Grammy Nomination Picks 2013

In the previous two years, 2011 and 2012, I have made my own selection of what works I think will receive Grammy nominations. My lists have been fairly accurate. Here are my nominations for 2013. The Grammy Nominations Concert Live -- Countdown to Music's Biggest Night will kick off the revealing of nominees with performances by past nominees and winners on Dec. 5 on CBS.

Honestly, some of these picks are just a shot in the dark. I didn't feel like there were really very many front-runners this year. Lots of good stuff came out this year, but nothing was really fantastic. Everyone seemed to do well at about the same level. Not much stood out. (But, Beyoncé's "Love on Top" might as well just be handed the award for R&B Performance. Forget nominating anyone else. Just give the girl her Grammy.)

NOTE: I am not a member of the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and this list is in NO WAY official or reflective of their attitudes. Typically, there are five nominations spots in each category but I've left some blank.Nomination eligibility period was October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012.

Album of the Year

Making Mirrors, Gotye


Record of the Year

"Somebody That I Used to Know," Gotye feat. Kimbra

"Wide Awake," Katy Perry

"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," Taylor Swift

"Love on Top," Beyoncé

"We Found Love," Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris

Song of the Year

"Somebody That I Used to Know," Gotye feat. Kimbra; Written by Wally de Backer

"Call Me Maybe," Carly Rae Jepsen; Written by Carly Rae Jepsen, Josh Ramsay, and Tavish Crowe

"Payphone," Maroon 5 feat. Wiz Khalifa; Written by Adam Levine, Benjamin Levin, Ammar Malik, Dan Omelio, Shellback, and Cameron Thomaz


Best New Artist

Carly Rae Jepsen

fun.

Ellie Goulding

Best Pop Solo Performance

"Domino," Jessie J

"Set Fire to the Rain," Adele

"Wide Awake," Katy Perry

"Marry the Night," Lady Gaga

"Boyfriend," Justin Bieber

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

"Somebody That I Used to Know," Gotye feat. Kimbra

"One More Night," Maroon 5

"We Are Young," fun. feat. Janelle Monáe

"Drive By," Train

"Paradise," Coldplay

Best Pop Vocal Album

Believe, Justin Bieber

Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay

Stronger, Kelly Clarkson


Best Traditional Pop Album

Duets II, Tony Bennett

Someone to Watch Over Me, Susan Boyle

Best Dance Recording

"We Found Love," Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris

"Girl Gone Wild," Madonna

"Levels," Avicii

"First of the Year (Equinox)," Skrillex

"Titanium," David Guetta feat. Sia


Best Dance/Electronic Album

Bangarang, Skrillex

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, M83

Best R&B Performance

"Love on Top," Beyoncé


Best R&B Song

"Love on Top," Beyoncé; Written by Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash, and Shea Taylor




Best Country Solo Performance

"Come Over," Kenny Chesney

"Good Girl," Carrie Underwood


Best Country Duo/Group Performance

"Feel Like A Rock Star," Kenny Chesney feat. Tim McGraw

"Say You, Say Me," Lionel Richie feat. Jason Aldean


Best Country Album

Tuskegee, Lionel Richie

Blown Away, Carrie Underwood

Uncaged, Zac Brown Band

Welcome to the Fishbowl, Kenny Chesney

Best Song Written for Visual Media

"Masterpiece," Madonna; Written by Madonna, Julie Frost, and Jimmy Harry for the film W.E.

"Man or Muppet," Jason Segel, Peter Linz, Bill Barretta, and Jim Parsons; Written by Bret McKenzie for the film The Muppets

"Lay Your Head Down," Sinéad O'Connor; Written by Brian Byrne and Glenn Close for the film Albert Nobbs


Best Musical Theater Album

Once

Leap of Faith



Best Short Form Music Video

"Wide Awake," Katy Perry

"We Found Love," Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris

"Somebody That I Used to Know," Gotye feat. Kimbra

NEWS: Pussy Riot VERDICT; Group Receives International Support but Not Russian

Pussy Riot

Today, the three jailed members of Russia’s Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years imprisonment for hooliganism motivated by religious hatred. Judge Marina Syrova spent three hours reading the verdict,  while the three convicted women stood in a glass cage in the courtroom, giggling. In the verdict, the Judge stated, “The girls' actions were sacrilegious, blasphemous and broke the church's rules.”

