BEP has had a truely "Sweet Day".

Black Eyed Peas' second single off of The End, "I Gotta Feeling", will soon begin its sixth week at the pole position of the US Hot 100. Those six weeks came directly after 12 weeks (that's 3 months, people!) of "Boom Boom Pow" rocking the top spot. This means we've had 18 weeks of Peas at the #1 position. This also means they have replaced Boyz II Men with the record for the most consecutive weeks at #1 by a duo/group in Hot 100 history. They had two runs at #1 throughout the allustrious 1990's for 16 weeks each.

One of those chart runs for B2M was thanks to this sweepingly cry-worthy stunner "One Sweet Day", which was a duet with Mariah Carey back in '95. Take a listen below. They just don't make 'em like that anymore, now do they? Get out your tissues, people.

Back In the Day: PYT, Are You Still Down For Me?

With the influx of new girl groups starting to pour out onto the ether, I am drawn to ten years prior, a time when, like now, pop groups were a dime a dozen and seemed to be arriving at an astonishing rate. We now live in a music world forever changed by illegal downloading and MySpace Profiles, but just ten short years ago, so much was different, and yet so much was the same. So I present to you, a special girl group edition of 'Back In the Day'.

For fans of pop girl groups, the most famous American groups that came out of the 1990s/2000s group were Destiny's Child and Dream. However, there was one girl group who I for one adored since day one, yet never got to realize their true potential, due to stupidity in the label's marketing department, in-fighting, and the ever-popular delay delay delays.

PYT (who's name was never truly confirmed, as in the beginning, it stood for "Prove Yourself True", and as the years wore on, took on the obvious reference from the Michael Jackson song, "Pretty Young Thing") was a four piece girl group (in the picture to the right: upside down left to right -- Tracy Williams, Ashley Niven; right side up left to right -- Lauren Mayhew, Lydia Bell; back in 1999) signed to Epic Records in the late 1990's/early 2000's, and released their debut album, PYT (Down With Me) in mid-2001.

The group was made up of teenage friends from Tampa, FL, and they won their deal with Epic after reading about a contest for singers in a teen magazine. They were managed for a time by super-pop-manager Johnny Wright, and had opened for *NSYNC, Britney Spears, 98 Degrees and Destiny's Child, as well as appearing in labelmate Mandy Moore's debut music video for "Candy."

The group "released" three "first" singles (the very poppy "Something More Beautiful", the more urban "PYT (Down With Me)" -- the above music video -- and the hip hop tingled "Same Ol' Same Ol'" -- which was the debut of Epic's then new artist, Sarai) before the album dropped in August of 2001. Shortly thereafter, the group was dropped from the Epic Records roster due to slow sales and the four members friendship clearly started to disintegrate. For more info, watch their label-produced EPK for the specifics.

Rumors began to circulate of Lydia Bell and Lauren Mayhew being asked to leave by the label, that Ashley Niven was approached with various solo deals, and that Tracy Williams was offered to join a new girl group. No one knows the real story except the girls themselves, and I am not one to speculate on this matter, as this group is very dear to me.

What did happen however was that Tracy joined/formed a new more dance/hip hop inspired girl group. Ashley pursued college, and has only recently gotten back into pursuing music. Lauren went down the acting road, as well as attending college in California. She released a solo album in 2006. I'm unsure what Lydia Bell has been up to -- if she has a music page, I cannot find it. I do know she has ditched her cutesy long blonde hair look in favor of a more reddish, shorter, La Roux type style. **Update**: Thanks to Lydia herself, I can tell you she is still pursuing music, but more of the jazz vein, as well as theater.

Ashley Niven (in the pic below, all the way to the left) was the undisputed lead singer of PYT with a voice that then, at the ages of 13-15, knocked your socks off. She joined a new Christian inspired band with two other young women entitled Encore. The MySpace hasn't been updated since mid-2008, but take a listen to hear how incredible they sound acapella. If you listen to "Christmas Medley Part 1", the second voice you hear around the :13 mark ("Hearts unfold like flowers...") is most definitely Ms. Niven.

Tracy Williams was one of the alto singers of the group, went on to form her own girl group, UC3. After they disbanded, I'm guessing in late 2007, she began working on solo work. You can follow her on Twitter, or check out her solo tunes on MySpace. She signed up with Universal (specific label unknown), and dropped a rhythmic single in the summer of 2008 dubbed "Instant Gratification". Her most recent single is called "Diva" (woot!), and it's available on iTunes. "Can you keep up with Ms. Tracy Williams?" It reminds me of a lighter, poppier version of Jessi Malay's "Topsy Turvy".

Post PYT, Lauren and fellow group member Lydia Bell formed a group called Turning Point, but that fell through, and both went their seperate ways.

Lauren rarely had solos in the group, but due to her curly hair and sparkly demeanor, she was always my personal favorite. She was more of the actress of the group, with a recurring role on the soap opera "Guiding Light" long before PYT took proper flight. You can also follow her on Twitter. Her solo project is more my speed than Tracy's -- it's a rock, pop, electro-y fusion via a full album independantly (released on iTunes back in 2006) entitled Mayhem, a play on her last name. She has since gone quite blonde, and tends to straighten her hair (boo! we were twins!). However, I dig she really went for it, considering she was more of a background singer in PYT, so as she says in "Buckle Up": "It's gonna be about me/Buckle up now/I'll take the world by storm." Check it all out at her MySpace.

To this day, PYT (Down With Me) is still a fun record for me to dance to and reminisce, and it's a true crying shame that they weren't launched properly and it all fell apart. It was because of these girls, who are my age or a little bit older, than helped inspire me to pursue a career in the music business. My first venture into web design/blogging was via a fansite for them (not to toot my own horn, but it was one of the more popular ones for them). I'm happy that for the most part, they are still pursuing it -- but now, I can really appreciate how much they were given at such a young age.

Rare Boy Band Sighting in Times Square

Fangirls, you may wanna sit down for this one, as this was a total semi-starstruck moment for me -- and I suppose you'd want to live vicariously through me for that second. Hence this retelling:

This past Friday, I was walking around Times Square, entertaining my Aunt who had come to visit me to check out my downtown apartment for the first time since I've moved in. We were just talking while walking, and I look ahead of me to see a young man who looks very familiar, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why. It's that weird sense of deja-vu that hits you and you feel like you have some kind of memory disease because you know you know them from somewhere, you just can't remember where.

That has happened a few times to me here -- seeing celebrities (well, more like quasi-celebrities) and going into shellshock because you know you just saw somebody but who it is...you can't really place.

Anywho, I knew he was from some boy band, obviously not a band I was particularly into if I couldn't remember his name right off the bat. I kind of smile to myself, but there's no point bringing it up to my aunt who gabbered on to me earlier that day about how egotistical Kenan Wurst is. ::rolls eyes:: ("Uh...you mean Kanye West?")

So, we keep walking, and I'm listening to one of my aunt's work stories, when I literally walk right into this young dark-haired-ish guy, who couldn't have been much taller than me (and I'm 4'11). He touches my arm and says, "Excuse me, are you alright?" His voice had a destinct hispanic accent.

