Selena Gomez & The Scene-"Kiss & Tell" Review

After passing the ripe old age of 17, Selena Gomez was faced with quite a bit of pressure to release her debut album. Taking into account that "Kiss & Tell" was released in the fall of 2009, when her best friend Demi Lovato already released her sophomore album, and a widely panned performance on Dancing With the Stars, some cautionary measures were essential into making Gomez's debut album a testament that she could be a successful actress and singer. The first, and most obvious, was realizing that she wasn't going to be musically successful on her own, so she hired a back-up band called The Scene to help her out. And since this is an album from a Disney actress released in the late 2000s, there are also several other collaborators on board (Gina Schock from The Go-Gos gets three writing credits here, as well as FeFe Dobson and Hollywood Records regulars Antonio Armato and Tim James). So much effort is used because so much effort is needed, as that cringe-tastic performance on DWTS proved, Gomez may be convincing on television, but her on record persona is hollow, showing not a sliver of a tangible personality. Adding fuel to the fire is the simple fact that Gomez is an actress first, her vocal abilities are slight and limited, not able to take on big, blown-out productions as seen on other Disney efforts. 

But she lucks out in one regard: her writers and producers are canny enough to realize all of her flaws, so they create a setting in which her voice can fit in with the production. With the loud opening guitar riff aside, much of "Kiss & Tell" is a tempered set that never over-indulges in drippy emotions or garish production, it perfectly glides on a electro-rock pulse. Selena is fortunate enough to have skilled people behind the booth that can mask her vocal deficiencies while dressing her in a formulated personality so all she has to do is lay her voice down. As with any Disney album, "Kiss & Tell" delivers its required payload of fun, frothy teen-pop. "Falling Down" is a pretty good kiss-off to bullies, while "Naturally" is a shiny dance-pop confection that's easily the most well-formed and best track here. That's "Kiss & Tell" at its best; at its worst, however, it feels like Selena is just being dressed in pop hand-me-downs. There's the fifth track "Crush", which could of easily been lifted from Demi Lovato's debut, while "Stop & Erase" is essentially a harder, colder version of Aly and AJ's "Sticks and Stones". That's not to say that they're executed poorly, but the problem is that they have been done before, and by better singers. Then again, this isn't entirely Gomez's fault, as she's hardly in control here; her face is on the cover, but she's not at this album's center, she's simply the face of a carefully calibrated pop machine. The younger version of Britney, if you will (a comparison driven home by the ballad "The Way I Loved You", a vapid, cheesy, and vocally displeasing song that's easily one of the worst ballads ever recorded). All this calculation means that nothing is left to chance, "Kiss & Tell" is a Disney album and hits all the marks that a pop album in 2009 should. Since Kelly Clarkson released her sugar-coated "All I Ever Wanted", Ashley Tisdale brought back early 2000s teen-pop with "Guilty Pleasure", and of course Demi Lovato put out her pop-rock extravaganza "Here We Go Again", Selena follows the path of her peers to get her mark on the already cluttered Disney map. However, without all the calculations, she wouldn't have wound up with such a sturdy pop album. It thankfully doesn't crumble under the weight of its high-fructose confections, it may drag in the middle (due to that turgid ballad), but it doesn't detract from what's otherwise a fun, breezy blast. Bottom line, this is neither a great nor poor album from a Disney actress; it's decent, just like the rest of them.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:

1. Kiss & Tell             2. I Won’t Apologize        3. Falling Down

4. I Promise You      5. Crush                                 6. Naturally

7. The Way I Loved You     8. More                      9. As a Blonde

10. I Don’t Miss You At All            11. Stop & Erase    12. I Got U

13. Tell Me Something I Don’t Know

Song of the Day-"On The Wing" by Owl City

As long as I've got Owl City on the brain, I want to share one of his songs that I've come to fall madly love with. As you probably guessed, it's called "On The Wing", a song from his sophomore album, 2009's "Ocean Eyes". There are several reasons why I feel the need to talk about this specific song because, more than anything he's every recorded, "On The Wing" has syrupy sentimental lyrics and heavily synthesized, electronic music; but it clicks. Also, Adam Young brings the melody to the foreground, while adding more harmony and background effects with each passing minute. It's the kind of song that's equally affecting as it is musically enriching. Coming from Adam Young, this is quite an accomplishment. It stands as a highlight from his entire discography because it's the type of melancholy let peppy music that Adam tries to make, but never quite achieves. Everything about "On The Wing" works, and at some point during the middle, it sucks you into its sway, making you feel that you too are above the ground in a giddy sense of wonder. 