Many see the verdict as a blow to freedoms of speech, including US state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, who said: "We urge Russian authorities to review this case and ensure that the right to freedom of expression is upheld."

In February of this year, Pussy Riot held a flash performance at the altar in Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral calling on the Virgin Mary to throw out Vladimir Putin, Russia’s former president (2000-2008) and presidential candidate for the new 2012 term. The staging was to protest the support the head of the Russian Orthodox Church was giving Putin. Seven members of Pussy Riot were arrested, three of which remained in custody to eventually receive the two year sentence for disrupting civil order. Putin was voted back into presidency two weeks after Pussy Riot’s stunt in the Cathedral and took office May 7.

Alexei Navalny, one of the leaders to organize the Cathedral event, told reporters outside the courthouse after the verdict was served, “They are in jail because it is Putin's personal revenge. This verdict was written by Vladimir Putin.” During Putin’s new term, Parliament has already rushed through laws that tighten controls on the internet, increase fines for protestors, and impose stricter rules on defamation.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova

On Thursday, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, one of the detained women, stated that she was “not bitter about being in jail…Politically, I’m furious…Our imprisonment serves as a clear and unambiguous sign that freedom is being taken away from the entire country.”

Her husband, Pyotr Verzilov said, “Russia's image was quite scary even before [this]. What happened now is a clear sign that Russia is moving towards becoming more like China or North Korea.”

Pussy Riot has received lots of support of numerous international music stars, including Sting, Paul McCartney, and Madonna. Earlier this year, Madonna performed in Moscow with "PUSSY RIOT" painted on her back. Protests were held around the world in cities, such as New York, Paris, Sydney, and London, in support of the group's free speech. Worldwide protests consisted of, in Kiev, "a bare-chested feminist activist [taking] a chainsaw to a wooden cross bearing a figure of Christ, while in Bulgaria, sympathizers put Pussy Riot-style masks on statues at a Soviet Army monument."

Outside the courthouse, protestors supporting Pussy Riot rallied together, including former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, who was arrested. Others outside the courthouse did not express support for the group, though. One report claims, "An opinion poll of Russians released by the independent Levada research group on Friday showed only 6 percent had sympathy with the women, 51 percent said they found nothing good about them or felt irritation or hostility, and the rest were unable to say or were indifferent."

MY OPINION

I'm all for free speech, and it seems some questionable gameplay is moving with the restrictions Parliament has been instituting. However, to perform a protest at the altar in a well-known cathedral cries more to blaspheme the religious symbols of the church than just to make a political statement. Personally, I am not offended by them doing it there, but I can see how it is disrespectful. If they wished to also protest a religious leader's support, there are other places in and around the cathedral where their message could have been better received, and they could still accomplish the mission of their protest, while not unintentionally degradating the religion itself.


How do you feel about Pussy Riot and the verdict?

NEWS: Russia's Pussy Riot Receives International Support Protests; Hooliganism Verdict Tomorrow

Three members of the Russian feminist punk-rock group Pussy Riot are on trial for hoolaginism driven by religious hatred for performing a punk prayer entitled "Holy Shit" at the altar of the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow in February of this year.

The group's act was to ask the Virgin Mary to throw out Vladimir Putin, who had received support from Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, in his run for the Russian Presidency, though he already served as President from 2000-2008. Kirill has called the event "blasphemous," stating, "We have no future if we allow mocking in front of great shrines, and if some see such mocking as some sort of valour, as an expression of political protest, as an acceptable action or a harmless joke." The Cathedral has long been a symbol of government corruption, since it was burned down in the 1930s and rebuilt later by Moscow's mayor, Yury Luzhkov, after raising $1bn from organized crime for its restoration, making it suitable for a Pussy Riot scene, though their main target was protesting Kirill's support for Putin.

Video of Cathedral event:


Pussy Riot comprises of about ten women aged 20-33 who became organized last year when Putin announced his run for presidency. They also campaign for women's rights, political freedom, and justice system reform. They are known for wearing brightly colored balaclavas, tights, and short skirts as they engage in flash protest performances, most notably at Red Square in January.

