Rated Talk That Talk!

Rihanna closes her 6th studio album with the pounding beat of epic ballad 'Farewell'. If this is a literal, but temporary, goodbye from the Bajan sex nuke then it can only be labeled "well earned". Reaching album number 6 in as many years is an impressive feat, yet it's one which concerned many as the world seemed to go under a Rihanna tidal wave. Thankfully, Talk That Talk doesn't disappoint after its predecessor Loud racked up 7million+ sales world wide, stole heaps of critical acclaim and produced a sold out world tour. This is a feisty r'n'b romp, with lots of cheek and charm and some really satisfying cuts.

Opener 'You Da One' is a West Indian flavoured, mid-tempo number in a similar vein to 'What's My Name?'. It's not quite as brilliant and hypnotic, but it leaves a warm sensation that is certain to prove vital this winter. Teaming up with Calvin Harris on epic floor filler 'We Found Love' proved to be a damn good decision as both are bound to see their bank balances notch up a few more zeros in the coming months. Lending a hand to Cirkuit and Dr. Luke, the Scottish DJ helps birth the wonderful, exhilarating 'Where Have You Been?'. One of the strongest songs on the album, this is more or less the 'Only Girl (In the World)' of Talk That Talk. Not quite as enormous, but packed with a grimey edge that we've not really heard on a Rihanna song before. "Where have you been?/All my life/Where have you been all my L-i-i-i-fe?", belts Ri over dirty electronic synths and a pulsating beat, with top form vocals on show. 

Notorious B.I.G sampler, 'Talk That Talk' is a brilliant song, with Jay Z opening up the classic sounding r'n'b track and Rihanna kicking into a catchy as hell chorus, "One and two and a three and four/Come on let me know if you want some more/You know what I like/Now get right/Boy talk that talk to me all night/...love it when you talk that talk to me yeah". This is the first instance of where the rasp of Rated R shows its welcome face. 

Rated Xfactor Week 7

Well, what a week. I can't help but let this program rule my life at this time of year. It saves me money in nights out and it gives me a huge amount to debate with friends and enemies alike. Also, providing me with countless facebook status updates and, of course, blog material! Week 7 was quite something. Misha B stripped it back and seemingly held it back with a big ballad and Janet did, yet again, something mediocre and completely lacking in bite. Even folk singers can have some attitude you know. Amelia rocked out, Marcus did some more shoo-wop style boogying, Craig was Craig and Little Mix were incredible with their rendition of 'Don't Let Go' by En Vogue (one of my favourite songs ever).

It transpires that ol' Craigy got the boot in a showdown with Amelia Lily, which is a shame considering how much work he's done and how much he's grown in the competition, but let's face it... he's not interesting enough to make it big. As my wonderfully insightful flat mate pointed out, "Craig has a case of Joe McElderry syndrome. He's boring but has a great voice. He should do theatre". Completely true. Craig Colton will be performing in a pantomime near you soon. 

Right now, my ranking is as follows:

1. Misha B

2. Amelia Lily

3. Little Mix

4. Marcus

5. Janet

I know everyone is hating on Misha B right now, but I don't get why? Are the British public really so fickle to believe everything they read in the press and are we really so impressionable and unable to exercise autonomous thinking that we need the media to tell us whether we should like someone or not. Honestly, I think it's a load of bull shit. The girl has a massive voice, tidal waves of stage presence and regardless of the whole 'bullying' LOLfest, should win this competition.

GO MISHA B

Rated Daddy Daddy

The last half of 2011 will always be, for me, a time when my prospects were turned around and I gained a positive outlook on my life. Similarly, for Aberdeenshire born singer Emeli Sande, the latter half of the year has been insane and mesmerising. Her debut solo single 'Heaven' (perhaps my favourite song of the year) reached number 2 in the UK top 40 chart and she hit number 1 lending Professor Green a helping hand.

