The Napster Blog

Lady GaGa, The Fame Monster

When she appeared on the pop music scene it was so easy to summarily dismiss Lady GaGa as a one-trick pony, attention-starved pop starlet who never wore pants as I admittedly did. But throughout this year Lady GaGa has managed to transform both me and the pop landscape. I can now declare I was wrong; we need Lady GaGa in pop music. She brings the drama, the glamor and the sense of the spectacle that we were clearly lacking. She is exactly the kind of risk-taker that helps propel pop forward and I can't be the only one impatiently anticipating the new year and what the GaGanator will bring us.
For now, we have the eight brand new tracks on The Fame Monster. According to the superstar herself, it is a look at the darker side of fame. Lyrics such as "He ate my heart/Then he ate my brain" from "Monster" or "I want your ugly/I want your disease" from lead single "Bad Romance" both attest to this darker vibe. But no worries, the music is still all catchy dance beats that sound a little ABBA, a little Madonna, and bits of both Queen's rock-opera style and Depeche Mode's vibrant '80s synths. Overall, it's the perfect bite-size sample of over-the-top monstrous drama that only Lady GaGa could deliver.

Michael Jackson and Taylor Swift Dominate AMAs

It was a big night for many artists at the American Music Awards, whether they were performing or nominated, but in the end, the awards show was dominated by just two people: Michael Jackson and Taylor Swift. The late and great Mr. Jackson took honors for Favorite Male Artist in both the pop/rock and soul/R&B categories, while his hits collection, Number Ones, was Favorite Album in those categories as well. Swift had similar success, taking Favorite Female Artist awards in the pop/rock, adult contemporary, and country categories and earning Favorite Country Album honors for Fearless. And then, Swift managed to trump the King of Pop by taking home the Artist of the Year award. What a night. Other winners included Green Day, Jay-Z, Keith Urban, Beyonce, and Rascal Flatts, but the biggest thrills came with the performances: Janet Jackson (pictured) opened the show and was followed by over-the-top live performances from the likes of Shakira, Black Eyed Peas, Whitney Houston, a laser-shooting Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez having a slight fall, Lady GaGa playing a piano covered in glass and fire and an eye-popping closing number from Adam Lambert.

Michael Jackson and the Return of Captain EO?

With the continuing worldwide success of Michael Jackson's This Is It film and album (pictured), it's no surprise his fans want more ways to remember the King of Pop. MTV has already snapped up the television rights for This Is It, so expect that to air sometime in 2010. Meanwhile, another Jackson classic might return to select theaters as well: Captain EO. The $30 million dollar, 17-minute 3-D short film was produced by George Lucas, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starred Jackson and featured two of his songs ("We Are Here to Change the World" and "Another Part of Me). It was screened exclusively at Disney theme parks from 1986 until 1998, but rumors abound that the public clamor for more Michael has Disney working on a revival. Whether today's audiences will get to experience smoke effects and laser show that enhanced the original 3-D experience is unknown, but hopefully we'll know more sooner rather than later so we can all start making our 2010 vacation plans.

Adam Lambert, “For Your Entertainment”

Amid all the excitement for the upcoming albums from Rihanna, Shakira and Lady GaGa, it's easy to forget that the men of the pop music world have been busy as well. Just this week, we've seen releases from new teen sensation Justin Beiber, Ryan Tedder's OneRepublic, and last season's American Idol winner Kris Allen. But it is that season's runner-up Adam Lambert who has been getting most of the post-Idol attention.
For Your Entertainment, his debut solo effort, will be released next Monday, Nov. 23. Until then, we have the first single and title track to give us a taste of what's to come. For all of Lambert's glam-rock aesthetics, "For Your Entertainment" is pure pop; the beat and mood of the song is similar to Britney Spears' recent comeback single, "Womanizer," while his gentler pop vocals bring to mind pop legend George Michael. It will be interesting to see if the full album is a mix of these new pop sensibilities along with the Queen-like performances we saw on AI. Either way, it looks like Lambert's on his way to his first taste of mainstream pop success.

Black Eyed Peas: From Kidz Bop to SNL

Now that two songs from their latest album, The E.N.D., have spent more than half of this year atop the Billboard charts, Black Eyed Peas seem to be everywhere—even in the children's music world: The equally successful kid-friendly franchise Kidz Bop has not one, but two different BEP-related releases. First there was the Boom Boom Pow EP, which includes a rendition of a solo Fergie song, "Glamorous." And now there's the Kidz Bop version of "I Gotta Feeling." Whether you prefer this version, the original, or the live performance from this past weekend's Saturday Night Live, there's little doubt that you'll be seeing lots of Black Eyed Peas on year-end 'best of' lists. Check back soon to see if this kid-friendly version made the Napster cut.

