Hot Video Alert: Katy B - What Love Is Made Of

Dubstep & UK Garage QUEEN, Katy B is BACK with a killer new single, "What Love Is Made Of," due out July 7th and featuring remixes from MK, Brackles and the one and only Felix Da Housecat.  Following the release of Katy's flawless debut album, On A Mission, she's been hard at work, collaborating with Mark Ronson on a groundbreaking tune ("Anywhere In The World") created exclusively for Coca-Cola as part of their 2012 Summer Olympics campaign.  In December of last year, Katy released her free Danger EP, featuring hot collabs with Diplo, Wiley and 2013 "It Girl" and all around big deal - Jessie Ware, who's stunning tune "Aaliyah" is one of my jams right now.  While the EP was certainly a pleasant surprise, I'm beyond excited that we have an OFFICIAL single comin' out from her sophomore set.

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Mark Ronson and Katy B Drum Up Excitement Around The Olympics; Innovative New Single Available Now

For months I'd been hearing about an Olympics-themed collaboration between Grammy-winning English DJ/producer Mark Ronson and Mercury Music Prize nominated South London garage queen Katy B.  FINALLY, the song has been released and I have to say, it's pretty effing cool.

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Ones To Watch in 2012: Yasmin

Yasmin is someone I've kind of been sitting on for a while, then with all of my laziness and blog inactivity just sort of forgot to post about.  Man, am I sorry about that now! I'm right now, for the very first time, listening to Yasmin's new "old school, reggae infused carnival jam," "Light Up (The World)" featuring D'n'B/Jungle master Shy FX and the lovely Ms. Dynamite.  While I know the song has since been remixed by MJ Cole, the Freemasons and others no doubt, the original version of the song is simply beautiful! WOW!  

For those of you who don't know, Yasmin is really Yasmin Zarine Shahmir, a 23 year old DJ/Singer/Songwriter from England.  Signed to Levels Entertainment, an imprint of famed English dance label Ministry of Sound, she is a relative newcomer to the scene.  After completing a UK headlining tour with popular English rapper Example, Yasmin was given the opportunity to feature on a track by one of her co-openers, another English rapper called Devlin.  See, Yasmin had the privilege of opening alongside Devlin and a then little known singer/songwriter called Ed Sheeran.  Devlin's second single "Runaway," featuring Yasmin went top 20 on the Official UK Singles Chart, peaking at #15.  Now, with a small taste of chart success, Yasmin forged on with her own career, signing to Levels Entertainment and releasing her own solo single "On My Own" in January of 2011.  'On My Own" was a top 40 hit, peaking at #39 not to mention landing at #6 on the UK Indie chart.  In the Spring of 2011, Yasmin released a follow up single, the insanely catchy "Finish Line" which was produced by Labrinth.  Yasmin's sophomore single had considerably more success than it's predecessor, peaking at a respectable #13.

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Hot Video Alert: Katy B - Movement

Six singles? Really Columbia? Don't get me wrong, I love me some Katy B but releases six singles off of one album? Completely unnecessary. I'm all for listening to an artist's entire debut album over and over again until their second album drops, but I don't need every single album track released as it's own single.  That kind of seems like a waste of money on the label's part, doesn't it?  Especially given the fact that the last single didn't even crack the top 100. Come on people. I'll say it again. COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY.

"Movement" is the sixth single to come off of Katy's debut album, On A Mission, which came out back in April.  Produced and co-written by drum and bass/breakstep DJ Zinc, "Movement" is probably the least exciting single to come off the album, not to mention the least exciting corresponding video.  Shot in Ibiza, the video basically chronicles Katy letting loose with her girlfriends in a beautiful, tropical setting. Beautiful scenery but blah everything else.  It is nice seeing a more laid back, not-heavily made up Katy B but I'm going to just be honest. I'm ready for album #2.  Download Katy's album on U.S. iTunes HERE.

In other more exciting Katy B news...get excited about a rumored Katy B/Mark Ronson Olympic collaboration.  According to Katy in an interview with music.geeks.co.uk, Ronson traveled all over the world and sampled sounds made by various athletes doing athletic things...like swimming, archery arrows hitting targets, etc., "then he made the samples into drumkits." Wow. Very cool concept indeed. The single is expected to come out sometime in 2012 in advance of the London Olympic Games. Bring it on! Mark Ronson + Katy B surely will equal auditory genius.

Check out Katy B on the web:

Official Site//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube

Hot Video Alert: Katy B - Witches' Brew

I'm not sure who's more tenacious...Katy B or her record label (Columbia Records), but whoever it is...keep those singles coming! "Witches Brew" is the fifth single to be lifted from Kathleen "Katie" Brien (AKA Katy B)'s debut, top 5, Mercury-nominated album, On A Mission. Written by Katy, DJ Zinc, Greenus & Sam Frank and produced by DJ Zinc, "Witches Brew" picks up exactly where her previous singles left off. The talented 22 year old has a knack for making catchy, uber-dancey pop jams by infusing a variety of genres into her sound, including dubstep, R&B, funk, house and UK garage.

