Album Review by @EddieJSays, Contributing writer

Likes: Fireflies, Putcha' Body Down, Heaven Lost an Angel
Dislikes: My Baby
Overall: Breaks out from the Disney mold, better vocals than expected

For anyone who is on the fence like I was as to whether or not “Shake It Up” Disney newcomer Zendaya has any real vocal ability, in addition to being a great comedic actress who can dance her butt off, you might want to take a listen to her new self-titled debut album.

Surprisingly enough, Zendaya’s sound isn’t easily recognizable as a “Disney girl” (as her 1st single “Replay” sort of hinted at) and that alone sets her and the album a part from the rest of her predecessors. Disney-affiliated debut albums are usually “kiddy bopper” ones with mind-numbing ditties that no one over 16 wants to admit to knowing the lyrics of. However, Zendaya’s is actually quite musically mature and has an urban (yes, urban) sound throughout that incorporates the high-tech bells and whistles from the dubstep, techno and EDM genres we’ve all grown to “love” over the last few years. The production is solid: every bass-thump rumbles the subwoofer with purpose and the music is just as infectious as the melodies being sung over them. The rhythmic natures of songs like “Putcha Body Down” and “Only When You’re Close” make it obvious the album is dance hip-hop influenced.

Vocally, Zendaya has introduced herself as any singer who wants longevity in this industry should: she cherishes her vocal strengths, knows her limits (with both range and texture) and how to utilize vocal tricks in a way that keeps the listener impatiently waiting for the next showcase. Her best vocal feature is her airy, soaring head-voice, where she performs a variety of versatile runs. Her chest voice has a thin, Taylor Swift quality to it, which may thicken as she grows a little more as a vocalist and maintains more character (she’s only 17). Her voice has a distinctive quality, having more dexterity than a Cassie or a Rihanna, but not as refined as her contemporary, Ariana Grande. Her knowing what she lacks as a singer ironically adds to the enjoyment of the record because we are literally mystified as to what her vocal weaknesses are (aside from the tone of her chest voice, which she can’t help right now), giving the perception of a vocally seamless and coherent project.

The songs are catchy and have a witty and illustrative lyrical quality, but they don’t go beyond the topic of love and how a guy is supposed to make her feel. “Fireflies” (written by Dawn Richard and produced Harmony Samuels) is enjoyable in every regard as well as the soft-spoken, mid-tempo “Cry for Love.” “Heaven Lost An Angel” has a nice new-aged 80s theme and the Nick Jonas-written “Love You Forever” is a great summer-into-fall jam, having a melancholy undertone, while the actual percussion keeps the tempo at a head-bobbing pace. Literally, the album as a whole is appealing, cohesive and flawless. Here is my only real qualm, and this goes for most of these newer artists: what is the deal with putting the crappiest song at the end of the album?! I was enjoying the ride and then “My Baby” comes on and I’m ready to push stop and try to erase the song from my cerebral cortex. The song sounds like it belongs in 2002 and should have a rap feature with Mannie Fresh and Juvenile or the Franchise Boys. To add to it, it’s her worst vocal performance on the entire album.

Nonetheless, Zendaya is a star in the making, with the full package of singing, dancing and acting. Hopefully, she can break the Disney curse and become even more successful and potentially an icon. For now, we can settle for great consistent albums with amazing production and her clear, crisp, puerile voice maintaining the attention of teenagers and adults alike. That in itself is a feat that most Disney girls before her couldn’t claim at her age.

Single Review.

Okay, so I totally didn’t plan on doing a review for “Work B****,” the debut single from Britney Spears’ upcoming 8th album because I was on a mini-vacation, but after hearing it, I must. I’m livid. 2011’s “Femme Fatale” is the only Spears album I don’t like. Why? It wasn’t what I call “Britney definitive.” The album was a collection of over-produced, effect-driven techno tracks that anyone could’ve recorded. It was just a standard of what was hot right then, and that’s where “Work” finds Spears again. The single is woefully generic; there isn’t much difference between “Work” and a random vogue track performed by no-names that’s played in a gay club. Spears is the type of artist one goes to if they want to know what the latest trend is, however, she usually can do that and still set herself apart. Frankly, given her pop-culture status, I think Spears should be setting the trend and ushering in a new wave, not riding on an old one that’s been crashing since 2008. Will.I.Am is the producer on “Work,” as he will be for all the tracks on the new album and I think that’s a huge mistake. He’s just going to keep giving her the same, redundant stuff. I liked the rumored idea that she’d be working with producers from her most critically-acclaimed album, “Blackout,” much better. Now that, was some edgy pop. You can listen to "Work" here. 

Album Review by @EddieJSays, Contributing Writer

Likes: “Q.U.E.E.N,” “Electric Lady,” “PrimeTime,” “It’s Code,”“Victory,” “Sally Ride”
Dislikes: “What an Experience”
Overall: A must buy, for anyone who enjoys great quality music, lyrics, and vocals.

Although this is only her sophomore album, many doubts, as well as hopes, were invested in Janelle Monae’s ability to top the musical masterpieces that were her debut album “The Archandroid” and EP “Metropolis: The Chase Suite,” both in the funk filled, R&B sci-fi series she created. The new “Electric Lady” goes beyond satisfying and meeting the bar from her previous releases and ultimately pushes her vocal, lyrical and musical capabilities to unfathomable heights. If you’re wondering what the “hype” around Janelle Monae is, please understand that it is not as much about her being “different” as it is for her being mission-driven and immensely talented all in one cohesive package. This album showcases this in a very boisterous way; full of live instruments and constant genre and tempo changes, “Electric Lady” is a subliminal storyline about Janelle Monae and Cindi Mayweather (a fictional alpha-platinum 9000 android who was programmed to be the ultimate entertainer, using computer codes to implement everything that has been pleasing and successful to the music industry in the past). The first remarkable part of this album is that she took the common criticism from “The Archandroid” that many people (including J.Says herself) felt detached and dejected from the songs and as if the concepts and lyrics were purposefully going over their heads, and flipped it into a positive. “Givin Them What They Love” (featuring Prince, yes, THE Prince) pretty much sets the scene for what she’s about to do. The song itself is far from what you’d expect to hear from the duo, but has an interesting country- meets-rock feel to it. The songs that follow are probably the most commercial Monae has ever created (which is, in this context, a GOOD thing). Using simple lyrics to imply dual meanings is a skill Monae masters, especially on “Q.U.E.E.N,” featuring Erykah Badu, and the title track, featuring Solange Knowles.

Vocally, Monae is still in her prime, soaring into her chest voice more than she has before, while maintaining a virtually perfect technique and being able to switch her voice textures at the drop of a dime. She allows her range to flutter to her top head voice, down to her low alto, amidst the thumping 808s, electrifying synths, funky guitars and brass that appear throughout the suites. Her fearlessness in vocal experimentation in itself is entertaining to hear, as she emotes over the music and yet, she still manages to sometimes come off as robotic or formulaic in this approach.  She is more uninhibited, nonetheless, as she raps in 3 songs (“Q.U.E.E.N,” “Electric Lady” & “Ghetto Woman”) focusing on socially conscious themes, as the music seems to add to her overall energy. Song-wise, the album is solid; every song has a purpose and its own texture that contributes to the whole. Songs like “It’s Code” and “Victory” tug at her R&B roots, while “PrimeTime”( featuring Miguel), “We Were Rock &Roll” and “Givin Em’ What They Love” accentuates her rock & roll foundations. “Ghetto Woman” sounds like one of Stevie Wonder’s forgotten “Songs in the Key of Life” (from the second half, to be exact) tracks and tunes like “Look Into My Eyes,” “Dorothy Dandridge Eyes” (featuring Esperanza Spalding) and “Can’t Live Without Your Love” allow her smooth-like-honey voice to send the listener to ecstasy. The deluxe edition contains two remixes, one additional original song and a beautiful acoustic, slowed down cover of “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5. The “Electric Lady” remix, featuring Big Boi and Cee-lo Green, is impeccable and “Hell You Talmbout” could have easily been on the standard version’s tracklist. Another plus is that among all of the features on the album, Ms. Monae doesn’t allow the album to feel cluttered and dependent upon these collaborations. Solange only sings background vocals (which are PHENOMENAL), Erykah Badu has space for a verse, but it comes off as spastic adlibbing and Prince’s sung part is short lived, but he plays several guitar parts throughout the song. It works because it allows the artistic nature of every featured artist to thrive and mesh with Ms. Monae’s music and play a part in the progression of the story without seeming random.

The structure of this album is also more cohesive than the “ArchAndroid” (although that was the point, as described in the liner notes of that album), and shows the social climate of Metropolis’ Wonderground Society. Her allusions to racism, the gay rights movement and sexism are subtle, yet the most effective, all the while the plot of the series is optional for the newcomers (even though the interludes will make no sense without understanding the plot to some degree). On the surface, Suite IV focuses on Janelle having a good time, entertaining the audience, celebrating her womanhood and free-thinking, while Suite V focuses on her personal life, along with her emotional battles since her previous release. One other thing to point out about Janelle albums that always goes unnoticed is that the packaging is always part of the fun. I feel bad for people who stream/illegally download Monae’s music, because copies of these booklets don’t exist via Google image search and reading them takes away any notion that a song is “too cryptic” in nature.  For one, an elusive excerpt furthering the plot of the story is always included, but in the actual credits, she states what inspired the songs. Like how “Dance Apocalyptic” is “inspired by Michael Jackson’s Glistening Jheri curl in Thriller and Bo Diddley’s Tremolo Guitar” or how “Givin Em What They Love” is “inspired by HiddenColors1&TWO and the burning big house in Django Unchained.”

Overall, the album is a must-have and will probably soon be deemed not just album of the year, but a classic. The only fault I could find in the album is that the end of both suites seemed a bit low in energy. Oh and that it’s too good. Not being biased or anything, but it’s one of those albums that you probably will listen to a couple times, then  have to STOP listening to just to thoroughly enjoy the other album releases that have come out this year. Monae is clearly in a lane of her own and is maintaining her creative integrity, while opening up enough for people to fully embrace her voice, music and message. Just that is exactly what an “Electric Lady” does: she uses her voice and experience to convey her message in the threat of adversity. 

Rock & Rant-When I need to quickly rant about music.

Just in case you live under a pop-culture rock, Miley Cyrus, the former Disney star from the mega-youth-phenom “Hannah Montana,” has been preparing over last several months for her upcoming album, “Bangerz,” in a way that’s made headlines. 1st came the single, “We Can’t Stop,” where she tries to encourage love and acceptance, but the promotion of drug usage and female self-exploitation kind of washed that out. Then came the strange associated music video many deemed sexually suggestive. The latest is a gratuitous MTV Video Music Awards performance with R&B crooner Robin Thicke that came with twerking (AKA butt-gyrating) dancers, a simulation of analingus and penis jerking, crotch rubbing and pushing her tail into Thicke’s groin. In her new video for the song “Wrecking Ball,” she’s licking a sledgehammer and swinging around naked. Most of this is causing a massive reaction because Cyrus was Mickey Mouse-affiliated and still has a large youth fan-base, but that’s also the very reason Cyrus is suspected to have initiated these shenanigans. If that’s true, I don’t get it.

I don’t understand Miley’s shock value tour. She may have thought it necessary because she’s known as a major child-star, but unlike most, Cyrus had a few things going for her that would make shocking to shed an image unnecessary. 1) As opposed to a Shirley Temple-type, Cyrus’ fame wasn’t reliant on being little and cute. 2) Although plenty of her fans were much younger than her, there were just as many around her age that would grow with her and view her as adult because they are as well. 3) She kind of laid low after “Hannah Montana” wrapped. She put out 1 album and got engaged. Given that she’s a decent songwriter, plays guitar and somewhat crossed over into country, all she had to do was take a break, then step back into the spotlight at age 20 with an artistically salient, likable album and Voila. Transformation done.

Hell, she might have even gotten away with crossing-over into the urban territory she desperately wants us to buy, had she played her cards with a little sophistication and acted like the music-serious person she claims to be. Instead, she headed the tacky, stereotypical route to incorporate more hip-hop and R&B influence into her sound. I’m sure she’s thinks she’s doing something cool and race-barrier-breaking by having all black female background dancers twerking, donning a grill with baggy pants and a toboggan, throwing up gang-signs and enlisting rap and R&B producers for her new project, but it’s all coming off like a mockery and minstrel show that I’m not sure why the black people around her are participating in. Maybe they’re educationally correcting her behind the scenes; who knows? She doesn’t seem to know any better. I don’t see why she couldn’t have just put out an urban record without all the visual bells and whistles. I came across an article analyzing the gender-bias and racial implications of the VMA performance that was linked to several other interesting pieces. On the surface, it may seem like a reach that Cyrus’ VMA act would suggest such things, but it was insightful reading. Another article purported that Cyrus isn’t trying to shed an image at all and that it’s a parody of what former child stars do to grow up, since in all of her sexually charged moments, she’s moving kind of awkwardly, instead of in an arousing way. Whatever the case, Miles, you were cool the way you were, even though I know the media took inspective shots at you then too.

It might not be a fair comparison, but Cyrus’ Disney contemporaries seem to be transitioning into adulthood fairly seamlessly. Demi Lovato (“Camp Rock”) said “Ain’t nobody got time for that” to wilding out after going public with her battle with bi-polar disorder, self-harm and bulimia. Since then, supporting related causes (in addition to anti-bullying) have become Lovato’s platform and she’s gaining more street cred musically, crafting and scouting talent on the U.S. edition of “X Factor” on Fox. Selena Gomez (“Wizards of Waverly Place”) has concentrated on developing a music career since her sitcom closed and doesn’t much garner negative press. Hopefully, I’m not speaking too soon.

Album Review.
Likes: Made to Love, Open Your Eyes, Dreams, We Loved It
Overall:  Romantic and theatrical, but too mellow

One thing I’ve always loved about John Legend is that he can sing about the most discussed topics in music-love, sex and relationships-and make his albums a hypnotizing, enticing, sensational experience. I always end up swooning at the end of his albums (although I wasn’t that big on the previous “Evolver”). His records go beyond having a theme; they have ambiance. Classic soul and R&B met the contemporary on Legend’s debuting tale of love and indiscretions on “Get Lifted” and the lounge-grooved follow-up, “Once Again,” illustrated recovery. The latest “Love in the Future” makes the detouring “Evolver (it seemed to drastically differentiate from Legend’s pattern)” look like it didn’t exist as it seems to be a story connector. In the opening intro, Legend proclaims that this isn’t about the tattered love of the past, but a promising love of the future where the only task is to sit back and enjoy. There are very few songs about romantic hardship and many of those that mention it, paint struggle as miniscule. “Future” also sounds like a connecting dot musically; it’s like a theatrical fusion of “Lifted” and “Again.” I use the word theatrical because a lot of the tracks easily could be used in a film, especially “Made to Love” and “Who Do We Think We Are?” The most spellbinding track is “We Loved It” featuring Seal, who’s always been good at intoxication. I don’t care for most cover songs, but Legend’s edition of Bobby Womack’s “Open Your Eyes” was on repeat. My main criticism of “Love in the Future” is that even though it takes certain aspects from “Lifted,” it doesn’t make use of the most important one: energy and balance of tempo. More like “Again” in that regard, “Future” is very mellow. Too mellow. I was craving ferocity and a little kick musically. Just like Beyonce` should look at “Dangerously in Love” as her standard to refer to, John Legend should refer back to “Get Lifted,” and often.

Album Review.
Likes: Honeymoon Avenue, Almost is Never Enough
Dislikes: Popular Song, Better Left Unsaid
Overall:  Cute throwback pop/R&B; the lyrics and vocal are unimpressive, however

Nickelodeon star Ariana Grande gained what felt like overnight attention with YouTube videos showcasing her Mariah Carey-inspired chops just in time for Republic Records to push her debut album “Yours Truly.” Grande’s 1st single, “The Way,” fed off the catchiness of its sample, “Still Not a Player” by the late Big Pun (which is a sample itself), and combined with the viral attention, was a 1-2 punch of hype. Well, did she live up to it? Sort of.  What I enjoyed about the record was that it took me back to the late 1990’s-early 2000’s pop/R&B that I miss so much and Grande’s voice is actually something I can take seriously. However, a few of the songs sound too much alike because they’re similar in build and I got annoyed with the sampling (“Yours Truly” includes throwback tracks from Lil Kim & Mary J. Blige, among others). Granted, your average hip-hop album is baptized in such, but the excerpts are usually manipulated in a distinct way that makes for a unique rendition and other elements, like lyricism, help the song standout on its own. On Grande’s album, the samples are only slightly tweaked and the lyrics are generally very simple and unaffecting. Therefore, I was left to wonder if I only liked songs such as “Lovin’ It” because of its reused music. 

In terms of the vocals, I felt let down because there were more impressive moments on Grande’s Carey covers than on the album! What Grande offers is all very honeyed and sweet, but I was waiting for a stellar, breathtaking flash and it never came. One issue the 20-year-old has overall is that her conveyance is emotionless. She fails to sing with any feeling or grit, which may be because she’s still at a stage as a new act where she’s focused on reaching the vocal standard of her idols (in this case, Mariah Carey). “Almost is Never Enough,” featuring Nathan Sykes, packs the most lyrical and emotional punch. By and large, I think Ariana Grande is working with something, and once she concentrates on finding her own voice and forming an identifiable sound, she’ll be good to go. Image-wise, it’s agitating that she’s being marketed as a teenager (as if the public can’t internet search her age) when she’s almost old enough to be graduating from college. Her signature ponytail in soft-curls and sweet-16 party dresses were topped off with some of the juvenile content of the album. The most high-school friendly was “Popular” featuring Mika. Who does Republic think they’re fooling?

Album Review.
Likes: Love & War, Hot Sugar, Pieces, White Candle
Dislikes: One on One Fun
Overall: Kind of bland; not packed with exciting tracks and a big vocal performance as expected

With the stirring single “Love & War” and the fun, bouncy “Hot Sugar” we heard on WeTV’s “Tamar & Vince,” many expected the long-time-coming sophomore album from Tamar Braxton to be audio deliciousness. However, it’s just an audio appetizer as opposed to a full course meal. There’s a coherent theme, balanced tempo and style changes (between softer R&B and uptempo tracks with hip-hop influence) and the lyrics are quite solid in places (ex. “Stay & Fight,” “Where it Hurts”), but musically, the album is kind of boring. I became easily detached and disinterested. Even the songs with sexual content failed to move me one way or the other, lacking any type of seductive quality. Vocally, Tamar surely delivers as any Braxton would, but the songs are constructed in such a middle-of-the road way, there aren’t many opportunities for her to soar. I was kind of disappointed.