It’s a case of up, up, and away for Beyonce and Jay-Z.
The power couple unleashed their long-rumored joint album ‘Everything Is Love’ as a TIDAL surprise on Saturday and this morning went wide with an (equally surprising) launch across retail and other streaming services.
And the excitement is translating into out of the gate success for The Carters (as they’re going).
These words best describe Louis York and The Shindellas‘ joint offering ‘No Regrets’, a track forged in nostalgia and built for the summer.
Standing as the latest release from the creatives, the song slid into action last week and sees the musicians pay homage to the likes of Billy Ocean, Phil Collins (and in some ways Sting) with sounds you can now enjoy…below.
The former One Direction staple is aiming to cement his solo status with his upcoming sophomore album, which features production from the likes of Timbaland.
And while the success of debut offering ‘Pillowtalk’ saw him shoehorned onto the path of a Pop pin-up ala Justin Timberlake, Malik explains that’s not the trajectory he wants.
Beyonce and Jay-Z broke the internet with the surprise release of their joint album ‘Everything Is Love’ on Saturday and now they’re shaking things up all over again.
For, after dropping the LP as a TIDAL exclusive, the pair have gone wide with the project – not just releasing it to iTunes (as has been customary with their recent efforts) but also on streaming giants Spotify and Apple Music.
This week we give you the harmony-heavy ‘If I Ever Fall In Love’ by Shai.
At a time where soulful ballads were the hottest of commodities, the male quad released their acapella debut to ample critical and commercial acclaim.
Indeed, ‘Love’ – helmed by Carl “Groove” Martin – spent eight consecutive weeks at #2, being held off the top position the entire time by Whitney Houston’s gargantuan hit ‘I Will Always Love You’ in 1992.
[Though the song peaked at #36 in the UK, a cover version by boyband East 17 and soul singer Gabrielle was released a few years later and climbed to #2 – behind the Spice Girls’ ‘Say You’ll Be There.’ #JusticeForShai, right?!]
Equally understated, the track’s Ian Fletcher-directed visual saw the group avoid pomp and pageantry in favor of a more passionate, intimate and compelling moment. A move, which in turn, allowed their voices and harmonies take centre-stage.
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Reflecting on this track has us angling for a new breed of boyband vocalists to carry the baton for the modern era.
For, while today’s climate boasts Beyonce’s, Rihanna’s and Nicki’s as present-day equivalents to the Janet’s, Madonna’s and Lil’ Kim’s, the same can’t be said of the current crop of male groups.
So though we enjoy basking in the nostalgia of classics such as ‘If I Ever,’ we’re equally ready for male ensembles of the modern age to emerge and build on the foundations that the likes of Shai and Boyz II Men laid oh so skilfully.
Sure times have changed, but it’s not everyday singer-rapper hybrids screaming “skr skr.”
As such, for us, a vocal group of guys in the “social media” era would be intriguing to see and the definition of refreshing.
Raven-Symone has welcomed the critically acclaimed vocalist Michelle Williams to the cast of ‘Raven’s Home‘, the new series that stands as the first ‘That’s So Raven’ spin-off!
Kelly Rowland triumphed in more ways than one today on ‘The Voice Australia.’
The songbird, who is a coach on the hit series, won her second season on the platform when her contestant Sam Perry was voted to victory.
Perry, who has attracted controversy due to his use of electronic instruments and elements, clearly struck the right chord with viewers who voted him to victory.
Ahead of the announcement, the pair took to the stage together to perform a spirited rendition of Michael Jackson‘s ‘They Don’t Care About Us.’
And while Ms. Kelly was guesting, she showed up and showed out – dancers and dancing and all.