A blonde boy with too much hair product that he was walking with says, "Wow, you slammed right into her. You sure you're okay?"

The voice sounded very familiar. I looked over at him.

It was Justin "JJ" Thorne. If that name doesn't ring bells to you, he used to be the blonde member of NLT. Then it clicked. The boy from before, and the boy he was walking with that I walked into -- Chris Moy and Jose Bordonanda, formerly of (the new) Menudo. I had inadvertently stumbled upon 3/4 of new "super boy band" One Call. If the fourth (newbie "AG") was with them, I didn't notice him. Sorry, buddy.

(For those of you who aren't as familiar: in the back -- AG & Chris; sitting -- Jose; standing in the foreground -- Justin)

The group was in town probably because they had a show the following day in New Jersey, their last before a month of presumable lockdown rehersals before joining Kristinia DeBarge as opening acts for the return of Britney Spears' "Circus" tour to North America.

A part of me was secretly hoping that I would catch a glimpse of former NLT-er V Sevani (and his brother Adam) as "Step Up 3D" has just begun filming not far from my apartment (or so they say...I've yet to see any actual film crews). So...this will have to do to fulfill the hole in my heart that was created ever since I heard word of NLT's passing as a band.

When I saw JJ's face, the inner 12-year-old fangirl inside of me wanted to say in a high pitched voice, "YOU'RE JJ FROM NLT!".

I'm glad I refrained. He probably would have thought badly of me.

Their MySpace page has been spruced up quite a bit since I've last checked in on them, but there's still no official music. I'm guessing it will be unveiled quite soon in light of the tour with Britney. You can check it out here.

Back In The Day: Wicky-Wicky Wild Wild

Ten years ago today, this was the #1 song in the United States of America. It's Will Smith, from his sophomore "solo" album under his legal name Will Smith, dubbed Willennium (get it? heh), and also the lead single from the film of the same name that Will starred in (and apparently turned down the lead in "The Matrix" film series for...wow). It also features Dru Hill (read: Sisqo) and Kool Mo Dee, and has a very prominent Stevie Wonder sample (who also appears in the video). The music video is chock full of celebrities, and it's clear that Will was attempting to continue the tradition started by Michael Jackson, creating the mini-movie that is the music video. It was the second of two US #1's for The Fresh Prince's real ego, the first being the 1990's classic: "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It". Watch it and tell me it don't feel good. I dare you.

Everybody's Talking: Neon Sky

No, this is not a post about a ripoff Nina Sky-wannabe band. That would be sad.

Picture a more respectable version (musically) of Fergie (aesthetically) coupled with a voice that's a mashup of Pixie Lott, Lily Allen, old school Nelly Furtado, Duffy, Amy Winehouse and someone else I can't identify, complete with mid-tempo, laid back tunes that sound throwback without trying too hard mixing with new school R&Pop. You would get something sort of like Neon Hitch.

If you find the millions of carbon-copied Lady Gaga's that seem to be coming out of the woodwork at a frightening pace exhausting, Neon will be a refreshing sound for you. The singer was an inspired MySpace indie until this past June when she signed with EMI. Clearly, her brand of relaxed but inspired folk combined with handclaps and not-so-in-your-face backbeats made an impression.

You can peruse four different tracks on her MySpace. The supposed single, "Black and Blues", is very good indeed, but "Black Sunshine" really grabbed my attention as well -- both would be a welcomed entry into the pop radio airwaves. And if you're so inclined, you can find a download to her brilliant song "My Book" (as well as a electro-fied remix of "Black and Blues" that makes her sound very Pixie "Mama Do" indeed...at least to me) through the fantastically useful HypeM.
Just saying.

If mid-tempo indie pop isn't your thing, don't worry. EMI certainly is stepping up their game, as another one of their latest signees, Sky Ferreira, is also kicking up some dust in terms of buzz. I first learned her name a few months back when she was profiled by a British blog that was also featuring one of the groups I was working with back at my internship. I never had the chance to look more into her, and now, given the comparison's to Lady Gaga, my interest became peaked again to hear just what she brings to the pop table.

16-year-old Sky's husky voice is very reminiscent to me of one of my favorite imports from Canada (eh?), Skye Sweetnam. However, while Skye is more punk-pop gone electro, Sky Ferreira is pure pop through and through gone electro hipster. While her voice leaves much to be desired in terms of sangability, she does the melodic electro pop thing well. "Stand Back" is a funky little head-bopper, but it's her contribution to The Virgin's "Teen Lovers" that interests me most.

Personally, I'm not seeing the Lady Gaga comparison (unless there is material that suggests this that isn't on the 'nets just yet), but she could be one to watch in the next few months.

Mel Interupts This Blog With Big News

I will be attending the September 12, 2009 show of Kings of Leon, and their opening act (at least to my knowledge anyway) Glasvegas. This is very big news for me indeed, considering my now seven month long crush on Caleb Followill and the mere fact that I haven't been to a proper show that hasn't been put on by my job since last summer. Very big news, indeed. Expect a full fledged assault of a review and hopefully some snazzy pictures once the time comes. Squeee!

You may now continue with your regularly scheduled blog reading.

Demi 'Goes Again' With Mixed Results

16-year-old Demi Lovato came into the musical consciousness of moi in late 2007 when word first broke about the incredibadness that was Disney's 'Camp Rock', starring the Jonas Brothers. Demi played the main lead, and won me over with her earnest grin and big voice.

I didn't become a full Lovato Lover until I saw her perform live when I saw her open for the brothers Jonas last summer. I was truly shocked by just how deep and sort of dark her material was. She could swagger and rock the best of them (on some tracks) with a bizarre intensity, and I certainly wasn't expecting that from a Disney Darling. I suppose I should have seen it coming from a self-processed "metal head"...

In one of the fastest turn-arounds in recent memory (a cue she surely took from her "brothers"), Demi has unleashed upon the world her sophomore album, the aptly titled Here We Go Again, this past Tuesday. Demi has stated from go that this album will be much more her, and less Jonai-infused pop rock than her 2008 debut, Don't Forget. Anyone who's listened to her first album could feel the brother's influence -- in addition to their duet ("On the Line"), the Jonas Brothers theselves co-wrote six of the album's eleven tracks (including the totally different and uh-mazing bonus cut, "Behind Enemy Lines"). Heck, "La La Land" opened with the same guitar riff that was featured in JB's "Video Girl" from their A Little Bit Longer album that was released around the same time.

With Here We Go Again, Demi is straying from her Jonas-gaze, but once again asserts how involved she wants to be in the creative process. She wrote or co-wrote eleven of the fourteen tracks on this disc (and wrote/co-wrote nine of the eleven from her debut). So for the haters who choose to believe Demi is just a Disney Puppet, think again. It's also quite clear Ms. Lovato yearns for a day when her name can be mentioned without also mentioning the Jonas boys, but unfortunately for her, that day isn't quite here yet.

This record is clearly a transitional piece, a proverbial bridge toward a more mature mod-pop-rock sound than her previous Disney-fied Paramore-wannabe type of sound. She still has new material for strict fans of her older catalogue, but the bulk of this album attempts to straddle the line between rock out and softer adult contemporary mid-tempo jams. For those of you who are like me, hoping for more material like "Behind Enemy Lines", you will be happy campers. Bad joke? Yes? No?

