Filed under: Country Music, Country/Pop, Electropop, Pop Music, Pop/Rock Music | Tags: 1990s, 80's, Country/Pop, Electro-pop, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, Micheal Jackson, Rock
A little over a year ago I had a post discussing how country music seemed to have lacked the quality it used to. As I look back at this post, I can see that I was being a bit biased, as I was comparing the music that I had grown up to as a kid, to the music of my pre-teen and teen years. Besides that, I also did notice that country music in the last year or so has begun to return to a more country/pop sound that was mainstream during the 1990’s, but with a twist. Mainstream Country in the mid to late 1990’s had a more adult contemporary type sound to it. Country music now seems to have more of an 80’s rock vibe to it with some dancy type beats added in. Whether this is good or bad is up to your opinion.
There are also some new trends happening on the pop chart this year as well. Electro-pop has become mainstream thanks to the likes of Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, and Katy Perry. There also seems to be more 80’s like power pop happening. I guess this could be attributed to Micheal Jackson’s passing?
So as 2009 slowly comes to a close, what trends do you think are ahead for music, country and otherwise?
Filed under: Pop Music, Uncategorized | Tags: Already Gone, Beyonce, CBC, Halo, Kelly Clarkson, One Republic, RCA, Ryan Tedder
%20Made%20by%20MrWilliamsTm.jpg "Already Gone")
Looks like Kelly Clarkson may have another big controversy with her label. Her third single, “Already Gone” which will be released August 11th, has been disputed to sound unusually similar to Beyonce’s “Halo” which was a Top 10 hit for Beyonce earlier this year. Ryan Tedder, of One Republic, produced both tracks. Kelly commented on this when she gave an interview with Canada’s CBC news:
“Ryan and I met each other at the record label, before he was working with anyone else. He’s from Oklahoma, I’m from Texas; we got along really well and had some of the same influences. We wrote about six songs together, four or five of them made the album. It was all fine and dandy. I’d never heard of a song called Halo. Her album came out when my album was already being printed. No-one’s gonna be sittin’ at home, thinking ‘Man, Ryan Tedder gave Beyonce and Kelly the same track to write to. No, they’re just gonna be saying I ripped someone off. I called Ryan and said, ‘I don’t understand. Why would you do that?’
Clarkson said she fought with her label to not have the ”Already Gone” on her album but the request was ignored. Then when her label(RCA) chose to release it as single, she again fought for it not to be released, to which they opposed.
Clarkson further stated, “In the end, they’re releasing it without my consent. It sucks, but it’s one of those things I have no control over. I already made my album. At this point, the record company can do whatever they want with it. It’s kind of a shitty situation, but.… You know, you learn.”
I personally think that neither Clarkson or Beyonce should be at blame for this, but instead RCA and Ryan Tedder, who sound like complete a-holes IMO. The two music videos by the two artists are posted below by. Feel free to state your opinions in the comment section.
Filed under: Electropop, Pop Music, Single Reviews | Tags: I Do Not Hook Up, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, My Life Would Suck Without You, single review
Sidenote: I know I have been severly lacking updates on this website, but I promise that I’ll start getting more posts up when school is over.
So Kelly Clarkson made a huge comeback yet again with “My Life Would Suck Without You”. Now comes her follow-up single “I Do Not Hook Up”. Penned by new sensation Katy Perry, Kelly belts out the lyrics with feisty energy telling that certain-someone that she will not be another one-night stand that he won’t remember from the night before. While it looks as if the song comes off as another anti-guy anthem for teen girls everywhere, “I Do Not Hook Up” isn’t a man bash, but a woman standing her ground and knowing that giving into the man isn’t going to help either of them if they want to have a real relationship. If the plot hasn’t drawn you in, you’ll fall in love with Kelly’s vocals as they soar while singing catcy lyrics like “So if you want me, I don’t come cheap. Keep your head on my hand, and your heart on your sleeve.”
