MUZZIC

Minggu, 25 September 2011

Justin Bieber-Boyz II Men Collaboration a 'Great Record,' says Morris

9/25/2011 07:35:00 PM DJ's No comments

Boyz II Men's Nathan Morris says that Justin Bieber's forthcoming Christmas album presented the perfect opportunity for the group to collaborate with the teen star.

"We always were thinking about trying to do something together, but we wanted to do something different, where it's not just us on his album," says Morris. "We are two different genres and age groups, so you gotta do something that makes sense, and the Christmas album just made sense."

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The collaboration came together after Boyz II Men ran into Bieber and his manager a year and a half ago in a Los Angeles hotel. "We all hung out in the lobby for a little bit, and when we left, his manager was saying that that's the biggest day of [Bieber's] life, that we're his favorite group," recalls Morris. The group was recently contacted about collaborating on a track, which Morris says will be an original Christmas song and a "great record."

"I used to [sic] listen to their music and practice the runs," Bieber wrote on Twitter on Tuesday (Sept. 15) about recording with the group. "That is how I learned how to sing. Now I'm in the studio with them making music together… I'm honored and blessed. Thank you."

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Boyz II Men know a thing or two about gaining stardom at a young age: the R&B stars recorded their 1991 debut album, "Cooleyhighharmony," as teenagers, and quickly found worldwide success with hits like "Motownphilly" and "End of the Road." Two decades later, Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris will celebrate their 20th anniversary by releasing "Twenty," a double-album featuring 12 new songs as well as eight newly recorded updates on Boyz II Men classics like "I'll Make Love to You" and "On Bended Knee," on Oct. 25.

"For the last seven or eight years, we've been on the road touring," says Morris. "What we've realized is that the origin of Boyz II Men is the classics that people know. They want to hear us sing new stuff, but when we're done with that, they want to hear the classics… It just felt more well-rounded doing an album of new material and re-recording some of our older stuff."

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The group released the album's first single, the Charlie Wilson-assisted "More Than You'll Ever Know," last month. While Bieber's Christmas album does not have a title or release date, Boyz II Men were happy to give the teen superstar some advice about young success before he releases his latest blockbuster CD.

"We always try to tell younger artists in the business to always be prepared for when things don't go right," says Morris. "Nothing lasts forever, and when you do get to a point when things start to change a little bit, if you're mentally ready for it, you'll be able to ride the roller coaster."

Bieber seems to have taken the group's advice to heart: after Boyz II Men posted on Twitter, "Remember what we talked about in the studio Lil bro," the singer replied, "I'm not gonna forget."

Marc Anthony Stands Tall, Thanks Fans in Virtuoso Miami Concert

9/25/2011 07:29:00 PM DJ's No comments

Marc Anthony has often said he's a big fan of Frank Sinatra. But his performance Saturday night as part of the U.S. leg of his tour, with the second of two sold-out shows at the American Airlines Arena (capacity 14,000), was equal parts Frank in style and improvisation and equal parts Mick Jagger in sheer energy and showmanship, with a bonus: Anthony's vocal prowess is unparalleled.

In a nearly two-hour show with only his 16-piece band as a prop -- no fireworks, no dancers, no videos, no wardrobe changes, no tracks or overdubs -- Anthony covered pop, ballads and tropical fare with almost manic -- and unrelenting -- enthusiasm.

The crowd responded in kind, even spontaneously singing happy birthday to Anthony early in the show, without any prompting or accompaniment from the band. And Anthony stood there center stage, all alone, and basked in the love.

Although a high point of the evening was Pitbull's surprise appearance for their hit duet "Rain on Me," it was simply a cherry on top. Anthony may have just split up with one of the most famous women in the planet, but on the concert stage, this man doesn't need anyone -- or anything -- else.

"Whatever I say is misconstrued," he said at one point. "So let me say, thank you for your support. Let's keep it at that."

While Anthony kicked off the show with his biggest pop hit, "I Need To Know," this Miami stop centered more on his Latin repertoire. The classic "Aguanile," popularized by Héctor Lavoe, and which Anthony sang in the film "El Cantante" and most recently in the "American Idol" grand finale, was the backdrop for vocal virtuosity, as was "Hasta que te conocí," his first major hit, which he sings largely a capella or with sparse piano accompaniment.