Back with her 2nd critically acclaimed single 'Daddy', Sande has cemented the fact that she is on route to big things. Destined to join the growing ranks of brilliant British female soloists (Adele, Ellie Goulding, Katy B) she is continuing with the retro 90s dance vibe that backed her debut. "You got your family back and you got your smile/And you promised your sister that you'd never go back again..." sings Sande with her distinct, silky vocals. Like 'Heaven', this song showcases just what an epic talent this young woman has/is and when the song hits its climax her vocals are on traffic stopping form.

There's something about this woman, something special. She can sing fantastically and she is a great live act. She's cool and unique, but there's something else. I just can't put my finger on it, but I can say that I smell immense success and worldwide stardom coming her way.

5/5

Rated Marry the Night

Lady GaGa tantalised us with the brilliant Born This Way earlier in the year. The album has since sold in excess of 7 million copies and generated millions of single sales for the magnificent 'Judas', 'Edge of Glory' and the enormous gay anthem 'Born This Way'. Thankfully things aren't stopping there. 

New cut, 'Marry the Night', is an epic electro dance floor filler. It features some of GaGa's most powerful, ferocious vocals to date and I can only imagine the upcoming music video will be huge. "I'm gonna marry the night, I'm not gonna cry anymore..." sings GaGa on this ode to the New York underground club scene. Dark electric riffs are laid over a series of huge synths as this beast of a track unfolds into an exhilarating break down. 

After the disappointing performance of 'You & I', GaGa could really do with this hitting the top 10. It would be a shame for such a brilliant song to miss out on success, although with 7 million copies of Born This Way sold, it's unlikely there is anyone left to fire this one to the top.

5/5

Rated Xfactor Week 6, I think?

I can't keep track of what week we're at now...but it doesn't matter. Last night was a reet-ol' rollercoaster weren't it? Who was your favourite performance? Comments please. As usual here's my chart for Saturday:

1. Amelia 

2. Janet

3. Misha

4. Craig

5.Kitty

6.Marcus

7. Little Mix

This may seem bewildering to some of you but allow me explain myself. Amelia seems to be getting flack for waltzing back into the competition so late and being placed as bookies' favourite to win. Why? Last night this girl completely shat in the other contestants' cereal. Her rendition of 'The Show Must Go On' by Queen, was brilliant. I get some Christina Aguilera vibes from her at the highest notes; she's got the roar in her throat. Janet was amazing, probably my favourite week for her so far and I am really not a fan. Misha was great but she loses major points for wearing an outfit she picked out in Quiz. Craig killed Paparazzi but it wasn't original, Gaga's done that rendition before (PS: singing to a girl, wtf??). Kitty was meh, but I enjoyed her theatrics and the gimp horses. 


MARCUS WHAT HAPPENED? "I saw Bruno Mars and felt inspired"... Are you kidding me? We do not need another Bruno Mars, certainly not for at least another 10 years. I loved his Prince vibe when he did Stevie Wonder in the Halloween week. That's the direction I see for him, not some doo-wop, re-rendered, edgeless nonsense. I do like Bruno Mars, just for the record. Little Mix fell flatter than I did after half a litre of straight Whiskey. I was close to spewing my guts when I heard those flat, out of synch harmonies too. Poor Kelly must've been texting queen B under the desk like, "deez gurlz ain't sUvivors".


Amelia to win.

Rated 'You Da One'

6 albums in 7 years and now 2 singles from one album within a month of eachother. It seems Rihanna really is taking over the world. New album Talk That Talk is dropping in 8 days (stupidly excited right here) and just to tease us there's a summery new single for us to sink our nails into. 

This scenario reminds me of the Loud release, when the immense dance floor behemoth 'Only Girl (In the World)' was followed by a mid tempo, West Indian flavoured hook fest. Lead single 'We Found Love' is a huge, summery dance hit and now with 'You Da One' we have a more chill reggae-ish r'n'b effort. "You Da One that I think about all day-ay-ay", Rihanna sings in her ohsoaddictive Bajan tones, harking back to the "eh-eh-eh" of 'Umbrella' and the kettle drum beats of 'What's My Name?'. It's not as instantly brilliant as WMN or 'Man Down', but it's a relief to know that there is some classic sounding Ri on the upcoming TTT. WIth a few more plays this will become one of the catchiest tunes this winter.