The set opens with "Here We Go Again", the first single. My main complaint was it felt too generic. After the influx of pop-rock singles ("So What", "My Life Would...", "It's Alright..."), this doesn't stand out to me. That thought aside, there is no denying Demi's vocal prowess and the song is very singable and catchy. I just wish she went a more distinguishing route with the first single. At times, it sounds like to me like a re-hashed, slightly more mid-tempo version of her debut single, "Get Back", and why re-tread water?

"Solo" was written by the production team that brought us Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn", Beyonce's "Listen" (off the 'DreamGirls' soundtrack) and Miley Cyrus' "Start All Over" (and they also wrote a later song in this set, "Quiet"). The song is sonically familiar territory for Lovato fans. The guitars start to drown out her beautiful voice (especially during the chorus), but I do enjoy the interesting key choices and play-on-words lyrics ("Solo" and "So Low"), with some choice words for a playboy actor. Wonder who brought this on?

When I first saw "U Got Nothin' On Me" as a song title, I cringed. Then I heard the song and it quickly became an early favorite of the set. The song is pure 70's rock soul rehashed to fit a post-millennial world of auto-tune and electro. It's ridiculously refreshing for an electro-girl like me, and for whatever reason, reminds me of Fleetwood Mac. Take that for what you will. The lyrics are relatable and inventive for someone in her genre, a mantra that continues to be supported throughout the perusal of the album.

"Falling Over Me" is another personal favorite, complete with gorgeous plunky-ness of piano, driving (but muted) guitars, and Demi harnassing that big voice of hers. The song was co-written by the ridiculously talented Jon McLaughlin, and I'm guessing that's him singing backups as well. As always, Demi impresses me with her penchant for writing relatable but refreshing lyrics ("Who you are is falling over me/Who you are has got me on my knees").

"Quiet" opens soft, hushed, emotional, before launching into the chorus with the apropos words, "It's much too quiet in here!" I would have liked a bit more contrast between the soft and loud, but for most, I think her voice is just perfect as at times (on her debut anyway) it bordered on being too intense. It's clear Demi has learned and matured into her voice over the past year...

Fan favorite "Catch Me" opens sounding very "Don't Forget" (my fave off of her debut of the same name) in note choices and tempo. As the chorus comes in, a soft and sonorous cello melts in counterpoint (and in the second verse, it's a full orchestral trio). Once again, the lyrics strike me especially since this track in particular was written soley by Lovato herself:

"See this heart
Won't settle down
Like a child running scared
From a clown
I'm terrified of what you'll do
My stomach screams
Just when I look at you"

However, as we run the 2:30 bend, the drums kick in and a perfectly beautiful soft song is turned into an attempt at being rock-epic. It ends on a soft note, so my only complaint is that tempo change.

"Every Time You Lie" begins with record popping in an attempt to sound vintage and has a distinctly blues-y sound. It's another McLaughlin collaboration and it shows in a good way. This is a style that suits Demi's big voice like butter on bread. It's more modern-but-vintage-sounding Chrisette Michele than Christina Aguilera during her 'Back to Basic' era, and it does Demi just fine.

"Got Dynamite" boasts the biggest producer in terms of mainstream pop production: Evan "Kidd" Bogart (Beyonce's "Halo", NLT (RIP) 's "Karma", Rihanna's "SOS", Brandy's "Right Here (Departed)", Blake Lewis' "Surrender", Jessi Malay's "Gimme", nay I go on), who also tends to be a frequent collaborator with J.R. Rotem. High stakes indeed. For those of you who dug "Get Back", this one's for you, as it returns Demi to her rock-out mode, minus the childlike lyrics ("Tell me what you got to break down the walls/You just might need dynamite"). You expect it to go about a notch more intense, but again -- I dig this controlled (vocally speaking) Demi.

Girlfriend returns to her roots in the only real callback to her Jonai-influenced past (see her to the left with Kevin, Joe and Nick themselves) with "Stop the World", a mid-tempo jammer, co-written with peer brother Nick Jonas and often Jonai collaborator PJ Bianco ("When You Look Me Eyes" anyone?). Demi and Nick are a well-matched pair in terms of lyrics, but I don't find this song particularly memorable.

One of the big hypes associated with Demi's new project was it would boast a few songs co-written by John Mayer, but "World of Chances" is the only track with Mayer that made it to the final tracklist (for whatever reason -- I was really looking forward to hearing "For the Love of A Daughter" which riffs on her parent's divorce and her estranged relationship with her father...fingers crossed it will leak as a bonus track). I suppose I can hear this as a Mayer track complete with acoustic guitar and breathy-ish vocals). Again, I don't find it heart-stoppingly good, but rather kind of meh.

Another early fan favorite, "Remember December" verges on electro with that stuttery back beat, which is certainly new terrain. It almost sounds video-game-esque, like a girl in chase mode. Interesting, indeed. Toby Gad, who was a repeat offender (in a good way) on Jordin Sparks' sophomore album (that was released the same day as Here We Go Again) with supreme successes, appears here for Demi with "Everything You're Not", helping close out the set. It cues up sounding almost like a twinkling music box, but despite it's soft and romantic air, the lyrics paint a different picture of moving on from painful heartbreak, and the tempo kicks up with crunchy guitars during the choruses. It seems to be a familiar topic for Ms. Lovato (at 16?), and by the end of the set, you become a bit weary of a similar sounding thing. However, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, the lyrics once again strike me with their imagery:

"And I'm done with your twisted symphony
The words that had me sound like stolen poetry
I tore the pages and I can finally breathe"

I personally feel the final tracks, "Gift of A Friend" and "So Far So Great" (which is the theme song to Demi's Disney sitcom, 'Sonny With A Chance') were clearly tacked on by Disney to be used in future compliations sets ("Radio Disney Presents...Part 511!"), but that doesn't necessarily mean its a bad thing. "Gift of A Friend" is a trademark Disney ballad of love, friendship and hope, along the lines of "Colors of the Wind" or "Reflection", and Demi's voice temper it perfectly. I have no doubt it will be packaged with some upcoming Disney film, no? It would work great as the credits song to the next big animated Disney hit. As for the final track, I'm not so familiar with 'Sonny', but it is along the lines of 'Hannah Montana' mashed with 'All That'...or so they say. "So Far So Great" harkens Demi back to her 'Camp Rock' persona, and the lyrics are chock full with the mantra of "reach for your dreams". It's perfectly enjoyable for the inner Radio-Disney geek in you, but its inclusion on this set feels quite forced.

For the most part, Here We Go Again helps establish Demi on her own terms, and while the majority of the record is very enjoyable if you're in that chill mood, only a handful of songs wowed me enough to immediately put them on repeat. It's the type of record that you'd want to listen to (mostly) beginning to end when the situation called, but I feel Disney will have trouble attempting to market this properly as it's much beyond their call of duty (hence their attempt to market her as a mini-Avril with "La La Land" and "Get Back" last year). Overall, the ball is clearly in Demi's court, and I think that suits her just fine.

