The Best, The Worst, and the UNbelievable!

Single Battle: Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" v.s. Adam Lambert's "For Your Entertainment"

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:08:00 +0000

VS

November has officially arrived, which means two things to me: it's my birthday month and the American Idol albums are coming out.

Now, as its been since the days of Kelly and Justin Guarini (remember him?), is the time when we see whether America made the right choice for its Idol and if either of the contestants actually have a viable career in pop music. Nine rounds in, we've had monumental successes (Kelly, Carrie, Daughtry, Jennifer), disastrous flops (Ruben, Taylor, in some ways Fantasia) and unexplainable anomalies (William Hung). The question this time is, where will winner Kris and runner-up Adam will lie?

This year is all the more interesting considering a pretty huge amount of people believe Lambert was robbed this past May. Are their claims validated when you compare their lead singles.

Guess its time for a single battle (it's been a long time, huh)!

"Live Like We're Dying" by Kris Allen - A cover from Irish band The Script, this pop/rock song is nothing less than you would expect from the acoustic guitar-wielding Allen. It's not the most daring arrangement (see his Heartless performance), but it features a more-than-pleasant vocal performance from Kris Allen. Lyrically, its inspirational and realistic without being drippy or corny, even though its a bit safe. If I am being honest, this sounds like a song he would've performed during an off week on Idol. That being said, Kris' off weeks were still pretty spectacular. It is a solid first single, but the push to buy the album still comes from his brilliant American Idol performance.

"For Your Entertainment" by Adam Lambert - Where Kris is safe, Adam is downright dangerous. This glossy glam-pop song is all about mixing pain and pleasure, fun and fire, and any other opposing noun with obvious sexual undertones. Coming from someone who wasn't crazy about some of Adam's over-the-top performances (Ring of Fire was nightmarish), I was pleased to hear some restraint in the vocal department. His singing in the verses are delightfully menacing, and the trademarking high-note shrieking was saved from the middle eight, which was a very smart move. The song itself sounds perfect for radio without sounding too similar to everything else. This a great first single.

As I much I like Kris Allen and am glad he won, the first single battle has to go to Lambert. His is a bit more interesting and cool than Allen's, and it's got me really intrigued about the album.

If its any consolation, Kris' album cover shits on Adam's.

THINK I'M WRONG! VOTE ON THE BEST SINGLE BELOW:

Brit Goddess Cheryl Cole Scores UK Chart Double and US Record Deal

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:22:00 +0000

It must be really good to be Cheryl Cole right now.

The Girls Aloud member and X Factor judge has proven her weight as a solo artist, scoring the elusive chart double on the UK music charts. Her debut single "Fight For This Love" tops the singles chart for a second week, staving off competition from boyband Westlife. Their new single, a cover of Daughtry's "What About Now", came in at #2. Meanwhile, months ahead of its release, Cheryl's second single "3 Words" comes in at #26.

On the albums chart, Cheryl tops with her first effort 3 Words, selling over 125,000 copies. Her album beat out competition from Canadian crooner Michael Buble and Michael Jackson's movie soundtrack, which come in at #2 and #3 respectively.

Not all of the news is good, though. The UK press has savaged Cheryl Cole's outfit at Saturday's X Factor show.

Then again, with a chart double, I doubt she really cares.

UPDATE: According to British tabloid News of the World, Cheryl has signed a US record deal with Interscope Records to release 3 Words. The lead single will reportedly be UK second single "3 Words" featuring Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am.

Hot Mess Alert! Katie Price and Her Cagefighting Boyfriend Celebrate Halloween

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:47:00 +0000

I have been wanting to write about Katie Price for months now, but I just didn't have the motivation.

Until I saw this.

This is UK's premier trainwreck Katie Price, aka Jordan, dressed up for Halloween with her boyfriend Alex Reid. In case you are unaware, or don't really care, he is the cross-dressing, rape-porn acting cage fighter that Katie has been parading around since her ridiculous divorce for Australian pop singer Peter Andre.

Note that Katie has three children.

Michael Jackson's "This Is It" Tops Box Office

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:20:00 +0000

The King of Pop reigns again.

Despite overblown expectations, the Michael Jackson concert documentary This Is It has topped the American box office with a weekend gross of $21 million. It's overall total so far is $32 million.

The film (which I haven't seen yet) has received great reviews; Roger Ebert called it one of the most revealing documentaries he has ever seen. However, the film has performed below expectations, although the Halloween weekend is being listed as contributor.

On the music side of things, the soundtrack is expected to sell up to 350,000 copies this week, giving MJ is sixth #1 album, and his first since Invincible.

The movie is only in theaters for another week and half, so if you haven't seen it yet, go!

Adam Lambert Delivers The "Entertainment" With Debut Single

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:45:00 +0000

The American Idol runner-up sure knows how to stir things up!

Adam Lambert started off the week with controversy over his terrible album artwork, and is ending it with the release of his first single, titled "For Your Entertainment".

Luckily, the cover and the single inspired opposite reactions.

Fans of the flamboyant singer will not be disappointed at all; Adam is in top form with this track. "For Your Entertainment" is a high-glam electro stunner, which isn't unexpected from Adam considering his highly successful run on TV's biggest show. If the sonically sound production doesn't kick it off for you, there is always Adam's voice. Thankfully, he saves the histrionic vocal runs for the middle-eight, which elevates the song's drama. His delivery of the verses and the undeniable chorus is menacing, dangerous, and even a bit sexy.

Adam Lambert will surely divide many mainstream listeners with his gender-bending style, but there is no denying he is a pop star in the making, determined to entertain us.

With this song, he seems to be on the right track.

Rating: 8/10

Download of the Day (10/29): "Fireflies" by Owl City

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:40:00 +0000

I don't think anyone would be faulted for not knowing who Owl City is. Yet, despite their lack of profile, their single "Fireflies" is currently #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Maybe we should get to know him better.

Owl City is actually the stage name for Adam Young, a 23-year old from Minnesota who apparently suffers from insomnia. He refers to his illness in his sleeper hit "Fireflies", a light and airy breed of alternative and pop. The song is dripping with charm; lyrics about foxtrots, disco balls, and those pretty little bugs enchanting him through his restlessness gel with the bright synth bops. Yet, don't let the cuteness take away from the substance this song offers. The fact he can fuse a popular element of pop with his experiences with insomnia is impressive on its own. The result is a pleasing piece of Top 40 magic that's different than anything on the field.

Adam Young may not be able to close his eyes, but he's opened everyone else's to his talent. If he has his way, we may suffer a bit with him.

Never has insomnia sounded so appealing,

Rating: 9/10

Adam Lambert Swagga Jacks Kylie and Blake Lewis For New Album Cover

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:23:00 +0000

American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert is dropping his new album For Your Entertainment later this year, and he revealed the album artwork today:

It's bad enough the cover is an utter hot mess, but the concept has already been done, a hundred times better, by Kylie Minogue for her 2007 album X (even down to the font):

Lambert also apparently drew inspiration from fellow runner-up Blake Lewis, who used the space theme for his disastrous flop album Audio Day Dream:

Adam Lambert borrowing from two albums that flopped in the United States (love you Kylie) is not a good look. Borrowing from two flop albums to make a hideous album is an even worse look. It's one of the worst album covers of the year, by far.

For Your Entertainment is due for release November 23rd.

Kelly Ripa, Mark Consuelos Return to All My Children!

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:13:00 +0000

One of television's happiest couples, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, are returning to the show that brought them together.

The couple will be reprising their roles as Hayley and Mateo Santos for All My Children's 40th anniversary in January. They will be taping two episodes before the show's move to Los Angeles, which has already caused major shifts in the line-up.

Before her current hosting gig on Live With Regis and Kelly, Kelly Ripa spent 12 years on All My Children playing Hayley Vaughan Santos, the rebel-turned-heroine daughter of Adam Chandler. Mark Consuelos joined the show in 1995 as Mateo Santos, the brother of popular character Mario Santos Grey (formerly played by CSI: Miami star Eva La Rue). The two fell in love alongside their characters and eloped. In 2002, after Kelly replaced Kathie Lee Gifford on Live!, the two left All My Children.

All My Children is currently in the process of moving from its current studios of New York to a bigger one in Los Angeles.

Whitney's Wacky X Factor Performance!

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:54:00 +0000

Pop diva Whitney Houston was on the results show of Britain's X Factor tonight, and delivered a whopper of a performance, in more ways than one.

Her first UK performance in over a decade, Whitney sang the Freemasons remix of her current single "Million Dollar Bill" with a group of backup dancers. She was very energetic, diva-like, and a bit all over the place, up until she busted the strap of her dress. She played around with the wardrobe malfunction and continued with the performance, which was one of the best since her comeback.

What many will surely be talking about is her interview afterwards with host Dermot O'Leary. Talking to him, she seemed a bit off slightly belligerent. She was clear enough to promote her upcoming UK tour (although she struggled remembering her album release date, which is tomorrow across the pond).

We can pass off the slightly zany antics of Whitney's showing a X Factor staple. Last week, Robbie Williams delivered an wide-eyed, awkward dance-filled performance of his new single "Bodies" (which was beaten by current X Factor champ Alexandra Burke).

The exposure, good or bad, from the performance definitely did its job. Whitney's album is #1 on UK iTunes, and "Million Dollar Bill" is in the Top 10.

Keep it up, Whitney!

Sugababes Drama Continues: Amelle Admitted to Health Clinic!

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:40:00 +0000

The meltdown that is the British pop group Sugababes has reached a fevered pitch this week with news that one of the members has been admitted to a health clinic.

Amelle Berrabah, the second newest member who was allegedly responsible for Keisha Buchanan's ouster, is recovering from a "severe bout of nervous exhaustion" at a private health facility. Due to her health issues, she is currently on break from the band.

This spells bad news for the ever-changing girl group, whose album Sweet 7 is due next month, as is their second single "About a Girl".

The exhaustion is most likely caused by the drama of Keisha's exit and replacement by Eurovision singer Jade Ewen. The group was supposed to have their first live performance with her at the Scottish Royal Variety Show, but it was canceled due to legal issues.

The group insists that Amelle's short break will not affect the group at all and they are not disbanding.

Considering what all of this muck is causing, financially and apparently health-wise, wouldn't that be best, though?

Is Leona "Happy"? Her New Music Video Says So!

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:28:00 +0000

In the aftermath of her shocking attack this past week, Leona Lewis has released the music video for her new single "Happy" today on UK music channel The Box.

The video is about Leona meeting a guy who seems perfect for her, so perfect that she prepares to marry him. Things take a switch toward the end when it's revealed the guy is marrying someone else and she is a bridesmaid. The ending is sad, but optimistic, as it follows the lyrics and Leona resolves to find happiness elsewhere. It's apparently set in the Bahamas (where it was filmed) and has a Latin or Islander theme.

It is a very simple video, but it has a good story and is nicely put together. Of course, Leona looks gorgeous. I won't pretend that I wasn't expecting some major power diva video, but it works for the song.

To check out the video, click below:

Microsoft to T-Mobile Sidekick Users: You're Getting It All Back (Most of You, Anyway)!

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:35:00 +0000

T-Mobile Sidekick users (including three of my friends; one of them has over 400 contacts) have been up in arms over the disastrous server crash two weeks ago that made them loose all of their data, including contacts, emails, and pictures. Before, Microsoft, the brains behind T-Mobile's Danger service, announced that the data was forever lost, forcing T-Mobile to offer $100 gift cards and a free month of data service to make up for it.

Now, Microsoft claims they have recovered most data and that it will be available as soon as possible, via a press release delivered today:

We plan to begin restoring users' personal data as soon as possible, starting with personal contacts, after we have validated the data and our restoration plan. We will then continue to work around the clock to restore data to all affected users, including calendar, notes, tasks, photographs and high scores, as quickly as possible.

There is still a possibility that some will not regain their data, although Microsoft say it's only a "minority".

There is no word if T-Mobile's deals are still in effect.

Download of the Day (10/14): "Somebody to Love" by Leighton Meester and Robin Thicke

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:05:00 +0000

When I first reported of Leighton Meester's plans for a pop music career, I completely laughed it off. I have always been weary of the actor-turned-singers and I wasn't expecting anything from her at all.

Then I heard "Good Girls Go Bad", her brilliantly pop collaboration with Cobra Starship, and decided maybe she wasn't crazy after all.

Proving she isn't a one-trick pony, Leighton is moving forward with her debut album and has released the first single, "Somebody to Love". No, its not a cover of the iconic Queen song. Instead, its a churning, slow-burning disco groove, featuring R&B's smoothest crooner Robin Thicke. They both sound like melted butter against the synthy dream, with Leighton continuing to surprise me with her ability. She has an incredibly sexy purr to her voice that could easily set anyone off. It aids her her surprisingly smoky voice well.

If the "Good Girls" and this new single are any indication, than her debut album, due out by the end of the year, is one worth anticipating.

Rating: 8/10

Sorry Miley: Britney Spears Scores Third US #1 With "3"

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:16:00 +0000

It's hard to believe that two years ago, Britney Spears was nothing but a tabloid meteor tumbling towards hell.

Now, she's officially reclaimed her title as pop's princess, with her new single "3" debuting atop the Billboard Hot 100.

The song sold over 250,000 copies after its release to bypass Disney queen Miley Cyrus to the #1 spot. "3", a song about threesomes, is the first song in three years to debut at the top of the Hot 100. The last song to do so was Taylor Hicks' "Do I Make You Proud?" in 2006. In fact, "3" is the only song this decade to debut at #1 that wasn't an American Idol coronation song. The last non-Idol artist to reach #1 their first week was Lauryn Hill with "Doo Wop (That Thing)".

