The Napster Blog

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.

Jagged Edge, “Tip of My Tongue”

After a successful run early in this decade with hits like "Let's Get Married" and "Where the Party At," R&B group Jagged Edge has returned with a banger. "Tip of My Tongue," with its double-entendre title, serves as one of those half love, half lust songs; the kind that says "I love you, girl, now let's get it on." Jagged Edge's sultry and romantic lyrics complement the dirty talk provided by the south's premier mic controllers, Trina and Gucci Mane. The combination of styles goes well with the track, which utilizes a healthy sample of Art of Noise's "Moments in Love" to perfection. This maxi-single for "Tip of My Tongue" also includes a version without Trina and Gucci Mane, as well as an instrumental. "Tip of My Tongue" is the first single from the upcoming Jagged Edge album, The Remedy, scheduled for release in 2010.

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.

50 Cent, “Baby by Me” (featuring Ne-Yo)

The new single "Baby By Me" by 50 Cent features R&B crooner Ne-Yo and is geared toward the female fans of the G-Unit head honcho. "Have a baby by me, baby; be a millionaire," he suggests. I'm sure there would be more than a few applicants who would like to take advantage of the thug entrepreneur's proposal. Maybe it's not the most romantic way to court a lady, but with Fiddy's super-thug reputation, this is probably as close to a love song as you're gonna get. Fiddy spits his sex rap while beatsmith Polow da Don hooks up the smoothed-out track to complement Ne-Yo's vocals. "Baby by Me" is the latest taste of the the upcoming 50 Cent album Before I Self Destruct, currently scheduled for release on Nov. 23.

Dãm-Funk, Toeachizown

Representing his title as Los Angeles' "ambassador of boogie-funk" has been no small feat over the past few years for Dãm-Funk. While holding down a residency at his world-renowned weekly party Funkmosphere, criss-crossing the globe to spread the gospel of early '80s funk and soul at DJ gigs and live performances, and remixing critically acclaimed artists, Dãm (pronounced "dame") found time to record and release Toeachizown. The album is an epic collection of original compositions that honor the legacy of Prince, Parliament, Funkadelic, and the G-funk sound he helped to create as a sesson musician in the early '90s. Toeachizown is tailor-made for a late night crosstown excursion, and even if you find yourself on the other side of the world, it'll instantly take you on a Southern California slow cruise to boogie nirvana.

R. Kelly, “Number One" Remix featuring T-Pain and Keyshia Cole

The original version of the R. Kelly song "Number One" features Keri Hilson, with both Kelly and Hilson proudly letting their freak flags fly. The remix isn't that much different from the original; the music and tempo are the same, even though Kelly sings at the beginning, "This is the remix for the club" in a warbly Auto-Tuned voice. This time around, however, T-Pain joins the party and R&B talent Keyshia Cole replaces Hilson. While not as explicit as the original version, the remix becomes an Auto-Tune orgy, with T-Pain cleverly incorporating radio/performance royalty jargon into his verse, promising to put his "BMI all over your ASCAP." Uh, no thanks. "Number One" is the latest single from the upcoming R. Kelly album Untitled, scheduled for release on Dec. 1.

Usher, “Papers”

Without hearing it, the title might make you think of an uptempo party jam about money, which would be a proper choice for most artists. But we're talking about Usher here: Actor, Grammy winner, Diamond sales award winner, part owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Usher. With that type of clout, you can pretty much do whatever you want. For his new single, Usher Raymond chose to release "Papers", an atypical choice for a first single in that it's a slow, heartfelt song about divorce, namely his divorce from Tameka Foster, his wife of less than two years. Written by Sean Garrett and produced by Zaytoven (who produced Gorilla Zoe's "So Sick," which uses the same music), "Papers" is the first single from Usher's upcoming Raymond Vs. Raymond, scheduled for release in December.