Seven of the performing women at the Cathedral were arrested, though three have remained in custody: Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich 29. During their jail stay, they have held hunger strikes to protest being held in custody away from their children in March and for inadequate time (two working days) to prepare their trial defense at the beginning of July, for which it was determined their stay in jail would be extended one month.

Tolokonnikova has said she did not mean to offend any believers by the display. The act was strictly political protest. Many high profile artists have come forward with support for Pussy Riot, defending their free speech, including Madonna, Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Björk, Corinne Bailey Rae, Yoko Ono, The Beastie Boys, and many more. The most recent has been Sir Paul McCartney. Pussy Riot has not performed a flash gig since the arrests.

The women could face seven years in prison. The verdict is to be served tomorrow, while supporters around the world have planned protests in New York outside Russian Consulate and in Times Square, in Paris on Stravinsky Square, and in Moscow streets at 2 pm (1000 GMT).

8/16 Chart Highlights: Flo Rida Dethrones Carly with a Skip and a "Whistle"

Flo Rida's "Whistle" takes over the Hot 100 from Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," the year's longest running leader at nine weeks. This is Flo Rida's third reign on the chart (previously he held the top spot with T-Pain collaboration "Low" in 2007 and 2009's "Right Round" featuring Ke$ha). The record for most number ones by a solo rapper is five, held by Diddy and Ludacris.

Songs by Ellie Goulding, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Gotye, and Phillip Phillips all hold their positions from last week, while fun.'s "Some Nights" spends its first week in the top 10.


HOT 100 top 10
1. Flo Rida                                              "Whistle"
2. Ellie Goulding                                  "Lights"
3. Carly Rae Jepsen                             "Call Me Maybe"
4. Katy Perry                                         "Wide Awake"
5. Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa  "Payphone"
6. Gotye featuring Kimbra                "Somebody That I Used To Know"
7. David Guetta featuring Sia           "Titanium"
8. fun.                                                        "Some Nights"
9. Phillip Phillips                                   "Home"
10. Rihanna                                            "Where Have You Been"


Hits compilation Now 43 debuts at #1 this week on the Billboard 200. This is the 16th chart topper for the Now series. Other top debuts include Elle Varner's Perfectly Imperfect and Colt Ford's Declaration Of Independence, coming in at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively. Frank Sinatra's Nothing But The Best 2008 compilation re-enters the chart at No. 3, after Amazon discounted the album to a 99 cent MP3 download for the day of Aug. 7.

BILLBOARD 200 top 10
1. Various Artists     Now 43
2. Rick Ross                God Forgives, I Don't
3. Frank Sinatra        Nothing But The Best
4. Elle Varner            Perfectly Imperfect
5. Colt Ford                Declaration Of Independence
6. Zac Brown Band  Uncaged
7. Justin Bieber        Believe
8. One Direction       Up All Night
9. Adele                       21
10. Kidz Bop Kids     Kidz Bop 22

Wednesday Review: "The Wanted" [EP] by The Wanted

The Wanted's self-titled debut American release is really an EP compilation of the singles from their first two European albums, The Wanted and Battleground. The EP contains the British-Irish boy band's five Top 5 UK and Scottish charting singles plus new single "Chasing the Sun" and new recording "Satellite," which is a highlight of the EP and just as par as the rest of the singles included. (The Special Edition also includes Top 30 UK and Scottish hits "Lose My Mind" and "Warzone," as well as Battleground cut "Rocket"). Needless to say, the album runs well and sounds really good, being a sample of all their singles (lucky Americans).

The album is everything any modern dance-pop fan could want (that's why they're The Wanted): defined electronic beats with catchy pop songs designed for club play. The vocals are clear and strong, and nearly every instrument electronic with occasional piano colorings. The Wanted keeps the party hopping through every love-induced track but takes time to caress and cry out the still beat-driven ballad "Heart Vacancy." Really, there is not a whole lot to discover from the album. It's more a gesture of "catch up" to open doors in American markets.

Standout tracks include its new tracks: club-ready "Chasing the Sun" and dancehall-echoing "Satellite," though, let's face it, when pretty much every track is a single, each already stands out.