Why America makes “My Life Would Suck Without You” a bigger hit than this masterpiece is a complete disgrace to pop music. Even if it doesn’t become a Number One, Kelly, Katy, and the music arrangers should all give themselves props for creating such a brilliant piece of electropop.
A
Filed under: Pop Music, Pop/Rock Music | Tags: 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, Alasis Morissette, Avril Lavigne, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Don't Tell Me, Eragon, Faith Hill, Garth Brooks, Girlfriend, Kelly Clarkson, Kenny Chesney, Let Go, Madonna, My Happy Ending, Pop/Punk, Pop/Rock, Post-Grunge, Reba McEntire, Teen Pop, The Best Damn Thing, Under My Skin
Back in 2002, when I was about 10, I noticed my 23 year old sister had bought the album Let Go by (the then new) Avril Lavigne. Soon after I got a copy of it for myself (I know what a lame little brother, huh?) After giving it one listen I fell in love with pop/rock and the new mature teen pop that was replacing bubblegum pop artists like Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys.
2004 came around and Lavigne was back at it again with her 
sophomore album Under My Skin. While the album didn’t sell as much as her debut, it produced the two hits, the first ”Don’t Tell Me” and the second, the smash hit “My Happy Ending”. The album, in it’s musical right, was darker than the first, with songs showing a darker yet mature side Avril as she dealt with more grown-up subjects. With that said it was still firmly rooted in pop/rock which made it a successful, a little more evolved follow-up to Let Go. In the years that followed Lavigne had been one of my favorite pop/rock female artists, with Kelly Clarkson soon taking her lead.
Then around late 
2006, Lavigne released the hit single “Keep Holding On” for the movie Eragon. The song was a bit of departure from the music she had on her previous albums, with less rock influence on it and more power pop elements, which worked well for the song. Early 2007, Avril’s official first single off her third album The Best Damn Thing, ”Girlfriend” hits radio and becomes one of her biggest career hits. I thought the song was a great rush of pop-punk, but from there on I knew that her new album would be a departure from what we’d seen before. After it was released I didn’t know whether to love it or hate it.
So what’s the point of me blabbering on about this? Well I’ll tell ya! Soon after I began looking at many more artists and how they’re styles have changed from album to album. While some artists have barely changed their musical stylings(Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, and for the most part Reba McEntire), using the “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” formula; Many artists have changed their styles multiple times(Madonna, Faith Hill, Alanis Morissette) to either stay-up with new trends or to keep things different and more fresh.
So my question to everyone; Who are some artists who have made changes in their music, for the worse or better?
Filed under: Electropop, Pop Music, Single Reviews | Tags: All I Ever Wanted, Electropop, Kelly Clarkson, My Life Would Suck Without You
In 2007 Kelly Clarkson made her most artistic album to date with My December, but as with many artistic albums it didn’t do as well as her mainstream 2004 hit album Breakaway. Now,Clarkson is ready to hit the mainstream once again in 2009 with a new album All I Ever Wanted to hit shelves on March 10th and the new single “My Life Would Suck Without You”, just released.
The new single starts off with a much more electronic-pop sound than anything Kelly has recorded before, and who can really blame the girl; Afterall it’s 2009 and electropop is now the leading musical genre in the mainstream.
So what’s the song basically about? In a nutshell, Kelly finds her old flame standing at her door, he tells her that he wants her back, and she takes him back, stating “I know that I’ve got issues, But you’re pretty messed up too, Either way I found out I’m nothing without you..”, along the way. Basically, this is the exact opposite of what “Since U Been Gone” or “Miss Independent” were all about. But while the lyrics may be lacking a bit, the production, musical arrangements, and vocals are top notch.
Just with this single you can probably guess Clarkson is going to have to go back to playing dress up a bit, like Breakaway, and not show us as much of the real her as we saw in My December, but with power pop as catchy as this it won’t be hard to find yourself jamming along with the tune.
