Kelly Rowland’s career has been through it all. She came from one of the world’s most successful girl groups, released a relatively successfully debut album in 2002, won a Grammy for her collaboration with Nelly in the same year, suffered back-to-back album failures with Ms. Kelly & Here I Am; And was arguably one of the catalysts for the urban/dance craze that swept the world following her duet with David Guetta in 2009.
Well in her latest single ‘Dirty Laundry’ she airs a lot out, including some very honest words about her relationship with Beyonce and her subsequent solo success. The track also reveals her experience of being in a physically abusive relationship, which she says also affected her friendship with Beyonce… The song talks a lot about Beyonce. As far as slow jams go ‘Dirty Laundry’ isn’t as as strong as Rowland’s 2011 single ‘Motivation’ but it’s decent enough, clearly though the emphasis here is lyrical content – which will undoubtedly generate buzz (for better or worse).
Solange enlists Kendrick Lamar for the official remix of ‘Looks Good with Trouble’, a track lifted off her True EP. For the most part the song stays true to the version on the EP but Lamar’s Andre 3000 inspired verse helps add a fresh new dimension to it. The track is available to purchase via iTunes now.
If any artist/band in the world want to know what a great marketing campaign looks like, they need look no further than Daft Punk and their Random Access Memories promo. Their comeback campaign has been airtight – from their ‘Get Lucky’ debut at Coachella, to the various promo trails, teasers and magazine spreads that have had virtually every music platform bussing e-nuts. Everything has been timed to perfection. Now ahead of it’s May 21st release, the French robots offer fans an advance stream of Random Access Memories in full via iTunes. To listen go here, click ‘view in iTunes’ and play via the cover artwork.
‘Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe’ is the epitome of an instant classic. It was the song that every person listening to Kendrick’s album for the first time picked up on and the song that everyone was buzzing off immediately after. It makes perfect sense then that Lamar would choose to release it as a single from his critically acclaimed debut album Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City. Take a look at the video up top, it’s quite beautiful and ends pretty brilliantly.
Following the release of her singles ‘Before I Ever Met You’ and ‘Fall Over’ earlier in the year, L.A based singer Banks returns with a serene new track called ‘Warm Water’. Helmed by British producer Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, the lustful ballad features an angelic sounding Banks serenading over a tropically soulful backdrop of twinkling synths and murky percussion. This is a beauty, definitely enjoying her progression here.
Signed to Drake’s OVO imprint, Toronto based singer/producer PARTYNEXTDOOR offers up a self-produced new single titled ‘Wus Good/Curious’. If you’re a fan of the spacey and expansive productions of Noah ’40′ Shebib and of Drake’s sing-rap style (and of The Weeknd for that matter), this will surely serve you well. In fact, you may even find it difficult to differentiate between them – if I didn’t know better (and on this matter, I don’t) I’d hedge a bet that this was some type of secret Drake project. It isn’t, the comparisons are more stylistic than direct but the similarities are a bit strange, especially given his close affliction. That said though for those who do appreciate airy R&B productions with shifting hi-hats and sprawling 808′s, PARTYNEXTDOOR does a pretty great job of delivering.
Florida’s rising son Robb Bank$ lifts his latest single ‘Trust Me’ off of his forthcoming mixtape Tha City. Produced by KE On the Track the savage new banger sees Bank$ spitting fire over a face-melting beat made up of streaking synths, dispersed claps and epic low-ends. Turnt up.
Katy B premiered her brand new single ‘What Love is Made Of’ on Annie Mac’s BBC Radio 1 show earlier today; The track is taken off her much anticipated (much needed) sophomore album, the follow up to 2011′s On a Mission. ‘What Love is Made Of’ incorporates everything we love about Miss Brien – summery synths and a vibe made strictly for the dance and of course a typically badass vocal/hook. But really, what’s not to love about Katy B?
Solange’s cult-status appeal seems to be growing day by day; Her (in-demand) side hustle as an international party DJ and the release of her critically acclaimed True EP late last year, along with a handful of special performances with British band The xx have all helped build on her growing muso-fanbase. She’s now teamed up with Absolut Tune & Refinery29 and director Alan Del Rio Ortiz (who also filmed her ‘Losing You’ short) to create another “mini-music video” for ‘Locked in Closets’ (taken off True). The snappy clip follows Solange around South-Brooklyn on foot and on bike before making stops at her Red Hook studio and EP listening party in Soho. Watch the video after the jump.
Lana Del Rey’s latest visual offering for ‘Young & Beautiful’, her contribution to the star-studded ‘Great Gatsby’ soundtrack is a typically vintage affair – she does love a grainy plug-in. Accompanied by a huge orchestra Del Rey effortlessly pays homage to the Gatsby era in a simplistic but dramatic performance of one of the soundtracks most cinematic pieces.