As hard as it is to believe, this is only Britney's third #1 single. Her first was her debut "Baby One More Time" and her second came a decade later with her comeback track "Womanizer".

"3" is the first single from Britney's greatest hits collection, due in November. The music video is due within the next few weeks.

Leona Lewis Assaulted at UK Book Signing!

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:18:00 +0000

British pop star Leona Lewis was a victim of a senseless attack during a book signing in London.

The singer was at Waterstones bookstore signing copies of her book Dreams when a man came up to her and assaulted her in the face. Conflicted reports claim she was either punched or slapped. The signing was immediately canceled and Leona left the store in tears. The man was quickly arrested.

This Is... A Disaster! Sony Screws MJ Fans Over, Again!

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:53:00 +0000

Record labels have the tendency to screw up things some times, and the musical future of the late Michael Jackson appears to be no exception.

On Monday morning, Michael's website unveiled "This Is It", which was touted as his brand new single. Reports indicated, however, that it was actually a reject from the 1990-1991 sessions that led to the Dangerous album.

Almost immediately after its release, Paul Anka announced that the song was actually co-written by him and Michael for his 1983 duets album and that Michael "stole" it. The administrators of Michael's estate, John Branca and John McClain, admitted it and gave Anka 50 percent of the publishing rights. The song, which has had a lukewarm reception from the New York Times, is to be released on the This Is It album, which is nothing but another greatest hits album.

So, instead of the "hundreds" of songs that Michael allegedly recorded, they chose a co-written Paul Anka reject? And the only way fans can own it is by purchasing another greatest hits record, on top of the 3 million-selling Number Ones, The Essential Michael Jackson, and HIStory?

Great job, Branca.

Download of the Day Tribute (10/12): "No Matter What" by Boyzone

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:58:00 +0000

This week, the UK pop world was stunned by news of the death of Stephen Gately, member of the boyband Boyzone. The Irish group had seventeen consecutive Top 5 hits, from their 1993 debut "Love Me For A Reason" to the 2008 comeback single "Love You Anyway". In between those songs was a little pop gem called "No Matter What", which was primarily sung by Gately (Ronan Keating was also featured).

"No Matter What" is one of the songs that relies on its simplicity to express its brilliance. It's not a bombastic ballad a la the Backstreet Boys. Even with the two key changes, it is very straightforward, which would end up being their trademark. Vocally, Gately delivers one of his best performances, a nice break from the usual Keating dominance. His voice compliments the arrangement well, making for a great 90's pop standard.

It would be wrong to call Boyzone the best boyband of all time in the wake of Gately's passing, but when they were on it, they were excellent. It's fitting that their best song is sung by the fallen member.

May he rest in peace.

Rating: 8/10

Michael Jackson's "This Is It" Track Released!

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:35:00 +0000

This morning, the lead single from the Michael Jackson concert film This Is It was released on his website.

The track, also titled "This Is It", was reportedly recorded during the sessions for Michael's 1991 album Dangerous. That's quite interesting, since it sounds like something straight out of Motown. Not that its a bad thing; the song is a classic Michael Jackson ballad. While I would've preferred a balls-out pop stomper (see "Jam" or "Scream" or "Dangerous"), this is a fine reminder of Michael's gift. More than anything, he was a craftsman of true blue pop music, which this song ultimately is. It may not be groundbreaking or completely brilliant, but it deserves a place in the MJ canon.

Rating: 7/10

Death Shock: Boyzone's Stephen Gately Dead at 33

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 06:17:00 +0000

British boyband star Stephen Gately has died, according to News of the World.

The 33 year-old died while he was on vacation in Majorca. Not much is known, but it suggested that he died in his sleep.

Louis Walsh, who first managed Boyzone, told the UK tabloid: "We're all absolutely devastated. I'm in complete shock. I was only with him on Monday at an awards ceremony. We don't know much about what's happened yet."

As a member of Boyzone, Gately scored an impressive 17 consecutive top ten singles, including six #1 singles. Gately was primarily featured on one of those chart-toppers, "No Matter What". The other members of the band, including Ronan Keating, are flying to Majorca within the next 24 hours.

Stephen Gately is survived by his husband Andrew Cowles, who he wed in 2006.

Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster Album Covers Revealed!

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:01:00 +0000

As we've learned in the year since Lady Gaga turned the pop world on its ear, she very much enjoys making a statement. So it's no surprise that she would use her album artwork to do so.