Would I recommend it? Yes. I liked this album. Like most boy bands, the audience pull will mostly be female, but any guy enjoying modern pop will like it too.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

      

Spotlight Tuesday: Ellie Goulding

Perhaps, the surprise of the year has been Ellie Goulding's "Lights" reaching #2 on the U.S. Hot 100 just this past week in its thirty-third week on the chart, while only reaching #49 in the U.K. She seemed like a thin hope to chart so high in a country across the ocean of her native. Already, she made ripples in her home country of England, and I came in contact with her work last fall at the urging of Youtube ads for the music video of "Starry Eyed" (UK version). However, it seems favor for her has reached American listeners, even though it was not until the last single of her first album Lights. So what of her story have Americans missed?

Goulding was raised in Lyonshall, England, eventually attending the University of Kent, where she was introduced to electronic music. She had been songwriting since age 15, but with the help of Starsmith and Frankmusik, who both became producers of Lights, her songs took an electropop route. In 2009, she gained an internet following and signed to Polydor Records. By the end of the year, she released the EP An Introduction of Ellie Goulding, preceded by the single "Guns And Horses." Her second single "Starry Eyed" premiered in February 2010, reaching #4 in the UK, and a few weeks later, Lights debuted in the UK at #1.

November 2010 marked the re-release of the album as Bright Lights, whose first single, a cover of Elton John's "Your Song," peaked at #2 on the UK Singles Chart. Goulding had spent the previous summer touring (including a stint in March as the supporting act of my previous artist spotlight Passion Pit) and was introduced to Prince William by fellow music newcomer Tinie Tempah. She was invited to perform at Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding reception on 29 April 2011. Tinie Tempah also featured her on his 2010 single "Wonderman."

March 2011 claimed the North American release of Lights (which consists of eight of the ten tracks from the original Lights and three of the seven bonus tracks featured on Bright Lights), while the single "Lights" became available for American download in May 2011 and for radio airplay in January 2012. She also opened for select dates of Katy Perry's "California Dreams Tour" during its second North American leg in November 2011.

Goulding's next album Halcyon is set for a U.S. release on 9 October of this year with its lead single "Anything Could Happen" to be released in the UK on 21 August. Fellow UK artist Mika has also announced Goulding's involvement in his upcoming album The Origin of Love (released 16 September).

Would I recommend her? If you like other indie pop-rock/folk females, such as Ingrid Michaelson and Regina Spektor, or if you follow the current indie electropop movement, she may be of interest to you. Personally, I don't care for the quirks of her voice, though I do like her remix EP Run Into The Light and that she uses themes of light--I am always fond of light. There is a whispering beauty to her style, however, even through her heavy British accent that often abandons the common pop accent that is flat American. I will admit her production sound is indie electropop at its finest!

Music Video Monday: "Turn Up the Radio" by Madonna

Nearly a month ago, Madonna Youtube released her latest music video for her single "Turn Up the Radio," which debuted a week ago. Surprisingly, the vid hasn't received a whole lot of attention, only garnering 4.5 million views as of today. Or is it not surprising?

For one, it premiered on her VEVO channel, which only has one-sixth the amount of subscribers as her official channel that houses ALL her other music videos, even her other two from album MDNA. Perhaps, she is trying to move to VEVO, since her own channel is flooded with uploads from highlights from her tour. Madonna isn't the only artist to do this in their return to music during the VEVO-era. Fellow pop-mogul Kylie Minogue has a library as large as Madonna, but only her two most recent videos are housed on her VEVO, while she uses her own channel for tour and other promotional highlights.

Further, it was released three weeks before its availability as a single. A bit hasty? Perhaps. Also, the vid seems to have had little promotion is other spheres. This may be that her company is busy with her world tour. Who knows?

Maybe it's the video itself. It doesn't flow into the extraordinary or the exceptionally exciting. It's a simple video, which isn't a bad thing if it's charming enough to keep people's attention, though even Madonna seems bored in it. Thanks to the filters of soft-focus lenses used throughout, Madonna looks half her 54-year age. The vintage look seems more like a fallback on the popularity of Instagram, though. Madonna has had an eye for trends, so this use is not surprising, even if it follows a similar move by Minogue (again) in her use of sepia tone for parts of her "Timebomb" video released a month prior to the filming of "Turn Up the Radio."