4/5

Rated TTT 14

Talk That Talk is ready. People, I won't see the light of day for weeks once it drops. If 'We Found Love' is anything to go by we're in for a treat. Expect a full review as you got with Rated R and Loud. That's full dependent on me not having a heart attack waiting in the queue to pay for my copy. 

Girl is fierce!

14 Days.

Rated 'Love U More'

Sunday Girl first caught my attention with 'Four Floors'  over a year ago and I've never stopped listening. In fact she made it to number 2 on my top 5 songs of 2010. Still waiting for that debut album to drop, she's teasing me yet again with 'Love U More'. This is completely different to previous singles like 'Stop Hey', losing the 80s/90s synthy vibe that  resonated in favour of a more current sounding dance track, with a dub-steppy breakdown and then back onto a 90s sounding floor-filler crescendo. 


Her vocals sounds strong, confident and as distinct as always. I hope this gets her the attention she deserves and gets 'Four Floors' a proper, promoted release. Her spotlight is waiting, it's just a matter of time. She also looks stunning in the video. See below. 

Rated Party - A Winter Warmer

I said in my review of Beyonce brilliant 4 album that I thought the song 'Party' was "a pointless and oomph lacking song". I still stand by my point that 'Party' is not the best song in the collection, nor in Beyonce's vast back catalogue, but after seeing the video I appreciate it so much more.

J. Cole steps in and takes over from the horrible Andre 3000 rap segment, which is still a pointless addition to the song, but sounds so much better. I'm seeing a trend in my rating behaviour. If I don't like song, it's a guarantee I'll warm to it once I've seen the video (I love promo clips!) and that's just what's happened in this instance. 

I just cannot wait to see the 'End of Time' video. B gon' put it down, as Kelly would say.

Rated Xfactor Week 5

Things are getting a little stale, IMO. It's just, I feel like the bite is gone from the show this year and there's, as usual, a completely unjust voting trend. Keeping Frankie in week after week? What is wrong with the British public? Putting someone as immensely talented as Misha B in the bottom 2? WTF? It's the most frustrating series to date. Thank God there are only 5 more weeks till it ends.

Last nights performances, Rated:

   1. Marcus

2. Misha

     3. Little Mix

4. Kitty

5. Craig

     6. The Risk

7. Janet

   8. Johnny

   9. Frankie

+ It's about time Kitty got some credit. Marcus blew everyone out the running. Little Mix continued to show growth. Craig's voice was HUGE. Misha killed it, as usual.

- Johnny was cringe. Frankie is about as talented as a turd in the street. Janet, stick to your ballad singing love. The Risk are boring me to tears.

It's double elimination week (how original). Based on last night I think Janet and Frankie or Johnny and Frankie need to leave. She's not ready, Johnny is constant cringe and Frankie is a twat. Easy decision to make.

Rated The Park

I forgot how much I enjoyed Feist's The Reminder until my itunes popped it on during a shuffle session the other night and now I can't stop playing it! I have fond memories of travelling on the bus with only 'The Park' to keep me company. The song is so understated and Feist's unique, folksy voice washes over your like some ethereal cleansing holy water. It's a marvellous wee number.

Sit back and relax.

Rated Misha B

There was a lot of drama on last night's Xfactor show, mainly around the Queen Misha B. This week the hair was pretty dramatic, but for a change that wasn't the focus. Apparently, this teen is being a right wee mare backstage and causing upset in the ranks. "Bully" was mentioned by the oh so wise such a douche Louis Walsh and Tulisa was very quick to hump his leg and join in the attack. My main thought on this whole scenario... Who gives a shit?