This is (not) a Sad Song.

My friends, it is here. After what feels like forever, Blake Lewis has finally unleashed on the world in full HQ length his new dance-electro single "Sad Song", from the upcoming album, Heartbreak on Vinyl. The album is the followup to his ridiculously amazing (and criminally underrated) debut, A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream).

I can't even begin to tell you how long I've been waiting to hear new material from Blake. While I was more a fan of the other half of the fan-worshipped Bliss/Cake (that would be Chris Richardson for those of you who aren't creepy like me) during his tenure on 'Idol', I will admit to being won over by his covers of "Virtual Insanity", "Time of the Season," and "You Give Love A Bad Name". Then A.D.D. came out and I was awestruck by its sheer brilliance. It's one of the few albums that have come out in recent years where you can literally listen to the whole thing all the way through with no skips no matter what mood you're in.

"Sad Song" continues Blake's new progression into more of an electro-ish mode. He dabbled with it on A.D.D., but his true transition seemed to be his cover of Flock of Seagulls' 80's hit "I Ran (So Far Away)" with Darude ("Sandstorm", anyone?). It's not earthshattering, but it's certainly danceable and fun to bop along to, and helps solidify Blake's street cred in the dance community. Honestly, it sounds very 80's (in a good way) that makes it almost seem like it was from that time and was shelved until 2009.

Blake has never really been one to conform to the 'Idol' norms, and one of the reasons why A.D.D. was judged as such a sales failure was because it was difficult to market it in a 'Idol' cash cow way. Hence the fact that the most upbeat, mainstream pop sounding song on the whole record was released as the first (and only backed) single ("Break Anotha"), which I always felt was really the weakest track on the whole album. I fear Mr. Adam Lambert could have a similar fate, but then again, I always kind of felt he was a poor man's Blake anyhow. Either way, I'm glad that Blake has forged ahead with his sophomore release (due out in October, last I heard) now sans the 'American Idol' major label backing. Because, at the end of the day, it's his core fanbase alone who he ever really wanted to please, and he is certainly doing just that.

"Sad Song" clinches the fact that Blake was (and probably always will be) the most original artist to ever come out of "American Idol", and I'm proud to say I've supported him since then.

For Jordin, Love Is A Battlefield

Jordin Sparks returns with her sophomore album, Battlefield, in stores tomorrow. Jordin is an alumna of the 'American Idol' grind, during one it's better years in my opinion (Season 6 - also bringing us Blake Lewis, Chris Richardson, Melinda Doolittle -- case in point). While I'd admit to rooting for the three above (usually more than Jordin), in the end, I was glad she won -- because in terms of voice, persona and likeability (and the odds of selling in mass quanities), there is no question Jordin was it for her year. Girlfriend can deliver on those pipes (after she performed "I Who Have Nothing", I was hooked), and after seeing her live on the AI tour those few years ago, I was truly struck by how big her voice really is, and yet it feels so effortless.

Her debut album, the self-titled Jordin Sparks, was a worthy entry into the fickle pop music market, bringing us "Tattoo", "No Air" and "One Step At A Time", which all still sound awesome on the radio, and I'll admit to singing along to the former when I was in Macy's just a few days ago. To hell with stares. :)

With Battlefield, Jordin attempts to continue prove her worth, yet stay percievable as the young'in she is -- even I tend to forget the fact that she is 19 years old! And I'm here to tell you, the record is well worthy the money.

The set opens with the mid-tempo "Walking On Snow", which leaked a few weeks ago, a product of Lucas, who wrote the epic Pussycat Dolls song "I Hate This Part." This is a more upbeat version of the PCD track, as Jordin's vocals help convey that ever-popular uptempo-ballad. The lyrics are gorgeous and sweeping. I definitely hear this being on the radio...it's the type of thing Kristinia DeBarge probably salivated over but ended up with that Varsity Fanclub "leftover".

We segue into "Battlefield." What's to be said that hasn't already been said? This one is a Ryan Tedder track for the ages, and it's a real shame there aren't more Tedder collabos with Jordin, as I think she can easily compete with Leona in the voice department. Sure, it may sound like every other Tedder production ("Bleeding Love", "Halo", "Strangers"), but you know what? When it sounds like this, that doesn't really matter. The biggest shame is it wasn't the big hit it should have been right out of the box. I truly feel it's one of those songs that will stand the test of time in terms of listenability, and if it isn't overused to the point of skull-bashing on the upcoming season of "Idol", I will be VERY upset. But then again...

(Mel's Note: Am I the only one who thinks Jordin should add the chorus of Pat Benatar's "Love Is A Battlefield" in there somewhere for her live performance of this song? How amazing would that be?)

When I heard Jordin was covering one of my fave Fefe Dobson (ahh, my dear FeFe!) tracks ("Don't Let It Go To Your Head"), I'll admit to being a bit worried. I do commend Jordin for picking a rather "obscure" song to cover from a reputable artist (and even coping to it and giving props to Ms. Dobson in several interviews). What I do like is she definitely made the song her own -- it does NOT sound like a carbon copy of Fefe's original. It sounds very fresh and almost "Battlefield" like (complete swishy backgrounds and a new bridge). It also helps that Jordin and Fefe have very different styles, both performance-wise and vocally. It's almost hard to compare the two versions, so for that, I must say bravo, Ms. Sparks. It teeters on being as epic as the album's first single, but holds back, so I will go on the record saying I prefer Fefe's version by quite a bit. But it's not a bad cover in the slightest.

I will be completely honest and say I had absolutely no recollection of "Let the Music Play" by Shannon (that is sampled on the album's second official single, "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)"). (Let the insults fly!) But from what I glean, it was a pretty big record, so once again -- ups to Sparks for picking something underground and beloved. I totally think she and I could be best friends. Anywho, when I first heard "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)", I immediately thought 'No, No, NOOOOO!' This is not the direction Jordin should be going in with that voice of hers! It really sounds like something Ashley Tisdale should be doing rather than most of what made up 'Guilty Pleasure'. In fact, I think Jordin even sounds very Ashley-ish throughout the verses. But it is growing on me (read: ridiculously catchy)...even if it doesn't begin to give away what she can do. Still, she is young - if all she did was big ballads, it would make her a bit one-dimentional,
huh?

"It Takes More" is the first snag of the record for me. While the production lacks wow factor, the lyrics are quite deep, and are sung with passion. It's the lyrics themselves that make me swell with pride that there is a girl like Jordin making contemporary, mainstream music -- they make a positive statement without seeming preachy. Thumbs up and snaps for trying. But unfortunately, while the song is pretty, it's not instantly memorable.

"Watch You Go" is a Dr. Luke and T-Pain collabo, and that fact alone had me itching to hear it. They seem like a weird pairing for me (anyone else?) but the end result is a head-nodding little ditty that leads up to the chorus with swirling, orchestral intensity. Again, not super memorable, but a worthy effort.

The key changes in "No Parade" make it start to be written off as a slower, more piano-driven Beyonce's "Halo" within the first 30 seconds. As the song continues, the comparison is quite striking, and leaves me a little nonplussed (even though I find "Halo" quite overplayed at this point), especially since Jordin decides to play it a bit more reserved than the vocally in-your-face Beyonce version.