Basically, the video consists of Madonna fleeing Italian press and fans with her chaffeur, while picking up a few characters along the way, including her twenty-five-year-old boyfriend French dancer Brahim Zaibat (he's about my age...puts their relationship into perspective for me...weird...). Yep, that's about it. The vid's nothing more or less than that. In all, it is a fun video for a positive song that seems to have been a better choice for a lead single and Super Bowl headliner than "Give Me All Your Luvin'," but apparently, Madonna had hoped to capitalize on the stardom of collaborators Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. at the time.

No idea why "(Explicit)" is included in the title when there is nothing "explicit" in the video and there is no "clean" version to compare it to. Anyway, check it out. It's a fine vid.

Spotlight Tuesday: Passion Pit

If you haven't heard of Passion Pit (no one I've talked to about them has), then you might be surprised to know that their second full-length studio release Gossamer debuted at No. 4 in the U.S. this past week--yeah, pretty high for a low-profile name. Why are they not well-known? Passion Pit is an Indie group but seems to be picking up steam.

The group started in Massachusetts when frontman and keyboardist Michael Angelakos wrote a series of songs as a Valentine's Day gift for his then-girlfriend. Keyboardist and guitarist Ian Hultquist saw Angelakos first live show (which he performed backed by only his laptop in a school basement for an audience of about 15 friends) and approached him with an interest to collaborate. So birthed Passion Pit, whose name is derived from a term used for "drive-in theatres because of its privacy and romantic allure to teenagers."

Michael Angelakos

The group released their first EP Chunk of Change, which eventually landed them a record deal with Frenchkiss, resulting in the release of their full-length Manners (which reached No. 51 in the U.S.). The album received lots of promotion with tracks being featured on television shows (as Ugly Betty, Big Love, Gossip Girl, and So You Think You Can Dance), the film Life As We Know It, and commercials. Their latest album is the previously mentioned Gossamer, whose lead single, "Take A Walk," reached No. 104 on the U.S. Hot 100.

Their music pulls influences from places as electro pop and alternative dance, but I would sum up their sound as indietronica rock. They are heavily electronic with definite inputs from indie and rock. Their songs are very upbeat (sometimes breezy) and easy to listen to, with generally optimistic, happy-love lyrics.

Would I recommend them? If you're into indie music, especially that delves into electro-genres, you should check them out. They will probably be a great find for you. Passion Pit also has a large hipster following. While they don't have hook-driven product (hence their indie-ness and obscurity), they are a calm ambient with a tempo of momentum.

Monday Review: Overexposure by Maroon 5

Maroon 5's latest studio venture Overexposure continues the band's token pop rock sound, but about half the album tries to lead off the massive success of last year's "Moves Like Jagger" by plunging into electropop. This is a fine move, though it almost seems like a desperate step for a band that perceives (whether that perception is on track or not) it needs a revival. Still, the songs are easy for the casual listener due to its continuous slick production.

Lyrically, Maroon 5 doesn't go anywhere it hasn't already: infatuation and weakness for the femme fatale or regret from wronging her. It's still as catchy as their other albums but contains a dance vibe on some of the tracks. The electropop isn't bad. It's just a new direction for the band's sound, as if Maroon 5 finally got the memo that electronic-heavy, club-playing dance pop is currently in. I'm not sure it's always necessary for this album, since it sometimes sounds used for the sake of being used (consider the synth bass of "Fortune Teller").

Standout tracks include funky opening track and second single "One More Night;" racing "Lucky Strike;" single- and dancefloor-ready, love-confessional "Love Somebody;" the jazz-rhythmed cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" [on some Deluxe Editions]; and successful lead single and Wiz Khalifa collaboration "Payphone." Interestingly, the album version of "Payphone" is not explicit as the single release. The swears are replaced or wiped. Perhaps, this is to avoid the album being given the Parental Advisory sticker the single receieved.

Overexposure may be a surprise for some audiences while still a good throwback to what Maroon 5 is good at: defining pop rock.

Would I recommend it? If you've loved the Maroon 5 of the past, Overexposed should be a welcome addition to your library. Diehard fans of their unique sound may have trouble accepting some of the more electronic-throbbing tracks but will be happy with a majority of the album.

I give it 3 ½ out of 5 stars.