Lady GaGa Thrills Fans with “Bad Romance” Video

If you have been on any entertainment website in the past 24 hours, then you probably know that Lady GaGa just released a video for her latest single, "Bad Romance". Everyone is talking about it: from the numerous crazy costume changes to the bear to the flaming bed and exactly what it all means. In an age when not many musicians/bands find the time, energy, or budget to create original and elaborate videos, Lady GaGa has taken the proper pop-star route and gone all out. For those of us who grew up during the golden age of MTV, it's a nice reminder of the time when mini-movies were all the rage, and it's nice to know that there are still musicians who really consider themselves to be artists and who want to give their fans the full package. Whether her music is your style or not, Lady GaGa has proved herself to be more than just a pop singer this year. It's easy to see why many people are already tipping Lady GaGa to be on several "Best of Year" lists after dominating the Billboard charts, producing spectacular promos for her music, performing dramatic live shows, and managing to look like a true star every time she leaves her house.

Amerie, In Love & War

Amerie's fourth album, In Love & War, has quietly hit the scene at just the right moment. While most of the R&B/Pop community is speculating on the drama of Rihanna's upcoming release, In Love & War has the potential to be a big crossover hit in the meantime. It's an album full of solid, infectious pop-flavored tracks, all co-written by Amerie, with guest appearances from the likes of Trey Songz, Fabolous, and Lil' Wayne. And while she hasn't yet matched the chart success of her past smash "1 Thing," songs like "Heard 'em All," "Dangerous," and "Higher" are all in the same high-energy vein and could result in another career-defining moment for this talented singer-songwriter.

Michael Jackson’s This Is It

You may look at the track listing for the soundtrack to the Michael Jackson documentary Michael Jackson's This Is It and see it as another repackaging of his greatest hits. In a way, it is—it features many of his hits, but after all, those are what he would have been performing had he been able to go on tour. But the album also contains a few gems that are a must for die-hard Jackson fans, including previously unreleased demo versions of classics such as "She's out of My Life," "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," and "Beat It," a spoken-word poem entitled "Planet Earth," and the recently disputed title song "This Is It." After watching the many amazing moments captured on film during the rehearsals for the tour, you have to wonder why the actual audio from the movie wasn't included. But then you have to remember—the scenes shot were, in fact, rehearsals, and Jackson was trying to conserve his voice. The effort wasn't entirely there. And while one may argue whether some of MJ's minimal efforts are better than no MJ at all, those moments on film are still magical and justly add to the legacy and mystique of the King of Pop.

Rihanna, “Russian Roulette”

Pop/R&B superstar Rihanna will never be accused of being the shy, retiring type. Take one look at the art for her new single "Russian Roulette" (pictured) and you know this woman has something to say. It's our first taste of her new album, Rated R, due to be released Monday, Nov. 23r. And while it's not an uptempo pop stormer in the mold of megahit "Umbrella" or the other singles from her highly successful Good Girl Gone Bad album, "Russian Roulette" is gripping, exciting, and exactly the right kind of teaser to get her fans ready for more. The track, co-written by Ne-Yo, isn't quite a ballad, but it's a slower-building tune, and reveals a darker, edgier Rihanna than we've heard before. In fact, speculation abounds that the new sound and the lyrics are directly related to her personal drama. Whether that's true or not, the new track is a more somber, mature sound for the singer, and I for one can't wait to see if the rest of the new album follows in this direction.

Little Dragon, Machine Dreams

Machine Dreams is Little Dragon's second album, and as the title signals, is a step farther into intricate electro-pop territory, and farther away from the soul-oriented, downtempo roots of the Swedish band. Singer Yukimi Nagano has previously appeared with Swell Session and Koop, two acts that dabble in jazzy retro-futurism, but songs like "My Step," "Feather," and the shimmering set-closer "Fortune" highlight lessons learned from Depeche Mode and the Pet Shop Boys. Yukimi still swings though, perhaps now more than ever, and as Little Dragon continues to incorporate influences, look for them to add to their following and for intimate scenes like this to become rare.