Sunday, November 24, 2013

American Music Awards - Live Performance Reviews


Katy Perry - Unconditonally: Katy Perry blasted Lady Gaga 3 years ago for using blasphemy as entertainment, yet she does a similar thing by using a culture that isn't her own for her own entertainment. Not as offensive, but it does stick out a bit. She's calling back some of the asian elements she used during her One Of The Boys era, and sadly she brought back some of those vocals. Not nearly as polished as past Prism performances. Though her great stage and stage presence helped save an otherwise forgettable performance. B-

 One Direction - Story of My Life: A mature song, mature performance. Solid, but not perfect. Harry was getting throaty/shouty in the bridge, Zayn had some register transition issues, and Niall missed a note or two during his solos, but it was still a vast improvement over their TCA performance. They kept it simple, and it paid off. B

Ariana Grande - The Way / Tattooed Heart: The inclusion of The Way intro made sense, but why Tattooed Heart? Is it the next single? Why not Right There? Of course the vocal performance was everything we have come to expect from Ariana, stratospheric belts, sweet head voice, but a noticeable lack of whistles. It seemed to be a very short performance, and it doesn't seem as if this could send her to the Top 10 again, but there's nothing that negative to say about it. And nothing great to say either. B

Imagine Dragons - Demons / Radioactive: I think it's safe to say that this performance will keep Radioactive in the Top 50 long enough to break Jason Mraz's record for most weeks on the Hot 100. This song will never die. And somehow, that's okay, it's such a massive and sweeping record you can't help but fall in love with it. Demons was nice, but Imagine Dragons always nails Radioactive, and this time was no different. A-

 Pitbull Feat. Kesha - Timber: Kesha usually makes good music and Pitbull usually makes mediocre music. They met in the middle to make okay music. The performance relied heavily on a backing track (I could hear Kesha's live voice on 1 note) and dozens of sexualized women. AKA, a stereotypical pop performance. But for some reason, I couldn't help but enjoy it. Hmph. B

 Justin Timberlake and the Tennesse Kids - Drink You Away: Why? Who is the band, why are you singing country, what is this for, why JT, why? You sounded tired, and this performance made me tired. C

Florida Georgia Line Feat. Nelly - Cruise: The song is irritating and no performance and no rapper especially can change that. Why promote this song (a song that's been charting for about a year) instead of your less irritating (less of a hot mess) Stay? And why, sweet merciful baby Jesus why, would you turn this into a rap performance? D+

Rihanna - Diamonds: Though a performance of What Now or even Umbrella or We Found Love would've been a smarter choice, Rihanna pulled together an incredible orchestration for her latest Billboard No.1. The walking towards the end was a bit… strange, but her vocal performance was pretty darn great. She truly is the closest thing to a living legend we have seen in the past decade. A

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis - Can't Hold Us: It feels like I've had this complaint all night, everyone seems to be performing the wrong songs. Macklemore, Thrift Shop went No.1. Can't Hold Us went No.1. Same Love stalled at No.11. Wouldn't it make sense to perform the fourth single, White Walls, to guarantee it's success? Oh well, still a pretty great performance, from a great performer and artist. Euphoric and effortless. A-

Jennifer Lopez - Celia Cruz Tribute: Spanish flavor met Broadway in an incredible, classy, and energetic performance. Jennifer isn't known for being a vocal powerhouse, but she still delivered a passionate vocal performance anyways. Flawless. A+

A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera - Say Something: I've had a lot of mixed feelings about this song. Composition wise, it's gorgeous. However, I'm not a fan of the male's voice combined with the fact that Christina seems to be over emoting throughout. For this performance, Christina had moments where the body language didn't drive me up the walls, but then she managed to push me up through the ceiling with the head tossing at other points. So much potential, but it's just never reached. B

Kenderick Lamar - Swimming Pools (Drank) / Poetic Justice : I saw him perform live a few months ago, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Smooth, jazzy, simple, but seemingly too short. Forgettable. B-

Lady Gaga Feat. R. Kelly - Do What U Want: Gaga's had a great week or an awful one depending on what side of the ARTPOP fence you are. But her performance was pretty great. I hope she was trying to be funny, because her performance was hysterical. The Marilyn Monroe / JFK themed plot was hilariously over the top, but the performance itself was flawless in its own right. Great vocals from both parties, a tad over sexual, and of course, she proved how self aware she is by showing off some negative headlines on the big screen. All and all, there's no way you couldn't enjoy this performance. A+

Luke Bryan - That's My Kind of Night: Formula for making a Luke Bryan song: 1) Talk about a girl in sexualizing manner. 2) Talk about your truck. 3) Talk about beer. For the performance, you just sing it. Luke, what I'm saying is that this gets real old, real quick, and I'm not buying it. D

TLC and Lil Mama: This wasn't cute girls. This was the most out of sync performance since… This…



D-

Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball: I'm not sure what to make of this performance. There was a lot of cats? It felt like she was parodying herself with a giant animated cat crying during the bridge. Her actual crying during the bridge actually caused her to be late for the final chorus. I'm baffled, but I still wish she would've done this at the VMA's instead. That would've saved so much time and energy. C+

 What was your favorite performance of the night? You know what I thought, so what about you? Comment below and let me know what you think!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Music Video Review: Demi Lovato - Neon Lights


The much anticipated video for Demi Lovato's Neon Lights dropped today, unveiling a TRON-like visual.

