Crazy Sexy Cool

Carrie Underwood has released a delectable new single called Cowboy Casanova. I kind of knew I would love it from the title. It's a warning tune to all the gals out there who might fall for this "devil in disguise". The guitar riffs are down and dirty, and Carrie's vocals are gritty, low, and spot on. The whoa oh chorus just makes it better. Great lyrics as well. It's country, but not too twangy that I was turned off. Carrie looks good in the video in her saloon-esque outfits. She reminds me a little of Reese Witherspoon in it.



Britney Spears is releasing another Greatest Hits in November, and she's come out with a new single to hype it up. It's called 3 and I'll let you guess what it's about. I originally thought it was pretty weak, but after another listen its pop genius was revealed to me. The chorus is dumb, cheeky, campy, and catchy as hell. The lyrics are super sexual and pretty awesomely hilarious especially the whole Peter, Paul, and Mary reference. The best parts are the bridge before the chorus where Brit sings: "Are you in in? Living in sin is the new thing." and the middle eight where everything slows down. The producer is Brit's partner in crime, Max Martin who gave us If U Seek Amy, Stronger, Oops...I Did It Again, and Baby One More Time and he ups the camp and gleeful sexual hints to a new high. A super fun electro-pop romp.

Tidbits

-Across the pond in the UK, super cute British singer, Pixie Lott, has scored her second number one of the year with her infectious retro single, Boys and Girls. Those Brits have fallen for this gal. Congrats, Pixie.

-Tyler Perry's latest film, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, has topped the box office making 24 million over the weekend. His films always do well. He has a built-in audience. This movie actually got good reviews (most of his films don't) with the Boston Globe giving it 3 out of 4 stars. There's a part of me that wants to see it now especially cause Taraji P. Henson (Benjamin's adopted mom in Benjamin Button) plays the lead role.

-Shakira's new album, She Wolf, will be released in the US on October 13th. I am so excited.

Circus Review

I still remember the first time I heard Britney Spears: I was probably six years old and her video for Sometimes came on the Disney Channel. My mom said "I think she's coming this summer." I loved that video (the white, the dancing on the boardwalk). I loved that album. I performed almost the whole thing for my parents one time. Her second album Oops...I Did It Again was the soundtrack to the trip I took to Europe with my parents back in Summer 2000. I fondly remember the red jumpsuit from the Oops video and the chair dance and car going over the cliff in the Stronger video. I think there was a period where I lost interest for awhile, but when I discovered her third album Britney, I loved it. There are so many great songs on that album, and it's underrated. Overprotected and Anticipating are amazing. Then, when I heard about In the Zone coming out, I was obsessed. I bought it the day it came out I believe. I loved Me Against the Music with Madonna, and I liked Toxic before it became a single and modern classic. That album wasn't as great as the past three, but that was okay. Then, came the crazy years where the Britney I knew and loved went downhill. Then, came the genius Gimme More last year and she released Blackout: a really great dance album that I didn't appreciate when it first came out. It included such choice cuts as Piece of Me, Heaven on Earth, Toy Soldier, Radar, and Break the Ice. All things weren't right in Britney world though, but finally she started to get things together this year with help from her dad and various others.

Now we have her sixth album, Circus which came out Tuesday. When Womanizer, the first single came out, I thought it was kinda bad, but then it really grew on me and now I really like it. It's such a good song to dance to, and the video is funny and well done. The second single called Circus is really great. I think it's my favorite off the album. My favorite part is when the song slows down between the verse and the chorus and she sings "When I put out a show....". It's such a cool, slow-mo moment, and it works so well. Kill the Lights is another notable song. It's really different, and I love the ominous brass in the background. The lyrics are good, and I like how she sings it. I love after the chorus when she sings: "I killed the lights". The ways she says killed is perfect. Then comes Shattered Glass which I really, really like. It has another one of those slow-mo moments like the one in Circus when she sings: "You're gonna see me in your dreams tonight...". I love how that part is the chorus. I do wish the song was longer. Then, comes the somewhat infamous If U Seek Amy which I think is very clever. It's very in your face, stomping, taunting, and kind of obnoxious at points. The chorus has circus-kind of music in it. The song is done by producer/writer Max Martin who has done a lot of Britney songs along with So What by Pink and Hot N Cold by Katy Perry. It's very catchy. Unusual You is a very different song for Britney, nice electro. The rest of the songs are pretty good, but not amazing. Mmm Papi is amusing, and Lace and Leather has a funny guitar solo that I enjoy. It's a pretty funky song. I really think she should have one of the bonus tracks, Trouble, on the album. The beat is awesome, and the synths are perfect. The way they bounce around reminds me of the very first video game: Pong and the sound it would make in song form, if that makes sense. It's just a very good song, and I love it. Another good bonus track is Amnesia which has a chunky, bang-bang beat with a tinge of 80's going on in the chorus along with lots of synths. It's another song that's very different for Britney. Overall, this isn't the masterpiece I was expecting, but that's okay. There are some classic Britney songs here, and that's good for me.

New Britney!

Britney's new video for Womanizer arrived Friday night, and I saw it for the first time this morning. Oh my word, it is freakin' amazing. Britney has returned!!! It is uber sexual and nasty like all great Britney videos. She also looks competent. She's dancing around, having fun, switching costumes. This is a complete 180 from last year's grainy Gimme More video which was basically a close up in black and white of her dancing around a stripper pole. This video is campy and flirtatious. The part where she drives the car with her high heel is genius as is the part when she photocopies her butt. I also enjoy when all the Britney's attack the womanizer at the end. The womanizer is also a total fox. His name is Brandon Stoughton and he is big surprise, a model (see below-I did not write Yummo on his photo). His expressions are priceless. He is an expert at the smoldering gaze. Well done, Brit. This video is crazy good. Also, she's naked at various points.

Tidbits

-Last night, I was catching up on the season premiere of Ugly Betty and as the end credits rolled and the preview for next week's episode aired, a familiar song graced my ears...the GENIUS Up by The Saturdays! I was pleasantly shocked because I was hearing this song on an American televison show. I didn't know anyone in America had heard of them. Well, apparently the awesome people at Ugly Betty have. Are The Saturdays coming to America? Will Up finally be on the US iTunes? We shall see. Also, that's the single cover on the left. I love it. They are learning.

-Sidenote: Betty's new love interest and neighbor is a wonderful addition to the cast. His name is Val Emmich (above right), and in real life, he is a musician. Now he is playing a musician on the show (what a stretch). He guest starred on 30 Rock last season as Liz's cub when she ventured into cougardom for an episode. He also guest starred on ABC's short-lived Cashmere Mafia. I, now, adore him.

-Britney's new single, Womanizer, was released to radio yesterday. I heard it, and I am slightly disappointed. It sounds like Rihanna's SOS, and it's somewhat repetitive. Maybe it's a grower. I love me some Britney, not the person exactly, but the songs. I really like the verses and their flow, but the chorus is repetitive. Oh well, I'll dance to this anyway, and the chorus will grow on me. Check it out below.

Tidbits

Girls Aloud new video for their genius single The Promise will premiere on AOL Music tomorrow morning, and it will be on the gals website. I'm so psyched! Also, apparently the album will be released on November 10, according to Wikipedia (don't know how reliable that is).

-Awesome pop website, Popjustice, have heard the new Britney single, Womanizer, and they say it's good. Thank goodness!! Here's what they had to say:

Stylistically it shares a lot in common with Rachel Stevens' 'Some Girls' but in Britney terms it's a brilliantly executed mashup of 'Toxic' with the last album's more insane moments like 'Ooh Ooh Baby'. Most important thing: it doesn't fade at the end - the beat drops out while Britney trills the main "YOU'RE A WOMANIZER OH WOMANIZER OH YOU'RE A WOMANIZER BABY" hook. This track lays a really strong foundation for the fully-realised comeback that didn't quite happen last time and it's hard not to think of it as a late contender for single of the year. Like we said above, it's literally quite good.

I'm glad they mentioned Rachel Stevens' Some Girls because that is one of the best songs so far this century. If Britney's song has a Some Girls-style that's a very good sign.

-British singer, Alesha Dixon, who used to be in a great Brit girl group called Mis-Teeq, who released a song called Scandalous in the US back in 2004, is releasing her second album, but first official album in the UK. The first single is The Boy Does Nothing and Popjustice has a clip. It's catchy (especially the chorus), different, old school, and I love it. I haven't heard the whole thing yet, but I assume I will soon. Here's the link to Popjustice: http://www.popjustice.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2981&Itemid=206 and if you go to her Myspace, you can hear a one minute clip: http://www.myspace.com/aleshamusic. Check it out! It's wicked good. Her album will be released in the UK in November along with the single.

Tidbits

-The new Kings of Leon album, Only By the Night, was released today and it is currently #1 on the iTunes album chart. This is really good news! Also, Sex on Fire has moved up to #58 in the iTunes Top 100.

-Disney darling, Demi Lovato's debut, is number 2 on the iTunes album chart beating out the new Pussycat Dolls album, for today, at least. Lovato's album has some decent pop-rock ditties on it.

-TV on the Radio's new album currently stands at #5 and Cold War Kids' new one is at #9. Lots of good new albums out today!

-Britney Spears new single Womanizer won't be released to radio until next Monday, the 29th. Oh well.

Music Update!!!

It has been confirmed that Ms. Britney Spears will release her sixth album, Circus, on Dec. 2, and the first single, Womanizer, will be released to radio September 22. Get psyched. I'm so excited. Last year's Blackout was a very good album, that was overlooked due to Spears' various zany antics. It featured such Britney classics as the insanely catchy Gimme More and the clever Piece of Me. Uber producers and songwriters such as Keri Hilson, Nate "Danja" Hills, Max Martin, and Bloodshy & Avant worked on this album. Yay!