Adele: 21

Adele has once again wowed the world with another chart topping album. Resurfacing with a hit recorded entitled "21" Adele has surely made her mark once again. She names the album in follow up to her debut album "19" based on her age and this time on her release date (January 21st) as well. Adele definitely stays true to her sound and I respect her for that because she refuses to "sell out" and go too mainstream. She has been known to be called "anti gaga" and rightfully so. Her album is filled with unique sounds such as the harp and accordion. She has a very retro-style voice and her songs fit her perfectly. Her music is heavily influenced by folk and Motown vibes but she also dabbles in R&B, country, and blues. Her sound is so unique and natural unlike many of the artists out right now. There is no one that compares to her right now and she is slowly creating a lane of her own so she doesn't even need to compete with other top artists.

Artist to Lookout For: Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean is definitely an artist to be on the lookout for. I've only heard one song from him so far, but that one song is a hit. "Novocaine" is not the song you would expect it to be. The beat and melody by itself could be a hit for any artist. The funny thing is that based off of the title I expected it to just be your sappy love song comparison and him just telling everyone that his girl's love is just like "Novocaine".  Instead Frank kinda shocked me because although he was indeed saying love is like novocaine, he went about it an a very humorous and unorthodox method... but it worked.

Also to my surprise, Frank Ocean is a member of "Odd Future", so it would only make sense that the song is what I would expect it to be. Another interesting fact about Frank Ocean is that he has been in the game for a minute as a producer/songwriter creating hits for the likes of Beyonce, Justin Bieber, and John Legend... go figure.  Finally, Frank's entrance into the public eye as a solo artist is similar to that of Ryan Leslie. Ryan Leslie's first solo single discharged a whole new sound for music in general and I think Frank Ocean's approach to music might be the same... Gonna go home and actually listen to some of his stuff to see if what I said holds true.

Moon & the Sky Remix

To be honest I'm not avid listener or follower, not because I do not think she is talented and makes quality music, but because she just happens not to be in the realm of music I normally surround myself with. Anyways, the Moon & Sky Remix with Jay-z is pretty dope. But to be honest once more, I probably would have never listened had I not seen Jay-z's name next to the title. The song is very representative of the way a relationship can go sometimes, had a good melody + hook even though it was a bit... feminine. But the thing that makes the song what it is to me is Jay-z's verse. From start to finish he kills it. He barely had any punch lines or whatever it is rapper's do nowadays that makes them great, but everything he said resignated well with the whole idea of the song. I was kind of disappointed she only let him have one verse, but it is what is.

The S.O.U.L Tape

Fabolous's new mixtape the Soul Tape is exactly what the title suggests... A Soul Tape.  Every beat from start to finish features a soulful and classical energy. However, Fab does not let the eloquent and expressive sound of the mixtape take away from its hip hop edge. Although far from the sound that we are use to hearing from him , Fabolous still manages to deliver a street record. Finally, the Soul Tape is a refreshing reprieve from the clubesque/ party records of the year thus far. Songs to look out for include:

Really Tho
Mo Brooklyn, Mo Harlem, Mo Southside
Phone Numbers
Leaving You
Pain
Look At Her

Till The World Ends (Remix)

The newest remix of Britney Spears' single "Till The World Ends" is surely making its way to being a hit for the end of spring early summer season. its a light fun and playful dance song which is exactly what everyone loves for this time of the year. The unexpected super trio of Britney, Nicki Minaj, and Kesha surprised fans but what they received was far from disappointing. Britney definitely had the right idea by bring together this collaboration and adding an extra boost to her previously bland single. Between Britney's hit making voice, Kesha's dramatic pop star talent, and Nicki's raw energetic lyrical style I can easily see why this song is a hit. They mix surprisingly well and there are not any parts that I want to skip over or wish they had edited out. Even though Nicki Minaj was my main reason for listening to the song I actually found myself enjoying their parts as well. The song's warm reception from fans and positive reviews are giving the pop single a good start. I'm curious to see how big the single gets and to see how creative video will be. Big stars equal expensive well produced videos and I can't wait to watch. This song definitely has the purpose of promoting the "Femme Fatale Tour" featuring Britney Spears and Nicki Minaj and with this new single Kesha will probably be tagging along as well. I see big things in the future for these stars.

T-Pain

Who doesn’t love T-pains consciously ignorant up beat feel good music? Although he hasn’t been doing much this past year musically, he has recently released a fair amount of music. I don’t really want to call this new flood of music a comeback because I don’t think he really went in anywhere or had some type of monumental collapse in his career. The thing I like most about T-pain is that he somehow knows how NOT to make auto-tune annoying to me (most of the time anyhow).  Even though I don’t think a lot of his new songs are up to par with the T-pain music I love, a few of them really shine through such as “1000 miles. “ Although he has yet to release a completed version of the song, it has a finished feel to me.  The thing that makes T-Pain great as an artist is his mix of melody, comedy, and rhythm. Its like once you hear the song once, it sticks to your brain and your forced to replay it, if not for its seriousness then for its ability to make you feel good and laugh. You can tell through his music that T-Pain is all about a good time, and goes through regular life situations.  I wonder where T-Pain plans to take is career in the near future.

Artist to Look Out For: Mac Miller

Mac Miller was a nice refreshing surprise to me this past Easter weekend. Not expecting much i clicked on a sample of one of his new singles from his EP "On and On and Beyond" I found it to be a pleasant surprise. His sound is fresh and rolls with the Wiz Khalifa type vibe that everyone is seeming to love right about now. I think he might even have the potential to be even better than his label mate Wiz. He talks about more in his music and his lyrical deliverance in my opinion is above Wiz. I think he still needs sometime to really find his way but he seems like a very promising artist.


"So What" & "Life ain't Easy"
I was most impressed with these two songs while reviewing Mac Miller's music.
"So What" is a nice hip-hop sound with a catchy hook/beat and good lyrics. Everyone loves those qualities in a song. Wale is featured on the song and also delivers a great verse (as usual) and they mesh well together on the track. I doubt this song will be a hit single but it is a nice song to have a that summer mix playlist.

"Life ain't easy"is a cool track to me because the listener gets to listen to Mac Miller's story and see different glimpses of his life through the lyrics. I think it is also more on the inspirational side and meant to be a more motivational vibe. My favorite part is the hook which says "when i get old imma be real cool sittin on the porch with a fresh pair of shoes whole bunch of stories for the neighborhood kids tell em to believe that we makin it big." I thought it was a catchy hook at it reminded me of songs like "I know I can" by Nas and "Fabulous" by Jaheim.

Link: On and On and Beyond

F.A.M.E. By: Chris Brown

F.A.M.E. : The album is a up tempo eclectic album of R&B and Pop. It is the perfect mix between ballad love songs and dance hits. The album features collaborations with top artists such as Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne and many more. His singles "she ain't you" and "yeah 3x" continue to climb the charts and F.A.M.E. debuted #1 on the billboard 200 selling 273,000 Copies during the first week of sales. (not including itunes or overseas) 

Review

F.A.M.E. is in my opinion one of the best albums of the year. The album keeps the listeners attention and unlike many CDs I never feel the need to skip a track. The songs are catchy and the music really makes everyone want to dance. I can't wait until the summer comes and F.A.M.E. is playing through the summer air. I think that this album has definitely resurrected Chris Brown's dwindling career and I believe he is going to do great things in the future. After the whole Rhi Rhi CB smack-down-drama many fans (not me!) had abandoned all hope in Chris. Even though Chris has experienced some tough and challenging times he has truelly managed to overcome and produce some amazing music. I am a Chris Brown fan because of his music not because of his history and F.A.M.E. clearly shows why I continue to be a fan. In his struggle to revive his image he has managed to create another chart topping album and the world is starting to once again recognize his talent. F.A.M.E. along with his Grammy nominated mix-tapes has clearly proved that Chris Brown is a talented Artist and performer and I can't wait to see what he will do next.