B+
Filed under: Album Review, Pop/Rock Music | Tags: Kelly Clarkson, Pop/Rock
This is a new series I’m doing called: Owner’s Review, which is basically me reviewing albums I have collected in my short 15 years of life, so brace yourself, there are some embarrassing ones that will come up ahead. I was a kid of the 90’s after all, there’s bound to be a Backstreet boy album here or there.
Kelly Clarkson, My December
In Early 2007 Kelly Clarkson came back with a vengeance. One listen to “Never Again” and you’ll wonder how
this can be the same girl who was singing about the trouble with love back in 2003. And in the real truth, Kelly Clarkson isn’t the same singer who hit the charts with “A Moment Like This’, right after she won American Idol in 2002. No, Clarkson has evolved not just into an even better singer, but an good artist. Not that there isn’t things lacking from her third album My December, but because of the back story behind this album.
The head of Sony BGM, Clive Davis, was reported to have wanted big changes on the album, with some rumoring that he wanted the whole thing scrapped. Kelly, thank goodness, told him that she wasn’t going to scrap or change it. Her label, also wanted to make big changes on it, since they thought it was too dark and negative. Later reports learned that Clive offered Kelly 10 million dollars to scrap 5 of the songs on the album, to which Clarkson refused.
This behind the scenes stuff is partly what makes you not only like Kelly’s integrity, but gives the album an even bigger purpose. Kelly could’ve decided to just be a singer, who releases Breakaway type albums every two years, but she instead cemented that she was an artist and not just a singer. More on this at the end..
Now onto the music… The first track and single “Never Again”, sounds like a revived and somewhat more PG rated version of Alanis Morrisette’s “You Oughta Know”. The woman narrator in the song in the first verse states all the bad things she hopes for her past flame and his new lover, stating she hopes “the ring you gave to her turns her finger green” and “I hope when your in bed with her, you think of me…” Throughout the song she swears the man off, asking him “does it hurt to know I’ll never be there?/ bet it sucks to see my face everywhere” What works for the track is the catchy lyrics co-written by Kelly. The rhythm and beat of the song are also nicely done.
“One Minute” the second track of the album is another good track off the album. The lyrics are catchy, an fine example “… I know you realize it’s different music playing now” and the rhythm and beat are even better than “Never Again”, with the catchy “a-whoa-o’s” which sound like a remixed version of American Idol’s theme song, making you wonder if it was done on purpose, and therefore making this a high point for the album.
By the third track this is where the album hit’s a bit of rut, “Hole” has the same energy of the past two tracks. The lyrics aren’t as catchy, and while it’s nice to listen to now and then, it doesn’t satisfy as much as the past two tracks.
Luckily, after “Hole” comes the great “Sober”, a nice break from the aggressiveness of the other tracks, and this is where we see Kelly at a somewhat more vulnerable and sensitive point. Think of the track as a pop/rock version of Underwood’s “Wasted” and a nice follow-up of “Addicted” off of Kelly’s previous album Breakaway.
After the refreshing “Sober”, the album again picks back up to where “Hole” had left off with “Don’t Waste Your Time”, luckily it isn’t as rocker-ish as “Hole” and is more like “One Minute” on my so called rocker scale.
Next up is “Judas”, another tell-off track, like “Never Again”. The person who had betrayed her in this song is basically considered her “Judas”, and this track would’ve worked, but after a few listens it comes off a little too aggressive and could also be taken as Kelly comparing herself to Jesus. The musical arrangements save this one from being a complete loss, and it is (like Hole) a good listen every once and a while.
The seventh track “Haunted”, which is like My December’s version of “Hear Me” off Breakaway, having a much darker vibe to it. This track is not one of my favorites, but it is defiantly one of the better tracks off the album, seeming like a better replacement for the void “Hole” had left.