This disc is quite heavy with Toby Gad production, which makes me smile, as Mr. Gad seems to be quite underrused (at the moment) and underrated. "Let It Rain" opens with church organs, that immediately grab your attention. When the beat kicks in, it brings you back to an old gospel feel. Then the electric guitar kicks in, and Jordin's voice swells to that "No Air" level. It has everything (literally) but isn't overwhelming (complete with Jordin's emotional gasping and semi-sobbing?). Single, please! In fact, if it doesn't become one, I will need to become Jordin's A&R woman. If you thought "Battlefield" was epic, "Let It Rain" is mammoth.

"Emergency (911)" is another Toby Gad effort, that also leaked a few weeks ago. It starts up generic but her vocals are superb. The verses are semi-cliche with almost comical detail, but the chorus is catchy as hell. Best part? "All dressed up and nowhere to go-oh." It's not as instantly radio-friendly as "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)" but it comes in a worthy second in a set of mostly mid-tempos.

Jordin lends her writing talents to "Was I the Only One" and her voice sounds so raw and her talent jumps right out of your earphones and into your brain. She really could have hit you over the head, but didn't -- she played it cool, and kept that big voice of hers in check. It reminds me BIG TIME of vintage Mariah, especially like some of the ballads of the 'Butterfly' era. Of all the ballads on this set to be released this winter, this should be it.

The final Toby Gad collabo of the set, "Faith" is a stunner based on lyrics alone. Empowering? Check. Beautiful? Check. Inspiring? Check. Amazing? You betcha. The set closes out with "The Cure", a product of Mr. Claude Kelly (who did Britney's "Circus"). Comparison's to Leona's "Better In Time" (and Beyonce's "Halo" again -- especially after the choruses) will probably be inevitable, but are ill-suited. As the chorus kicks in, it fits into that familiar Jordin formula (although, during the first chorus, she gets a bit drowned out). It really sounds like the big ballad at the end of a movie that rolls during the credits, which is a suitable way to end an album, don't you think?

"Papercut" and "Postcard" were delegated to bonus cut status and its a real crying shame. The former (another Toby Gad goodie)'s verses sound almost acoustic, and the lyrics are clever and dig deep. In fact, this was the first song of the whole set that I put on repeat immediately. They just don't make stuff like this in pop music anymore, and I think it would be amazing to see her perform this live. "Postcard"'s lyrics here are much more inventive than in a few other songs on the set. It actually sounds very Tynisha Keli to me...

Overall, this is a very worthy effort from Ms. Jordin, and if marketed the right way, could truely be her Breakaway to help her trancend from "American Idol" Winner to reputable popstar. The majority of the set is quite good, with only a handful of missteps -- and even those aren't too bad.

Rockin' Debuts [A Retrospective] (Part Finale)

The (Slightly Repetitive) Intro:

It's been awhile since I've done a completely arbitrary and totally opinionated (sort of) chart countdown on this blog, and with all of the potential buzzing right now by new artists with their debut singles, I figured I would take a look back at the best of the debut singles of artists in recent memory, in six painless (kind of) installments. Take a look and reminisce. Part 1 is here, Part 2 is here, Part 3 is here, Part 4 is here and Part 5 is here. Didn't realize I'd drag my feet with this as long as I have. Has it really almost been a month since the first post? Sheesh...

And now, may I present to you, the end of this god-forsaken special (so I can move on to bigger and better things, as should you):

2. Destiny's Child - No No No (Part 2) (1997)
Click here to check out the music video.

The debut album may have landed in stores back in 1998, but it was nearly eight years in the making. The four original members of Destiny's Child began their journey back in Grand Ol' TX in 1990, polishing and perfecting their harmony, performance and pow factor. After several set backs, struggles and label drama, the group was signed to Columbia Records in 1997, and their debut single, "No No No" came out shortly after.

The ballad had some punch, but not enough to make a big impact, and thus Fugees member Wyclef Jean was called in to do a remix. "No No No (Part 2)", as it was dubbed, was re-released to hoopla and love from the R&B community (hitting #1 on the R&B Chart, and #3 on the Hot 100). The album however peaked in the lower Top 50 of the Top 200, and followup singles failed to attract crossover success into the mainstream.

Enter sophomore album, The Writings On the Wall, released in the power pop year of 1999. It was the first album by a harmony girl group I bought and wore out since En Vogue's Funky Divas.

Five years later, and Destiny's Child lost three members and ended up a trio (with a original members Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland, and replacement member Michelle Williams, making them America's answer to the Sugababes), released two more original albums, a Christmas disc, a remix collection, and the following year, a greatest hits. Michelle Williams attempted to conquer Broadway to various success and released a few solo albums varying in genre from gospel to dance. Kelly Rowland released two false-start R&B albums, despite getting fair airplay. And we all know what happened with Beyonce. She pretty much conquered the world.

Overall, Destiny's Child has sold over 52 million records worldwide. William's three solo albums have garnered about 500,000 sold worldwide. Rowland has done a bit better for herself, as her two albums have sold a collective 3.8 million worldwide (and her most recent track with David Guetta has gone to #1 in three countries, including the UK). Beyonce's three solo discs have all peaked at #1 on the album chart in the US, given her four US #1's (plus another from the DC3 Greatest Hits set), and have racked up an estimated 10 million records and counting. This brings DC3 and their alumni's sales totals to around 66.3 million albums sold.

And lest we forget, Destiny's Child's former member, LeToya, has also gained some solo success since leaving the group in 1999, with her debut solo album peaking at #1 on the Billboard 200 and sold an estimated million plus copies, and her sophomore LP due out soon. It is also arguable to thank Destiny's Child for Solange, Beyonce's younger sister who's two albums have sold a combined 250,000 copies, but (her sophomore in particular) given her worldwide acclaim and notice.

Further, Destiny's Child was used to help promote the career of their former labelmate in the debut years of Jessica Simpson, recording a duet with her for her debut album. They also helped introduced Epic Records' girl group PYT to the masses by taking the group on tour with them as their opening act for their first official headlining route.

1. Mariah Carey - Vision of Love (1990)
Click here to watch the music video.

Officially released just six days before my third birthday, Mariah Carey began her startlingly epic career back in June of 1990, with a song that to this day remains her unequivocal best: "Vision of Love". The song, off her self-titled debut album, gained her a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Grammy, and helped her win the Best New Artist Award.

Now, almost ten years later, and Mariah has released eleven albums with a twelfth on the way, as well as an MTV Unplugged, and various "Greatest Hits" and other song collections. Suffice to say, Ms. Carey has released records at a break-neck pace, despite her very public meltdown in 2001, the failure to the point of comedy of her semi-autobiographical film/soundtrack Glitter, a few more film projects, two very public marriages, three label changes (she received an incredible $30 million to leave Virgin Records after the poor sales of "Glitter") and near constant scrutiny. Needless to say, she's come a long long way since her years as a backup singer to (worthy and talented) Brenda K. Starr in the late 1980's.

There's little Mariah hasn't done, and while I'm a bit out love with her recent work, her catalog is simply undeniable and a critical part of my life's soundtrack. She has eighteen #1's to her credit, the most for any solo artist, second only to the Beatles, and has officially sold the most records of any US female artist, with 63 million sold in the United States alone, 200 worldwide, and with Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel due out soon, that number will unmistakably grow.

I would also be quite remiss if I didn't add that virtually every young ingenue (and quite a few young men as well) often credit Ms. Carey for inspiring them to pursue the music game, to the point now that for any aspiring sanger, citing Mariah as an influence is downright essential. For the sake of example, Christina Aguilera has been quoted as saying that watching Mariah win her Best New Artist Grammy in 1990 inspired her to pursue her musical destiny, which led to Aguilera herself winning the same award a decade later. She even sang Mariah's trademark debut song at her "Mickey Mouse Club" audition.

[WGO] Ch-Ch-Changes...

Here are some updates on some of my favorite peoples...as well as my favorite guilty pleasures...

+ MJ will continue his chart dominance next week, but Daughtry is expected to take the top position on the Billboard 200.

+ Girls Aloud have taken to the social networking streets to confirm they are NOT splitting up but going on a year long break to pursue other projects. For those who are interested in that front, Cheryl is continuing her work with the indelible Soulshock and Karlin. The former can't stop raving about her on Twitter.

+ For those of you who haven't heard the news, Aly & AJ have officially changed their band name and forged ahead in a new musical direction. I blame Vanessa Hudgens. They will instead be now known as '78Violet', which, I must admit, is somewhat clever, and for whatever reason, reminds me of that other two person pop act, M2M (remember that album, Shades of Purple? Sooo good!). The name change comes from the two sisters favorite numbers (7 and 8), and they are intending to go into a more rock genre. More power to them. In fact, if the rumors are true, the forgotton Disney darlings' new record is set to feature material co-written by a member of Heart and Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, with production by Rob Cavallo who created the masterpiece that was/is Paramore's "Decode." Your interest peaked yet?

+ My girl Mandy Ventrice may also going ahead in a new direction, as I've heard lots of things about her forming her own band, titled Exo Exo (XOXO, gettit?). Her MySpace is still intact with her solo tunes...so I'm unsure on the status. All I know is I hope she still releases her solo material, because it's in-effing-credible.

+ New news on the ladies of Red Blooded Women has gone regrettably dark, as no new blogs or Twitter updates have happened since late May. The last I've heard is the girls were re-recording older songs to feature now new-ish member Katie, and work was being done to finalize a brand new single prior to a full album set being released.

+ Ditto to my lovely girls in Candy Coated Chaos, however, that is most likely due to the fact that all three of them recently graduated high school...The real question is, why don't they have an (updated) Twitter? Huh?

+ After stalking...I mean, reading Nikki Flores' Twitter, I've gleened she continues to be in and out of the studio (occasionally with producer RAS, who has written a ton of amazing stuff for Travis Garland, but more on that boy later...), but not unlike Ms. JoJo, she seems to be a bit frustrated with the pace of her project. ::sigh:: I'm still hoping I'll have her record in my hands before this decade is over.

+ The New Dream had their first official performance back in May (somehow, I missed the memo?), per member Danielle Keaton (who lists herself on Twitter as a "member of the multi-platinum group, Dream". Errr...okay. She also provides a link to a MySpace for the group, which got me hella excited, only to find it was a MySpace for a Denmark-based rock group called The Dreams. WTF. Am I being punked? Meanwhile, the 3/4 of the real Dream (aka Lady Phoenix) continue to plug away at their debut album, and have stated they are attempting to set up studio dates with Diane Warren and Rodney Jerkins.

+ I would like to send a hug to Jessica Simpson. Getting the ditch hurts major, and I can totally relate to her on that front recently (unfortunately). I sincerely think she and I should go meet up and go do some retail therapy together. In fact, I did just that yesterday, and wouldn't you know I bought a super cute pair of her heels?

Just Shut Up And Watch Me Walk.

I suppose the jury is still out for most regarding the Sugababes' latest single effort, "Get Sexy", off their upcoming (soon to be released in AMERICA!! FINALLY!!) album. After word broke about the song making it's formal debut on a UK radio station a few days ago, I began clamoring to hear the song. And not the lame-o YouTube clip that floated around -- I wanted the real deal. And that's what I got. And I couldn't be happier.

With no new Girls Aloud or The Saturdays to fulfill that vacant spot in my ever-pop-lovin' heart, "Get Sexy" does just fine for me. Everyone I've spoken to about it seems to have a different opinion, and it's usually reflected in an extreme -- it is awesome or it's complete and utter crap. I, for one, am proud to say I'm totally digging it in that guilty pleasure, it's-not-too-deep-and-that's-just-fine-for-me-thank-you kind of way.

If you were expecting something very Catfights, I think you'll be a bit upset, but to me, this is classic 'Babes. It's "Round Round" mixed with "Red Dress" with a bit of "My Love Is Pink", all swizzled together with a season of 'Project Runway' with the latest electro-trends being the ice cubes plunked in (and drunk side by side while bouncing to Red Blooded Women's set at some trendy discoteque in London). In other words, it's familiar Sugababes and unfamiliar Sugababes all rolled into one. Yes, it sounds Lady Gaga influenced, but it is hardly a RedOne knockoff. It was in fact, produced by an relatively unknown production team, dubbed The Smeezingtons.

I'll hardly be one to argue the lyrics are not cliche, they most certainly are. And the Right Said Fred-inspired chorus would be completely lame in every way possible if it was anyone but the 'Babes (and even with them...it's a little hilarious). Really, my only complaint about the song itself is the fact that the chorus doesn't really follow a rhyme scheme, and in my anal-Poindexter mind, I find that slightly bothering. However, overall, if you take the song for what it is meant to be -- a party song that is meant to be danced to at a club with your girls (or your boys, whatever's clever) -- than you will have no complaints. In my humble opinion, the real star of the show is that sizzlin' back beat with the stuttered vocal scratches. If I had a copy of the song completely instrumental, I'd still be dancing. In fact, does the first seven seconds of opening blare remind anyone else of Michael Jackson's "Thriller"? Maybe I'm just listening to a little too much Mr. Jackson...

In conclusion, I'm eating this up like candy. Considering I wasn't much for their latest album (even though I did adore "Girls"), I'm definitely stoked to hear more, considering the Sugababes are my longest running fangirl relationship with a UK girl group. And if this is what we have to look forward to -- I seriously need to buy a new party dress to go clubbin'. :)

[WGO] Radio ChartGame

As we come in to the third sales week following Michael Jackson's death, with a little more than a third of the reciepts in, Jackson titles continue to make up 2/3 of the Top 10. Maxwell's new album, BlackSummers'Night, is shaping up for a #2 debut. Not too shabby...The single, "Pretty Wings", gives him a #1 over at the Urban AC Radio format.

I have forgotten to mention that "Boom Boom Pow" has been overtaken by the OTHER Black Eyed Peas song, "I Gotta Feeling" to be the biggest song in the USA for the second week. I wasn't too keen on the song at first, but it has deinitely grown on me...

