Hot Video Alert: Estelle featuring Rick Ross - Break My Heart

I know this video came out AGES ago now but there's never NOT a good time to do an Estelle post, right? "Break My Heart" is the official second single taken from the UK R&B songstress's third album, All Of Me, featuring American rapper Rick Ross. The single was released back in May when it peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart.

"Break My Heart" is the follow up to 2010's John Legend-assisted "Fall In Love," and the promotional club-friendly track "Freak." It's no wonder that Estelle has been taking her sweet time with this new album, considering the fact that none of the previously released songs have really made much of an impression on the charts. "Freak" was a relatively successful club track, peaking at #27 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart and #13 on the UK Dance chart, but official first single "Fall In Love" was a relative failure, only peaking at #71 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.  Estelle has been struggling to even come close to the success of her 2008 hit single, "American Boy," which topped the chart in her native UK and was a top 10 hit all over the world, including the U.S.  When the David Guetta-produced "Freak" was released I was actually kind of excited that Estelle might actually be branching out into a dancier direction. Follow up singles "Fall In Love" and "Break My Heart" basically quashed those dreams but have me excited in a completely different way. Excited for R&B! It's a beautiful song.  Estelle's new album All Of Me is due out this fall via V2/Atlantic Records.

Check out the Iren Brown-directed clip below, shot in LA and featuring appearances by both Rick Ross and American actor Omari Hardwick. Estelle looks stunning throughout the video. Absolutely beautiful.  Download "Break My Heart" on U.S. iTunes HERE.

Check out Estelle on the web:

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

Estelle Is Back with a Sultry, Smooth New Summer Single

Estelle is back folks! "American Boy" was her breakout song here in America, but beyond that, chart success here in the States has been elusive...that is, until now. Her new single, the Rick Ross-assisted "Break My Heart" hits all of the right notes. It's a smooth, sultry R&B track tailor-made for Estelle's distinctive and soulful voice. While I absolutely loved her single "Freak," featuring Kardinal Offishall and produced by David Guetta, it clearly didn't resonate with her usual fan base. The single only managed to peak at #103 on the UK Singles Chart and #83 in Canada. Follow up single, the Nas-assisted, DJ Frank E-produced "Fall In Love" was more in line with what fans of Estelle's probably expected, however that single failed to chart at all. I'm still a bit confused as to what overall sound we're going to hear on Estelle's new album, considering the drastic difference between the two singles released so far.

"Break My Heart" is a well timed, return to form for Estelle. The track was produced by Don Cannon, and is the third single to be lifted off of Estelle's forthcoming third studio album, All Of Me, due out later this year. The single will be available for download starting on April 26th so make sure you pick it up. Listen to the single below and tell me what you think!

Check out Estelle on the web:

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

Hot Video Alert - Robin Thicke feat. Snoop Dogg - In The Morning

Oooh Robin Thicke. You're so dreamy. The video for his new Snoop Dogg-assisted single, "In The Morning" was premiered on VEVO yesterday. While I much preferred previous single, "Rollacoasta" featuring the vocal stylings of Estelle, this isn't half bad. Throw Thicke's smooth-as-silk vocals on any track with Snoop Dogg and I'm sold.

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.

DJ/Producer David Guetta Racks Up 5 Grammy Nominations

Major congratulations go out to superstar French DJ/Producer David Guetta, who received five Grammy Nominations this year. Very impressive! As if the honor of actually receiving five nods wasn't enough, Guetta had the pleasure of playing during the live nominations telecast in Los Angeles. This is Guetta's first time being nominated so to pick up five in one go is nothing to shake a fist at.

Guetta is nominated in the Album of the Year & Record of the Year categories as as producer of the Black Eyed Peas hit single "I Gotta Feeling." Guetta's album One Love was nominated for three awards, including Best Dance/Electronic Album (along with previously mentioned Pet Shop Boys, whose album "Yes" was nominated in the same category). Guetta's Kelly Rowland collaboration, "When Love Takes Over" was also nominated for Best Remixed Recording. As if this Grammy news wasn't enough, "Sexy Bitch," featuring Akon went platinum in the U.S. with over 1 million downloads. That's huge! Guetta is thrilled at the nominations, saying

"It's fantastic that the Academy have recognized the impact dance music has had in America this year. My mission was for this music to be heard by and touch millions. By bringing together the best urban artists and electronic music, I feel the barriers are coming down and we are together."

Guetta also recently collaborated with global superstar Madonna on a remix of "Revolver," a new song off of her greatest hits compilation Celebration, out now. Guetta's current third single and the album's title track, features a guest vocal by UK R&B artist Estelle. The single is currently climbing the European charts and impacting dance floors all over the world, featuring an impressive remix package with mixes by Calvin Harris and DJ Chuckie. Guetta, who just finished up his biggest U.S. tour, will be back in LA on December 31st to celebrate New Years Eve, followed by an appearance at the Grammy Awards on January 31st. It's looking like 2009 and 2010 are both going to be huge for Guetta. Here's hoping there's lots more to come!

Check out David Guetta on the Web:

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

David Guetta Takes "One Love" On The Road

To help promote his latest album, One Love, French DJ David Guetta is amping up for the most extensive U.S. tour of his entire career. This is exciting news for dance/pop/R&B and hip-hop fans alike, as his latest album features collaborations with some of of today's greatest international music talent including Kelly Rowland, Akon, Chris Willis, Kid Cudi, Estelle, Ne-Yo, will.i.am and more.

Guetta's just announced tour dates all over the U.S., kicking things off November 18th at Opera in Atlanta. The album, a follow up to 2007's Pop Life hit #1 in Europe and entered the U.S. iTunes album chart at #12. Not too bad for a French DJ, eh? Guetta has hit the mainstream music scene by force in 2009, producing the Black Eyed Peas' hit single "I Gotta Feeling," as well as global dance anthem "When Love Takes Over," featuring vocals by Destiny's Child's own Kelly Rowland. In addition to promoting a brand new album, Guetta has been named ambassador and spokes-DJ for DJ Hero, the latest game from the makers of Guitar Hero. HOT!

"I can't wait to tour in America," Guetta said. "There's a real dance culture happening in America right now that I find very exciting." While the album peaked at 76 here in the U.S., it's reached Platinum in France and Gold in Canada, South Africa and Belgium. In America, "When Love Takes Over" hit number one on the Billboard Hot Dance & Club Play Chart and second single, "Sexy Bitch" featuring Akon is quickly climbing the dance charts.

Guetta is preparing to film the video for the album's title track, which will serve as the third single, and features vocals from Brit R&B superstar Estelle. Lots happening in the world of Guetta and I for one am PUMPED about it. He's a true talent and I'm glad he's finally getting his North American spotlight. I've been enjoying his remixes and original material for quite some time now.

Check out David Guetta in a city near you!

Nov. 18th//Atlanta, GA//Opera

Nov. 19th//Washington DC//Fur

Nov. 20th//Houston, TX//Bar Rio

Nov. 21st//Dallas, TX//Palladium

Nov. 23rd//St. Louis, MO//Home

Nov. 24th//Minneapolis, MN//Spin

Nov. 25th//Boston, MA//Roxy

Nov. 26th//Columbus, OH//BoMa

Nov. 27th//NYC, NY//Pacha

Nov. 28th//Miami, FL//Mansion

Nov. 29th//St. Petersburg, FL//Vinoy Park

Dec. 1st//Orlando, FL//Roxy

Dec. 2nd//Charlotte, NC//Forum

Dec. 3rd//Denver, CO//Beta

Check out David Guetta on the Web:

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