed to Atlantic Records, Braxton recorded "Yesterday" with producer DJ Frank E. The song premiered on September 11th and is expected to be released digitally very soon.

Midwinter Graces is the new seasonal album by Tori Amos, expected out on November 10th. Following the May 12th release of Amos' 10th studio album Abnormally Attracted to Sin, I was surprised to hear that she'd be releasing another album so soon. Midwinter Graces is Amos' first seasonal album. You can see the tracklisting HERE.

Wow. Don't get me wrong, I've always found John Mayer to be quite attractive, but there's nothing sexier than a classic black & white photo if you ask me. "Who Says" is the first single off of Mayer's fourth studio album entitled Battle Studies, due out on November 17th. According to Mayer, this new record is going to be a slight departure from his previous efforts, going in a more experimental direction. I'm all for artists trying new sounds and look forward to hearing what's next for Mayer. No word yet on a release date for the single.

"Walkin' On The Moon" is the new single from Atlanta-based Terius Youngdell Nash (AKA The-Dream) and features a guest appearence from Kanye West. "Walkin' On The Moon" is the third single off Love vs. Money and features remixes from Craig C., Low Sunday, Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel.