Despite hinting that she has already begun planning a new album, Beyonce has announced that she will be taking a break from the studio in 2010. The singer sat down with USA Today to discuss her plans to rest for at least 6 months in 2010. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

It’s definitely time to take a break, to recharge my batteries,” she tells USA Today. “I’d like to take about six months and not go into the studio. I need to just live life, to be inspired by things again.

I want to go to restaurants, maybe take a class, see some movies and Broadway shows.” She also plans to spend more time with her 5-year-old nephew, Daniel, son of her sister Solange. “He’s a wonderful kid, amazing, so smart. And I spoil him, so it’s a lot of work. He’s a 24-hour job.

It will be the hardest thing in the world for me to make myself not do an album and shoot a video and turn it in and say, ‘I’m ready!’” she confesses. “I already have all these melodies and ideas in my head. I have to tell myself, ‘Sit down! Sit down!’ {Source}

I sense that Beyonce has definitely made a wise decision. Her voice, name and face are everywhere ,and she is basically over-saturating her market. Taking time away would give her audience the opportunity to ‘miss’ her, thus building fresh interest. I can definitely think of a few other singers who should do the same (Mariah Carey, Rihanna).

However, don’t be fooled by her words. Beyonce is going to be featured in Lady GaGa’s upcoming ‘Telephone’ video, she is performing at the Grammy Awards later this month and she has a verse in Alicia Key’s new song ‘Put It In A Love Song’. Furthermore, having been able to create ‘B’Day’ in just two weeks, it’s more than likely that she could generate and release an entirely new project before the end of the year.

Thoughts?

Despite only recently surpassing 500k in US sales, Rihanna’s ‘Rated R’ album has just been certified platinum by the RIAA. However, the LP has not sold 1 million copies at retail venues, rather it has shipped over 1 million units in the US and is expected to achieve that sales figure with retailers in the near future.

Congratulations are in order for Rihanna and her marketing team. Whether or not she is a gifted musician is unimportant. What is key is that they have managed to achieve a feat that many artists in the current sales climate are desperate to capture. Furthermore, with a repackaged version of the LP seeming to be a strong possibility at this point, I certain that she will pass the 1 million mark before the end of the year.

Thoughts?

In a recent interview with Pop Eater’s Mike Hess, Ke$ha shed some light on several issues regarding her rise to fame. Amongst the topics discussed by the singer, whose debut album ‘Animal’ is set to capture the #1 spot from Susan Boyle this week, were her constant comparisons to Lady GaGa. Here is an excerpt from the interview below:

There’s an article out this week saying you might be the Lady Gaga of 2010. Is that a comparison you like? You seem much more Blondie to me.

Any time you want to compare me to a successful woman, I’ll totally take that. It’s a good thing. I like to think of myself more aligned with the likes of Madonna meets David Bowie meets the Beastie Boys. And I loooove Blondie. {Source}

I sense that Ke$ha would not end her GaGa comparisons with her comments. In contrast, her statements only seem to fuel the speculations because the latter has gone on record several times listing both Madonna and Bowie amongst her biggest influences. Why people compare Ke$ha to GaGa is beyond my comprehension. Musically, they are completely different acts and other than the fact they both have blond hair, they look nothing alike.

Thoughts?

Kat Deluna has been struggling to find a hit to match the success of her club anthem ‘Whine Up’. This time around, the singer teamed up with Akon for dance-flavoured ‘Push’. The track will be featured on upcoming studio release, ‘Inside Out’.

This is the first track from Deluna that I enjoyed since ‘Whine Up’. The high energy rhythms and Akon’s verse create a synergy that define a hit. Hopefully Deluna can find her way back to the top of the charts again with this one because it is certainly some of her best work.

Hit or Miss?

Ashanti turned up the volume during a recent performance of the classic ballad ‘Home’. The singer performed the song on Friday evening at Mayor Lorenzo Langford’s inaugural gala at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort. Ashanti is currently hard at work on her next studio release which reportedly will hit stores later this year.

Ashanti’s vocals have improved by leaps and bounds since her debut. When she first emerged on the scene in 2002, many compared her voice to that of Jennifer Lopez. However, unlike Lopez, Ashanti has continued to push her voice further and improve her vocal craft over the years. Hopefully, she applies this passion to her next album and create something edgy and fresh like she did with ‘Only U’.

Thoughts?

Mary J. Blige made a promotional appearance on ‘The Ellen Degeneres Show’ recently. The singer performed ‘I Am’, the new single from her ‘Stronger With Each Tear’ album. The song has thus far peaked at #13 on the Hip-Hop/R&B chart and #65 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Every time Blige performs this song, I grow to like it even more. The raw yet honest vocals display a singer who isn’t afraid to ‘go there’ on stage, without worrying too much about how she looks or sounds. A true performer.