So, with all song dissections, let's start from the beginning. The background harmony is introduced first, and then the melody arrives, followed by Owl City's signature glitchy effects. The music subsides for the opening verse.

"Breathe and I'll carry you away

Into the velvet sky, and we'll stir the stars around

And watch them fall away, into the Hudson Bay

And plummet out of sight and sound

The open summer breeze, will sweep you through the hills

Where I live in the Alpine heights, below the northern lights

I spend my coldest nights alone awake and thinking of

The weekend we were in love"

So it looks like Adam has love in mind. It's not surprising, seeing as how that's his main source of inspiration. He once again uses pastoral imagery as a metaphor of sorts, describing the high you can feel when you're truly in love. After this, the melody and harmony collide again, and this leads into the next verse.

"Home among these mountain tops, can be so awfully dull

A thousand miles from the tide

But photos on the walls, of New York shopping malls

Distract me so I stay inside

I wish the rocket stayed, over the Promenade

Cause I would make a hook and I

Would fish them from the sky, my darling she and I

We're hanging on so take us high, to sing the world goodbye"

More images, more metaphors, more stream of consciousness lyrics that don't really add up to anything specific. They only emphasize the feeling Adam wishes he could have once more, to feel that giddy whirl when his girlfriend and he were so madly in love. This verse then leads directly into the chorus.

"I am floating away, lost in a silent ballet

I'm dreaming I'm out in the blue, and I am right beside you

Awake to take in the view

Late night and early parades, still photos and noisy arcades

My darling we're both on the wing, look down and keep on singing

And we can go anywhere, are you there?"

Probably the most concrete part of this song (yes really), Adam cuts to the chase (sort of), and tells his girl that they're still in love, he's still filled with joy and that they can do anything. In the end, however, he wants to know if she agrees, if she feels the same way. The question "are you there?" is fully explained as we're segued into the bridge.

"Are you there? Or are you just a decoy dream, in my head?

Am I home? Or am I simply tumbling all alone?"

So it's not that simple. "Are you there" is essentially asking if his girlfriend is there at all. Was he just dreaming of spending more time with her? Is he with her, or is he just dreaming of her and in actuality, he's all alone? This is definitely the hardest verse to decipher, since it really could mean anything. But then again, the good majority of Adam's music is based on vague topics and words that don't seem to be connected to each other, thus leading the listener through a song that could have any number of meanings. 

Now for the next 46 seconds, we're treated to a symphony of sounds. Strings, synths, percussion, all building upon each other moment by moment until it leads to a triumphant overture of joy and sound. Needless to say, this is the best part of the entire song, it's aural candy that can pleasure just about anyone. Best of all, it's where Adam succeeds in making music that's other-worldly, beautifully sculpted and wonderfully cheesy. 

The rest of the song repeats the chorus and ends on that same question: "Are you there?". This time, though, it's more of a happy note. Adam's basically inviting his girl for the ride, the journey of love and its dizzying peaks. The music ends on a reprieve of that digital symphony, fading to black as it twirls into nothing. 

I've heard many well written, well produced songs, but I've never witnessed a song as gorgeous as "On The Wing". It definitely takes a few spins to sink in, but as I said before, eventually, you get sucked into its grand, sweeping emotions and feel like you're above the world with Adam. Definitely check this one out, it's one of my favorite songs ever recorded, really.

Playlist: Owl City

Welcome to a new segment, simply called "Playlist". It's the time of the week where I share with you a playlist (...duh) that is usually centered around a certain artist, topic, or sound. This week, it's all about Owl City. Despite my somewhat negative reception to his albums as a whole, I do admit there are very good moments where his escapism and electronic music clicks. These are 17 songs that best showcase his production abilities (lyrics are both good and bad, as with any Owl City song). 

Playlist-Owl City
Duration-59:41

1. Dreams and Disasters
From "The Midsummer Station" (2012)
Choice Lyric: "We won't turn around, we will not slow down. Follow the line through the dreams and disasters"

2. Cave In
From "Ocean Eyes" (2009)
Choice Lyric: "I've had just about enough, of quote "diamonds in the rough", because my backbone is paper thin. Get me out of this cavern, or I'll cave in"

3. The Real World
From "All Things Bright and Beautiful" (2011)
Choice Lyric: "Reality is a lovely place, but I wouldn't want to live there"

4. Deer in the Headlights
From "All Things Bright and Beautiful" (2011)
Choice Lyric: "Didn't you know that love could shine this bright? Well smile because you're the deer in the headlights"

5. Umbrella Beach
From "Ocean Eyes" (2009)
Choice Lyric: "I think dreamy things, as I'm waving goodbye, so I'll spread out my wings and fly"

6. Dreams Don't Turn to Dust
From "All Things Bright and Beautiful" (2011)
Choice Lyric: "When diamonds boast that they can't be crushed, let 'em go because dreams don't turn to dust"

7. I'm Coming After You
From "The Midsummer Station" (2012)
Choice Lyric: "You've got the right to remain right here with me, I'm on your tail in a hot pursuit. Love is high speed chase racing down the street. Woo woo woo, I'm coming after you"

8. Speed of Love
From "The Midsummer Station" (2012)
Choice Lyric: "Oh oh oh like a streak of light. Oh oh oh let the world slide by. Oh oh oh rev your engine up, everybody's racin at the speed of love"

9. Good Time (feat. Carly Rae Jepsen)
From "The Midsummer Station" (2012)
Choice Lyric: "We don't even have to try, it's always a good time"

10. The Bird & The Worm
From "Ocean Eyes" (2009)
Choice Lyric: "To all my pals who live in the oceans and the seas. With friends like these, well, who needs enemis?"

11. Honey and the Bee
From "All Things Bright and Beautiful" (2011)
Choice Lyric: "If the green left the grass on the other side, I would make like a tree leaf. And if I reached for your hand would your eyes get wide? Who knew the other side could be so green?"

12. The Saltwater Room
From "Ocean Eyes" (2009)
Choice Lyric: "You can hear the waves, in underwater caves, as if you actually were inside a saltwater room"

13. On The Wing
From "Ocean Eyes" (2009)
Choice Lyric: "I am floating away, lost in a silent ballet, I'm dreaming I'm out in the blue and I am right beside you, awake to take in the view. Late nights and early parades, still photos and noisy arcades, my darling we're both on the wing, look down and keep on singing"

14. Plant Life
From "All Things Bright and Beautiful" (2011)
Choice Lyric: "I'd rather waltz than walk through the forest. The trees keep the tempo and they sway in time. Quartet of crickets chime in for the chorus, if I were to pluck on your heartstrings, would you pluck on mine?"

15. Vanilla Twilight
From "Ocean Eyes" (2009)
Choice Lyric: "And I'll forget the world that I knew, but I swear I won't forget you. Oh if my voice could reach back to the past, I'd whisper in your ear "Oh darling, I wish you were here""

16. Fireflies
From "Ocean Eyes" (2009)
Choice Lyric: "To ten million fireflies, I'm weird cause I hate goodbyes, I got misty eyes as they said farewell. But I know where several are, if my dreams get real bizarre, cause I saved a few and keep them in a jar"

17. Tidal Wave
From  "Ocean Eyes" (2009)
Choice Lyric: "The end is uncertain, and I've never been so afraid. But I don't need a telescope to see that there's hope, and that makes me feel brave"

Evanescence-"Evanescence" Review

'Tempered' has never been a word associated with Evanescence's music, but it applies to their eponymous third album, arriving five years after 2006's "The Open Door", quit often. Then again, this is not surprising, seeing as how Amy Lee is now the only original member of the group. So, it's actually quite interesting why they would self-title their album now in 2011, well after the blockbuster success of 2003's "Fallen" was over. Perhaps this was meant as a starting fresh move of sorts. While there's certainly no danger of Amy removing her thick mascara, she does feel refreshed in this new line-up. This could also be due in part to a change in producers, from Steve Lilywhite to Nick Raskulinecz. The latter manages to do what seemed to be impossible: retain the intent and mood of Evanescence, while at once expanding their sound and emphasizing the melodies, not the dramatics. Raskulinecz opens the group up, giving Amy's voice plenty of room to roam while the rest of the group subtly adds depth and shade to each passing song. This change of pace comes as a great relief from the oppressing murk of "The Open Door", in which the drama of Ben Moody's departure, and the the songs, was paramount. As aptly depicted by the album cover, "Evanescence" is still plenty dark and dramatic, but there are now hues of blue and purple to create the illusion of warmth. This results in what could be Evanescence's lightest and most consistent album, as there's not one sappy ballad to ruin the mood, no millennial choir to try the listener's tolerance for over-dramatization. Each song, from the excellent opener "What You Want" to the brooding mid-album cut "Sick", is driven by electric guitars and once again, Amy Lee's affecting voice. And while this is not as varied as "Fallen", "Evanescence" is a wonderful sequel to "The Open Door", as now the weight of pretention is behind Amy, which turns this record into the band's most satisfying listen since their debut.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:

1. What You Want           2. Made of Stone       3. The Change

4. My Heart is Broken     5. The Other Side     6. Erase This

7. Lost in Paradise                8. Sick                       9. End of the Dream

10. Oceans                             11. Never Go Back    12. Swimming Home

All Time Hot Billboard 100!

In celebration of The Billboard Hot 100's 55th birthday, they have constructed an All Time Top 100 Songs list. This list only features songs that charted on the Hot 100, and they are ranked by an inverse point system. This means that a song gets 100 points for every week spent at number 1 and vice versa, gets 1 point for every week spent at number 100. Since different eras of the chart had different chart rules, some songs were weighted differently to account for turnover rates over various periods. 

100. Usher-You Make Me Wanna (1997)
Peak: 2

99. fun. and Janelle Monae-We Are Young (2012)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

98. Emotions-Best of My Love (1975)
Peak: 1 (Five Weeks)

97. Maroon 5-One More Night (2012)
Peak: 1 (Nine Weeks)

96. Phil Collins-Another Day in Paradise (1989)
Peak: 1 (Four Weeks)

95. BJ Thomas-Rain Drops Keep Fallin on My Head (1970)
Peak: 1 (Four Weeks)

94. Puff Daddy with Faith Evans and 112-I'll Be Missing You (1997)
Peak: 1 (Eleven Weeks)

93. John Cougar-Hurts So Good (1982)
Peak: 2

92. Roberta Flack-Killing Me Softly with His Song (1973)
Peak: 1 (Five Weeks)

91. Elvis Presley-Are You Lonesome Tonight? (1960)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

90. Foreigner-Waiting for a Girl like You (1981)
Peak: 2

89. Mary J Blige-Family Affair (2001)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

88. All 4 One-I Swear (1994)
Peak: 1 (Eleven Weeks)

87. Sinead O'Connor-Nothing Compares 2 U (1990)
Peak: 1 (Four Weeks)

86. Lionel Richie-All Night Long (All Night) (1983)
Peak: 1 (Four Weeks)

85. The Knack-My Sharona (1979)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

84. Lionel Richie-Say You, Say Me (1985)
Peak: 1 (Four Weeks)

83. Wild Cherry-Play That Funky Music (1976)
Peak: 1 (Three Weeks)

82. Carly Simon-You're So Vain (1973)
Peak: 1 (Three Weeks)

81. Michael Jackson-Billie Jean (1983)
Peak: 1 (Seven Weeks)

80. The Steve Miller Band-Abracadabra (1982)
Peak: 1 (Two Weeks)

79. Coolio and LV-Gangsta's Paradise (1995)
Peak: 1 (Three Weeks)

78. Donna Summer-Hot Stuff (1979)
Peak: 1 (Three Weeks)

77. Shania Twain-You're Still the One (1998)
Peak: 2

76. Marvin Gaye-I Heard It through the Grapevine (1968)
Peak: 1 (Seven Weeks)

75. Nelly and Kelly Rowland-Dilemma (2002)
Peak: 1 (Ten Weeks)

74. Bruno Mars-Just the Way You Are (2010)
Peak: 1 (Four Weeks)

73. The Archies-Sugar, Sugar (1969)
Peak: 1 (Four Weeks)

72. Diana Ross-Upside Down (1980)
Peak: 1 (Four Weeks)

71. Dionne and Friends-That's What Friends Are For (1986)
Peak: 1 (Four Weeks)

70. Paula Abdul-Rush, Rush (1991)
Peak: 1 (Five Weeks)

69. Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder-Ebony and Ivory (1982)
Peak: 1 (Seven Weeks)

68. Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera-Moves Like Jagger (2011)
Peak: 1 (Four Weeks)

67. Tag Team-Whoomp! There It Is (1993)
Peak: 2

66. The 5th Dimension-Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (1969)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

65. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts-I Love Rock'n'Roll (1982)
Peak: 1 (Seven Weeks)

64. Stevie B-Because I Love You (The Postman Song) (1990)
Peak: 1 (Four Weeks)

63. Brandy and Monica-The Boy is Mine (1998)
Peak: 1 (Thirteen Weeks)

62. John Lennon-(Just Like) Starting Over (1980)
Peak: 1 (Five Weeks)

61. J. Geils Band-Centerfold (1982)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

60. Ace of Base-The Sign (1994)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

59. Timbaland and OneRepublic-Apologize (2007)
Peak: 2

58. Kanye West and Jaime Foxx-Gold Digger (2005)
Peak: 1 (Ten Weeks)

57. The Monkees-I'm a Believer (1966)
Peak: 1 (Seven Weeks)

56. Ke$ha-Tik Tok (2010)
Peak: 1 (Nine Weeks)

55. Kenny Rogers-Lady (1980)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

54. Bee Gees-Stayin' Alive (1978)
Peak: 1 (Four Weeks)

53. Mario-Let Me Love You (2005)
Peak: 1 (Nine Weeks)

52. Blondie-Call Me (1980)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

51. The Black Eyed Peas-Boom Boom Pow (2009)
Peak: 1 (Twelve Weeks)

50. Boyz II Men-End of the Road (1992)
Peak: 1 (Thirteen Weeks)

49. Whitney Houston-I Will Always Love You (1993)
Peak: 1 (Fourteen Weeks)

48. Alicia Keys-No One (2007)
Peak: 1 (Five Weeks)

47. Elton John-Candle in the Wind 1997 (1997)
Peak: 1 (Fourteen Weeks)

46. Carly Rae Jepsen-Call Me Maybe (2012)
Peak: 1 (Nine Weeks)

45. Andy Gibb-Shadow Dancing (1978)
Peak: 1 (Seven Weeks)

44. The Beatles-I Want to Hold Your Hand (1964)
Peak: 1 (Seven Weeks)

43. Tommy Edwards-It's All in the Game (1958)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

42. Dawn and Tony Orlando-Tie a Yellow Ribbon... (1973)
Peak: 1 (Four Weeks)

41. Nickelback-How You Remind Me (2002)
Peak: 1 (Four Weeks)

40. Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson-Say, Say, Say (1983)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

39. Queen-Another One Bites the Dust (1980)
Peak: 1 (Three Weeks)

38. Bee Gees-Night Fever (1978)
Peak: 1 (Eight Weeks)

37. Marvin Gaye-Let's Get It On (1973)
Peak: 1 (Two Weeks)

36. Wings-Silly Love Songs (1976)
Peak: 1 (Five Weeks)

35. Savage Garden-Truly, Madly, Deeply (1998)
Peak: 1 (Two Weeks)

34. Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men-One Sweet Day (1996)
Peak: 1 (Sixteen Weeks)

33. Johnny Horton-The Battle of New Orleans (1958)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

32. Bobby Lewis-Tossin and Turnin (1961)
Peak: 1 (Seven Weeks)

31. Adele-Rolling in the Deep (2011)
Peak: 1 (Seven Weeks)

30. Irene Cara-Flashdance...What a Feeling (1983)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

29. Gotye and Kimbra-Somebody That I Used to Know (2012)
Peak: 1 (Eight Weeks)

28. The Police-Every Breath You Take (1983)
Peak: 1 (Eight Weeks)

27. Next-Too Close (1998)
Peak: 1 (Five Weeks)

26. Andy Gibb-I Just Want to be Your Everything (1977)
Peak: 1 (Four Weeks)

25. Flo Rida and T Pain-Low (2008)
Peak: 1 (Ten Weeks)

24. Rihanna and Calvin Harris-We Found Love (2011)
Peak: 1 (Ten Weeks)

23. Survivor-Eye of the Tiger (1982)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

22. Bee Gees-How Deep is Your Love? (1977)
Peak: 1 (Three Weeks)

21. Chic-Le Freak (1977)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

20. Percy Faith-The Theme from 'A Summer Place' (1960)
Peak: 1 (Nine Weeks)

19. Boyz II Men-I'll Make Love to You (1994)
Peak: 1 (Fourteen Weeks)

18. Bryan Adams-(Everything I Do) I Do It For You (1991)
Peak: 1 (Seven Weeks)

17. Jewel-Foolish Games/You Were Meant for Me (1997)
Peak: 2

16. Rod Stewart-Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)  (1976)
Peak: 1 (Eight Weeks)

15. Diana Ross and Lionel Richie-Endless Love (1981)
Peak: 1 (Nine Weeks)

14. Kim Carnes-Bette Davis Eyes (1981)
Peak: 1 (Nine Weeks)

13. Usher, Ludacris, and Lil John-Yeah! (2004)
Peak: 1 (Twelve Weeks)

12. Toni Braxton-Un Break My Heart (1997)
Peak: 1 (Eleven Weeks)

11. Mariah Carey-We Belong Together (2005)
Peak: 1 (Fourteen Weeks)

10. The Beatles-Hey Jude (1968)
Peak: 1 (Nine Weeks)

9. Debby Boone-You Light Up My Life (1977)
Peak: 1 (Ten Weeks)

8. Olivia Newton John-Physical (1981)
Peak: 1 (Ten Weeks)

7. Los Del Rio-The Macarena (1996)
Peak: 1 (Fourteen Weeks)

6. The Black Eyed Peas-I Gotta Feeling (2009)
Peak: 1 (Fourteen Weeks)

5. LMFAO, GoonRock, and Lauren Bennett-Party Rock Anthem (2011)
Peak: 1 (Six Weeks)

4. LeAnn Rimes-How Do I Live? (1997)
Peak: 2

3. Bobby Darin-Mack the Knife (1959)
Peak: 1 (Nine Weeks)

2. Santana and Rob Thomas-Smooth (1999)
Peak: 1 (Twelve Weeks)

1. Chubby Checker-The Twist (1960,1962)
Peak: 1 (Three Weeks over Two Chart Runs)

Music News-8/2/13

So alot happened in the world of music this week, I'll try to update you on as much as possible!

First let's look at the Billboard charts. Selena Gomez scores her first number one album as her "Stars Dance" sold 97,000 copies in its first week. Her previous releases "Kiss and Tell", "A Year Without Rain", and "When the Sun Goes Down" have peaked at numbers 9,4, and 3 respectively. Robin Thicke leads the Hot 100 for an eighth week with "Blurred Lines", extending his record for longest-running number one of 2013 (so far). One Direction blasts in at number 2 with "Best Song Ever" (don't count that chicken before it hatches, ok?). 

Katy Perry announced the name of her new album, due October 22, 2013. It will be called "Prism". Naturally a single will drop first: on August 12, 2013, lead single "Roar" will be released. She posted a promo video for the single in which she burns her old blue wig. She's really serious about this "I want the album to be dark" thing. 

Lana Del Rey caused some stir when an unfinished demo called "So Legit" made its way online. In the song, she takes some not so subtle stabs at now-friend Lady Gaga. Neither Lana or Gaga have commented on the song, but do keep in mind it was written in 2008, well before they became friends (and they are friends now, btw).

Album sales have hit an all time low, as the past five weeks have seen less than 5 million albums sold each week. Single sales are also lower than they have been in past years (albeit much higher than albums. The single/album ratio is now 7:1).

Rihanna, while performing in France, suddenly broke down and started crying, thanking her fans for their support. She took to Twitter that night and said some unsettling things about exes never being there when they should be. Not over Chris Brown, yet?

Beyonce had an altercation with a fan during one of her concerts. Quite literally: her hair was stuck in this fan for several minutes while her glam squad tried to untangle it. They eventually had to cut it off, and Beyonce also took to Twitter that night to reveal a "Halo" re-write, in which she joked about the situation.

After seven years of endless feuding, JoJo has finally decided to call it quits with her record label Da Family Entertainment, and is suing them for their unwillingness to let her go. By law, her deal should have expired in 2011, since in New York, no record label's contract with a minor (she was 13 at the time) can last longer than seven years.

Lady Gaga has revealed the artwork for new single "Applause" (out August 19), describing as "I'm not an icon, I'm every icon". She also has returned to Twitter after a month-long hiatus, and has revealed that the ARTPOP app is free of charge as long as you buy "ARTPOP" the album first. 

In addition to releasing new single "Baby I", Ariana Grande has revealed the title of her debut album "Yours Truly" as well as its release date, September 3, 2013. "Baby I" has already debuted at number 21 on the Hot 100.

That's all for this week (that I can think of, it'll be more detailed as the year goes on, promise!). Please stay in tune as I reveal the latest in music news.

How Madonna became "Madonna"

Madonna.

A seven letter name that carries the weight of so many implications. They range broadly, from musician to business woman, from Kaballah activist to provocateur. In 2013, the Queen of Pop basically goes by any name, since she's adopted so many personalities over her career, it's hard to tell which persona came first. Her net worth has reportedly crossed 1 billion dollars, and she is currently the best selling female artist of all time, with 300 million records sold worldwide. She has 38 top ten hits in the US (more than any other artist), eight number one albums, 43 number one hits on the Hot Club/Dance Play chart, and has won some Grammys to boot. Obviously, her status as an artist is her most prominent position. She's held the honor of the world's best-selling female artist ever since 2000, even when her record sales started to decline, she has kept her grasp on her fame for three decades. Now, Barbra Streisand and Cher have been palpable presences in the world since the 1960s, but neither of them have inspired legions of female artists to strive for musical greatness. True, we can't find another person quite like Cher or Barbra, but imagine a world without Madonna. It would be kind of drab wouldn't it? Like it or not, Madonna hasn't just changed the face of music throughout her career, she's changed the world alot too. 

Without Madonna, things would be very, very different. No Madonna means that we wouldn't have Katy Perry, Fergie, Beyonce, Ke$ha, P!nk, Rihanna, Avril Lavigne, and most importantly, Britney Spears and Lady Gaga. Feel free to argue all you want, but none of those artists would be so successful right now if Madonna didn't blaze the trail for female artists back in 1983. Without her urge to provoke, P!nk, Lady Gaga, and Ke$ha would still be waitressing right now. Without her urge to constantly refine her music and voice, Beyonce and Rihanna would have fallen to the wayside a long time ago. Without her urge to dissect and exploit the act of sex, Katy Perry and Fergie would still be chasing down record labels right now. And come on, who doesn't enjoy laughing at Madge's futile attempts to stay young wearing boy scout outfits and dancing in a viking outfit at the super bowl? 

But in all seriousness, Madonna is still one of the biggest stars on the planet, even after all these years (another fun fact: when Madonna doesn't tour or make new music, she still earns $50 million a year on average). But why is she? What escalated her to this paramount of success? I mean, a 25-year old dancer from Michigan became the Queen of Pop? Well, there are several reasons why she's ranked among the most influential people who've ever lived. Obviously, there's the constant re-inventing of both her sound and image. I'll point out, however, that doing it is not easy, you need to be a flexible and well endowed musician to pull of so many styles and moods as well as she has. You have to be committed too, half-assing never got anyone anywhere, including her. Nope, she goes all in, with varying levels of success, but at least she goes for it full throttle. Although, this has backfired in the past (do I need to bring up the embarrassing "Hard Candy" again?), but every artist will face great highs and lows. And Madonna is sharp enough to know this, always willing to get back up after a stumble. Maybe this constant exertion to be modern and always relevant gets annoying, but at least she still has a finger on the pulse of what's in and what's out. Once a style or sound has expired, she simply moves to the next one. Sadly, she's not on the vanguard like she was in her "Ray of Light" days, but there's still not one pop star as savvy and as sharp as Madge. She exploits her strengths to the hilt while bringing out the strengths in her collaborators, who else can do that in 2013?

That's her best quality: intellect. Madonna is nothing if not smart, as once again, who else can hold on to their massive success for 30 years? Especially in the digital era, how Madonna has been able to keep her presence known is something quite admirable. This once again proving how sharp she really is, because you can't start a career like "Oh My God I'm going to be famous for the next 50 years", it doesn't happen like that. Her constant re-invention isn't just to flash her abilities, however honed their are. It's to keep her moving through the times, releasing albums that transcend well beyond their year of release. Ultimately, though, with all of her keen business savvy aside, the main reason why Madonna has risen above the rest is because of her music. She's a musician, so it makes sense. Let's say for a moment that all throughout her career she just kept rehashing "Lucky Star" and "Holiday". This will keep her prominent for a few years but after awhile, the public will start demanding more. They will eventually forget all about her and move on to the next big thing. 