The next track is the much needed “Be Still”, a nice ballad, and a great break from the rocker beats used in the past tracks. This one, like “Sober” show’s Kelly’s sensitivity, and is her at a more vulnerable point so far on this album. So basically, think of yourself lying on a beach and only hearing the waves well and this song going a long with the waves, yeah I know, great mental picture :D
And the album is getting better with the next track, “Maybe”, using just an acoustic guitar throughout most of the song. The lyrics are also more catchy compared to some of the previous tracks.
The next three tracks, “How I Feel”, “Yeah”, and “Can I Have A Kiss”, are all back to kicking up the tempo again. The good thing about all three is they have less of a rock feel and more pop this time, giving some of Kelly’s fans whole like pop more enjoy these ones. “Yeah” also has a couple jazz influences making it a good track off the album.
And here comes “Irvine”, one of the most darkest and coincidentally one of the best of the tracks on this album. Kelly had written the song after performing one night in a bathroom after she had canceled a meet and greet from being so worn out. Another “coincidence” is that the track sounds like Kelly is recording it in a bathroom, giving it an even darker appeal to the already dark lyrics.
Now you’re thinking that’s it? Oh no, there’s one more hidden track after “Irvine” called “Chivas”. Surprising, for a hidden track, it’s good. Like “Maybe” it has an acoustic guitar used, and unlike “Maybe” the guitar is the only instrument used through the whole song, making it a great listen.
So why My December wasn’t the most entertaining album of 2007, it sure wasn’t unsatisfying. The true crime here was radio not embracing some of the truly good songs on this record. Another good thing about the album, is that it is told as a story unlike Clarkson’s previous albums, and this of course has more artistic input. It wasn’t Kelly at her best, but it was definitely her at her most honest and a step in the right direction.
B
Filed under: ACMs, Country Music | Tags: 2008, ACM''s 2008, ACMs, Brooks & Dunn, Country, Kelly Clarkson, Kenny Chesney, Music, Rascall Flats, Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift
Well the ACM’s were last night. So thought I’d post who won(which you country fans should know) and who I think should have won. I’m also curious to here what you guys thought so feel free to comment.
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
- Kenny Chesney
- Brad Paisley
- Rascal Flatts
- George Strait
- Keith Urban
Winner: Kenny of course. This is the first year that they have had the fans vote for the ACM’s, and my vote was to Kenny. Why? You might ask. Well at first it was between Kenny or Brad. Brad seems like a good choice, now I haven’t seen any at a concert(unless you tube videos count.) But I think after Kenny still performed after damaging his foot and still going on to perform without cancelling any shows.
My Choice: Like above Kenny.
TOP MALE VOCALIST
- Rodney Atkins
- Kenny Chesney
- Brad Paisley
- George Strait
- Keith Urban
Winner: Brad Paisley. With number ones like “Letter To Me”, “I’m Still A Guy”, “Ticks”, and “Online”, Paisley is of course the big wine here. But to be honest, as much as I think his music rocks(mostly from things back in the early 2000’s) I can’t help but change the station every time the song is on the radio. “I’m Still A Guy” is meant to be humorous but it’s hard to find the humor, and doesn’t really show true masculinity, but makes it sound like Brad’s just a jerk. The only two songs I’ve liked from him this past year is “Ticks” and “Online”.
My Choice: I think Kenny should’ve one this. I’m not a big time Kenny fan but he had some better hits out this year. Honestly I think Garth Brooks this year was more deserving of this, but of course he’s already got many of these awards and that big one these ACMs.
Kenny really did have some good ones. “Better As A Memory” his recent single you can’t help but like, even if it isn’t his best. “Never Wanted Nothing More” and “Don’t Blink” each sound like lost songs from one of his earlier years. “Shiftwork” with George Strait is also a nice listen. I’m also a little surprised Alan Jackson wasn’t nominated.