I generally stand by my previous review of the track, that its lacking in euphoria and originality, but its not a bad song by most measures. The visuals for the video itself are a bit too jittery, there are too many camera splices, shifting between 47 different scenes in 2.83 seconds. The still scenes themselves are a bit harsh, dark scenes combined with bright lights and a bombardment of neon colors (of course). It all combines to be a bit of a migraine to watch, and the occasional epileptic seizure.

I do also have some criticism on the part of Hollywood Records. The video feels manufactured on the directive aspect, as a "lets push the envelope move," with scantly covered dancers and Demi flowing naked through the water; it comes across as a desperate move to have the single perform well.

I do however, give some praise to Hollywood Records and Demi for at least promoting the track and its video, after Made In The USA underperformed, after okay/lackluster promotion. Demi has been making more television appearances promoting the track (with some of her stronger vocals of 2013) and tweeting to make sure no one misses the video.

My last bit of praise and commentary, is that Demi herself still manages to make the video interesting and somehow classy. Although I was starting to get a headache from the visual war, Demi came across as sexy and confident, and didn't make her nudity come across as "LOOK AT ME I'M NAKED NOW TWEET ABOUT IT" (though the concept itself may have come across as pushy). That's the working of a true artist at their core, the ability to remain confident in every situation.

Overall: B-


Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Live Review: Miley Cyrus - Summertime Sadness @ BBC Live Lounge


Her twerking may not be universally acclaimed, but Miley proved today (November 12) that she can still sing at least. Taking on 2013's surprise blockbuster hit, Miley brought an effective vocal to Lana Del Rey's Summertime Sadness.

The vocal wasn't perfect, but it was still a good performance (not quite great). The vibrato got a little too 'yoddelly' towards the middle and end sections, but good lord, those low notes. She didn't venture too much in that range of the voice, but she was spot on pitch-wise, and emotively she gave a strong showing.

While I think both Lana and Miley's versions have their pro's and con's, I do say that Miley definitely did the song justice. Miley's was a bit more emotive, but Lana's was original and different, she gave it some interesting phrasing choices that played out well for her voice. Nice job, to both of these ladies.

Overall: B+

Check out Miley's version here:
Lana's Original Version:
And the version that plays on Top 40 radio every 4.2 seconds:

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Single Review: Doug Briney - Super Country Cowboy


I was contacted over Twitter this past week to review a single from Doug Briney (whom I've never heard of), but flattered, I obliged. Here is that review:

Right of the bat, the first thing that struck me with the title was "generic." It places two Country-genre stereotypes in the title (Country and Cowboy), while simply placing "Super" in front of it to diversify it.  From there, it doesn't expand any further into an original song.

What is the diversity here? What makes Doug any different from Tate Stevens, Brad Paisley, any singer with a cowboy hat and a deep voice blasting Country music? He even references "Achy Breaky Heart" in the chorus, which doesn't exactly help his case at all. 

Backing off from that lambasting, Cowboy does have it's moments where it is sorta fun. The downbeat driven guitars move the pace along, and almost offers something sonically diverse,  but it concedes to a cookie-cutter Country chorus.

If Doug really wants to make it big (IE getting a Wikipedia article would be a nice start), there HAS to be something new to the table to offer. At the moment, it seems like Doug could easily drown in the sea of other baritone cowboys wandering through Nashville looking to make it big.

Overall: D+

You can listen to Super Country Cowboy and more material from Doug here.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Track By Track Album Review: Lady Gaga - ARTPOP


The day has arrived, ARTPOP has leaked in its entirety, slightly more than a week before its worldwide release. The expectations for Gaga are running high, all eyes will be on her first week sales (I.E. "WILL IT SELL AS MUCH AS BORN THIS WAY?") or "Will she get better reviews than Born This Way?" How does she fare? Lets take a look.