Madonna was strikingly cunning in her mid 20s to know that she would have to shake things up in order to maintain her interest. You can call this calculation, but then you wouldn't get Madonna, since she's basically built her career on it. Every single song, music video, and tour, she shapes it from the ground up, knowing which trends to accept and which ones to abandon. Inadvertently, in a way, this is what leads to Madonna's insatiable urge to provoke. For every new album she made, she had an accompanying image and eyebrow-raising statement behind it. "Like a Virgin" and "Material" were all about flashing Madonna's knack for style. "Papa Don't Preach" was an energetic statement about teen pregnancy, while the music video for "Like a Prayer" featured stigmata and burning crosses. Then who could forget about "Erotica" in 1992? This was the peak of her provocation, as this album was accompanied with a lite-porn book called "Sex", which featured Madonna in a host of sexually explicit images. This was preceded, very fittingly by "Justify My Love" in 1990. Its music video was immediately banned from MTV and VH1 for being too suggestive; Madonna wasn't phased. After that, she turned down the dramatics and for the next ten years offered her most humane and seductive music. This all changed in 2003, when "American Life" saw Madge rejecting the American dream, and once again she was back to showing disturbing images of war in her music videos. She was quick to atone for this in "Confessions on a Dance Floor", but after that album fizzled, she resided to take the backseat and let her collaborators steer her musical direction from then on. Although she never left her will to raise our eyebrows behind (have you seen her boy-scout outfit lately?), there's no denying that she's not really the provocateur that she used to be.

Ultimately, though, her shameless exploits are just par for the course, because every single thing she did was necessary in the long run. She channeled her ambition into her music, creating some pretty awesome records. And in all honesty, if the music wasn't insanely good, then Madonna would've been just another passing fad. But her eponymous debut back in 1983 wasn't just good; it set the standard for dance-pop for the next 20 years. Also, it proved that Madonna, more than any other artist, was the sole driving force for bringing dance music back into the mainstream again, while sneaking the underground along with it. She picked the right partners to bring her visions to life as well, and even today, anything approved by Madonna is cool. As previously mentioned, she has a sort of perspective that lets her see the immense talent in a songwriter or producer that the public might not exactly see. All these elements taken together is what's made Madonna the most successful female artist of all time.

So now the big question is: who's the next Madonna? Well, this is a tricky subject because in actuality, Madonna is a persona, an entity that really can't be equaled or copied by anyone. Running down the list of potential heirs (deemed by the public and music critics): Britney Spears was considered the next Madonna since she brought teen-pop back to prominence and also sold millions of records while doing it. From a commercial standpoint Britney is very much like the Queen of Pop, but artistically and musically, not so much. Britney really has been nothing more than the figurehead of an enterprise, a perfectly calibrated pop machine that was designed to appeal to the masses. Madonna was calculated, but not that calculated, she didn't rely on flimsy pop filler for her albums and created them with her at their center. Britney doesn't do that, she walks through the motions and just happens to be wildly successful because of it. Then some said that P!nk could possibly be the Princess of Pop. P!nk is the opposite of Britney, she doesn't walk through the motions, she creates them. She varies her music and is always willing to push the envelope, kissing off stupid girls and George W. Bush. Commercially, however, she's not the juggernaut that Britney or Madonna is. She's sold half of what Britney has, and it's harder for P!nk to sell her records, while Britney and Madonna's fly off the shelves. Though this is no fault of her music, which is some of the best in the new millennium, there's also no denying that no matter how provocative P!nk tries to be, the public just doesn't notice. They take her as pure entertainment (I'm pretty sure her live shows don't help). 

Now I'll address the elephant in the room: Lady Gaga. Is she really the next Madonna? Commercially, her success is pitched between P!nk and Britney, and Lady Gaga is no stranger to pushing our buttons and making us notice her (and what she has to say). She's more effective than P!nk in this regard, and her albums are also some of the best music of the new millennium (and they are centered around Gaga, not her management). However, as much as I would love to say that she is, Gaga is not a trendsetter, artistically or stylistically, like Madonna. Lady Gaga whole-heartedly works with her collaborators, feeding off of them and adapting to their personalities. Madonna doesn't do that, she forces her collaborators to adapt to her. 

Sorry to say this, but there isn't going to be another Madonna. There's not going to be another female artist who pushes limits and boundaries, provokes the public, and sells millions of records while doing it. Even if Madonna's career is on the downside now, she's still going to transcend for many years to come, because no other artist in the world makes pop records as intriguing, layered, trendsetting, and intricate then she does.

Madonna.

A seven letter word that carries with it the weight of so many implications.