Christina Aguilera Sets Herself Free on 5th Studio Album, 'Lotus'; Shows Sense of Humor in 'Your Body' Music Video

Following the commercial FLOP that was Bionic, Christina Aguilera is in desperate need of a hit album.  No doubt, her label, RCA Records is BANKING on Aguilera's 5th studio release, Lotus, being that hit album and I hope they're right.  The album's first single, entitled "Your Body," was co-written by Max Martin, Shellback and Savan Kotecha and produced by Martin and Shellback.  The song hit radio outlets everywhere on September 14th, following it's premiere on Ryan Seacrest's radio program and was released digitally on September 17th.  While the single debuted at an impressive #10 on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart, selling 103,000 digital copies in it's first week, "Your Body" pretty much flopped on the all important Billboard Hot 100,  peaking at a disappointing #34.  Not necessarily the best start to an album campaign.  That being said, the song fared OK on the Billboard Pop Songs Chart, peaking at a decent enough #22.  Here's hoping X-Tina can turn things around in time for the November 13th release of Lotus.

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[Hot Video Alert] Frenchie Davis - Love's Got A Hold On Me

Frenchie Davis FINALLY released her highly anticipated, debut solo single last month, from her forthcoming debut solo album, Just Frenchie.  Talk about a long time coming! While her career has had it's share of highs and lows, one thing remains clear - this girl's got talent and PLENTY of it and new single "Love's Got A Hold On Me" is all the proof you'll need.  Seeing the ringer her public career has been put through, it's hard NOT to root for this girl!  Released September 4th, the Marco Borrero-produced, Janice Robinson (Ashley Tisdale, Deborah Cox)/Magnificent co-written "Love's Got A Hold On Me" is destined for dance chart success, with BANGIN' remixes by Dave Aude, Laszlo, Itay Kalderon, Klubjumpers, Rafael M, Tony Marinos, Chris Thomas, Mister Anderson! and DJ Asha.

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Cheryl Cole Preps for Release of A Million Lights; Call My Name Out June 10th

I don't know WHAT just came over me, but I started sweating bullets for Cheryl Cole's new album, A Million Lights.  Sure, catchy lead single "Call My Name" has a sexy video, but it's all a bit too generic, isn't it?  I mean I love me some SOLO Calvin Harris but he's turning into the next David Guetta, isn't he?

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Maroon 5 Breaks Digital Sales Record for a Group, Besting Black Eyed Peas; New Album Out June 26th

Released on iTunes April 17th (June 18th in the UK) "Payphone" is the new Wiz Khalifa-assisted Maroon 5 single.  The LA-based fivesome debuted the song live on the hit NBC reality series The Voice prior to the single release the next day.  Following the song's release, "Payphone" debuted at #1 on the Digital Songs chart.  With nearly 500,000 downloads, "Payphone" broke the Black Eyed Peas previous record for digital sales by a group.  In addition to landing a #1 on Billboard's Digital Songs Chart, the single also managed a #3 debut on the Hot 100 chart. That's INSANE!

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Hot Video Alert: Katharine McPhee - Beautiful (SMASH Cast Version)

I'm hoping and praying that THIS might be the break Katharine McPhee has so long deserved.  I've been a fan of McPhee's since she busted onto the scene as a fresh faced & flawless contestant on season 5 of American Idol.  While she may have lost to Taylor Hicks, America will see who the real winner is once Katharine's buzzed about new TV show SMASH premieres next Monday, February 6th on NBC.

To help promote the Steven Spielberg-produced series, NBC put out a video of McPhee singing Christina Aguilera's hit 2001 Linda Perry-penned ballad, "Beautiful," a song with which her character in SMASH auditions for a Broadway show.  The video starts out with McPhee looking as fresh faced and flawless as she did during her American Idol audition in 2006 and ends with her looking like the pop star she never became.  Interspersed throughout the video (of course) are clips of McPhee and the rest of the SMASH cast taken from the premiere season.  There's no doubt in my mind that if SMASH is successful, Katharine McPhee will finally find that much deserved spotlight.

Soon after coming second during her season of American Idol, McPhee was signed to RCA Records, subsequently releasing her debut album single "Over It" followed by her self-titled debut album.  While the album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart it's singles failed to make much of an impression on the charts.  "Over It" was a Top 30 hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Pop 100 charts, however follow up single "Love Story" was a complete chart failure, missing the Hot 100 altogether.  The reason for the failure, to me, was pretty obvious.  RCA wanted McPhee to be a cookie cutter, run-of-the-mill pop star, which she wasn't.  McPhee has pipes. There's no way she'd excel in a market that banks on slick beats and sexy videos.  McPhee simply isn't that kind of artist.  On her season of Idol, she blew every performance out of the park with flawless vocal delivery and professional-grade control.  She was a ballad singer.  The junk that RCA threw at McPhee for her debut was worthless Top 40 garbage.  The young singer deserved a lot better.