The re-release of The Fame, The Fame Monster, is due on November 24th, and here is what it will look like:

The Standard Edition:

The Deluxe Edition:

If you appreciate high art, than you probably think this is genius. If you don't (and/or are deeply religious), you probably think she's gone off the deep end.

Either way, it's totally Gaga.

Speaking of her new album, the first single "Bad Romance" will be sent to radio on October 19th. The demo for the song was leaked last week, and the official version was premiered at the Alexander McQueen show at Paris Fashion Week.

Are you ready for Gaga's Monster?

A New Michael Jackson "This Is It" Clip!!!

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:20:00 +0000

Here is the King of Pop performing "Human Nature" during the rehearsals for his London concert series.

I'm officially standing first in line to get tickets for this. Damn Michael and those who contributed to his death for taking this epic show away from us...

Keisha Buchanan QUITS Sugababes, Replaced by Eurovision's Jade Ewen

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:09:00 +0000

Island Records has confirmed that the last original member of the Sugababes Keisha Buchanan has officially left the group to continue as a solo artist.

Her replacement will be Jade Ewen, the singer who performed Britain's entry for the 2009 Eurovision Contest. She recently released a single called "My Man", but her label released a statement confirming the suspension of all future promotion for her project.

Rumors about the girl group's demise launched last week when reports said that Amelle Berrabah, the newest member, was leaving after a rift with Keisha. Ewen was reported as the replacement for Amelle.

Despite Keisha's absence, the group will be releasing their album Sweet 7 on November 23rd.

There is no news about Keisha's debut release, or whether the group will remain with Jay-Z's label Roc Nation.

This Definitely Makes Up For The GMA Performance...

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:38:00 +0000

Yesterday, Whitney Houston performed the Diane Warren-penned ballad "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" on her second day at Oprah, and I have to tell you, "The Voice" isn't lost.

It may never reach the level of clarity and power that sold millions and millions of The Bodyguard soundtrack, but she still has an extraordinary vocal talent.

Apparently, people agree, because the song is racing up the iTunes charts as I speak.

Check out the performance below:

Download of the Day (9/15): "Happy" by Leona Lewis

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:06:00 +0000

Leona Lewis came on to the music scene with a song so instant and so incredible, that it launched her into global superstardom.

Now, two years after the UK release of her debut album Spirit, Leona is back with a new album that she says has a more "organic" sound. The promise is quite interesting considering pop music these days is everything but "organic", especially with producers like RedOne and Ryan Tedder leading the way.

Speaking of Ryan Tedder, he is the producer of Leona's first single.

The track is called "Happy", and as you would expect, it's a ballad. There have been some controversies involving Tedder and his identical ballads (see "Halo" and "Already Gone") but this has some pretty fresh production. Leona wasn't lying; while Tedder doesn't hesitate adding his trademark drum beats, the song is very traditional in its instrumentation, no synths or anything like that. Tedder, the smart producer he is (ignore "Halo" and "Already Gone"), allows Leona's golden voice to do most of the work. On the other hand, it wouldn't have hurt to add some more to the sound; it would have made the song truly epic.

Leona is a vocal master at this point, so hearing her excellent voice is really no surprise. What is surprising is the attitude that colors her voice in the chorus. "So what if it hurts me?" the Brit songbird sings, and even challenges, as she argues for her right pursue happiness, even with the risk. She has become very confident in her ability, singing and songwriting-wise, and it comes through clear here.

It hasn't been that long since Leona won X Factor, but the amount of growth she's experienced since then is extraordinary. With her VH1 Divas appearance only days away, and her album looking to be one of the fall's biggest releases, Leona is cementing her status as one of pop's leading ladies.

And that makes me "happy".

RATING: 7.5/10

Jay Leno Grills Emotional Kanye West On VMA Disaster

blewis1103@gmail.com (Brandon Lewis) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:05:00 +0000

Kanye West became very emotional, almost on the verge of tears, as Jay Leno questioned him over his antics at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards.

The rapper, who now-infamously stole the mic from Best Female Video award winner Taylor Swift, was grilled on Leno's new show before performing "Run This Town" with Jay-Z and Rihanna. Kanye appeared truly repentant over his actions, even offering to apologize to Taylor face-to-face.

Things got emotional for Kanye when Jay asked him how his mother would react to his behavior. Kanye's mother Donda died last year after a botched medical surgery. The question clearly affected him, because it took him a few seconds to answer. Within that break of time, Kanye appeared to be crying.

The embattled rapper claims that he plans on taking a break in order to re-evaluate his celebrity.

After Sunday's behavior, that sounds like an excellent idea. I think he's truly sorry, but he really needs some serious help.

Check it out below: