Showing posts with label Timbaland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Timbaland. Show all posts
The producer-turned-rapper was ubiquitous in 2006 and 2007 as hits from his own Shock Value in addition to Nelly Furtado's Loose and Justin Timberlake's Futuresex/Lovesounds ruled the airwaves. His second attempt at pop domination has fallen flat on its face however.
It's surprising, as Shock Value II seemed destined to be a smash considering its featuring credits. Besides the aforementioned Furtado and Timberlake, the album includes Keri Hilson (another Timbaland favorite), the artist formerly known as Hannah Montana, Katy Perry, OneRepublic, and Drake. Still, the album stalled at a miserable No. 36.
"Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"Beyonce
I Am...Sasha Fierce (2008)
Kanye West wasn't kidding, Beyonce really did make on of the best music videos of all time for "Single Ladies". All it took was a black and white dance video that could easily translate to a dance craze involving only a wrist twist. How could you ignore a fire breathing Sasha Fierce in a song like this? Jay-Z didn't. He liked enough that he did put a ring on it.
"Gotta Have You"
The Weepies
Say I Am You (2006)
A Grand Don't Come For Free (2004)
Most British singers are indistinguishable from American ones, but with British rapper the Streets, nothing could be further from the truth. Inspired by former S Club 7 beauty Rachel Stevens, Mike Skinner describes a “fit” (British slang for “hot”) woman as he talks in a strong cockney accent over a snappy but simple rock beat providing hilarious lines about tan lines and queues.
"I'd Rather Dance With You"Kings of Convenience
Riot on an Empty Street (2004)
This quirky number from indie duo Kings of Convenience (who hail from Bergen, Norway, also home to electro-pop singer Annie) recounts the all too familiar experience of dancing with a girl who wants to talk. Will they ever learn to just let their hips do the talking? The delicate strings and piano are a perfect match for the groups’ calming vocals.
"Love Story"
Taylor Swift
Weezer (2008)
Weezer’s commentary on life in the late 00s made us nostalgic for this decade before we even got over 80s nostalgia. Written in response to their record label asking for a hit single, Weezer delivered although they had their tongue planted firmly in their cheeks as they mocked Timbaland, bathroom mirror pics, and the whole idea of writing records for the radio. And the video? Instant classic.
"One Word"Kelly Osbourne
Sleeping in the Nothing (2005)
Kelly Osbourne seems like the last person who would have a number one dance record in the country, but thanks to writing and production from heralded songwriter Linda Perry, she did. “One Word” is a slice of futuristic new-wave pop, complete with French dialogue to set the mood and Osbourne gently cooing about the one mysterious word that can change the future.
"Faint"
Linkin Park
Meteora (2003)
Don’t turn your back on Linkin Park because they won’t be ignored. As the kings of nu-metal, LP rammed rap together with metal to create inventive music you could feel like a B.A.M.F. listening too. “Faint” is a stirring declaration of war made up of screeching samples, hard hitting hip-hop beats, and heavy guitar. Sticking it to the man never sounded this good.
"Gimme More"
Britney Spears
I Am...Sasha Fierce (2008)
Kanye West wasn't kidding, Beyonce really did make on of the best music videos of all time for "Single Ladies". All it took was a black and white dance video that could easily translate to a dance craze involving only a wrist twist. How could you ignore a fire breathing Sasha Fierce in a song like this? Jay-Z didn't. He liked enough that he did put a ring on it.
"Gotta Have You"The Weepies
Say I Am You (2006)
The Weepies' simple "Gotta Have You" is a heartfelt plea for love and a convincing argument that America needs to spend more time listening to folk-pop. It's melodic, blissful, and honest. "No amount of coffee, no amount of wine, no amount of whiskey or wine...nothing else will do, I've gotta have you," sings Deb Talan.
"Fit But You Know It"
The Streets Most British singers are indistinguishable from American ones, but with British rapper the Streets, nothing could be further from the truth. Inspired by former S Club 7 beauty Rachel Stevens, Mike Skinner describes a “fit” (British slang for “hot”) woman as he talks in a strong cockney accent over a snappy but simple rock beat providing hilarious lines about tan lines and queues.
"I'd Rather Dance With You"Riot on an Empty Street (2004)
This quirky number from indie duo Kings of Convenience (who hail from Bergen, Norway, also home to electro-pop singer Annie) recounts the all too familiar experience of dancing with a girl who wants to talk. Will they ever learn to just let their hips do the talking? The delicate strings and piano are a perfect match for the groups’ calming vocals.
"Love Story"Taylor Swift
Fearless (2008)
Taylor Swift didn’t break any new ground with “Love Story”. It’s the tried and true model of boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, girl’s dad doesn’t approve, and boy convinces girl’s dad to let him marry her. Swift’s simple lyrics and heartfelt vocals provided the soundtrack millions of teenage girls’ first relationships as she sang, “Romeo save me, they’re trying to tell me how to feel. This love is difficult but it’s real."
"Pork and Beans"
WeezerTaylor Swift didn’t break any new ground with “Love Story”. It’s the tried and true model of boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, girl’s dad doesn’t approve, and boy convinces girl’s dad to let him marry her. Swift’s simple lyrics and heartfelt vocals provided the soundtrack millions of teenage girls’ first relationships as she sang, “Romeo save me, they’re trying to tell me how to feel. This love is difficult but it’s real."
"Pork and Beans"Weezer (2008)
Weezer’s commentary on life in the late 00s made us nostalgic for this decade before we even got over 80s nostalgia. Written in response to their record label asking for a hit single, Weezer delivered although they had their tongue planted firmly in their cheeks as they mocked Timbaland, bathroom mirror pics, and the whole idea of writing records for the radio. And the video? Instant classic.
"One Word"Sleeping in the Nothing (2005)
Kelly Osbourne seems like the last person who would have a number one dance record in the country, but thanks to writing and production from heralded songwriter Linda Perry, she did. “One Word” is a slice of futuristic new-wave pop, complete with French dialogue to set the mood and Osbourne gently cooing about the one mysterious word that can change the future.
"Faint"Linkin Park
Meteora (2003)
Don’t turn your back on Linkin Park because they won’t be ignored. As the kings of nu-metal, LP rammed rap together with metal to create inventive music you could feel like a B.A.M.F. listening too. “Faint” is a stirring declaration of war made up of screeching samples, hard hitting hip-hop beats, and heavy guitar. Sticking it to the man never sounded this good.
"Gimme More"Britney Spears
Blackout (2007)
“Gimme More” perfectly captures Britney Spears' darkest days. From the immortal opening, “It’s Britney bitch” to the last blip of the minimalist synth, the song portrays an insatiable appetite for hedonistic self destruction. Her panting “gimme”’s are looped and followed by a host of robotic voices demanding “more” mirroring the bizarre relationship Spears had with the blog fueled tabloid industry.
"Me and Mia"
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Shake the Streets (2004)
When coming up with ideas for songs, I doubt eating disorders is ever at the top of the list. In fact, Leo and the Pharmacists might be the only band to ever do it. Referencing Mia (bulima) and Ann and Anna (anorexia), Leo both empowers and rocks as he sings about fighting for self control despite “bourgeois social angels telling you you’ve got to change”.
"Sound of the Undergroud"
Girls Aloud
Sound of the Underground (2003)
Reality television has largely failed to produce any great songs but “Sound of the Underground” is an exception. The pulsating track employs surf guitar and a neo drum and bass beat to annihilate any preconceived notions of what kind of music reality pop stars are allowed to make. In fact, the Aloud’s debut single makes pop out to be the most exciting, underground, electric, and overpowering medium known to mankind.
"Supermassive Black Hole"Muse
Black Holes and Revelations (2006)
Supermassive black holes are black holes with the highest classification of mass and Muse’s song of the same name is probably one of their heaviest songs. A dance rock song that borrows from Kanye West and Prince just as much as it does from Radiohead, it was so good that it ended up on the soundtrack to a very popular vampire movie. That marked the first and last time millions of pink iPod nanos had a Muse song on them.
"Sweet Dreams My L.A. Ex."Rachel Stevens
Funky Dory (2003)
Originally an imagined response to Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River”, “Sweet Dreams My L.A. Ex.” was given to former S Club 7 star Rachel Stevens after Britney Spears wrote her own retort (“Everytime”). In the end, everyone won. Stevens’ sexy performance is a perfect complement to the juxtaposed acoustic guitars and brazen synth buzz. Sweet dreams indeed.
"Seven Nation Army"
The White Stripes
Elephant (2003)
There is no mistaking the baseline and thumping drums of "Seven Nation Army". Its role as the flagship garage rock revival song of the decade means it still gets plenty of spins and plenty of artists clammering to cover it. The song never gets too wild and out of control, but it still packs enough punch that the queen of England, the hounds of hell, or even a seven nation army can hold it down.
"Apologize"Timbaland feat. OneRepublic
Shock Value (2007)
All Timbaland did was add some percussion and his trademark "eh" but somehow he got the lead in the featuring credit. Not fair, but it's too late to apologize. Singer and songwriter Ryan Tedder has gotten his fair share of bad press for recycling songs but "Apologize" was the cream of the crop, lamenting late requests for forgiveness and the pain of having to move on even though you don't want to.
“Gimme More” perfectly captures Britney Spears' darkest days. From the immortal opening, “It’s Britney bitch” to the last blip of the minimalist synth, the song portrays an insatiable appetite for hedonistic self destruction. Her panting “gimme”’s are looped and followed by a host of robotic voices demanding “more” mirroring the bizarre relationship Spears had with the blog fueled tabloid industry.
"Me and Mia"Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Shake the Streets (2004)
When coming up with ideas for songs, I doubt eating disorders is ever at the top of the list. In fact, Leo and the Pharmacists might be the only band to ever do it. Referencing Mia (bulima) and Ann and Anna (anorexia), Leo both empowers and rocks as he sings about fighting for self control despite “bourgeois social angels telling you you’ve got to change”.
Girls Aloud
Sound of the Underground (2003)
Reality television has largely failed to produce any great songs but “Sound of the Underground” is an exception. The pulsating track employs surf guitar and a neo drum and bass beat to annihilate any preconceived notions of what kind of music reality pop stars are allowed to make. In fact, the Aloud’s debut single makes pop out to be the most exciting, underground, electric, and overpowering medium known to mankind.
"Supermassive Black Hole"Black Holes and Revelations (2006)
Supermassive black holes are black holes with the highest classification of mass and Muse’s song of the same name is probably one of their heaviest songs. A dance rock song that borrows from Kanye West and Prince just as much as it does from Radiohead, it was so good that it ended up on the soundtrack to a very popular vampire movie. That marked the first and last time millions of pink iPod nanos had a Muse song on them.
"Sweet Dreams My L.A. Ex."Funky Dory (2003)
Originally an imagined response to Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River”, “Sweet Dreams My L.A. Ex.” was given to former S Club 7 star Rachel Stevens after Britney Spears wrote her own retort (“Everytime”). In the end, everyone won. Stevens’ sexy performance is a perfect complement to the juxtaposed acoustic guitars and brazen synth buzz. Sweet dreams indeed.
"Seven Nation Army"The White Stripes
Elephant (2003)
There is no mistaking the baseline and thumping drums of "Seven Nation Army". Its role as the flagship garage rock revival song of the decade means it still gets plenty of spins and plenty of artists clammering to cover it. The song never gets too wild and out of control, but it still packs enough punch that the queen of England, the hounds of hell, or even a seven nation army can hold it down.
"Apologize"Shock Value (2007)
All Timbaland did was add some percussion and his trademark "eh" but somehow he got the lead in the featuring credit. Not fair, but it's too late to apologize. Singer and songwriter Ryan Tedder has gotten his fair share of bad press for recycling songs but "Apologize" was the cream of the crop, lamenting late requests for forgiveness and the pain of having to move on even though you don't want to.
Lil Wayne is making his way into all my favorite songs of the moment. He is featured on Shakira's "Give It Up To Me", the third single from her delayed album She Wolf. The song is produced by Timbaland, and the title sounds an awful lot like another Timbaland song ("Give It To Me" w/ Justin and Nelly in 2007). Come to think of it, Shakira's second single, "Did It Again" sounds an awful like another famous pop song. Hopefully these familiar sounding song titles will sell well at iTunes. I'm pretty sure this video won't do anything for it.
Album Review
Hard Candy - Madonna
Hard Candy is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. It ranges from mildly amusing to plain stupid and leaves you scratching your head. Madonna is famous for seeing potential in little known producers who are shot to super stardom after making a record with her. On a few occasions she has shacked up with anyone well known. This is one of those rare occasions. After Pharell brought the world "Hella Good", "I'm A Slave 4 U", and "Hollaback Girl" and Timbaland gave us "Get Ur Freak On", "Promiscuous", and "The Way I Are", a team-up with Madonna seems like it would give birth to year's best pop song's, which it won't.
Opening track, "Candy Shop" is actually worse than the 50 Cent song of the same name. Madonna, please don't tell me that your sugar is raw, sticky and sweet, I don't want to know what it means. And couldn't she have found another candy to use in place of Turkish Delights? Lead single "4 Minutes" begins with Timbaland exclaiming that he's out of time and he only has four minutes. Madonna wants you to believe that its about saving the world and ourselves from selfishness and poverty and hate but it sounds more like Timbaland admitting he only has four minutes until his trademark sound becomes outdated. "Give It 2 Me", reported to be the next single, is Madonna's statement about career longevity and record breaking, and it does a good job until she tells us to "get stupid". That's exactly what it is. Her other breakdown,chanting "see my bootie get down" in "Heartbeat" works much better.
"Miles Away" is one of the better tracks, a mild dance song about long distance relationships that work best long distance. "She's Not Me" seems like a dig at Miss Spears or perhaps the other MC, Mariah Carey. "She's not me, she doesn't have my name...she's been reading my books and stealing my looks and lingerie". The Kanye West duet is unispiring and it takes a lifetime to get to his part anyways. "Spanish Lesson" is terrible, just skip it. "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" is a bright spot, but it is a rehash of co-writer Justin Timberlake's "Don't Cry Me A River" complete with rain sounds.
"4 Minutes" has been a big hit, peaking at #3 in the US and 3 weeks and running at #1 in UK, but I can't help but think Madonna is a little miffed that she missed the top spot in her home country. She has stalled at 12 #1's here since 2000 while Mariah sailed passed Elvis. Making an album with Timbaland, the only producer who has been able to make pop singles that have reached pole position since the bursting of the teen pop bubble, seemed like a sure-fire way to rack up a lucky 13th #1 but now it doesn't seem like that will happen. Sure Hard Candy is a dissapointment, but after signing with Live Nation, M-dolla has ten more years to make up for it... and get another #1 hit.
Hard Candy - Madonna
Hard Candy is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. It ranges from mildly amusing to plain stupid and leaves you scratching your head. Madonna is famous for seeing potential in little known producers who are shot to super stardom after making a record with her. On a few occasions she has shacked up with anyone well known. This is one of those rare occasions. After Pharell brought the world "Hella Good", "I'm A Slave 4 U", and "Hollaback Girl" and Timbaland gave us "Get Ur Freak On", "Promiscuous", and "The Way I Are", a team-up with Madonna seems like it would give birth to year's best pop song's, which it won't.
Opening track, "Candy Shop" is actually worse than the 50 Cent song of the same name. Madonna, please don't tell me that your sugar is raw, sticky and sweet, I don't want to know what it means. And couldn't she have found another candy to use in place of Turkish Delights? Lead single "4 Minutes" begins with Timbaland exclaiming that he's out of time and he only has four minutes. Madonna wants you to believe that its about saving the world and ourselves from selfishness and poverty and hate but it sounds more like Timbaland admitting he only has four minutes until his trademark sound becomes outdated. "Give It 2 Me", reported to be the next single, is Madonna's statement about career longevity and record breaking, and it does a good job until she tells us to "get stupid". That's exactly what it is. Her other breakdown,chanting "see my bootie get down" in "Heartbeat" works much better.
"Miles Away" is one of the better tracks, a mild dance song about long distance relationships that work best long distance. "She's Not Me" seems like a dig at Miss Spears or perhaps the other MC, Mariah Carey. "She's not me, she doesn't have my name...she's been reading my books and stealing my looks and lingerie". The Kanye West duet is unispiring and it takes a lifetime to get to his part anyways. "Spanish Lesson" is terrible, just skip it. "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" is a bright spot, but it is a rehash of co-writer Justin Timberlake's "Don't Cry Me A River" complete with rain sounds.
"4 Minutes" has been a big hit, peaking at #3 in the US and 3 weeks and running at #1 in UK, but I can't help but think Madonna is a little miffed that she missed the top spot in her home country. She has stalled at 12 #1's here since 2000 while Mariah sailed passed Elvis. Making an album with Timbaland, the only producer who has been able to make pop singles that have reached pole position since the bursting of the teen pop bubble, seemed like a sure-fire way to rack up a lucky 13th #1 but now it doesn't seem like that will happen. Sure Hard Candy is a dissapointment, but after signing with Live Nation, M-dolla has ten more years to make up for it... and get another #1 hit.
WTF?
This is what happens when a 15 year old has an enormous budget to make their own music video. Miley Cyrus dances to Madonna and Justin's "4 Minutes". The best part is her changing Timbaland's mumbles from "we're out of time" to "I'm Miley Cyrus". Classic...or something. So when does she change into Hilary Duff?
This is what happens when a 15 year old has an enormous budget to make their own music video. Miley Cyrus dances to Madonna and Justin's "4 Minutes". The best part is her changing Timbaland's mumbles from "we're out of time" to "I'm Miley Cyrus". Classic...or something. So when does she change into Hilary Duff?
Internet Killed The Video Star
Haduoken - "Declaration Of War"
British Pop Punk Synthesizer rockers save the world from Daft Punk.
Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake - "Four Minutes"
Could it be any more obvious that Madonna wants a hit teaming up with Timberland and Timberlake?
Goldfrapp - "Happiness"
The song sounds very Beatles-esqu and the video solves the problems of depression and global warming at the same time.
Will.I.Am. featuring Cheryl "Girls Aloud" Cole - "Heartbreaker"
B.E.P. and G.A. stars team up to provide an "f*** you" track to some British soccer player who Cheryl just broke up with.
Haduoken - "Declaration Of War"
British Pop Punk Synthesizer rockers save the world from Daft Punk.
Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake - "Four Minutes"
Could it be any more obvious that Madonna wants a hit teaming up with Timberland and Timberlake?
Goldfrapp - "Happiness"
The song sounds very Beatles-esqu and the video solves the problems of depression and global warming at the same time.
Will.I.Am. featuring Cheryl "Girls Aloud" Cole - "Heartbreaker"
B.E.P. and G.A. stars team up to provide an "f*** you" track to some British soccer player who Cheryl just broke up with.
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