Pop culture--especially fashion and music--moves in cycles, and from the
looks of this week's line-up, 1987 is coming around again; two different
releases recycle the climatic musical finale from "Dirty Dancing." And to think you scoffed when it was
announced Jennifer Grey would be on "Dancing With the
Stars."
The follow-up to the Black Eyed Peas unstoppable 2009 smash "The E.N.D."
kicks off with "The Time (Dirty Bit)," which shamelessly bites a large chunk of
"(I've Had) The Time of My Life," juxtaposed with a relentless electronic riff
that sounds like a robot hornet trapped under glass.
According to will.i.am--who
seems to be suffering from a pretty severe case of Puff Daddy-itis right now (see also: "Check It
Out," the Nicki Minaj joint he fashioned from the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio
Star")--retrofitting the sounds and grooves of early MTV classics with "sick,
crazy beats" was a deliberate part of the quartet's new "The Beginning." In
keeping with the dance floor-friendly vibe of recent hits like "I Gotta Feeling"
and the new disc's pixilated cover art, these cuts are cartoon-ish and
unapologetically slight. Fergie's spotlight turns on "Whenever" and
synth-rocker "The Situation," however, left us more excited about the
possibilities for her next solo album than these warmed-over Peas.
Last year, R&B singer Chrisette Michele scored her first #1 album with
"Epiphany." But don't think success has gone to her head. Although her third
full-length, "Let Freedom Reign," features a single entitled "I'm A Star," that
particular tune-- written by prodigious polymath Ne-Yo--is more about self-empowerment than
chest-thumping braggadocio. The theme of standing up for one's self crops up
again on the spirited kiss-off "Goodbye Game." Elsewhere, Michele's frequent
collaborator Rick Ross lays down some rhymes (and name checks
'80s art star Jean-Michel Basquiat!) on the finger-popping, bittersweet "So In
Love."
Jazmine Sullivan racked up a #1 R&B hit and
even a Grammy Award nomination for her offbeat 2008 jam "Need U Bad," a clever
marriage of reggae, R&B and soul, whipped up with some assistance from her
mentor, Missy Elliott. The Philadelphia vocalist and the
cutting edge hip-hop artist/producer are reunited once more on "Love Me Back," the follow-up to
Sullivan's gold-certified debut "Fearless." The dynamic duo worked together on
three tunes, including "Holding You Down," a lively number anchored by old
school breaks and hooks. Elsewhere, Sullivan serves up frisky feminine funk a la
vintage Prince protégés like Sheila E and Vanity 6 ("Don't Make Me Wait"), while her vocals
on "Love You Long Time" complement the track's martial drum rhythms with
harder-hitting delivery.
Superstar rapper Flo Rida recently announced plans to split up his
latest magnum opus into two distinct discs. The first half of this project is
the melodic and playful "Only One Flo (Part 1)." (The second
part, which promises to focus more squarely on his lyrical skills and verbal
dexterity, is due in early 2011.) Along with his recent David Guetta collaboration "Club Can't Handle Me,"
the disc also includes "Turn Around (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)," a lively club banger
reminiscent of Pitbull's "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" that
incorporates a fat sample from another '80s hit, Yello's "Oh Yeah." The third album from this
Sunshine State artist also features "Why You Up In Here," featuring Gucci Mane and Ludacris, and "Who Dat Girl," which includes a
cameo by Akon as well as production courtesy of Top 40
masterminds Dr. Luke, Max Martin and Benny Blanco.
The second season of the Fox TV hit "Glee" has already spun
off a couple successful discs, including the "Rocky Horror Glee Show" EP and the
soundtrack to their Christmas special. Even without any tunes from those
episodes, "Glee: The Music, Vol. 4" still boasts
plenty of this fall's highlights, including four numbers from the Britney Spears-themed show, a killer rendition of
"River Deep, Mountain High," and Gwyneth Paltrow doing a superlative
job of not embarrassing herself on "Forget You" (the PG-rated revision of Cee-Lo Green's viral smash "F**k You"). This
album's finest moment, however, is the version of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" performed by new cast
member Darren Criss (Blaine), which is now the fastest-selling song in the
show's short but lucrative history. And capping off the eighteen tracks? That's
right: Another version of "(I've Had) The Time of My Life."
http://music.msn.com/music/newthisweek/?icid=MUSIC1>1=MUSIC1
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