After being released from her RCA contract and recording one-off songs for soundtracks and various collaboration albums, McPhee would eventually join the Verve Forecast Records/Universal Music Group family.  Finally a move that made sense!  Working with a diverse range of songwriters (including Richard Marx, Troy Verges, Alex James & more) McPhee released her sophomore album, entitled Unbroken (read my review of Unbroken HERE).  The album was vocally and stylistically a much better fit for McPhee.  This was the album that she should have released first.  Sure, it catered to an older demographic but it sounded like the kind of artist McPhee was meant to be since the beginning.  While not as successful as her tragic debut album, Unbroken debuted at a halfway decent #27 on the Billboard 200 chart.  Following the release of her second album, McPhee released a holiday album, Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You, which wound up just missing the Top 10 on Billboard's Top Holiday Albums chart, debuting at #11.

In June of 2011 it was announced that McPhee had signed with Columbia Records (back to Sony?), the label that, in association with NBC, would release/distribute music from SMASH.  This series marks McPhee's largest acting gig to date, roles in The House Bunny and Shark Night 3D not withstanding.  Co-starring Hollywood heavy hitters including Debra Messing, and Angelica Huston, up & coming talent like Broadways's Megan Hilty, and uber-sexy Brits Raza Jaffrey (from BBC's MI-5/Spooks) and Jack Davenport (BBC's Coupling), NBC is counting on SMASH to be the next big thing, and with Katharine McPhee sitting pretty as the leading lady, I think it has a shot.  Check out the promotional video for "Beautiful" below and tune into the premiere of SMASH on Monday, February 6th on NBC.  Download the single on U.S. iTunes HERE.

Check out Katharine McPhee on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//VEVO

Ones to Watch in 2012: Lily Elise

As big a fan I am of Kelly Clarkson, Jordin Sparks, Leona Lewis and other winners, oftentimes the contestants that most captivate me aren't the winners, but rather those that don't even make it to the final round.  Case in point...Lily Elise.  A contestant on season 1 of The Voice, from the moment Elise stepped out on stage, this 20 year talent just emanated pop star appeal.  When she opened her mouth to sing...DAMN!  No wonder she got Christina Aguilera to turn her chair around! Although she was eliminated in the Quarter Finals Elise made an impression on me, so it's exciting to see her moving forward with her own burgeoning pop career.

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Hot Video Alert: Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger

Well they certainly took their SWEET time with this video, didn't they? Maroon 5 premiered the video for their Billboard Top 10 hit single "Moves Like Jagger" yesterday on E! Online and it's pretty freakin' hot. Directed by the fabulous Jonas Åckerlund (Britney Spears, Madonna) the video features a lot of old Mick Jagger/Rolling Stones footage (SURPRISE SURPRISE) as well as a lot of female Mick Jagger impersonators. The video also has Maroon 5 a lot of lead singer (and judge/mentor on "The Voice") Adam Levine in all his bare chested, heavily inked glory. HALLELUJAH! Levine's co-judge on "The Voice" Christina Aguilera also makes a brief appearance towards the end of the video to do her thing and look fierce while doing it. Job well done.

The song, despite being released months ago, is just as hot as ever. Written by Adam Levine, Benjamin Levin, Ammar Malik and Shellback, and produced by Shellback and Benny Blanco, the song was a top 10 hit on the Billboard 100, peaking at #8 not to mention #9 up there in Canada. While success here in North America is nice, the song was a bonafied international hit, topping the charts in both New Zealand and South Korea and peaking in the top 5 in Australia and the Netherlands as well as going top 10 in Italy. The video's release comes just in time for the singles UK release on August 12th.  Check out the uber-hot video (which was released on VEVO today) for "Moves Like Jagger" below and download it on U.S. iTunes HERE. Oh and look for a hot REMIX package, with mixes from Soul Seekerz, Michael Carrera, and Cutmore. Hot Hot Hot!

Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera Join Forces on New Single

Capitalizing on the popularity of The Voice, the latest in music reality TV, Adam Levine and his Maroon 5 cohorts released a new single, "Moves Like Jagger" on June 21st (A&M/Octone Records). The single features Levine's fellow judge and superstar, Christina Aguilera in what I think is rip-roaring, up-tempo dance/pop/rock SMASH worthy of Maroon 5's extensive back catalog of hits and probably one of the catchiest pop tunes to come out so far this summer. While Christina does make an "appearance" towards the end of the track, make no mistake - Levine is the star here, and Aguilera nothing but an after thought.