Anthony is good at pacing his performances and connecting the dots between songs and themes. He's spent time on Broadway -- obvious in his theatrical delivery -- and has said that when he records, he pays special attention to intros, as they will influence his shows.

Here, one could surmise the theme was heartbreak, but then again, that's the theme of most of Anthony's repertoire, in any genre, culminating with the single "Y Cómo es él?" (How is He) from his latest album, "Iconos," which he sang with tears in his eyes (another thing Anthony tends to do in live shows).

Anthony encored with two of his classic salsa hits, ending with "Tu Amor Me Hace Bien," a vocal tour de force hard to execute in any circumstance, much more so when paired with non-stop movement.

"Does he sing opera?" asked a man sitting beside me. "No, but he could."

Anthony continues to play shows in San Diego, Oakland and Los Angeles -- Check his website for more

Name the Inevitable Robert Pattinson Album!

9/25/2011 07:14:00 PM DJ's No comments

The Internet was set ablaze on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 20) after a report surfaced claiming that Robert Pattinson was following his massive success as the star of the "Twilight" film series by recording a solo album. Sadly, a rep for the actor told MTV that the report was untrue, and that Pattinson "is not working on an album right now."

While the day that a Robert Pattinson album arrives on CD shelves is definitely not around the corner, that magical moment could happen someday, right? After all, the actor contributed vocals to "Never Think" and "Let Me Sign," two songs that appeared on the original "Twilight" soundtrack. And with the "Twilight" film series wrapping up next year, Pattinson will certainly have more time to hunker down in the studio with an acoustic guitar and a heart full of dreams.

Until then, let's help Robert Pattinson come up with a name for his eventual debut album. Here are a few suggestions to get the ball rolling:

Sgt. Cullen's Shirtless Hearts Club Band
Tha Patter III
Pale Side of the Moon
It Takes a Nation of Werewolves to Hold Us Back
Vampire Weekends
Get Rich or Die Bitin'

Think you can come up with the best Robert Pattinson album name? Give it your best shot in the comments section below!

Sean Kingston Jet Ski Accident Caused By Inexperience, Police Say

9/25/2011 07:09:00 PM DJ's No comments

Authorities say Sean Kingston's near-fatal May 2011 jet ski accident was the result of carelessness on the pop singer's part.

According to a recent police report obtained by TMZ, "inexperience" and "inattention" were the main culprits causing Kingston to crash his new jet ski into a bridge in Miami Beach on May 29. The Florida native simultaneously turned and released the craft's throttle, causing him to lose control. Kingston and a female passenger were luckily pulled from the water by a nearby boater, and rushed to Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital, where their conditions stabilized.

The impact of the crash left imprints of Kingston's head, arms, and upper chest in the cement bridge.

Sean Kingston "Definitely" Going Jet-Skiing Again

Police say the incident was the result of a beginner's mistake that could have been avoided by taking proper safety classes or consulting the craft's manual. The 21-year old singer has been cited for "careless operation in an accident" and fined $180.

Black Eyed Peas to Play at Michael Jackson Tribute

9/25/2011 07:03:00 PM DJ's No comments

The Black Eyed Peas will perform at next month's Michael Jackson tribute concert in Wales. They'll join Christina Aguilera, Smokey Robinson and Cee Lo Green at the "Michael Forever" show.

Frontman Will.i.am -- who worked with Jackson before the pop star's death in 2009 - said Friday "we all owe Michael such a lot."

He said Jackson's songs "have been an inspiration to my whole life and certainly formed the soundtrack to my childhood."

The Oct. 8 concert at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium will be hosted by actor Jamie Foxx.

The show is not affiliated with Jackson's estate, but his mother Katherine and other relatives are scheduled to attend. Organizers rescinded an offer to the band Kiss over singer Gene Simmons' past criticism of Jackson

iHeartRadio Fest Friday: Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Coldplay Bring the Heat to Vegas

9/25/2011 06:53:00 PM DJ's No comments

The Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am said he would work with Bruno Mars, Jane's Addiction and Coldplay performed new singles and Dr. Dre caused the biggest hubbub in the audience when he and Jimmy Iovine took their seats to catch Jay-Z's set on the first night of the iHeartRadio Music Festival. Other than that, Friday night at the MGM Grand Arena was a glitch-free celebration of radio hits from performers who often find their names high up on the Billboard charts.