Thoughts?

Kelis was spotted out and about in London recently. The singer is currently preparing to release her new LP, ‘Flesh Tones’ this year. Peep more pics below:

What do you think of the pics?

Despite being the target of accusations by her former backup singers band members, a new track as emerged from Nicole Scherzinger. The Akon-assited song is entitled ‘By My Side’. There is no word on whether this will be included on her upcoming solo project, ‘Her Name Is Nicole’, which is set to hit stores this year.

Backed by such solid production and thumping beats, one would assume that Nicole has a hit on her hands. However, the hook is almost inaudible and very difficult to understand. Furthermore, her voice in the chorus sounds like she was trying very hard to imitate Leona Lewis. Add that to Akon’s surprisingly lazy and uninspired verse, and I can easily see why her solo album is yet to hit stores. Next.

Hit or Miss?

With sales surpassing 100 million records worldwide, Janet Jackson is ranked as one of the best-selling artists of  contemporary music. As the youngest of the famous Jackson clan, she was primed for success from a young age; geared to follow in the footsteps of her elder brothers. However, Janet blazed her own trail in the industry, and at her peak, she even managed to overshadow the successes of her brother Michael.

Nonetheless, fortune has not shined its favour on Janet in recent times. She hasn’t had a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in over 9 years and her album sales struggle to achieve platinum status; arguably as an implication of her infamous Superbowl performance in 2004. In addition, Janet faced several other problems, including illness, an unsuccessful world tour, label conflicts and, of course, the death of her brother.

Interestingly, it seems that Michael’s passing has given Janet new life. Her recent single ‘Make Me’ became her 19th #1 song to top the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs and she has once again peaked public interest with her live performances. Indeed, Janet is once again in high demand by audiences, with magazines and other mass media outlets eager to catch a glimpse of her during her rare public appearances. As harsh as it sounds, it seems that with his passing, Michael has set the stage for his sister to reestablish herself as one of the few acts who can rightfully claim the title of  the Queen of Pop.

Conversely, the following questions remain: is Janet finally primed to return to the top of the charts after a string of commercial and personal disappointments? Or will she continue to fade into the past after the public’s fascination surrounding her brother’s death has subsided? Anything is possible at this point but one thing is certain: Ms. Jackson is undoubtedly ‘a diva on the verge’.

Do you think Janet finally ready to return to the top

of the charts?

It seems that Rihanna is working on a new album, or at least a repackaged version of her ‘Rated R‘ LP. The news come forth from Ke$ha who recently revealed that she has written a song for the imitation singer’s next project. Check out an excerpt from her interview below:

The 22-year-old singer, who released her debut album Animal last week, has penned a song for Rihanna. “I just wrote a song for Rihanna,” Ke$ha told BRAVO WebTV. While she didn’t divulge details, she did say that she “hopes” it will appear on RiRi’s next project. {Source}

Although conclusive details weren’t provided, it seems that the wheels have begun turning on Rihanna’s next release (as predicted by Sam last week). ‘Rated R’ has become the model’s fastest selling album to date, having already passed the 1 million mark on the worldwide tally. However, as her label proved with ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’, her team is keen to try their best to milk this project for everything it’s worth. That is a wise move because the attempted singer is not getting any younger, thus they better beat the iron while it’s hot before her looks begin to resemble her voice.

Thoughts?

Yet another track from Christina Milian’s recent studio sessions has emerged. ‘Welcome To Vegas’ was produced by Tricky Stewart and written by her husband, The-Dream. ‘Elope’ is still awaiting a release date.

This is the best track come forth from Milian in a long time. Despite the song sounding very similar to The-Dream’s personal material, it is different from her previously released music, including yesterday’s ‘I’m Sexy’. However, I am still waiting to hear Milian apply this experimentation to her vocals. Thus far, she has been using a lot of restraint and not pushing her voice. Hopefully, there are ballads on the album that show growth in her voice as well.

Hit or Miss?

Pop phenomenon Lady GaGa will further cement her place as music royalty with an appearance on the legendary Oprah Winfrey Show. Executive Producer for the  renown show, Sheri Salata, confirmed the news on Twitter a few hours. While it’s currently unknown when exactly the show will air, it has been revealed that GaGa’s appearance will be taped this Friday in Chicago. {Source}

As OTT as it may sound, I really feel we’re witness someone legendary in-the-making with GaGa. Not for a long while has there been an artist who has managed to captivate the industry to the level which GaGa has in such a short space of time – a feat I’m sure attracted Oprah producers to wanting her on the show in the first place. In any case, it’ll be interesting to see whether she’ll be in ‘character’ or if we’ll get a rare glimpse into the person behind the GaGa persona.

Your thoughts?