Upon it's release, "Moves Like Jagger" debuted at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 after quickly rising to the #1 spot on the iTunes chart less than a day after being released digitally. The song was written by Levine, Benny Blanco, Ammar Malik and Shellback and produced by Shellback and Blanco. It becomes Maroon 5's first top ten single since 2007's "Makes Me Wonder" and Aguilera's first top ten since 2008's "Keeps Gettin' Better." The song also marks the first time two 'Best New Artist' Grammy winners have come together on a Billboard Hot 100 hit, telling the story of a man who uses his Mick Jagger-like dance moves to impress and seduce one lucky lady.

Given the seemingly bitter TV rivalry of Levine and Aguilera, it's nice to see the two of them come together here on this single. Maroon 5 hits the road with Train later this month in support of their last album, Hands All Over Me, which was released last September and peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album's last single, "Never Gonna Leave This Bed" failed to make an impact on the charts, peaking at #56 on the Hot 100 chart. The album's debut single, "Misery" has been the album's most successful single, peaking at #14 on the Hot 100. The release and success of "Moves Like Jagger" can only do good things for Adam and Maroon 5 and with Adam and Christina signed on for a second season of the runaway hit reality show, I can only hope that they see continued success. Check out this live performance of "Moves Like Jagger" from The Voice as well as a lyric video for the single.  Also make sure that you download the single on U.S. iTunes HERE.

Check out Maroon 5 on the web:

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

Check out Christina Aguilera on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//VEVO

Cher Releases Promo Video for 'You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me'

I know I'm probably the only gay on the planet who hasn't yet seen the epic new Christina Aguilera/Cher masterpiece, Glitter 2 Burlesque, and I'm TOTALLY OK with that. Don't get me wrong, I love my divas individually (Cher & Christina: work it girls) I just don't know if I'm ready to see them acting together on the big screen. I think I'm just going to have to Netflix that shit when the movie comes out on DVD. That all being said...I just had to share this glorified movie trailer that magnificently uses Cher's Golden Globe-nominated "You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me" as the backing track. It's simply awesome to hear Cher doing her thing again.

The song, one of only two that Cher performs in the film, was penned by Diane Warren and remixed for the clubs by Almighty, Dave Aude and StoneBridge. Destined to be played on dancefloors everywhere this winter, "You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me" has had quite the ride on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, since it's first appearance 6 weeks ago. The song has already peaked at #3, dropped to the #14 two weeks ago, jumped back up to #8 and currently sits pretty at #5. QUITE the roller coaster ride! I'd LOVE to see this song become Cher's first #1 dance record since 2003's "When The Money's Gone" so let's keep our fingers crossed.

In the meantime, check out the promo video below and download the remixes on iTunes HERE or get the whole Burlesque soundtrack HERE.  Also, check out Cher as a guest on the fabulous Graham Norton Show HERE where she plays a silly little Cher-inspired game with British  actress, writer and comedian Dawn French. Amazing orange wig. Cher = Goddess. Love.

Check out Burlesque on the web:

Official Site//Facebook//YouTube

'Burlesque' Soundtrack To Feature New Music From Cher and Christina Aguilera

I haven't been THIS excited for a film soundtrack since Glitter back in September of 2001. OK. That's DEFINITELY an exaggeration but I have to say...I'm pretty excited for this one. Hello!? Cher + Christina Aguilera on one soundtrack? AMAZINGNESS. While there doesn't appear to be any duets on the album the 10-tracks seem to give both stars a chance to shine.
On November 22nd, RCA Records is set to release Burlesque, the soundtrack to the film starring Cher and Christina.

Not only does Aguilera star in the film but she also co-wrote many of the songs featured on the soundtrack. The album reads more like a slick pop production rather than a film soundtrack, featuring production from Tricky Stewart, Linda Perry and Ron Fair and additional songwriting by Claude Kelly, Tricky Stewart and Sia. Cher will be singing two brand new tracks including the Diane Warren-penned ballad "You Haven't Seen The Last of Me," produced by Matt Serletic. This will be Cher's first new music in seven years so it's kind of a BIG DEAL! In addition to the original tracks the album includes a string of covers of classics like "Something's Got A Hold On Me" (Etta James) and "A Guy What Takes His Time" (Mae West).

Burlesque the film was written and directed by Steven Antin and produced by Donald De Line. Released by Screen Gems/Sony Pictures, the movie is out November 24th nationwide. Check out the tracklisting below and the album artwork up top.

Tracklisting:
1 Something’s Got A Hold On Me (performed by Christina Aguilera)
2 Welcome To Burlesque (performed by Cher)
3 Tough Lover (performed by Christina Aguilera)
4 But I Am A Good Girl (performed by Christina Aguilera)
5 Guy What Takes His Time (performed by Christina Aguilera)
6 Express (performed by Christina Aguilera)
7 You Haven’t Seen The Last Of Me (performed by Cher)
8 Bound To You (performed by Christina Aguilera)
9 Show Me How You Burlesque (performed by Christina Aguilera)
10 The Beautiful People (from Burlesque) (performed by Christina Aguilera)

Check out Burlesque on the web:

Official Site//Facebook

Review: Christina Aguilera - You Lost Me (Hex Hector & Mac Quayle Radio Edit)

God. It seems like Hex Hector and Mac Quayle have been M.I.A. for SO LONG. I remember when these guys were mixing EVERYBODY from Whitney Houston, Patti Labelle, Toni Braxton, Annie Lennox, Britney Spears, Anastacia and many many more. Pretty much every mix that I heard and loved was by Hector or Quayle or some combination of the two of them. Of course, this was back when I wasn't too familiar with dance music. I liked the occasional dance remix of a Top 40 song but I wasn't going dancing.  Something about hearing a remixers interpretation of a popular song intrigued me. I couldn't get enough...even if I was just WALKING quickly across campus to the thumping bass.  I don't think much has changed, in that I still go CRAZY for dance remixes...and the fact that I don't go "clubbing" remains the same.  Where as before, my taste in dance music was pretty one note...now I'm a bit more well versed in the genre now. I have branched out and like different kinds of dance music.

That all being said, I'm still a sucker for a good 'old fashioned' Hex Hector/Mac Quayle remix and their new mix of Christina Aguilera's "You Lost Me" really takes me back...to the 2000s. If THIS is what the radio edit sounds like I can only imagine how EPIC the full length mix is.  "You Lost Me" is the official second US single off of Aguilera's new album Bionic.  The song was produced by Samuel Dixon and co-written by Aguilera, Dixon and singer/songwriter Sia.  By itself, the song is a heart-wrenchingly beautiful ballad.  Aguilera sounds ever so slightly restrained, which isn't a bad thing in this case.  Aguilera is known for her BIG voice and crazy, out-of-this-world riffs. This ballad is sung softly and poignantly. Perfectly.  What I LOVE about this remix is that it doesn't muck that up.  While it doesn't make use of the orchestral track, it keeps the poignancy of Aguilera's vocal in tact, particularly in the chorus. So expertly done.  Then again, I would expect nothing less from two pros like Hector and Quayle.

No release date has been given for the remix but I assume it will be made available eventually.  The video for "You Lost Me," directed by Anthony Mandler, will premiere on VEVO this Thursday, July 22nd.  Listen to the remix below:

Check out Christina Aguilera on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//VEVO

Hot Video Alert: Christina Aguilera - Not Myself Tonight

I'm sorry, but I am choosing to ignore all of the "Lady Gaga rip-off" talk. Christina Aguilera is an original. I love this song and I think the video is HOT. Work it out girl.

Hot Song Alert: Christina Aguilera - 'Not Myself Tonight'

Well folks. It's here. The debut of the new Christina Aguilera single "Not Myself Tonight"...IN FULL. The verdict? DEFINITELY worth the wait! This song is HOT. I like it because it's CURRENT (God, I feel like that word is so cliche b/c of American Idol), up-tempo and sexy. Considering her last album was a throwback to jazz and old school R&B, a proper club hit was overdue. I also must say that while the song showcases Aguilera's vocals very well, there aren't any crazy, unnecessary riffs (i.e. - "Ain't No Other Man"). Christina's just doin' her thing, backed by slick production and sassy songwriting. We all know the girl can sing. It's definitely smart to make the first single up-tempo and radio friendly. Well done Sony! Written by Ester Dean and produced by Polow Da Don, this single hopefully gives us a little taste of what we can expect from Bionic, due out in the U.S. on June 8th.

Remember "Not Myself Tonight" impacts radio on April 5th and is available to download on April 13th Check out the song above and let me know what you think!