Jay-Z closed the evening with a 45-minute set which featured a cameo from Alicia Keys for "Empire State of Mind," while every other act turned in 20 or so minutes of music at "the largest live concert event in radio history," a bit of incalculable hyperbole from the promoter Clear Channel. Breaks between acts were always about five minutes and filled with either videos of performers talking about radio's effect on their careers or else advertisements from State Farm (really?), Budweiser (that made sense) and others. Nearly every seat in the 12,000-capacity was arena was filled within an hour of the 7:30 p.m. start time; the crowd had thinned by about a third as Jay-Z was wrapping up.

PHOTOS: iHeartRadio Music Festival

The short sets meant performers had no time to ease their way in -- it was pedal to the metal from the get-go for each one, as only Coldplay and former "American Idol" champs Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood even offered a ballad. Each act, regardless of how multifaceted they may be in a concert of their own, was forced to show only one side of their personality, which meant fast and furious in every case. It worked best for Alicia Keys, who opted to embrace a soul matron persona, a mature R&B singer emphasizing themes of perseverance and dedication over party anthems of love ballads.

Video: Carrie Underwood Gives Album Update at iHeartRadio Music Fest

Here's the breakdown of Iheartradio's first night, hosted by Ryan Seacrest with Joe Jonas, DJ Elvus Duran and Carrie Underwood introducing acts. In order of appearance:

Black Eyed Peas
Set: "Boom Boom Pow," "Just Can't Get Enough," "Don't Stop the Party," "The Time (Dirty Bit)," "I Gotta Feeling."
Shout outs: A thank you to people supporting them since 1998.
Visuals: Audience was asked to hold up cell phones to illuminate the room; eight dancers.
Performance style: Robotic strutting

Kelly Clarkson
Set: "Since U Been Gone," "Walk Away," "Because of You," "Mr. Know It All," "My Life Would Suck Without You"
Shout outs: Coldplay and Jay-Z
Visuals: A lot of bouncing
Performance style: Full-throated anguish.

Bruno Mars

Set: "Nothin' on You," "Grenade," "Just the Way You Are," Valerie"

Shout outs: Black Eyed Peas, Kelly Clarkson, Amy Winehouse

Visuals: Black and white suits + pompadour = soul singer Jackie Wilson fronting the '70s ska revivalists the Specials.

Performance style: Soul, circa 1961.

Carrie Underwood

Set: "Cowboy Casanova," "Undo It," "Say You Won't," "Last Name," "Before He Cheats"

Shout outs: The entire bill

Visuals: Neon for the opener; interacting with eight-member band.

Performance style: Angry cowgirl with a love for Aerosmith riffs.

Karmin

Set: "Super Bass" cover

Visuals: Guy and gal seated behind an electric piano.

Performance style: Ironic Vegas lounge act.

Jane's Addiction

Set: "Mountain Song," "Been Caught Stealing," "Irresistible Force," "Stop," "Jane Says"

Shout outs: Las Vegas, 1988

Visuals: Two dancers with stripper moves; green lasers shooting into the deepest reaches of space

Performance style: Prototypical metal-meets-punk.

Coldplay

Set: "Viva La Vida," "Clocks," "Rehab" into "Fix You," "Paradise," "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall"

Shout outs: The club they played on their first visit to Las Vegas. A 3 a.m. set and only two patrons.

Visuals: Swirls beamed on the screen behind the band

Performance style: Twirls from Chris Martin in front of the band

Alicia Keys

Set: "Ghetto Story," "You Don't Know My Name," "Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart," "Unthinkable (I'm Ready)," "Empire State of Mind," "No One"

Visuals: The band.

Performance style: Mature matron of R&B

Jay-Z

Set: "Diamonds from Sierra Leone (Remix)," "U Don't Know," "99 Problems," "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)," "On To The Next One," "Empire State of Mind" with Alicia Keys, "Run This Town," "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)," "Jigga What," "Big Pimpin'," "Public Service Announcement," "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)," "Encore"

Shout outs: Alicia Keys

Visuals: Occasional pyrotechnics; a six piece band in a single line across the back of the stage

Performance style: Rooted in the '80s - but without the crossed arms acting as punctuation. Lots of stage prowling, hand waving and requests for screams and hands in the air.