Katy's debut single, "Katy On A Mission" was released nearly a year ago, when it peaked at #5 on the UK Singles Chart and topped the dance and independent releases chart. Her next chart appearance was with Magnetic Man on the collaboration track "Perfect Stranger," (which was included on her album) which managed to peak at #16 on the UK Singles chart. "Lights On" (featuring Ms. Dynamite) was Katy's official follow up and major label debut single, released in December the song debuted at #4, while third single "Broken Record" debuted four spots down at #8 when it was released in April. "Easy Please Me," Katy's last single, was the lowest charting single debuting at #25.

"Witches Brew" is easily one of my favorite tracks off the album and a far superior single (as far as I'm concerned) than "Easy Please Me" so here's hopin' the song does better than it's predecessor when it's released on August 29th in the UK. Katy B's debut album, On A Mission, is due out in the States September 13th. Here's hoping for a tour! Check out Katy (channeling Molly Ringwald) in the super cool Colin Tilley-directed video for "Witches Brew" below and download "Katy On A Mission" on U.S. iTunes HERE. American fans can also pre-order the album HERE, due out September 13th via Sony Music.

Check out Katy B on the web:

Official Site//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube

Ms. Dynamite Set To Release New Single July 18th

Ms. Dynamite (AKA Niomi Arleen McLean-Daley) is a 30-year old UK garage, R&B, hip-hop singer with two BRIT Awards, three MOBO Awards and a Mercury Music Award under her belt.  Her new single, the Labrinth-produced "Neva Soft" is due out July 18th in the UK and will be her first solo single since 2006.  Ms. Dynamite did surface again in 2010, appearing on a couple of dance tracks including the crazy infectious "Wile Out" with DJ Zinc and Music Is My King Size Bed favorite Katy B's second single, "Lights On."  These two recent appearances got me excited thinking that she might again be working on new material by herself.

To date this mega-talent has only put out two albums including her Platinum-selling, critically acclaimed debut 2002 album, A Little Deeper. A Little Deeper featured such top ten hits, "It Takes More," and "Dy-na-mi-tee" as well as the top twenty hit "Put Him Out." In 2005 Dynamite released her sophomore set, Judgement Days, featuring the single "Judgement Day" which peaked at #25 on the UK Singles chart.  A follow up single was scheduled for release however it was cancelled after Dynamite was arrested outside of a London night club.  Further promotion for Judgement Days was scrapped and she soon left her label, Polydor Records.  Between 2006 and 2010 Dynamite was virtually M.I.A. at least on the music front.  She did appear in a couple of reality TV series including The Race (a celebrity car race series) and Hell's Kitchen.

Now it's 2011 and Ms. Dynamite is ready for her comeback.  Don't let the intro to new single, "Neva Soft" fool you.  While the lovely female vocal may call to mind Janelle Monae's "Tightrope," things get quite grimy quite quickly.  The song is a gritty, R&B/Hip-Hop jam with heavy reggae/dancehall influences.  It's a welcome return to form for Ms. Dynamite, whose presence in the music industry has been sorely missed. Check out her official site for a nice little video refresher on her career, as well as a look at what's coming next.  Glad to have Ms. Dynamite back in her element!  Listen to "Neva Soft" below and get happy! {SOURCE}

Ms.Dynamite 'Neva Soft' by lucidonline

Check out Ms. Dynamite on the web:

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

Hot Video Alert: Katy B - Easy Please Me

"Easy Please Me" is the latest single from Katy B, the talented 22-year old BRIT school-grad and current singer/songwriter who's debut album, On A Mission, debuted at #2 on the UK Albums Charts back in April.


One of my favorite new artists to emerge out of the UK in recent months, Katy B's fresh sound blends pop, R&B and dub step to create some really grimy dance-pop jams, well-suited for both radio and in the clubs. Not only did her debut album (out on Rinse Recordings/Columbia Records) land the #2 spot when it was released on April 4th but Katy B's also managed to land two Top 5 singles ("Katy On A Mission," "Lights On") and one Top 10 ("Broken Record"). Released digitally on June 3rd, "Easy Please Me" is single #4 and was written and produced by English dub step trio Magnetic Man, (Benga, Skream and Artwork) with Katy taking on co-writer duties.


Katy B previously teamed up with Magnetic Man on two songs from their 2010 self-titled album including the single, "Perfect Stranger," which was a Top 20 hit in the UK.  As of right now, "Easy Please Me" sits at #41 on the UK Singles Chart, which, while far from the Top Ten, is not too shabby. Here's hoping that the single continues to climb. Featuring dance remixes from Caspa and Royal T, "Easy Please Me" is almost a Top Ten dance hit on the UK Dance Charts, to date peaking at #12. UK fans can download the single on iTunes HERE.  As for American fans, I'm afraid it's not available just yet but Katy B does have plans to release the album this Fall. {SOURCE}  VERY much looking forward to that.  In the mean time, check out the video for "Easy Please Me" below.

Check out Katy B on the web:

Official Site//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube