Won the War: Robyn V.S. Sia

This is a series inspired by a tweet from perpetual lightning rod for controversy Azealia Banks when she inferred that although Michael Jackson won the battle, Prince won the war. This will be my take on which two rivals in packaging in the U.S. Music Industry, won the war in terms of longer success.

Round 4 of Won the War involves import singers who have mass adoration through the internet (Mainly through BuzzFeed); Swedish import Robyn and Australian singer/songwriter Sia. Both are bubbly [read as insane] blondes who like to make people feel everything exuberance to salvation. Robyn transitioned from bubblegum pop to dance while Sia transitioned to something of a solo success after writing songs for the likes of Rihanna and Beyoncé. With recent accolades for recent efforts, let's figure out...

In longevity terms, who merely won the battle...and who Won the War?


As of 2014, Robyn has yet to add a proper 6th studio album since 2010's Body Talk collection; Sia added a 6th album to her name with 1000 Forms of Fear. Interestingly enough these women have transitioned between indie label to major to boutique/subordinate throughout their careers.


Here's their charting album peaks from highest to lowest...


Robyn
- Robyn Is Here at #57
- Robyn at #100
- Body Talk (collectively/2 albums in 1 package) at #142 [*Body Talk: Pt. 2 on its own is the highest charting effort at #41]

Sia
- 1000 Forms of Fear at #1
- Some People Have Real Problems at #26
- We Are Born at #37


Due to the fact that these two have made something of a name for themselves, radio has played their songs every now and again. In terms of longevity when was their last #1 hit on the Hot 100?

*Reminder: Hot 100 ranking does matter if you're absolutely looking for a gauge of where an artist is in terms of popularity*

Robyn & Sia have yet to land a #1 single in the U.S. (You'd think critical acclaim means something outside the publication in which it was published)

The last Top 10 hit? Sia only recently had her first successful single in the U.S. with "Chandelier" [at the time of writing] peaking at #9. Although in 1997, Robyn had her 2nd Top 10 hit in the U.S. with the song "Show Me Love" which peaked at #7.


Normally, acting in movies and comparing stats through Rotten Tomatoes would be next. However, neither of them has been in a movie.
Musically, there are naturally some weak points in an artists' career when say...a lead single doesn't go to #1 or released singles chart really low. These are the positions at the lowest of Robyn and Sia's careers...

Robyn's Lowest Charting Singles
- Lowest Charting Lead Single: "Dancing On My Own" at #113
- Lowest Charting Released Single: "Dancing On My Own" at #113
[Technically, this peaked at #13 on the Bubbling Under Charts which extends from #101 to #125]

Sia's Lowest Charting Singles
- Lowest Charting Lead Single: "Chandelier" at #9 on the Hot 100
- Lowest Charting Released Single: "Chandelier" at #9 on the Hot 100
[This reads a little bit like Robin Thicke's only real success with "Blurred Lines"...]


Their career nadirs bring up where they are now. Pre Dance Transition, Robyn was all about bubblegum pop (Which Swedes are required to learn in primary school and I base this on absolutely nothing). Then after her deal with RCA was done after her albums My Truth and Don't Stop the Music had failed to chart in the U.S., she pulled a classic move of female singers before her and switched shit up. Making dance music proved to be successful for Robyn at least in the modern realm of internet culture.
Sia had first splashed onto the scene in the U.S. as an inadvertent part of EDM going mainstream with her feature on the David Guetta song "Titanium". Add in her guest feature on the Flo Rida song "Wild Ones" and her radio mainstream debut had been complete. Songwriter Sia had long been in effect for better and worse. Despite the inevitable bust of the singles released, Sia contributed to Christina Aguilera's Bionic, co-writing and vocal producing 4 of the songs. She did however, pen the massively successful single "Diamonds" [for Rihanna]. She also contributed to Beyoncé's latest album, served as head creative force over Kylie Minogue's recent effort Kiss Me Once (Being partially responsible for the horrible song "Sexercize").

Yet despite chart shut-outs, both have found a home in internet culture specifically BuzzFeed...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/samstryker/robyn-is-the-best [Robyn]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-song-of-the-summer-finally-has-a-music-video [Sia..."Chandelier"]


Now for the final points: iconic singles AKA, the one single people know is by that artist.

Robyn has "Dancing On My Own" as it's the first single that a lot of the internet based generation got into RE: Robyn at all.

Sia is riding on the success of "Chandelier" for her solo career.

A bit of info for posterity: both were made from coloring books. [This is only to be taken with the recommended grain of salt and with nothing else.] Robyn has 2 #7 singles in the U.S. while Sia is a bit "Flavor of the Moment" only having 1 song chart in the U.S..


One has transitioned from a divisive to a better received genre; one made a leap from songwriter to singer with varied results; One has a 90s Pop Culture safety net; one owes a muffin basket the size of Earth to a child from Dance Moms...

The Next Madonna Is...

*The following is an opinion piece and should be taken seriously whenever the research shows up*

Speculation as to who could inherit and/or assume the position Madonna had as the definitive global superstar has been a process as long as Madge's career. It takes more than singing to be on terms pop culture critics have deemed "legendary" or "iconic". It takes someone who tried their hands at acting, fashion design/branding, etc. at some point in their career.
As to who could be the next Madonna, let's look at assumed contemporary acts who have been speculated by others but stand no chance.


The next Madonna will not be Miley Cyrus. Don't let the live mashup of "Don't Tell Me" and "We Can't Stop" on MTV fool you. Don't believe she's the next Madonna just because she's using the shock value part of sexuality just like Madge (But instead of either Erotica or Hard Candy, Cyrus created her own level of repelling sexual shock value called Bangerz.) "But neither of them are regarded as good singers!" That's like saying McDonald's isn't what a diet should be based on. Even with less than stellar reviews of her live singing, Madge has been able to sing [her best singing having been "Like a Prayer"].
Cyrus on the other hand...no. Just no. Recent "album success" be damned, we can eliminate Cyrus for her terrible singing and for the fact that she recently started experimenting with her image. Madge was doing that in-between songs since her debut album.
Musically in album releases, discounting all Hannah Montana affiliated and the EP The Time of Our Lives she is technically on her 3rd proper [non-EP length] album. Not enough of an extensive portfolio to really give credit to any Madge sequel labeling.