Billboard Magazine, aka The Bible, released an article today once again heralding Lady Gaga as the third artist in the entire history of the Mainstream Top 40 Airplay Chart to gain three #1's, as this past week "LoveGame" overtook that horrid (but darn catchy) 3OH!3 track "Don't Trust Me" for the top spot at CHR/Top 40. Rock on, sister! The song is averaging around 1.2K spins a week.

Katy Perry's "Waking Up In Vegas" climbed two spots on the Top 40 chart to #3, officially breaking the thousand spins a week barrier. Pitbull slides down a spot with "I Know You Want Me" landing at #4, and the #1 song in the land, "I Gotta Feeling", gains a notch at #5. The rest of the Top 10 includes Keri Hilson and co.'s "Know You Down" (#6), Sean Kingston's "Fire Burning" (#7), Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" (#8), P!NK's "Please Don't Leave Me" (#9), and that little engine that could, Taylor Swift, with "You Belong With Me" (#10). Her now recurrent hit "Love Story" is #1 this week on the Adult Contemporary format.

After hearing (and raving about) this song for what feels like so long now, Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield" starts to make a real impact at Top 40, landing at #14 (even though it stays on the lower echeon's of the Hot 100's Top 40...still). It is gaining spins at a significant rate, and could see Top 10 potential soon...I'm hoping the album release will put the song over the top.

Cobra Starship and their new single "Good Girls Go Bad" with that dark haired snob from 'Gossip Girl' lands Top 20 this week, at #20, more than doubling in spins in one week alone. Could be something to look out for...

My girl Jessie James holds strong with "Wanted" at #22, and gaining spins at a respectable rate of 12.5%. Her labelmate, Kristinia DeBarge, sees more than a slight drop with "Goodbye" this week, most likely due to her label's attempt to transition into her second single, a cover of Varsity Fanclub's "Future Love." While I was never keen on the song period, I do feel Kristinia has the upper hand in terms of which version I enjoy most. Yet another young Island protege, Justin Bieber (whose name whenever I see it provokes the words "Justin Bobby" out of my mouth. I'm ashamed.), debuts into the Top 40 at #45 with his first single, "One Time", and gaining at a fierce rate of 66%.

The seemingly ages old "Use Somebody" by the adorable Kings of Leon (despite their recent jab at teen pop music...I forgive you, Caleb) lands them at #26 this week, and gaining at a rate of almost 30%. Drake also continues to see his stock rise, as "Best I Ever Had", now a card-carrying member of the Hot 100 Top 10, lands him at #28 on the Top 40 chart. The song continues to be the #1 song at the Rhythmic and Urban formats as well.

The Jonas Brothers continue to struggle with "Paranoid" losing 40 spins this week, and landing at #31. It's still doing better than poor (and more worthy) David Guetta and Kelly Rowland, however, whose ace "When Love Takes Over" continues their slow attempt at Top 20 material by staying static at #33.

Now that the buzz over "Amy", "Circus" and "Womanizer" has officially died down, the Britney camp is warming up a "new" track in fourth single, "Radar", which is a carryover from the 'Blackout' album. I will reserve comment on this, as it's so blatently obvious how I feel. It lands her at #35, just above Boys Like Girls' new single that rips on V Factory's title, "Love Drunk." However, this may be one to watch as well, as it is gaining spins at a rate of almost 80%.

Flo Rida has a new single he's pimping out (it is Monday, after all) called "Jump" that features Nelly Furtado, and that lands him at #38, down two spots from last week. Little Miss Tina Parol keeps a strong hand but slips out of the Top 40, as "Who's Got Your Money" slides to #41,
but continues to increase in spins by almost 25%.

Green Day attempts to replicate the success of "Blvd of Broken Dreams" with their latest album's carbon copy, "21 Guns", hitting #43. Beyonce also attempts to introduce her new single, "Sweet Dreams" to the Top 40, landing her at #44.

And finally, hot on the heels of her somewhat critisized performance at MJ's memorial, Mariah Carey's mediocre new single "Obsessed" debuts in the Top 50 at #49, averaging 65 spins a week, but gaining at a rate of 75%. Meh.

[WGO] It's A Thriller Night

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past two weeks (kind of like yours truly – but all kidding aside), you are probably aware of the explosion of sales of Michael Jackson music.

Some “experts” are even going so far as to credit the late genius that is Jackson for helping jumpstart album sales (be them physical or digital). This isn’t the first time he was given that honor – back in the late 1980’s, when the device known as the compact disc was first introduced, the music industry saw a huge boom in sales as people re-bought their fave albums in the new CD format, and one of the biggest sellers was MJ’s classic, Thriller.

With that said, the rumor has gone round that Sony has already confirmed their ridiculously high demand of Jackson material, so much so that they have sent out over eight million physical copies of Jackson catalogue across the world since Jackson’s death two weeks ago. Complete insanity.

Just last week, Thriller hit #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart once again, and on this week’s chart, it sits at #3, selling over 165K this week alone. MJ’s Number Ones “greatest hits” package is the current #1 (which sat at #3 last week), selling almost 340K in a week, and MJ also sees his Essential package at #5 (with almost 120K sold), and his amazing Off the Wall album at #11 (almost 44K sold), Dangerous at #22 (almost 24K sold), and Bad at #28 (almost 20K sold). The craving for Mike’s hits won’t wane anytime soon either, as his Number Ones album is expected to also take the #1 position this upcoming week.

As endearing as it is for a Mike fan like myself to see MJ’s catalogue return to the top of the charts, it’s still a little painful that it took his unfortunate and unforeseen (although that is debatable) death to spawn such a revival of his music. I know there was words a few months back about the making of “Thriller” into a Broadway musical. I really hope it’s on the fast track now…

While I’m not so sure if I agree with the mindset of the Jackson sales spike lasting too much longer, there is no denying that a lot of records were sold last week. Jackson may have made up three of the top ten titles, the total sales from the Top 10 alone topped more than 1.3 million. We haven’t seen that in a very long time, so maybe Mike is having the last laugh from above…

The non-MJ top 10 was mostly new material. The new “Now...!” compilation had the biggest debut last week, landing at #2, just beating out Thriller by a measly two thousand copies. Brad Paisley’s new record, American Saturday Night, landed at #4, and the incredibly talented (and quite sexy…!) Rob Thomas sees his sophomore solo effort, Cradlesong, debut at #6. His debut, …Something To Be, had a #1 debut, but considering the current sales climate (and the world’s mourning of Jackson), #6 isn’t too shabby. Wilco also debuted at #7 with their selftitled release, and Jeremih saw his self-titled debut land at #9, while Killswitch Engage land at #10. The only return offender to the Top 10 was the Black Eyed Peas, as The End drops from #4 to #8.

Despite the onslaught of attention being payed to them (various magazine covers, the titter about Kevin’s recent engagement, Nick and Miley’s “reunion”, etc. etc.), the Jonas Brothers saw their new fourth album, Lines… drop like a brick out of the Top 10 to #12 with almost 41K sold. I’ll admit that I still have not listened to the record, and kind of feel like a heel for saying that…I will get to it soon. I swear…

Also, on a sidenote, the soundtrack to Transformers – Revenge of the Fallen, drops from #11 to #19 this week. I mention this because I recently got my hands on a copy. I don’t care for the majority of it (especially that Linkin Park track that everyone is raving about), but The Used covered the Talking Heads classic, “Burning Down the House”, and while it should be a sacrilege, I can’t stop listening to it. I’m not sure why. But it’s amazing.

