Kimberley Locke Lets Fans Pick New Dance Single

On May 24th, American Idol season 2 alum Kimberley Locke launched a Facebook campaign which allowed fans to vote on the next single. After two weeks the votes were counted and Locke announced the new single on June 14th. The single, "Finally Free," is an up-tempo club track along the same lines of Locke's last single, 2010's "Strobelight," which was a top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.

Of the options, "Finally Free" was absolutely a top contender for for me, so I'm beyond thrilled with the outcome. While we don't have a release date just yet for "Finally Free," Locke went straight to work as soon as the results of the vote were in. Given the obvious dance style of the song, and given her past success on the dance charts, I think it's pretty clear that "Finally Free" is going to be served to the clubs with a hot remix package. Can't wait to get my hands on that! Take a listen to the song in the teaser below, as well as the other contenders for Locke's new single. Locke will release the song through her own entertainment company, I Am Entertainment, and will be partnering with industry veterans Bob Catania and Jimmy Fay of Right Way Music Group to promote the single. Do you think "Finally Free" was the best choice?

Kimberley Locke first came into the spotlight as a contestant on season two of American Idol, auditioning in Nashville and making it to the final three, where she ultimately lost out to Clay Aiken (Runner Up) and Ruben Studdard (Winner). Following Idol, Locke signed with Curb Records and released her 2003 debut album, One Love, which featured hit single "8th World Wonder" which peaked at #49 on the Billboard 100. While the album went on to be a top twenty hit for Locke, follow up singles "Wrong," "Coulda Been" and "I Could" were less successful.

In 2007, Locke released her sophomore album, Based On A True Story, which was decidedly more R&B than it's predecessor, which was a little more pop. The album featured the singles "Change," "Band Of Gold," and "Fall," each of which failed to chart on the Hot 100 but did manage to top the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. In addition to her second album, Locke also released a Christmas album in 2007. Called Christmas, the album spawned three #1 Adult Contemporary Chart hits ("Up on the House Top," "Jingle Bells," "Frosty The Snowman"). Pretty good for a third runner up on American Idol, right?

In addition to her music, Locke can be seen this upcoming winter on a new ABC lifestyle show (tentatively) called The Revolution. This new show, executive produced by JD Roth and 3Ball Productions, will air daily be all about living a healthy lifestyle. The will be hosted by a panel of experts and feature a rotating team of guest contributors, all of whom come together to help viewers transform all areas of their lives including family, food, style, home design, finance and more. Look for The Revolution this upcoming January.  Listen to a clip of "Finally Free" below and get ready for new K-Lo, baby!

Check out Kimberley Locke on the web:

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

Kimberley Locke Hard at Work In The Studio

Kimberley Locke fans can rejoice! There's new music on the way. Kimberley took the time to update fans on what's going on in her career, releasing a couple of videos on MySpace. In one of the videos Locke sheds some light on the writing process, filming part of a writing session with songwriter/guitarist Russell Ali (Elliott Yamin) and songwriter/producer Josh Skinner (Sara Lumholdt of A*Teens). Locke apparently recorded three songs during the session, and while we can't hear any of the music, we may not have to wait long, at least not according to Locke's most recent blog post.

Kimberley Locke's last release was the 2010 dance single, "Strobelight" which went on to peak at #5 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club chart. Signed to Randy Jackson's Dream Merchant 21 Records (after parting ways with Curb in 2009) Locke originally planned on releasing singles with no new album planned, although with this most recent update, perhaps Locke has had a change of heart? I'd love to see Locke release a new album. Her last album of original material was the 2007 Based On A True Story, which peaked out at #160 on the Billboard 200 chart. To date, Locke has yet to match the mainstream success that her debut album, One Love saw back in 2004. Aided by a successful first single, "8th World Wonder" (Locke's only song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100) the album peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200. In more recent years, Locke's become quite adept at making dance music, releasing three #1 singles Dance singles ("Change," "Band of Gold," and "Fall"). While "Strobelight" didn't make it to #1, it did land within the Top 5 which is not to shabby at all. No word yet on what kind of sound we can expect on Locke's newly recorded material but I'm hoping for some more dance/R&B tunes or at the very least something with dance remixes. Given her past Hot Dance Club Play chart success I'm sure that's almost guaranteed. Check out this video of Locke in the studio and make sure you download "Strobelight" on iTunes HERE.

Check out Kimberley Locke on the web:

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

Kimberley Locke Sets Her Sights on Another No. 1 Dance Single with 'Strobelight'

Looks like all of those #1 Billboard Dance Hits finally did the trick. Kimberley Locke is finally releasing a dance record!  After topping the dance charts with the remixes for "Fall," "Change" and "Band Of Gold," Kimberley Locke is releasing a song that has me dancing even BEFORE the remixes are released.  "Strobelight," produced by Cutfather and Paparazzi is pure disco-pop perfection.  I've always loved Locke's sound...despite note watching American Idol during her season.  While R&B isn't always my cup of tea, you can't help but stop and notice talent when you hear it, and Locke's got talent!  "8th World Wonder" is still one of my jams!  Whatever Randy Jackson did to help make this possible - Randy, Dawg...I thank you!