Aura: The initial demo seemed promising, especially considering it was a demo. But this was more of a backtrack from the demo unfortunately; she took out her vigorous growls and let a lethargic vocal replace it. Aura is a disaster, a calling it a hot mess would be putting it lightly. But at least Gaga's knowledge of how to make a fantastic hook is still there. ARTPOP has started out on the wrong foot. D+

Venus: Another mess. Choppy lyrics, jutting from side to side. What is the point you are trying to make here Gaga? "Aphrodite lady sea shell bikini / Garden panty / Venus." What? Again, the chorus saves it from being a true hot mess, but it is still concerning.  C



G.U.Y.: It starts off with a fairly creepy, sensual voice and drone, but ARTPOP has finally entered the right lane. Zedd's production is gritty, 64-bit based, but pulses with rave like energy. The beats are so accented you can perfectly picture a dance routine in your head. That chorus is some of Gaga's best work, a massive contrast from the first two songs. A+

Sexxx Dreams: Another sex based song, but oddly enough, this seems to be where Gaga works the best. The vocal effects are definitely present, but this adds to the idea of Gaga tossing and turning in her bed having these… dreams. I am a bit disappointed by the chorus, it sounded much more radio ready at iTunes Festival. Does that mean its not good? No. It's still better than what any of Gaga's contemporaries could muster. The bridge even gives a nod to Poker Face with its "why am I in bed with you when I'm thinking of you" style-lyricism. A

Jewels n' Drugs (Feat. T.I., Too Short, and Twista): This track was horrifically misplaced. Sure, it has its "pop" elements, but it is pushing the limit of pop a little too far. Gaga may claim that this redefines "pop," but this just illustrates the line that pop shouldn't cross. C

MANiCURE: The rock Gaga from 2007 has returned. It feels a bit like an album filler, but the fact that it distances itself from the rest of its pop brethren with its rock influence does save MANiCURE from being completely obsolete. Similar complaint from Sexxx Dreams, at iTunes Festival it was far more of a genre switch, something that was far more interesting B-

Do What U Want (Feat. R.Kelly): These two nailed it. Who would've though R&B, EDM and Pop could blend together so effortlessly? Sexy, unearthly, euphoric, everything that has the makings of a great (and hit) song. A+



ARTPOP: Far less in-your-face than the rest of the album, its a welcome change in mood. The production riff sounds a bit alien in nature, but this idea seems like a theme throughout the album (Gaga's obsession with other-worldly figures runs rampant on tracks like Venus and G.U.Y.). The lyrics show a lot more thought and consideration than anything thus far. A-

Swine: If you danced when you heard Applause or G.U.Y., put yourself in a strait jacket right now. Well, at least for the chorus, Swine loses a lot of its drive during the verses. The chorus and drop are pretty amazing, and the "SWI-I-I-I-I-I-I-NE" hook is textbook worthy, but the 2nd verse lacks the bass fill that we receive in other parts of the song. B+

Donatella: Gaga doesn't feel like she's trying too hard in this song, maybe it's because she's portraying someone who's blonde and "a bit of a bitch." Sadly, this more genuinely fun Gaga concedes to an electronic production. It feels a bit cookie-cutter during some sections, then at other points you can hear some true potential. The breakdowns should've been traded out for some great hooks; so much potential that is never fully achieved. B-

Fashion!: The second song in her discography entitled Fashion, separated from its predecessor by a simple exclamation point. Thankfully, the electro-rave synths are exchanged for some smooth jazz piano mixed with pop guitars. Fashion! is just as fun as the aforementioned Fashion, if not a little more. It's a standout simply for its lack of trying too hard. Not a fan of her weird vocal placement on this track however. A-

Mary Jane Holland: And the rave has returned. It would actually be bearable if the tempo and time signature weren't so odd and… draggy. At this point, the gritty production jobs are no longer edgy or cool, they're just irritating. C+

Dope: For those of you who wondered where I Wanna Be With You ran off too after iTunes Festival, it's here, incognito. The line "I need you more than dope," sounds a bit silly, but Gaga of course doesn't sound like she believes that. It was more genuine and effective as I Wanna Be With You, now Gaga sounds like she's thinking too hard about how to make a great record. C+

Gypsy: Why did Gaga put two ballads at the end of this rage-tastic album? Yes, Gypsy is a ballad, it just happens to have a massive chorus with synths. Gypsy seems like one of the few tracks on ARTPOP that carries some single potential, its more pop than electronic (god bless), and is just genuinely amusing. Where was this Gaga hiding throughout the track list? A+

Applause: 3 months later, Applause is still just as charming, epic, and fantastic as before. This should've been the farthest venture that Gaga took into the electronic world. Applause brings the house down, and ends an...interesting album. A+



ARTPOP doesn't feel manufactured, at least on the part of Interscope Records. Gaga sounds like she's trying too hard to impress, by letting this electronic identity take over, we lost the most charming and genuine Gaga there is: the pop Gaga. That is the Lady Gaga that swept everyone off their feet with Just Dance, Poker Face and Bad Romance. ARTPOP has its moments when it's not too "look at me! I'm doing something different!" and these are the most enjoyable. But maybe having Gaga so aware of her public perception isn't that good of a thing after all.

Vocals: B
Production: A
Lyrics: C-
Overall: B-