Also check out the brand, spankin' new promo photos courtesy of ChristinaAguilera.com. Hot, right? Oh - and go check out The Prophet Blog for some cool hidden treasures he discovered hiding in the Bionic album artwork. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Check out Christina Aguilera on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//YouTube//VEVO

Christina Aguilera Isn't Herself Tonight

I've been excited about hearing new stuff from Christina Aguilera ever since I heard some of the big names she's collaborating with this time around - Sia, Tricky Stewart, Le Tigre, Polow Da Don, Ladytron, Diplo, Linda Perry, etc.  That's quite an impressive list of, by and large, more electronically-influenced artists.  What kind of sound is Ms. Aguilera going for this time around?  I for one can't wait.

Sony/BMG started the hype early last week, teasing us music lovers with little clues posted on her website. A new countdown every day leading to a daily "unveiling."  It started with the title of her new single, "Not Myself Tonight," as well as the single sleeve artwork.  Next up we were able to see the song lyrics.  Next...a press release about the single and forthcoming album.  Then at the end of last week, an 18 second clip of the first single premiered.  I like what I hear so far, and turns out we don't have to wait too much longer for more of a taste.  The Polow Da Don-produced "Not Myself Tonight" is going to premiere in full on March 30th on Christina's website.  The single will impact radio on April 5th and will be available to download on April 13th.  The album, called Bionic, is due for release on June 8th. PHEW! Whirlwind!

Bionic is going to be Aguilera's first album in 4 years (since the 2006 throwback pop 2-disc Back To Basics) so it makes sense that Sony is pulling out all of the stops this time around.  This is a big deal! Christina Aguilera is one of the most recognized names and faces in pop music today.  Says Aguilera about Bionic:

"The artists I chose to work with added so many unique sonic layers to Bionic. My intention was to step into their world and what they do combined with my own vision and sound. The results were magic."

I appreciate that Aguilera can step back from her own style of music and appreciate different genres. It's probably very easy to pigeonhole yourself into one distinct style, but artists like Madonna have proven that the only way to stay on top is to evolve.  The fact that she helped handpick every collaborator on Bionic is a true testament to her artistry and appreciation for music.  According to Aguilera, the sound heard on Bionic is going to be unexpected:

“I was able to explore and create a fresh, sexy feel using both electronic and organic elements with subject matter ranging from playful to introspective.  I am so excited for my fans to hear the new sound.”

I choose to be an optimist here. I'm really excited about Aguilera's new sound and style.  As for the album artwork...I very much like it. More so than the single artwork for "Not Myself Tonight." To be fair, when "Not Myself Tonight"'s artwork was first unveiled, I did like it. But when I saw that it had nothing to do with the Bionic album artwork, I became discouraged. I prefer a certain amount of continuity in an album artwork campaign. Oh well. Not a big deal. The music likely more than make up for it.

Check out Christina Aguilera on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//YouTube//VEVO

Christina Aguilera

Christina's new single 'Keeps Gettin' Better has been growing on me more and more since I first heard her perform it on the MTV VMAs. Since then, I learned that it's set to promote her Target exclusive greatest hits project, which I'm now considering purchasing. Any opinions? It includes 2 new versions of 'Genie In a Bottle' and 'Beautiful', which i'm eager to hear, especially if it's anything like the version of 'Genie' that she performed as an intro to 'Keeps Gettin' Better' on the VMAs. There's also 2 new songs - 'Keeps Gettin' Better' and 'Dynamite.'


Track Listing:

"Genie in a Bottle"
"What a Girl Wants"
"I Turn to You"
"Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You)"
"Dirrty" (featuring Redman)
"Fighter"
"Beautiful"
"Ain't No Other Man"
"Candyman"
"Hurt"
"Genie 2.0"
"Keeps Gettin' Better"
"Dynamite"
"You are What You are (Beautiful)"

Just Purchased on iTunes...

Well...it's New Release Tuesday and I've already made some iTunes purchases. More on what I purchased below but first...did you hear that UK Digital Music retailer, 7Digital is launching a US store soon? I had been a customer on the 7Digital UK site for some time until digital licensing laws recently changed (or started being enforced) and only EU customers were allowed to purchase on the store. I was bummed! I got many remixes, B-Sides and other rare Euro pop/dance that I couldn't find legally online anywhere else. Hopefully this new venture will be fruitful for 7Digital AND for me!

Now...onto todays purchases...


Brazilian Girls - Good Time (Diplo/Mad Decent Remix)

James Morrison - Nothing Ever Hurt Like You (Single)

Dido - Don't Believe In Love (Single)

John Legend ft. Estelle - No Other Love (Single)

David Cook - Light On (Single)

Jack White & Alicia Keys - Another Way To Die (Single)

The Killers - Human (Single)

Christina Aguilera - Keeps Gettin' Better (Single)