Now that we've heard the first single, I'm intrigued to hear what the rest of the album is going to sound like?  Is it all going to be up-tempo or is THIS going to be the one club track on the record?  I'm all for a bit of variety, but Kimberley! This is what I want to hear!  Locke is already out promoting the record, hitting up Miami last week at the Winter Music Conference and says via her MySpace Blog that some media and TV appearances are being finalized.  It appears that Locke has her sights set on conquering the Billboard Dance Chart for a fourth time with her new single.  According to Locke via Twitter, remixes are in the works including a remix by the incomparable Tony Moran. EEEEE! I wonder who else is on the remix?

@Fool_4_Music @kimberleylocke Glad you're doing a dance single. Surely we'll get some remixes right? Remixers <3 YOU!

@kimberleylocke @Fool_4_Music Yes, we are hard at work getting the remixes back and ready to go :)

@Fool_4_Music @kimberleylocke sooo excited. Must have it on my iPod STAT!

@kimberleylocke @Fool_4_Music Less than a week!!! Just wait until you hear the Tony Moran remix!!! 

"Strobelight" is out digitally next Tuesday, April 6th.  Get it on iTunes folks! In the meantime check out Kimberley Locke's American Idol blog on US Magazine online!

Check out Kimberley Locke on the web:

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

Musical Snippets: Erik Hassle, Blake Lewis, Ting Tings, Katie Melua, Helping Haiti & More

Tweet & Get A Free Erik Hassle Remix: You all know by now that I'm a BIG fan of the poofy-haired Swedish singer/songwriter Erik Hassle. Well, his label here in the States, Universal Republic is offering his fans the chance to download the Penguin Prison Remix of debut single "Hurtful." Simply click on the "Post To Twitter" link HERE and get the remix. It's that easy! Hassle's album is due out in the States this Spring. Those lucky peeps in the UK can expect remixes from the incomparable Wideboys, Michael Mind, FattyPhunk and more.

Blake Lewis - Heartbreak On Vinyl - The Remixes: While I'm a little bit behind on this, remixes are now available for American Idol Season 6 Runner Up Blake Lewis. As much as I enjoyed "Sad Song" (and subsequent remixes by Jason Nevins, Craig C. and Pilotpriest) "Heartbreak On Vinyl" has always been one of my favorite tracks from Lewis' second album of the same name. Remixes are available to download on iTunes right now. Giving Lewis the remix treatment this time around, we have Bimbo Jones, Chew Fu and LA Riots. Good stuff right here! You might as well check out the remixes for "Sad Song" HERE.

The Ting Tings Take SNL By Storm: While I rarely tune in anymore to see Saturday Night Live, I will tune record it if I know an awesome band will be making an appearance. On January 16th, the Ting Tings graced the SNL stage and performed 2 of their hits, "Shut Up & Let Me Go," and "That's Not My Name." Brilliant. Loved seeing them live last year. So good! Can't wait for their new album, which the band is working on right now in Germany. Oh! And congrats to the band for their recent Grammy Nomination for Best New Artist. I was definitely rooting for a Ting Tings win. Watch their SNL performances HERE.

Katie Melua Announces New 2010 European Tour, New Album Coming Along: Katie Melua's music is definitely more on the mellow end of the spectrum when it comes to my musical tastes. That being said, I respect an artist who not only has a beautiful instrument, but also has the ability to express herself so beautifully through her songwriting. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Melua live last year in a more intimate setting and hope to do so again. Starting this Summer Melua will embark on a massive European Tour that will take her to Denmark, Norway, France, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK. For a full list of her European tour dates, check out her WEBSITE. The tour kicks off July 1st in Odense, Denmark. In other Katie Melua-related news, famous electronica producer William Orbit (Madonna) is producing Melua's new album. Orbit confirmed the news via Facebook and has been Tweeting about it as well. Can't wait to hear what they come up with. Should be interesting!

Sarah McLachlan Releases "One Dream" Music Video: Singer/Songwriter and Vancouver native, Sarah McLachlan has written, recorded and shot a new music video for her song "One Dream," which is being used to promote the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics (which begin with the Opening Ceremony this Friday, February 12th). The video saw it's broadcast television premier on January 24th during the 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships and Countdown to the Vancouver Olympics on NBC. Check out the video HERE and download the song on iTunes. Sarah's also busy with Lilth 2010, so check out the official site for another round of additions to the lineup as well as new cities added to the tour.

Broken Bells Premiere "The High Road" Video: Checkout the new Broken Bells video for their debut single, "The High Road." Directed by the talented Sophie Muller, this video is visually stunning and features the gentlemen of Broken Bells - James Mercer of The Shins and Danger Mouse - in all their glory. The single is available to download on iTunes now (free for a limited time). Check out the video HERE. The debut album is due out March 9th, 2010. Pre-Order the Deluxe Edition from the band's website.