TOP FEMALE VOCALIST
- Miranda Lambert
- Martina McBride
- LeAnn Rimes
- Taylor Swift
- Carrie Underwood
Winner: Isn’t it obvious? Yeah Carrie won yet again but we all knew this before last night. Carrie has caused a big fire storm in the country music industry and produed massive hits, some good, some not as great. I mostly dislike many of her songs this year due to the radio doing overkill on playing them. But that’s another story. She does have very good songs but you can’t help but think she’s a little undeserving of it compared to LeAnn Rimes and Martina McBride, but I liked her speech saying she understands she’s undeserving, so you got to give her some credit there.
My Choice: For me it was be LeAnn Rimes, Rimes surprised me this past year with her twangy single “Nothin’ Better To Do”, a great comeback to country music for her. “Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore” and “Good Friend And A Glass Of Wine” also show of the singer’s great vocal range. Taylor coming in for me at close second. I’m really liking her new single “Should’ve Said Now”. I also couldn’t help but want Martina to win, but the only song I really liked from her this past year was “How I Feel”.
TOP VOCAL GROUP
- Diamond Rio
- Eagles
- Emerson Drive
- Little Big Town
- Rascal Flatts
Winner: Of course it was Rascal Flatts, after all they are like the bestest group of male vocalist ever, at least that’s what their female fans think. I don’t know if they really deserved this one though. I mean sure they have had many singles out this year, but they weren’t all that great. The one that I probably liked the most was “Winner At A Losing Game”, and that got old after a while. “Every Day” is played way more than every day making it annoying most of the time. There’s nothing really wrong with their music, except that they never change anything. Their songs all seem alike in aspects.
My Choice: I think Little Big Town was the best option, and the Eagles coming in second. Little Big Town had a really great single with “I’m With The Band” and were great in “Life In A Northern Town”. But there’s always next year right?
TOP VOCAL DUO
- Big & Rich
- Brooks & Dunn
- Halfway To Hazard
- Montgomery Gentry
- Sugarland
Winner: Brooks & Dunn, it seemed like it came to a shock to them, as much as everyone else. But I think this award should’ve been given to somebody else. B&D had one single that I liked this year which was “Proud of The House We Built”. Otherwise “God Must Be Busy” and “Put A Girl In It” just don’t seem to do the duo justice.
My Choice: Sugarland They had many good songs this year especially “Life In A Northern Town” although it wasn’t just them it was still a very good song. “Settlin” and “Everyday America” also were great singles. “Stay” stuttered for me a little. Overall I think they were the best choice.
TOP NEW MALE VOCALIST
- Luke Bryan
- Jack Ingram
- Jake Owen
Winner: Jack Ingram, all I have to say is WTF? No really, this guy ticked me off last year when “Lips Of An Angel” came on. I love Hinder singing it, but this guy just makes it sound way too hick. “Measure Of A Man” is the only decent one from this artist, and “Maybe She’ll Get Lonely” just stinks. I’m sorry if I piss some of his fans off but this guys did not deserve this award.
My Choice: Jake Owen doesn’t do anything to even be nominated along with Luke Bryan. I have to admit I’m disappointed in those two selections, hopefully new good male vocalists will start emerging soon. So I’m going with Jake Owen. But I’m not choosing him because he’s supposedly good at singing, he’s just the final pick. Both “Starting With Me” and “Life In A Northern Town” are to my liking so that’s my choice, not that it will matter.
TOP NEW FEMALE VOCALIST
- Sarah Buxton
- Kellie Pickler
- Taylor Swift
Winner: Taylor Swift. I don’t have much to say to this win except that they were on the money with this one. We knew Taylor would get it, and so did she, although she was in tears when getting it, but come on, Taylor had to have known?
My Choice; Same as the winner, Kellie is also a great choice. Sarah Buxton needs to become more well known and get more singles out before I can decide on that. But I love Taylor’s new singe “Should’ve Said No” is a great choice and is sure to be another hit.
TOP NEW DUO OR VOCAL GROUP
- Carolina Rain
- Lady Antebellum
- The Wreckers
Winner: Lady Antebellum. I’m a little surprised they got this one, there only real single this year was “Love Don’t Live Here” which just became more of a hit, and it no way is my taste. In my opinion it just seems like this award was wasted.