Katy Perry Continues to Tie Records; Kylie Minogue Takes Over Dance

Katy Perry has tied Rihanna's record nine #1 singles on the Pop Songs chart with "Wide Awake" reaching the top spot this week. In August of last year, Perry tied Michael Jackson with the most singles from one album to top the Hot 100 when "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" from Teenage Dream became the chart's leader. Jackson had five turns at the top with singles from 1987's Bad.

This week "Wide Awake" also switches its third position on the Hot 100 with Maroon 5's "Payphone" to its new peak of #2. Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" keeps its ride at #1, matching Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" for the longest running chart leader for 2012, but if Perry keeps her momentum, she could very well run over Jepsen's heels to achieve her eighth turn atop the chart, since "Wide Awake" is still fresh in only its tenth week, as opposed to "Call Me Maybe"'s twenty-third week.

Also this week, "Wide Awake" gives up its top position on the Dance/Club Play Songs to Kylie Minogue's "Timebomb," giving the Goddess of Love her ninth #1 (sixth consecutive) on the chart, a welcoming tally for K25, the singer's year-long celebration of her twenty-five years in pop music. Minogue has been releasing celebratory surprises on the 25th of every month this year. "Timebomb" was May's gift and has already given Minogue her first rule atop the Australian Dance Chart. Her most recent surprise release, on July 25, was a montage video of her first single "The Loco-motion." Expect Jennifer Lopez's collaboration with Flo Rida, "Goin' In," as the chart's next topper.

Spotlight Tuesday: One Direction

I'm sure many of us have heard about One Direction by now, but how much do you really know about them?

The boy band comprises the Irish Niall Horan and Brits Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson. Their age range is only from 18 to 20. The group was organized when all five boys had auditioned and were accepted to the prelims of the UK's X Factor. Nicole Scherzinger, an X Factor guest judge, suggested the boys form a group when things weren't looking up for them individually in the competition. Styles suggested the name One Direction, because he thought it would sound good when X Factor announcer Peter Dickson said it at the live shows. Simon Cowell took them on his team, and they made it to third place in the competition.

Cowell signed the group to Syco Records after X Factor, and their career has taken off. After joining the X Factor live tour, they released their smash debut single "What Makes You Beautiful" in September 2011. It reached #1 in the UK and #4 in the U.S. and earned them a Brit Award for Best British Single. Debut album Up All Night made them the first UK group to debut at #1 in the United States. Up All Night reached #1 in fifteen countries. The first four tracks of the album have been released as singles, three of which reached the top 10 in the UK. Up All Night consists of upbeat teen pop and dance pop. They went on the Up All Night Tour that circled the globe and came to the U.S. from May to July 1 of this year.

They have recently been recording their next album, of which they hope to contribute to some of the songwriting, and plan to release its lead single in September, followed by another world tour starting in February.

Monday Review: Believe by Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber’s latest release Believe is nothing short of what would be expected from an international pop icon with polished songwriting appropriate for a pop-hungry audience. He even contributed writing talent to most of the tracks. The album is really good and plays well as a next step in Bieber's career journey. The production sound is at par with the pop-perfect songwriting, containing every electronic fizzle and beep popular in modern dance-pop. Entertainment Weekly stated, "It's the rare album that tries to be everything to everyone and largely succeeds." What can you expect when the album’s producer and songwriter list includes enough names to run a Wal-Mart? There’s enough insight to go around to cover all bases. This also explains why the album is so polished.

Bieber’s vocals have deepened and matured, as well as his beautiful R&B flavoring (this may dismay every guy who enjoys making Bieber puberty jokes; the lad’s growing up). The eighteen-year-old still sounds like a teenager but has shed his tweenie voice. All comparisons he’s getting to Justin Timberlake are understandable, even if Bieber isn’t taking kindly to what’s said. It doesn’t seem he’s tried to sound like Timberlake, but rather, in his exploration of his voice, he has happened upon a product that is strongly akin. Still, he comes across as a definitive pop star.

Standout tracks include opener and promo single "All Around The World," a club-ready dance track that sounds cousin to Britney Spears' "Till the World Ends" and welcomes another collaboration with Ludacris; the gorgeous, acoustic-guitar-featuring "Catching Feelings;" Nicki Minaj collaboration "Beauty And A Beat;" and "Thought of You."

A downfall of the album, though, is that Bieber sounds bored in a few tracks, especially near the end of album.

If you question his talent, check out this album to give Bieber Fever at least some legitimacy.

I give Believe 4 out of 5 stars.

Katy Perry "Wide Awake" on Dance/Club Play

Katy Perry achieves her tenth #1 (in a row) on Billboard's Dance/Club Play Songs Chart with "Wide Awake" on the song's eighth charting week. Congrats to her! This is her ninth run atop the chart from Teenage Dream. The pop princess's first #1 was One of the Boy's "Waking Up In Vegas" in 2009. "Wide Awake" also remains #3 on the Hot 100 and has been announced as the last release from her Teenage Dream era, as reviewed in its incredibly vivid music video that explores the journey of her dream for worldwide pop success all the way to her divorce from Russell Brand.

The top spot will likely be taken by fellow pop princess Aussie Kylie Minogue with "Timebomb" next week.

The "Wide Awake" video is wrought with symbolism. Videos like it are candy for me. Personally, I can't help but feel some Madonna influence in the song's production and video. The melody and lyrics are very Perry, though. The production is consistent with the rest of Teenage Dream, but, perhaps, it is the echoing synths that recalls Madonna for me. As for the video, part of me (heh heh) can't help but be reminded of Madonna's "Bedtime Story" and "Frozen." The Pop Queen's influence would not be surprising, since Perry has announced Madonna as one of her idols.

On another note, I recently watched Madonna's vid for "Open Your Heart" and felt like I could see Perry doing something similar. Does anyone else feel that?

"Call Me Maybe," "Good Time:" Summer of Carly Rae Jepsen

Carly Rae Jepsen continues to rule the summer with "Call Me Maybe" atop the Hot 100 for a seventh week. This song is everywhere--from memes to compiled Obama speeches to athletes on Youtube. It is only one week shy of tying Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" for the chart's longest-running #1 of the year and seems to likely have the steam to do so.

The 26-year-old continues her feel-good vibes with her Owl City collaboration "Good Time," which will be featured on Owl City's upcoming album The Midsummer Station to be released August 20. The single charts at #23 this week. Four weeks ago, it debuted at #17.

The "Good Time" fun-summer music video debuted three days ago.

Madonna's MDNA

Madonna released her twelfth studio album, MDNA, on Monday, March 26. MDNA, used as an entendre for the drug MDMA but more rightfully for Madonna DNA and an abbreviated spelling of the singer's name, reminds that she is the source of controversy that has paved the way for many pop stars, by infusing references to religion and sexuality, often irreverently. At times, this feels like a forward stab to Lady Gaga, especially considering her recent "reductive" words about Gaga. She wants everyone to know that she is "Queen"--that she is what brought pop to what it is now. Fittingly, Madonna's performance beneath the heavy electronic alterations (especially in "Gang Bang") sounds much like it did twenty years ago during her times of greatest controversy in her Like a Prayer-Erotica era, before her vocal training for Evita. She has continued exploring this, revisiting the black-and-white music video for "Girl Gone Wild," like she did with "Justify My Love" and "Erotica." Similarly, "Girl" has met censory with an 18 and older age stamp on Youtube.

While the album's production sounds good, most of the lyrics seem forced. Madonna set out to make an album, and that's what she did--she made an album, when she needed to create one. However, production all-around is nothing short than what she wanted--a full ride in the dance genre for a non-stop party, as she did with Confessions on a Dance Floor but without revealing lyrics and cohesive beats (without brilliance, basically). An issue with the album is that there are little standouts for single releases. The track that comes closest is "I'm Addicted," which, besides the lyrics, sounds very close to Pet Shop Boys cuts. A potential promo release for club play is "Gang Bang," which sounds darkly fantasy-filled enough for Gaga, screwball co-writer Mika, or a metal arrangement. It isn't until near the end of the album that lyrics start to take meaning, on the tracks she collaborated with William Orbit, who brought introspection out of Madonna in 1998's Ray of Light. "I'm a Sinner" even rings a sound similar to the Orbit/Madonna collaboration "Beautiful Stranger."

MDNA is good but not great as it could have been. It contains tracks that people will want to hear again but that won't stick with them.

I give it 3 ½ out of 5 stars.