Real Housewife - Remixed - Tracy Young Remixes Kim Zolciak's DBTFTP: Superstar DJ Tracy Young has remixed Real Housewife of Atlanta, Kim Zolciak's single "Don't Be Tardy For The Party." HOT HOT HOT. Remixes will be released digitally (via Ferosh Records) on Tuesday February 9th. The mixes will hit all digital retailers including iTunes, Masterbeat, Juno, Amazon, Napster, etc. Young also hints at a physical release at some point down the line as well. For those of you who want a sneak peak of the remixes, head on over to Perez Hilton and check out what appears to be a radio edit. Make sure you get your copy!

Stars Come Together for Haiti - "Everybody Hurts" Released in the UK: The Simon Cowell-produced Haiti Charity Single, a cover of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" has been released in the UK, along with a video. The track was re-recorded in both LA and London and features the vocal stylings of 21 artists including Robbie Williams, Alexandra Burke, Cheryl Cole, Susan Boyle, MIKA, James Blunt, Rod Stewart and more. Check out the video HERE and if you're in the UK, show Haiti some love by downloading the single.

Miscellaneous Snippets:

• Dionne Bromfield has revealed that she is in fact recording a follow up to her debut album, Introducing Dionne Bromfield. Syze-Up (Desert Eagle Discs) is one confirmed producer on the project.
• New Calvin Harris Single, "You Used To Hold Me" is out now in the UK. On the remix, we have the uber-talented Laidback Luke. Check out the video HERE.
  
• Good news Kimberley Locke fans! We can expect her new single (via Curb Records) on March 16th. It's called "Strobe Light" and it's produced by Randy Jackson.
• New single artwork from Evanescence, Heidi Montag, Norah Jones, P!nk, Jamie Cullum, Ellie Goulding, V.V. Brown, Mariah Carey, Fantasia, Whitney Houston, Guy Sebastian, Toni Braxton (#1 & #2), Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Jedward, JLS (#1 & #2) and Goldfrapp
• New album artwork from Usher, Boyzone, Ellie Goulding, Justin Bieber, Ricki-Lee, Amy MacDonald, Goldfrapp
  

Lily Allen, Joanna Pacitti, Kimberley Locke & Utada

Lily Allen: I was super excited to find out that Lily Allen was going on a US club tour this April. Tickets went on sale today for her Boston show at the soon-to-be-opening House of Blues. I saw her twice a couple years back when she last visited Boston. The first time she showed up at the now closed Axis (or was it Avalon?). She then returned a few months later and performed at the Roxy. Both were good shows! Her new tour is in support of her new album, It's Not Me, It's You - released this Monday and Tuesday in the UK and US, respectively. Apparently, through a special partnership between Amazon & MySpace Music, you can get Lily's new CD for $3.99 but I can't seem to figure out how that works. Oh well. Get the CD in your respective countries this week! Oh...and pick up tickets for her tour!

Joanna Pacitti: This girl's been the center of quite a bit of controversy/drama in her time. A current American Idol contestant, she's been getting a lot of flack from a previous big-time record deal with Geffen Records. I guess current Idol laws only prevent anyone with a CURRENT record deal from auditioning for the show. This is calling into concern Idol's tendency to let people on who actually have or had music careers of some sort. I don't know how I feel about this. I do like the idea of crafting someone with no professional music background into a new star...like Idol did with Kelly Clarkson...but at the same time, there are some Idol contestants from years past that came close to winning that I had NO desire to hear from ever again (Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, etc.). So part of me likes the idea that truly talented individuals, no matter what their professional background, are getting through.

At any rate, I downloaded a couple of Joanna's tracks - her single "Let It Slide" from her 2006 debut album, and then "Out From Under," which appeared on the soundtrack album for the 2007 film Bratz...and was recently covered by Britney Spears on her new album. I have to say, vocally, Joanna's version of "Out From Under" is stronger, but production wise I much prefer Brit's electro-infused cut. What do you all think of Idol's history with letting former industry professionals onto the big stage?

Kimberley Locke: I've always loved Kimberley Locke. I have to admit that her season of Idol was one of two that I did not watch and I now regret it! I need to start watching American Idol: Rewind! Locke's first album was fun. Her second album was way more grown up and she's already mulling over ideas for her third album. According to a recent Q&A session that appeared on her official MySpace Blog...here's what she had to say about her third album: "I have definitely thought of recording a dance album. It makes total sense! I have had so much success on the dance charts. This is not out of the question. A dance album will be in the top three options for the next album."

This is really exciting news! While I adore the album and single versions of her songs, remixes are where it's at for me! According to her MySpace page, Billboard Magazine has released their year end charts and Locke was named the 6th top dance artist of 2008! I hope she seriously considers a dance album! That would be fantastic! Read the rest of the Q&A here.

Utada: I was excited to see that remixes are being released for Utada's new single that I mentioned a few posts ago. Remixes are by Quentin Harris, Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel, Tony Moran & Mike Rizzo. Can't wait for these! Brilliant! The song is quickly growing on me! The song is the first single off her new album called This Is The One.