Whether or not M.B actually is being a wench backstage is besides the point of the competition. I would say don't believe what you're seeing or hearing because we don't know how sensationalised this is forcibly made, but it's hard when it's right in front of you in a judge brawl. GURL can sing. That should be the focus. She's the star of the 2011 lineup and she, as far as I can see, is confident yet dignified. I don't smell arrogance, I smell self assurance and I think this is something we should embrace in a potential British mega star. I'm bored out of my mind with this British modesty; this constant playing down of one's abilities to ensure no one feels uncomfortable. If you know you're great at something and have a fantastic gift you should be allowed to express your pride in your own achievements without being chastised as an arrogant, insensitive moron.

It's time Britain, that we got some balls and praised ourselves. America got it right, so should we.

Go Misha B.

Rated i is right behind you. 

Rated We Found Love (The Video)

I know I post a lot about Rihanna these days, but it's because she's the only one ripping up the music charts right now. When 'We Found Love' dropped I was very pleased and excited. Now, I have a brilliant music video to swoon over and by brilliant I mean brilliant.

I know I'm slightly biased, but this is by far the best video to get released in 2011. It's a smart approach to visually portraying the song, which otherwise seems like a positive one. I thought the video was going to be Ri running about in fields being happy about loving some fit dude. Alas, only half of this is right. The video shows how poisonous loving someone can be and self destructive it can make you. We see Rihanna throwing up in the streets (presumably after taking drugs) but it's ribbons that come out of her mouth, so cool. We see her going crazy on pills and we see her get dirty at a party in someone's farm yard. It's by far the best video she's done so far and the most meaningful.

Rihanna isn't bad at acting and the guy she's with is hot. It's a bit like watching an indie British film; like a mini-Trainspotting style affair. Take a look.

The video above is the uncut version (the one on TV is boring).

Rated Loud Tour 2011

BABE

It's been just over a year since Rihanna toured her 4th studio album Rated R . We've been in the midst of a Rihanna tornado since then with a constant stream of singles, a new album and yet another tour. It leaves one wondering, how does she do it? Where does she get the energy from? Where do all these tremendous songs come from? Apparently some ether of pop brilliance.

The Last Girl On Earth tour of 2010/2011 was a great showcase of the darker material from the Rated R era. It featured songs like 'Russian Roulette', 'Rude Boy' and 'Te Amo', performed against a robo-apocalyptic backdrop. There was latex, lots of war imagery and a huge amount of rockstar charm. Now, on the Loud Tour, supporting an album that has now sold in excess of 8 million copies worldwide, Rihanna is cranking the pace up a notch.

Things kick off with a 3/4 minute film, which has the Bajan babe in a bobbed red wig and black outfits, screaming as loud as possible. It crescendos, the screen splits in the two, and out she pops in a neon lit, transparent orb. Belting out the tremendous 'Only Girl (In the World)' , she makes the crowd insane, all the while strutting up and down the stage in a tiny blue glossy coat, leaving very little to the imagination; that's why we love her! Her vocals are on top form, better than they have ever been in fact. She engages with the crowd, bellowing 'Glasgoooow', more frequently than she did on her last tour, making the whole affair that little bit more exciting. De-robing to reveal a rainbow coloured, beaded bra and pant combo, she slips into 'Disturbia' and 'Shut Up and Drive', before sitting non-chalantly against a wrecked car to show off her West Indian tones on the Bob Marley inspired 'Man Down'.

The tempo at this tour is much higher with less balladry and more big beats. There is the essential ballad segment, but it takes up very little time for the pace to quicken again. A revved up rock cover of Prince's 'Darling Nikki' slips into a raunchy performance of 'S&M', identical to that she performed with Britney Spears at the VMAs. 

The pink tank of the previous tour returns, but it's smaller and fires projectiles into the audience. Getting G with 'Raining Men' and 'Hard', Rihanna rides her ad-hoc army vehicle to the front of the stage, surrounded by gun-toting topless dancers.

Rated TTT.

Expect a full review of Rihanna's new album, out November 21st, when I lay my hands on it. I feel an early pre-work purchase coming on. Clearly buying it Deluxe. TTTD here I come.

Love the album covers. 

Rated Neva Soft.

It's been a long time since we heard anything from Ms. Dynamite-ee-ee. In fact it's been 6 years since her last studio album Judgement Days, a significant under performer. She all but vanished at the end of 2005 and now she's back. Following on from the brilliant duet with Katy B on 'Lights On', the first lady of the UK Urban scene is offering up an original and immense piece of dub step mastery in the form of 'Neva Soft'. 


The song packs a bite, particularly on the rapped verses where Ms. Dynamite comments on her hiatus, "I'ma high from the anticipation, Never know 'bout the moves we've been making, Best things come to those who have been waiting...". The track slows down to a halt half way, and after some lovely soft vocals it bursts back to an uptempo, euphoric crescendo packed with rough synths and attitude.


 It's true, the best things come to those who wait as 'Neva Soft' proves itself to be her most interesting and edgy track to date.

Check it out for yourself.

Rated MOBOS 2011

Like I said before, I got FREE tickets to the MOBO Awards and last night was the night. The night blew open with a massive performance from Jesse J and then some typical, rehearsed award show chatter from Jason Derulo and Alesha Dixon, the sexy presenters. It seemed to just get bigger and better as the night progressed, with amazing slots from Dappy (Yes, Dappy was amazing!) and Wretch 32. Katy B. sang 'Broken Record' and then slid into 'Lights On' with an actual flesh and bone featuring from Ms Dynamite. The night got more sombre with a stunning rendition of 'Love is a Losing Game' by Dionne Bromfield and then a camped up stage show from Alexis Jordan. My favourite moment was the first verse and chorus of Emeli Sande's 'Heaven', which she popped into the middle of her duet with Professor Green. It was such an exhilarating night. I just wish I had one of the VIP tables.

Rated Jessie J

I've been pretty hard on this young British singer of late, but that all changed last night when she opened the MOBO Awards in Glasgow's SECC. I got some free tickets through work and after one of the most stressful journeys of my life I finally made it into the arena. I knew Jessie was going to be there and I did a lot of moaning about it. Let's just say, her performance of 'Do It Like a Dude' kicked me in the balls.

Kudos JJ.

Rated 'We Found Love'

It seems Rihanna can't quite help but court controversy. First she drastically sexes up her image with Rated R, then she gets killed in her marvellous 'Russian Roulette' video and pisses parents off with her vibrant, cheeky, video for 'S&M'. Now the controversy isn't about what her music is saying or showing, it's about the speed at which she's popping out new material. It's been less than two years since we had Loud and less than a year before that we had Rated R. It seems Rihanna is a bajan musical snowball and the only question to ask is where will it melt?

Things are remaining pretty damn hot in the RiRi world for the time being with new single 'We Found Love'. The Calvin Harris produced number is a summery club exhilarator, with the expected Calvin Harris bouncy synths. "We found love in a hopeless place" sings our fox on a repetitive, but completely intoxicating, chorus. It doesn't have the thump of 'Only Girl', or the sumptuous kettle drum synthy charms of 'What's My Name?', or even the sassy bite of 'Rude Boy', but 'We Found Love' is a lovely taster from the 23 year old's upcoming 6th studio album. We're in Rihanna overload right now, so this album has a lot riding on it. If this song is anything to go by though, she isn't going anywhere.

4/5

Rated 'Freedom'

The Sugababes have had a pretty busy career. Sure they've got countless hit singles and millions of album sales, but their biggest achievement is still existing after numerous line-up changes to a point where now there are no original group members left. 

After their flop album Sweet 7, the girls are back and are desperate to prove their worth as the pseudobabes. They're doing this with a vamped up image and club ready new single 'Freedom'. The video harks back to the dark club setting of their epic single 'Freak Like Me' but the song is very different. Keeping with the times and going for gay anthem complete with dub-step breakdown, 'Freedom' proves that the ladies can still knock out a good tune. The song's crescendo, post-breakdown, is exhilarating but the song still lacks the bite and originality that their older efforts have become famous for. It's a great dance-floor track, but overall it still isn't hitting the mark you'd expect. On a plus note, the song is brilliant when compared to some of the disasters from Sweet 7 and as long as they manage to recapture their feistiness on their upcoming album, things could be on the up.

3/5