Also eliminated early on, Katy Perry. Like her other predecessor, she suffers mainly by not being able to sing even on a decent level. What has her a notch above Cyrus (But not by much) are fluke singles that can actually provide some level of audible enjoyment ["Hot 'N Cold" and "Firework"]. Whenever experimenting with image, Perry found and stuck with "Candy Coated Pop-tart" for Teenage Dream; then she tried being a "Candy Coated...'edgy for her' pop-tart" on her recent album Prism.
Image wise alone, Perry cannot be the next Madonna. As opposed to switching up her look from "Candy Coated" to say "40s Noir Glamour", Perry's image is nowhere near flexible as Madonna's. Madge went from "virgin" to "sexual" to "brunette" to "erotic" to "geisha" and Jesus knows what else.
Musically, Perry just added a 3rd album to her name. As with Cyrus, Perry's discography remains sorely underdeveloped to really gauge if she could even be considered as the next Madonna [cover of V Magazine with Madge be damned.]


Interestingly, Britney Spears is not the next Madonna either; even with the fact all 8 of her albums have peaked in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200 [6 of them going to #1]. Spears has gotten plenty of next Madge level criticism for perceived lack of singing ability. Acting isn't a strong suit of any of the names mentioned or yet to be mentioned, especially with Britney ("But Britney knew to quit acting. She can't possibly be the next Madonna!" All T, All Shade...I agree.)
Yet there is something Spears has done that disqualifies her from assuming Madge's former position as Global Superstar of the World...accepting a residency/doing the Vegas thing as Celine Dion, Cher, Toni Braxton and so many other performers have done. Performing in Las Vegas while a guaranteed paying gig...let's face it...is saying "Let me warm up for about 3-5 'Farewell Tours' around the world."
Madonna won't retire willingly or accept any Vegas residency not so long as delusion sets its course...err she draws breath and does her best to put forth new material.


With them out of the way, here are the three names to consider when speculating who the next Madonna could be: Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Beyoncé. When talking about contemporary acts whose divisive perceived singing abilities, horrible acting and fashion ventures for better or worse rivals that of "her Madgesty", these three have the field beat. However, there are certain areas where one has the others beat in terms of discography, filmography and overall selling points.
Yet the strengths in certain areas are clear enough to differentiate 3rd, 2nd and 1st...


3rd place is Rihanna. She has enough of the discography in terms of quantity that can be measured in this; and of the three candidates, has the most albums to her name. All 7 of Rihanna's albums have ended up in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200:

- Unapologetic at #1
- Good Girl Gone Bad at #2
- Loud at #3
- Talk That Talk at #3
- Rated R at #4
- A Girl Like Me at #5
- Music of the Sun at #10

Considering this is up against Madge's discography, with Like a Virgin, True Blue, Like a Prayer, Music, American Life [amazingly], Confessions on a Dance Floor, Hard Candy and MDNA having gone #1 and Rihanna's first #1 having taken 7 albums to do...she doesn't have the commercial pull even Madonna has. Image wise, while versatile, just revolves around sex; even with the different hairstyles and level of clothing being questionable, it is not enough.
Madge has experimented with being deep on an album twice. The first time was the Grammy winning Ray of Light which came with the image of "attempted spiritual depth/bohemian one with the Earth". Even in the 80s Madge experimented with androgyny in the video for "Express Yourself". Rihanna has yet to do anything that qualifies as daring in that regard.
Her acting was met with negative reviews just like Madonna. However, "Riri" was really in the 2012 movie Battleship and that movie was derided by anybody that even heard of the movie. Filmography isn't there yet.


With Gaga and Beyoncé left, it's difficult on the surface to tell who the next Madge is. With ARTPOP, Gaga just added a 3rd album to her name. In terms of quantitative discography, Gaga isn't quite there yet, but she's been around since 2008-2009. Beyoncé hasn't switched up her image that much if at all [save for a pixie haircut that mysteriously got the hair length that appeared in "XO"] and has really gone from blonde to brunette in around 2006, back to being blonde. That being said, there is a slight favor for one more so than the other and it isn't who people think...


2nd place is Lady Gaga. "WHAT?!" I know, but I will explain that later. Let's get this out of the way now. There are a LOT of similarities between Mother Monster and "Her Madgesty":

BOTH have worn some crazy outfits in the name of artistic expression, sexual liberation/"Girl Power" trope, shock value and fashion [most often all at once] Madonna's most daring outfit? The "Cone Bra". Gaga's most daring outfit? The Meat Dress (There was a lot to consider when picking the most batshit outfit from either one).

BOTH have been read for filth in terms of acting and have Razzie Award nominations to their names. (But Gaga only having one nomination for Machete Kills and Madge...still trying to act.)

The key in Gaga getting second place in this is the fact that she has really done one major movie role and it wasn't a female lead. That and it is way too obvious to declare Gaga the next Madonna ("Because Gaga can sing. You can say it." That's actually the next point.) if we are looking at singing.
To be the next Madonna, the artist in question has to be divisive as all hell when it comes to perceived singing ability. Gaga's flack is poured upon through antics and fashion choices; not singing and that is the difference. Any of the previous candidates can be lambasted for their antics but Gaga's singing ability isn't as divisive as the number one candidate and woman I'm declaring the next Madonna...


1st place and the Next Madonna...Beyoncé. Yes, she doesn't switch up her image every other day. However, there are these things that are eerily similar to the career of Madonna...

BOTH owe a muffin basket the size of Earth to the trope of "Girl Power". Beyoncé's "Girl Power" was est. with the Destiny's Child song "Independent Women" and was mainstreamed with the Beyoncé snippet turned song "***Flawless" when a key portion of a TEDTalk with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was discovered to have been inserted into the song.
Madge has used the "sexual liberation" version of "Girl Power" since Like a Virgin onward.

BOTH had their first single be a bust and not chart on the Hot 100. Beyoncé's first solo single, "Work it Out" from the Austin Powers: Goldmember failed to chart on the Hot 100 [around the time Kelly Rowland found #1 success with "Dilemma" ft. Nelly].
Madge's first single "Everybody" failed to chart on the Hot 100 [but began the backup plan of the century; finding success on the Dance charts].

BOTH aren't regarded as actress dujours, but have been in a critically favored movie where the cast ended up elevating their acting profile. Beyoncé has the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls as a plus in her acting anthology...even if Jennifer Hudson went on to win the Oscar.
Madge has A League of Their Own as possibly the only plus in her acting career without singing (Or playing Eva Peron)...even if she was easily outshined by co-stars Tom Hanks and Geena Davis.

Finally, BOTH have the most polarizing perceived singing ability of any current female music act. Beyoncé and Madonna even have been blasted for relying on choreography and image to make up for their "questionable" singing ability.
The key difference is Beyoncé's live shows. Just like "Her Madgesty", there is a ton of visual spectacle at a Beyoncé concert [especially with husband Jay-Z currently with the On the Run tour]. However, live singing of Mrs. Knowles-Carter has been met with better fanfare than Madonna.

Oh and for posterity, both have had a string of 5 number 1 albums in the 2000s...

Beyoncé
- Dangerously in Love #1 [2003; debut]
- B'Day #1 [2006]
- I Am...Sasha Fierce #1 [2008]
- 4 #1 [2011]
- Beyoncé #1 [2013]

Madonna
- Music #1 [2000; 8th album]
- American Life #1 [2003; same year as Beyoncé's debut]
- Confessions on a Dance Floor #1 [2005]
- Hard Candy #1 [2008]
- MDNA #1 [2012]

With everything accounted for...

Beyoncé is The Next Madonna.

Azealia Banks and the What the Future SHOULD Hold

The following is an opinion piece/think piece over Harlem, NY rap phenomenon Azealia Banks.

A huge amount has happened since I last touched on the career thus far of Azealia Banks in Post 9 of the W.W.C.I.I.T.M.I. series. As of July 10th, 2014 she is no longer with Universal Records [the "head" label of Interscope Records (U.S.)/Polydor Records(U.K.)]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hazelcills/azealia-banks-is-finally-free-from-her-record-deal

Long before and well after this, she had long been considered a troublemaker and shit-stirrer with many of the celebrity world. When news broke that she had been freed from her contract with Universal, it wasn't until late into the night, after celebrating the thought that her much anticipated debut effort Broke With Expensive Taste might finally have more confirmed details [other than a never happened leak or vague summer release] a slight issue arose.
What would happen to her intended mixtape sequel Fantasea II: The Second Wave and its known single "Count Contessa"? Let's start by analyzing the events before being freed from the label.


It started in January 2014, when Banks made it known through her Twitter account that she was "in hell" having no material released since "ATM JAM" [the song then being scrapped from any incarnation of the intended album due to poor reception by fans]. She would later relay her regret of not signing with Sony Records as it was apparent that something of a bidding war had happened between Interscope and Sony for Banks.
June 8th rolls around; her gig at Los Angeles PRIDE though met with polarizing impact upon announcement received rave reviews from the crowd [specifically for her covering of the Robin S. song "Show Me Love"]. Days later another Twitter feud with Atlanta rapper T.I. ended up creating more buzz that the U.S. had become more familiar with more so than her music...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/tracyclayton/ti-and-azealia-banks-are-beefing-on-social-media

This entailed the uneven reputation Banks ended up with. Europe audiences have seen and heard a lot more music than any U.S. market has. For posterity, L.A. PRIDE was her first major U.S. event since Coachella 2012 [she did perform at a Forever 21 held "Cranechella" recently, but we are talking major events]. For a stretch of time, she performed at the Glastonbury, Reading, 1Xtra Live, Frauenfeld and MELT! festivals in the U.K., Switzerland and Germany respectively [her Twitter account has many more European dates and international travel dates].


With new found freedom, speculation turns to these main concerns: Will Broke With Expensive Taste see the light of day? Did she retain intellectual property rights to her only previously released label work the EP, 1991? How long is she going to be in "indie world" before another label signs her [if she wants to have label representation again; if say Sony signs her to their label]? Is she going to rap again? All of these questions, naturally have complicated answers.
First, there will be some incarnation of BWET released. Yet it is unclear if Banks even retained the rights to the material that was eventually going to end up on the album. If she did, the album might be released under a different name or as a mixtape whose name could be even more unclear than that.
Second, there is a 50/50 possibility that Banks was able to retain any rights to 1991. Even with scant promotion as an EP, it peaked at #133 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Heatseekers Album charts. The chart positions might have been enough for Banks to retain her material for other use at her discretion, but this is pure speculation.
Third, the ball is in the middle of the court as far as any label offering representation and Banks' desire to be on a label after the struggle with Universal. The only other known label that she had ever expressed wanting to be a part of was Sony. It is unclear if Sony will consider opening up any offer it had with her or even if Banks would reach out to Sony to look into the offer they had so long ago.


As far as the fourth question, it takes a studious fan of Banks to know where the hell her musical style will end up. In an appearance on Hot 97 personality Peter Rosenberg's Complex Magazine YouTube series, The Process, it was revealed that Banks had long considered herself a better singer than rapper. Fans of hers know of her singing ability due to the fact that in addition to rapping, singing appears on damn near all of her tracks. The cuts with pure singing to almost pure singing include "Luxury", covers of "Slow Hands" by Interpol and "Barely Legal" by The Strokes.
Banks also stated that before she had even made "212", she had been a musical theater girl and had been something of a "Broadway Baby" hopeful...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGORO7gVIWo [The Process | Azealia Banks]

If any incarnation of BWET is released, it seems like it's going to be most of the stuff fans of hers already know about her. There might be a chance that XL Recordings era single "L8R" might make an appearance. As for her known BWET material that hasn't already been scrapped, "Yung Rapunxel" is still going to be on the album. However, she might create entirely new material and scrap the entire album herself [again, pure speculation; this cannot be confirmed.]
"Count Contessa" on the other hand might be included on a deluxe incarnation of BWET should it ever see the light if Fantasea II: The Second Wave gets scrapped to make up for BWET to get the release it should have years ago. If not, "Count Contessa" might not even be on any album [pure speculation given the history of her discography].