My Choice: The Wreckers, while they have been on hiatus and doing solo work now. I think that they are probably the top choice here, both great singers, and probably the best choice in my opinion.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
- 5th Gear – Brad Paisley (Arista Nashville)
- Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – Miranda Lambert (Columbia)
- Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates – Kenny Chesney (BNA)
- If You’re Going Through Hell – Rodney Atkins (Curb)
- Taylor Swift -Taylor Swift (Big Machine)
Winner: It goes to Miranda Lambert. I’m not complaining on this one though. I think it was a wise decision to have her album be album of the year. The album is great, although I don’t really like “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” or “Gunpowder & Lead” I do love the album. Maybe I don’t like those two songs on the album because I’m a guy, or maybe it’s just a little too rough for me, but I can’t help but sometimes sing along to “Gunpowder & Lead”. This album was a great choice and shocking as well, mostly because we all though Taylor Swift would’ve won. Brad & Kenny also seemed like first choice, but I’m glad it went to Lambert.
My Choice: As stated above Miranda was the best choice. With Taylor as second choice for me. I think both albums are tied in quality. Brad Paisley also had a fairly good album but some of his songs have made me dislike Brad a little.
SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR
- Don’t Blink
Kenny Chesney, Produced by Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney
- Famous In A Small Town
Miranda Lambert, Produced by Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke
- Lost In This Moment
Big & Rich, Produced by Big Kenny, John Rich
- Stay
Sugarland, Produced by Kristian Bush, Byron Gallimore, Jennifer Nettles
- Watching Airplanes
Gary Allan, Produced by Gary Allan , Mark Wright
Winner: Sugarland with “Stay”. Good song, a little too overplayed. But fairly good, I think this one is tied to Lambert’s “Famous In A Small Town”.
My Choice: Like I said above.
SONG OF THE YEAR
- Don’t Blink
Kenny Chesney
Writers: Casey Beathard, Chris Wallin
- Lost In This Moment
Big & Rich
Writers: Keith Anderson, Rodney Clawson, John Rich
- Moments
Emerson Drive
Writers: Dave Berg, Annie Tate, Sam Tate
- Watching You
Rodney Atkins
Writers: Rodney Atkins, Steve Dean, Brian White
From The White House (SESAC)
- Stay
Sugarland
Writer: Jennifer Nettles
Winner: Sugarland with “Stay” yet again. Now this is getting a little bit boring.
My Choice; I think I would’ve picked Kenny Chesney’s “Don’t Blink”, it has a great message, and is still fun to listen to if not overplayed like it was.
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
- Don’t Blink – Kenny Chesney
- Lost In This Moment – Big & Rich
- Online – Brad Paisley
- Stay – Sugarland
- Watching You – Rodney Atkins
Winner: Online to Brad Paisley. I liked the video a lot, it was fun to watch and another great Brad song.
My Choice: Again Online by Brad. Why? Because it is HILARIOUS! I’m serious it’s really really funny, and it has Taylor and Pickler in it as an added bonus. My runner up would’ve been Stay as it was a powerful video.
VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
- Because Of You – Reba McEntire Duet With Kelly Clarkson
- Find Out Who Your Friends Are – Tracy Lawrence With Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney
- Shiftwork – Kenny Chesney Duet With George Strait
- Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore – Bon Jovi Featuring LeAnn Rimes
- What You Give Away – Vince Gill With Sheryl Crow
Winner: Find Out Who Your Friend Are by Tracy Lawerence(w/ Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney). Not my personal choice but it was a decent video.
My Choice: Reba and Kelly should’ve had this one. Great time setting, powerful acting, and just great to watch.
So that’s it for this post. I think the ACM’s are getting better, these past two years have been a little disappointing, and hopefully next year we will get to see more of what we saw here.