Hits Daily Double is reporting expected numbers for next week’s Top 200 Chart, and in addition to MJ at #1, underrated R&B champ Maxwell is expected to debut at #2 with a potential of almost 300K sold. The latest set in the ‘Hannah Montana’ television soundtracks is also expected to debut Top 5, probably at the #5 spot with an expected 150K haul. All Time Low are also looking at a potential Top 10 debut with their new record…

Part two, complete with radio numbers is coming shortly. Stay tuned…

Saturday B-Side Blues

Let it be said, my love for The Saturdays 'Chasing Lights' will never be denied.

Especially now in a post-"Untouchable"-and-'Catfights...' world, for a little while at the least The Saturdays always seemed like they could be Brit girlpop's new savior (so much so that a million new British girl groups came crawling out of the woodwork with material that sounds strikingly Saturday. We're looking at you, Girls Can't Catch). I will go on the record to say I would have prefered "Lies" or "Set Me Off" as a single rather than "Issues", but overall, all of the promotional choices The Satz have fulfilled have been rather exciting to me.

I know there is a large portion of The Saturdays fanbase who wait on pins and needles for b-side material, something I was never much interested in until The Satz were first introduced. In America, single releases are not nearly as big an event as they are in the UK (and the rest of the world, really), and the use of a b-side track has pretty much all but fallen to the wayside in popular music.

Still, after I first heard "If This Is Love", I began my long withdrawl for Satz material, and the leaked releases of "Set Me Off", "What Am I Gonna Do?" and, best of all, "Not Good Enough", were what fueled that fire as I waited (rather impatiently) for the full album. "Crashing Down" was a bit of a let down cover b-side to "Up", but the emergence of "Beggin'" as a b-side to "Issues" (which originally -- before hearing the cover -- I thought was an awful idea, releasing two ballads in one package) was as far opposite as possible. Their cover of the Four Seasons' classic has become my reigning favorite version of the song (with MadCon's cover coming in a close second), and is arguably my favorite Saturdays song, period, if not for the sole reason that it proves these chicks can sing.

"Golden Rules" (the b-side to "Just Can't Get Enough") was one of those songs that once again separated the fanbase down the middle. Some loved it, some just loathed it. I was somewhere in the middle, indifferent, and definitely hoping for something more like "Not Good Enough" (heck, or even "Not Good Enough" itself) as the b-side to "Work".

However, the b-side for "Work" has finally made itself known, and it will be known as "Unofficial." The name is appropriate, as I feel it feels like an 'unofficial' Saturdays track.

Just from the first 30 seconds, I got the b-side blues. The omnipresence of that drum back beat is beyond irritating, so much so that at first I thought I had started another song playing at the same time accidentally. It doesn't fit, and it is distracting from the girls vocals, which, it just has to be said, aren't really up to snuff in this track. At best, it sounds like a demo, turned in as the real deal.

"Unofficial" is one of those songs that sounds like the producer, in a lame attempt at sounding both trendy and original at the same time, throws everything possible into a track, without letting the song develop on its own. In this way, it reminds me a ridiculous amount of thePussycat Dolls' "bonus" track off 'Doll Domination', "Painted Windows" (despite coming from the usually amazing mindset of Rodney Jerkins), in its attempt to throw everything including the kitchen sink into the track. The lyrics alone aren't half bad, and the song would have been just fine thank you without the production hysteronics, and an arguably good balance to the frenetic electro that is "Work".

With that said -- it's not bad. It is The Saturdays, after all. It would take a huge debacle of a mess for me to not listen to it at all. But considering "Work" was one of my absolute favorites, I was hoping for so much more.

I try to tell myself that b-sides aren't supposed to be ridiculously epic, because if they were, they wouldn't be b-sides. But after such highs, it's sad to see a group with so much talent take the easy way out.

Since We Last Spoke...

...I know I pretty much fell off the face of the blogging planet after the untimely death of Michael Jackson. This was due to, as is often the case, my real offline life beginning to take a very real toll on my financial situation. I'm in this weird post-college graduation limbo where I'm trying to be an adult and get a real job, despite feeling like I'm eternally 16 and a wannabe-sixth member of the Saturdays. I can't really explain it. The posts will continue soon, just not at the somewhat overwhelming rate they were previously, due to the fact that I finally found a job (more on that in a second). However, here's what's happened since I last officially blogged.

-Obviously, Michael Jackson passed away. I do believe the timely tributes to him via MTV, E!, BET and VH1 were necessary and called for, however I wish they focused more on his masterpieces that were his full length videos and songs. I must admit however that being in Times Square at night, completely lit up by lights and hearing "Wanna Be Startin' Something" is very very cool. It's sad that it took his passing for the everyday people to appreciate his genius.

-In more random celebrity news, I was shopping around Rockefeller Center this past Saturday, and was waiting in line at Dean and DeLuca to splurge and get a coffee, when I noticed the cashier staring blankly at the customer behind me. I heard a woman say something quietly and sternly to her young son, and didn't think much of it. I opened my purse to pay and some of my change fell out on to the floor. I heard the woman behind me go, "Oops! Dropped some!" I turned and went to pick it up, but she did it before I had the chance to and stood up and it was effing Kelly Ripa. She was there with her youngest son, Joaquin. I almost died. I told her thank you, she said no problem -- we're best friends now. Check me out on "Regis & Kelly" next week. Ha. I wish.

-I don't know if I mentioned this on the blog before or not, but there is (was?) a major motion picture behind shot literally in my front yard here in Manhattan. Although I wished it was something ridiculously cool, it is in fact The Sorcerer's Apprentice, starring Nicolas Cage, that is due out in July of next year. My two roommates and I have taken to sitting out on the sidelines when we have nothing to do at night (they usually tape around 11PM) and watch various (random) scenes being shot.

I'm not exactly privy to what this film's about, so I'm assuming it's a remake of the portion of "Fantasia" with Mickey Mouse and the brooms that carry water on their own? Anywho, I have witnessed scenes in which mailboxes blow up, Nic Cage (yes, I saw him, in person -- he waved to me. Haha!) chasing down a bad guy, and the leading lady of the film (I'm assuming) Monica Bellucci doing random dance moves on top of a fountain in Bowling Green Park, with the water surrounding it lit up on fire. I'm interested to see how that translates to screen, because it didn't look too impressive to me. I don't know if this is set in a different time period and not in modern day New York, as all of the main characters were in period costumes...

-We recently got NetFlix. It's a beautiful thing.

-My 4th of July was pretty uneventful. The big fireworks show was on the West Side, instead of the East Side, and all the good seats were taken by like...11AM. So I watched them on TV. Kinda lame.

-I recently secured a temp job (yes, I'm gonna be one of those people in the work place). I hope to write an article every night (probably won't happen, we shall see), so look for more entries more centered on the influx of new music that keeps floating out into the ether...