Now let's talk about what needs to happen as far as Azealia Banks in the now. Should Sony Records scoops Azealia Banks up, they better promote her music on U.S. radio. Seriously, she's "written off" for no reason Stateside because Universal either didn't or wouldn't let Interscope promote her stuff in the U.S. Why else was she limited to Europe? Doing Glastonbury to MELT! festivals in Europe is OK thanks to YouTube.
However, none of her stuff was really promoted for U.S. markets. Why else were "1991", "Luxury", "Jumanji", "212" ft. Lazy Jay and a whole shitload of songs NEVER added to her YouTube/VEVO account?

The only songs that even got the "VEVO Seal of Approval" via the YouTube joint VEVO w/o fuckups were "ATM JAM" and "Yung Rapunxel". "Van Vogue" got flagged enough for it to be censored unless you happen to have an account on YouTube. Even worse, "Liquorice" was originally published under the misspelled "AzaeliaBanksVEVO" channel [the "pre-migration" count being 2,149,498 views] *For the record, the video has 7,379,322 views as of 1:38 AM, today July 11th*

Here's a reminder/newsflash: every released single for radio she's had has been for the international markets of the UK, Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium and Australia. "212" ended up a Top 15 hit in the UK and Netherlands (#12 and #14 respectively), a Top 10 hit in Ireland at #7, a Top 20 hit in the Flanders region of Belgium (#17), a Top 40 hit in the Wallonia region of Belgium (#34) and a Top 100 hit in Australia (#68). "Liquorice" only went to #73 in Flemish Belgium; "Yung Rapunxel" only went to #152 in the UK; "ATM JAM" despite being her second Top 40 Walloon Belgium hit, was scrapped from the album most likely compounded by the Flemish peak of #55 and UK peak of #169.
She's never had singles serviced for U.S. radio on any level. There is a great deal of potential for her to have that radio breakthrough to add to her viral sensation from 2011, "212".


That being said, it is going to take a lot more than corrected business savvy on any U.S. label end. Banks herself needs to continue the positive spin she's built for herself from L.A. PRIDE. Long before her reputation sat in limbo [specifically with the LGBT community] she inspired people as a hardcore East Coast rapper who openly identified as bisexual...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jamiesoncox/how-azealia-banks-made-me-fierce

Before this same author of the article link would go on to express disappointment in Banks for her future attitude, there has been est. connection of a U.S. fanbase. Why Universal/Interscope never used this as leverage to spread her music to mainstream radio is simply baffling.


What can be summated is this; Azealia Banks' future in the music industry can go many directions after being freed from Universal. The next move can be made in a matter of seconds, minutes, hours, days, etc. with her. Somebody needs to make the move soon and hopefully restore the potential Banks showed merely 2-3 years ago.

The Voice U.S. S7 Thoughts

Since S4, I've been recapping and criticizing episodes of The NBC Show with Ratings. I've been watching since S1. With a new season and two new coaches, it's time to relay some thoughts (In the form of criticizing potential pitfalls of the new season) as to how S7 will end up...

1. It will be better than the last 2 seasons combined: Not exactly the highest bar to jump over, but S7 should be a completely revitalized season in all the right ways. S5 was a lackluster reboot of S1 that gave Adam Levine his first female winner and the show's third female winner in a row. S6 was a terrible season compared to seasons prior and seemed really rigged when the "Twitter Save" was used in the Top 5 to ensure The Grimmie Reaper stayed regardless of weak for her iTunes sales.

S7 is introducing producer/singer Pharrell Williams as a proper coach [he was the Battle Rounds adviser in S4 for Usher's team] and No Doubt lead singer, Gwen Stefani. At least how Gwen will be is sort of up in the air as this is most likely her first foray into TV Competition Shows *FUN Fact: she turned down ABC's Rising Star for this. Wise move, Gwen.* I'm looking forward to that much even if...


2. No weirdo friendly coach looks to be est.: Jesus knows The Voice needs a weirdo/"personality" since S6 diminished hope altogether for them; S5 screwed them all for HRFH -2.0 (and a bust coronation song) and S4 was too country-laden for Michelle "Amazing Human" Chamuel to win. Apart from Chamuel, the last true "personality" came in the form of Cody Belew from S3 (And to think Nicholas David's awful singing beat him...T_T). The problem is, Cee-Lo Green was really the bastion for the freak flag to fly [Usher and Chamuel was a bit of a fluke.]

S7 does have Pharrell and Gwen, but they might not infer that weirdos are welcome. The best chance for a weirdo/"personality" friendly coach is Pharrell. He's a diehard "Trekkie", worked with Kelis pre-"Milkshake" and is pretty much from Neptune [when you get it...] Gwen is a bit of a weirdo herself but even with her solo efforts and that contracted posse "Love. Angel. Music. Baby.", she's probably going to push for [hopefully] pop/rock vocalists like Adam; or sadly end up enabling the most likely fact...


3. Female "hard rocker" types are going to make a resurgence: ...and that is going to suck. Ever since S2 and Juliet Simms losing to Jermaine Paul, some critics and some viewers have been praying for a hard "rawk" chick to win. While there's nothing utterly terrible about "rawk", the "rawker" types that make it to The Voice are revealed to be complete and utter try-hard wannabes [At least from Simms onward, most notably, Kat "CopyKat" Robichaud who swagger jacked Chamuel and every rawker chick in existence.]

S7 might have Gwen being pigeonholed into finding "the next Stevie Nicks/Joan Jett/Pat Benetar" and that is a complete disservice to the other weirdo Gwen is supposed to be.


4. Some wacky format change is going to occur: Oy gevalt; The Voice is about gaining sentience away from being like a Pop Diva: changing what they're about every other right now. First, every coach had a guaranteed artist in the finale where the top finalists could write their own songs. Then, that stopped in S3 where "No Man's Land" was introduced. At that time, the Knockout Rounds were introduced. Then, some idiot in S6 said "Hey, what if we extended the Battle Rounds?" You suck...whoever you are. S5 introduced Twitter users on the East Coast having a say as to whose ass gets saved from being in the bottom 3.

S7 will most likely introduce a new wacky element in the game. Who knows what, but maybe they'll pull from a tradition known as the "Fishbowl" and have contestants pull songs from a fishbowl [or container of sorts] and have to perform it then and there. OR...*this is where the game of Speculate Random Bullshit begins* perhaps this season, the contestants can only perform songs by anybody who has been a coach on the U.S., U.K. or Australian versions of The Voice.


5. Song selection is going to suck...again: Songs performed in past seasons are going to find their way back to being performed in public because SHEEZUS forbid anybody perform songs by Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, Janelle Monae, Azealia Banks, Chrisette Michele, Steve Grand, Cody Belew or anybody interesting in the music industry. Instead, expect "Free Fallin'", some "indie" labeled/"rawker" horseshit like Imagine Dragons, OneRepublic garbage and country songs...in general...

It's perfectly fine for the usual Blake Shelton advised contestant because country is all they know. Any NON-country Team Blake person or any Team Adam, Cee-Lo, Christina, Shakira or Usher [add in Pharrell and Gwen] that does a country song and they inferred no allegiance of any kind to country music..."God help you; you know how the children are." Thanks end credit voice from Paris is Burning! The point is, I wish song selection was a lot more interesting than the crap most of the contestants end up doing.


6. I will hate the winner: It's a sad tradition, but anybody I like doesn't win the show. And at least since S3, I have positively loathed the winners. I'm already calling it 0 for 7.


That's my thoughts on S7 and I will be an absolute bitch about defending all of them XD

Won the War: Justin Timberlake V.S. Robin Thicke

This is a series inspired by a tweet from perpetual lightning rod for controversy Azealia Banks when she inferred that although Michael Jackson won the battle, Prince won the war. This will be my take on which two rivals in packaging in the U.S. Music Industry, won the war in terms of longer success.

Round 3 of Won the War involves former N*SYNC punching bag turned solo singer Justin Timberlake against recent mainstream phenom and creepy uncle of music Robin Thicke. They both shook off an image of their initial careers. Justin shook off "boy bander" while Robin shook off commercial bust on his debut. With recent efforts getting them some level of success, let's figure out...

In longevity terms, who merely won the battle...and who Won the War?


As of 2014, Justin has 4 albums to his name; the most recent effort being The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 in the fall of last year. Robin has 7 with the just released (July 1st, the day I started writing this) effort, Paula (Which is named for the wife he cheated on and is trying to woo back; -_- -_- -_- -_-) but without much of the singles known, his last complete effort was his 6th released, the 2013 effort Blurred Lines.

Here's their album peaks from highest to lowest...

Justin Timberlake
- FutureSex/LoveSounds at #1
- The 20/20 Experience at #1
- The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 at #1
- Justified at #2

Robin Thicke
- Blurred Lines at #1
- Something Else at #3
- The Evolution of Robin Thicke at #5
- Sex Therapy: The Session at #9
- Love After War at #22
- A Beautiful World at #152 [considering this is of the Billboard 200 ranks, it sounds pathetic. However, Thicke was signed under a different boutique/vanity label of Interscope Records. Read "different" as "label that ain't shit."]


Due to the fact that these two have made something of a name for themselves, radio has played their songs every now and again. In terms of longevity when was their last #1 hit on the Hot 100?
*Reminder: Hot 100 ranking does matter if you're absolutely looking for a gauge of where an artist is in terms of popularity*

Justin's last #1 on the Hot 100 was "What Goes Around... Comes Around" from the 2006 release FutureSex/LoveSounds. 2 albums and 8 years ago? O_O Robin's last #1 was "Blurred Lines" from last year. However, that is his only #1 hit.

The last Top 10 hit? Justin has "Not a Bad Thing" from his most recent album at #8. Not bad considering that part 1 and 2 of "The 20/20" experience was 6 months apart and seemed a bit rushed. Robin on the other hand has never had a Top 10/Not #1 hit; ever. The closest he got was "Lost Without U" at #14 in 2007.


Normally, acting in movies and comparing stats through Rotten Tomatoes would be next. However, as far as I know, Robin Thicke has never been in a movie. His personal life however, is playing like the tackiest soap opera in production. *shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaade*

Musically, there are naturally some weak points in an artists' career when say...a lead single doesn't go to #1 or released singles chart really low. These are the positions at the lowest of Justin and Robin's careers...

Justin Timberlake's Lowest Charting Singles:
- Lowest Charting Lead Single: "Take Back the Night" at #29 on the Hot 100.
- Lowest Charting Released Single: "TKO" at #36 on the Hot 100.

Robin Thicke's Lowest Charting Singles:
- Lowest Charting Lead Single: "Magic" at #59 on the Hot 100.
- Lowest Charting Released Single: "Can U Believe" at #99 on the Hot 100.


Their chart nadirs are rather telling of their careers. Timberlake's chart nadirs came from the same album, but even at his charting lowest they were still in the Top 40 of the Hot 100. That is nothing to sneer at, especially considering that his tenure for SNL guest appearances has more or less overshadowed his music career. Keep in mind, the gap between albums 2 and 3 was technically 6 years.
Thicke's chart nadirs went from his lowest from his album The Evolution of Robin Thicke to his lowest lead single of verified effort Something Else. In terms of career, he was on a rise until "something else" [the scandal] came up. 2013 rolled around and Pharrell alongside T.I. helped make Robin Thicke a thing in popular music (They even contributed to the "pearl clutching controversy" of the song which media outlets had eloquently described as "rapey".) Then, the only song he's had mega-success with gets the attention of the Marvin Gaye estate for plagiarism accusations. Add the scandal of him cheating on his wife and the separation that follows and the fact he named his July 1st released album Paula in the most desperate looking attempt of wooing her back and this much is clear; at least he'll be a two hit wonder before his personal life overwhelms his career.


Now for the final points: iconic singles AKA, the one single people know is by that artist.

Justin's signature song is the earworm "SexyBack". It could easily be "Rock Your Body" or "Cry Me a River" as well, but "SexyBack is the song people cannot shut up about the minute its name is uttered.

Robin's signature song is "Blurred Lines". Enough said here. *shaaaaaaaaaaade*


Forget bits of info for posterity; I think it's time we reveal the winner. One has 4 Top 3 albums; one just hit #1 in the biggest way conceivable; one has relied on perceived male pop vocalist talent; the other owes a muffin basket the size of Earth to Pharrell and the MTV Video Music Awards...the result is as follows...

W.W.C.I.I.T.M.I Post 17: Mary J. Blige

This is a series dedicated to women who despite success in the U.S. Music Industry, have est. a very complicated image for themselves.

Round 17 of this series came from a Twitter follower of mine who has some music industry know-how of her own [@Jillian002]. This installment will deal with the Andre Harrell & Diddy annointed "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul", Mary J. Blige. Her Behind the Music episode is one of the better "reboot" episodes of late (Anything to makeup for Nicole Scherzinger is the best damn episode in my book.) but there's still something to examine about the career and placement of one of many W.W.C.I.I.T.M.I.


1992 saw the release of her debut effort, What's the 411?. This began a working relationship with Sean "P. Diddy" Combs (When his stage name was Puff Daddy). 5 singles were spawned from the album, the second being one of her early signature hits.
The lead single was "You Remind Me" was a modest success, peaking at #29 on the Hot 100 and going to #1 on the R&B charts.
The second and most famous single of the pack was "Real Love". Peaking at #7 on the Hot 100 and being her second #1 on the R&B charts in a row, the song has been retrospective bait for years on end. The video and its look of baseball jersey and cap mixed with combat boots would be add to the retrospective bait. Two other singles would be released to little fanfare on the Hot 100 but end up within the Top 15 of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts.
Debut artist cliches aside, this was the beginning of Mary's image being permanently molded as "Neo Soul". Despite being named the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Mary ended up starting a niche of R&B/Soul music. Many retrospectives remembered this when Mary made her TV debut on Yo! MTV Raps and were introduced to her at the time especially, unique take on R&B (Apart from the completely matched 90s fashion staple Cross Colours ensemble on Mary) What's the 411? peaked at #6

Late 1994 to early 1995 saw the release of her sophomore effort, My Life. 4 known singles would be spawned from the album, including one of the most covered songs on reality singing competitions.
The lead single "Be Happy" was another modest hit on the Hot 100 peaking at #29 and another solid R&B hit peaking at #6 on the R&B charts.
Then came her cover of the Rose Royce song "I'm Goin' Down". At the time, the song was another modest success peaking at #22 on the Hot 100 and #13 on the R&B charts. This would mark a good point musically as it proved to be her second biggest hit on the Hot 100 at the time. In terms of impact in the future, this song has been covered on singing competition shows like exposes on the news. Name a show, they covered this song. Hell, I remember Sera Hill from S2 and Taylor Beckham from S4 of The Voice covering this song for their Blind Auditions.
Two more songs would be released from the album but the job of the second single helped the album succeed. Yet despite a song like "I'm Goin' Down", My Life only peaked at #7. Despite the peak number keep in mind of this. This is when Blige was battling depression, alcoholism and being rumor-mill fodder with her abusive at the time boyfriend, K-Ci of K-Ci & JoJo.
In her BTM, Blige knew the type of man K-Ci was but also, the person she was at the time. Damaged backgrounds on both ends made their relationship tumultuous. Although it reinforced the belief that pain makes beautiful art.

'95 saw her feature on Method Man's cover of "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need
 to Get By" prove to be a success by going to #3 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the R&B charts.
Then came her soundtrack turned 3rd album contribution, "Not Gon' Cry". Released in '96 to help the soundtrack to Waiting to Exhale, this song became one of Blige's most recognizable and quite possibly her signature tune. It peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 and became her 3rd #1 on the R&B charts.
Released in 1997, Share My World benefited greatly from "Not Gon' Cry" as the album went #1, making this her first album to do so. Subsequent singles "I Can Love You" (U.S. only release), "Everything" and "Seven Days" got more fanfare on the R&B charts [going #2, #2 and #3 respectively]. However, by this album Blige's recurring themes/album mood did show a lighter side as she had made strides in battling the depression and alcoholism in her life.

Her fourth effort, Mary saw a 1999 release. Like her previous work , 4 stateside singles would be released to relative R&B chart fanfare. Lead singles "All That I Can Say" and subsequent releases "Deep Inside", "Give Me You" and "Your Child" each charted within the Top 25 of the R&B charts [#6, #9, #23 and #21 respectively]. Why the Hot 100 chart positions aren't mentioned is because sensationalized crossover status had not yet occurred. "Real Love" and "Not Gon' Cry" came pretty damn close. Yet a #1 on the Hot 100 had been elusive until a reunion with P. Diddy off of her next album did just that. Mary peaked at #2.

2001 saw the release of Blige's 5th effort, No More Drama. The album was reminiscent of her debut; but the lead single managed to do what previous and future singles could not. Become a #1 hit on the Hot 100.
The lead single, "Family Affair" [with the production help of Dr. Dre] became Mary's sole #1 hit on the Hot 100. The single was seen as a major departure from the tormented soul of previous works...that in many ways assured longevity in her career. However, the song would go #1 on both the Hot 100 and the R&B charts. In crossover terms this is idealist appeal; meaning that despite mainstream success, the hardcore base of the act in question did not feel alienated.
Subsequent releases "No More Drama" and "Rainy Dayz" continued the success of the lead single by going #15 and #12 respectively on the Hot 100 and #16 and #8 on the R&B charts respectively. Additionally, "No More Drama" has become a S.T.W.D. on reality singing shows; S.T.W.D. standing for Song That Won't Die [gets covered and performed a lot.] No More Drama peaked at #2.

2003 saw the release of her 6th effort, Love & Life. BTM revealed that part of this was her working with P. Diddy again who after a brief falling out both came together to make this effort. Despite the reunion, the album was met with positive to mixed reviews. Meaning that despite the consistency, this was not the most indicative of either Blige's talent or potential. 3 of the 5 singles released charted in the Top 40 of the Hot 100 and R&B fanfare was a bit slimmer for those 3 singles as they made the Top 25 of the R&B charts. Despite the lukewarm singles placements, Love & Life peaked at #1 starting a 3 album trend of going to #1.

2005 saw the release of her 7th effort, The Breakthrough. This would repeat No More Drama era Mary as the lead single would be strong on the charts. The lead single was "Be Without You". One of her more theatrical releases of the time, the song peaked at #3 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the R&B charts. The music video would be one of her most well received (VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown played this almost every week the video was on its countdown.)
Cut past a surprise collaboration with U2 remaking their hit "One", this seemed to mark Blige's commercial peak in terms of single reception and album peak, even though her next effort would achieve one of these.
The Breakthrough peaked at #1.

2007 saw the release of her 8th album, Growing Pains. The album would spawn three singles, including one of her happiest sounding cuts in her discography. The lead single from the album was "Just Fine". A prelude to the self-confidence anthem wave of 2011 [Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" being the starting point], "Just Fine" in sonic context was the happiest Blige had sounded since "Family Affair" and "Real Love". The video for the song would also be as well received as "Be Without You" VH1 wise. Chart success was moderate on the Hot 100, peaking at #22.
However, this was more return to form [not so much reversal of fortune] of her first album success ratings as the R&B charts seemed to favor her more than the Hot 100. "Just Fine" would be highest peaking of the 3 singles even in that regard, peaking at #3. Subsequent releases "Work That" and "Stay Down" would peak at #16 and #34 respectively.
Even with the slight Hot 100 shunning, Growing Pains peaked at #1.

2009 saw the release of her 9th effort Stronger With Each Tear. The album spawned 3 singles in the U.S. [there was an international only single and an iTunes only cover of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven"] The lead single was "The One", a collaboration with rising Degrassi alum turned rap star Drake. Even with its success in the "urban" market, chart success was modest at best with a peak of #32...on the R&B charts. Subsequent releases "I Am" & "We Got Hood Love" ft. Trey Songz ended up as two Top #25 R&B singles at #4 and #25 respectively.
The reason this section seems short? Raise your hand if you remember the promotion for this particular album? *crickets...katydids...insects...* Promotional shortcomings aside, Stronger With Each Tear peaked at #2.

My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1) is the 10th and most recent studio album from Blige, released in 2011. Here's a slight spoiler in terms of album promotion; it ended up just like its predecessor. O_O The lead single was "25/8". The chart success of this played out like a majority of Blige's work; on the R&B charts [even though her material up until now had been getting favorable buzz from music critics]. "25/8" ended up peaking at #35 on the R&B charts. Other singles "Mr. Wrong" ft. Drake, "Why" ft. Rick Ross and "Don't Mind" would peak at #10, #30 and #35 respectively.
An odd level of success was found with her second collaboration with Drake. Even weirder in theory is that this is the only single from the album to chart on the Hot 100 at #87. In action, this does make sense as by this time, Drake's career was becoming the thing it is now (Even if his music quality is less than impressive.) My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1) given the weirder lack of proper promotion, ended up peaking at #5.

Cut past her acting in a Tyler Perry movie, compilation albums and an attempt to give Mariah Carey a run for her money in "PUN-FERRIFIC Christmas Album Title" realness at the Swear Ball EXTRAVAGANZA (Good try with A Mary Christmas but Mariah still wins with Merry Christmas II You)
With relative likability across all boards, what makes Mary one of many W.W.C.I.I.T.M.I.? She falls under one of the weirdest "Catch 22"/"Damned if You Do & Damned if You Don't" tropes in commercial music.

It took some of her darkest material "Not Gon' Cry" to crack in the Top 5 of the Hot 100, but it was the peppy single "Family Affair" that finally gave her a number 1 hit. Her initial sound was a fusion of Hip-Hop and Soul, yet she's hailed as the best of contemporary R&B. Her heartbreak-laden singles made her but they also seem to pigeonhole her.
At the very least she's a critical and commercial darling to the tune of Shakira [neither of their albums were perceived as duds] but she also found a bit of the Madonna issue discussed in her post c. her Confessions on a Dance Floor. Her consistency as a singles artist wasn't adding up to the critical acclaim and even high album peaks she had attained.
Even some of her collaborations have met Jekyll and Hyde reception. Her second collaboration with Drake was met with mixed reception due to the presence of auto-tune in the song. In this context, this was playing up the sweep of auto-tune that had been taking off since T-Pain made it a huge mainstream thing [even though Cher and even Faith Hill did auto-tune long before then]. Yet that earned better chart fanfare than her collaboration with U2 [in some cases her U2 collaboration was met with less than stellar reviews. O_O]


So in essence, Mary J. Blige is one of many W.W.C.I.I.T.M.I. simply because in career analysis and retrospect, she's been all over the place but has the critical and commercial success to back her place in music up. Even if some of her music reads as "too dark" or some of her other stuff isn't quite up to snuff, there's always been a rare sign of her seeming invested in her music the whole way through. Something that can't be said of other acts in the industry let alone the others in this series.

ALL MALE (Music) REVIEW: "Ultraviolence" by Lana Del Rey

The self described "Lolita lost in the hood"/"Gangster Nancy Sinatra" gets all psychedelic up in this bitch. With the help of the Black Keys lead singer Dan Auerbach, Del Rey's proper follow up to Born to Die has a bit of the psychedelia Auerbach and co. experimented with on their most recent effort Turn Blue.

Admittedly, while Del Rey certainly has the captivation and languish laden melodramatics it's not strange to wonder if that can translate well into Auerbach inspired psychedelic production.

Here's how my review will work. All of the tracks will be judged individually; cohesion will determine the grade of the album later. Obvious factors like singing ability and the instrumental of the song will be included as well.

# of tracks- 11 (this is the standard U.S. edition I'm reviewing.)

# of interludes- 0

Total time of album- 51:24


1. "Cruel World"- It's clear that Auerbach or someone on his team told him who Del Rey is; the instrumentals are surprisingly complimentary to her languid and longing style. At times, the drum production is a touch louder than she is. Still, hypnotizing and pleasant vocals make this a good cut of the overall project. Granted, this is nowhere near indicative of her overall work on this effort. (When she sings the word "candy", it's clear the Electra Complex is alive and well in this one. O_O)

2. "Ultraviolence"- One of the four released singles from the album [3rd overall]. The piano work fits her presentation value. This does serve as a reminder that she's more damaged yet alluring when singing than haunting and "weird". Disconcerting lyrics include "you hit me and it felt like a kiss" and her Electra Complex in Spanish "yo soy la princesa". As eye-popping as those are to hear, this is oddly fitting considering her past works.

3. "Shades of Cool"- Another of the four released singles [2nd overall]. The album version and the version on her YouTube/VEVO channel are radically different. The online version is much darker in instrumental value. The album version while lighter (For Del Rey, mind you) utterly defeats the captivation of the song even though this is the most coquettish/coo-like vocals she's probably allowed herself to do on a major label work. Still, out of the songs so far this one is the most hypnotic [she's really good at singing any lyric with the color "blue" mentioned].

4. "Brooklyn Baby"- Another of the four singles released [4th overall]. The single in other reviews were met with lukewarm reception. Even though it fits her style, others have inferred that of the released singles, this was the weakest. The song itself is more indicative of Del Rey's captivating melancholy than what has been released of the album. The instrumentals on this song seem a bit brooding 90s as opposed to the psychedelic 60s brief the production team wanted to stick to. Not that it's the worst thing ever; it still does its job of assisting in Del Rey's alluring vocals.

5. "West Coast"- The lead single of the four released. Let's take time to celebrate the fact that this went to #17 on the Hot 100. Meaning that aside from "Young and Beautiful" and no remix version, this is her highest charting single in the U.S. There is a huge reason why it's this song. That reason being it is the weirdest and grooviest song of Del Rey's works to date. The single represents the surprising fit of Auerbach's production with Del Rey's style. The vocals on this are so smooth and is most likely the strongest projection of her voice in her entire career thus far.

6. "Sad Girl"- This song does indicate that maybe this was recorded the day of or right after "Cruel World" or even maybe "Shades of Cool". O_O The self effacing [maybe even self deprecating] tone of the song's chorus is a bit caddywhompus (Meaning slightly off; just in case I sound like I'm taking the SATs). Even though it has the stylistic graces of her works past and even present, something about this seems rather too plebian/philistine/glib/simplistic/blatant. A more nuanced/subtle chorus would've fit the song better.

7. "Pretty When You Cry"- The song starts off with Del Rey assuming the "wounded" one a little too melodramatically. This is reminiscent of the Garbage song "Only Happy When it Rains" once the chorus kicks in. It suffers from the same pitfall of the previous track; a bit too blatant for an artist known for being nuanced and theatrical when singing. Part of this could be blamed on the production, but it isn't saying this is a bad song. It's just not the strongest indicator/litmus test of Del Rey.

8. "Money Power Glory"- The song registered as a Del Rey take on the Janis Joplin song "Mercedes Benz". Knowing full well she really doesn't want Money, Power or Glory in reality but is probably castigating modern society's "excess is best" nature. Interestingly, this is weirdly reminiscent of Born to Die production; did this song miss the cut?; was it reworked for Ultraviolence? That can't be said anywhere let alone this review. What can be said is that the song is a touch "try-hard" to be deep, but I'm not blaming Del Rey herself at all.

9. "Fucked My Way Up to the Top"- Winner of most eye-popping single on Ultraviolence. Profane language sounds beautiful out of her (And Lily Allen and RaVaughn) so the title isn't the problem. The song itself is hampered by whether or not Del Rey is telling us through song that she has a salacious alter-ego she sang about first on Born to Die ["Carmen"]; or if this is "Carmen" herself singing (Making this the weirdest take on the Beyoncé/Sasha Fierce trope.) Not that it isn't terrible; at the very least, this adds to the atmospheric quality of the album. A story is being told even if it does sound a bit fucking loony.

10. "Old Money"- The song at first registers as the most minimalist in terms of sonic [sound] quality. Vocally, this is perhaps the safest vocal Del Rey has laid on a track. It's her cover of "Blue Velvet" level subtle compared to at least the rest of this album. The orchestral arrangement sounds fantastic, but the themes of psychedelia haven't shown up in the past 2 to 3 tracks. In terms of cohesion, this is not helping at all.

11. "The Other Woman"- The psychedelia is back. As wonderfully vintage as the song's instrumental is, it can't help but beg the question; which songs missed Ultraviolence altogether; no standard or deluxe version? Admittedly, this does come across as an acid-trip version of the The Wizard of Oz in terms of execution. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but the pacing and cadence of the song went too fast. Psychedelia is supposed to be dealt with much like the substances the music came from; in "dabs". Meaning a dab will do; it is not quantity dependent*

*PSA Moment: Don't do drugs. Motivational groups are scheduled each and every time a young person touches the "illicits". Oh and it can kill you if you don't end up arrested and convicted on possession charges. Don't do drugs.*

Despite that, it is a decent closing track to an overall trippy sounding album.

OVERALL Grade: A very generous B+
Let's get the bad out of the way; cohesion matters and Ultraviolence doesn't fully deliver on that. 2-3 tracks don't have the intended album brief of 60s psychedelic inspiration; one of those tracks sounding like a "barely missed the list" of Born to Die. The "Shades of Cool" instrumental was not like the online version on the album and that really is unacceptable.
The good? For the most part, Auerbach's production of the album did fit Del Rey's style. None more beautiful than "West Coast" and even "Shades of Cool" despite the instrumental gripe. The allure of Del Rey is still as gripping as ever as her singing is some of the most distinctive in the modern field. Her vocals are able to fit the psychedelic briefs because of the theatrics she's known for delivering.
Ultraviolence is worth the buy, even if there are some disconcerting moments production wise.