Sometimes cornerstone MCs can reclaim their original glory, while other times it’s more like a reminiscent rattle. “Lord Give Me a Sign” from DMX, unfortunately, conjures the latter. For all of X’s drug and cop-impersonating drama, he has always been a God-fearing Yonkers man, and this track has him asking the Lord for guidance. Like […]
New Epic artist Josh Hoge may be a Nashville native, but he’s anything but country. Meshing pop, rock and R&B into a smooth groove comparable to Justin Timberlake, Hoge should earn high marks on top 40 with launch single “360.” The gentle pop ballad simmers over a R&B groove as Hoge warns a former love, […]
While “Everytime We Touch” is a fun, knee-bobbing sing-along anthem, it sounds like hundreds of high-energy songs that have preceded it. And yet, after years of shunning the genre, pop radio was primed for a non-hip-hop rhythmic track and propelled Cascada into the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10. But as label Robbins is well aware […]
Operating under the phonetically fun moniker Gnarls Barkley, Atlanta rap shaman Cee-Lo (Goodie Mob) and producer extraordinaire Danger Mouse (”The Gray Album,” Gorillaz) have already made U.K. history. “Crazy,” initially a digital-only release, became the first U.K. single to hit No. 1 solely on download sales. Stateside, the uber-catchy crossover smash has debuted on Billboard’s […]
Eamon is best-known for bringing the dirtiest four-letter word to pop prominence via “(F— It) I Don’t Want You Back,” which reached the top 20 in 2004. “(How Could You) Bring Him Home” is another angry retort that puts a cheating woman in her place. Again, the melodic appeal is undeniable, with an in-your-face, been-there-lived-that […]
It is unfortunate that it took prime-time exposure on TV’s “Grey’s Anatomy” to convince radio that Anna Nalick’s “Breathe (2 a.m.)” is an instant-reaction song. Almost a year after adult contemporary and adult top 40 championed the track to top 10 glory, mainstream radio is now sniffing a hit for itself. California singer/songwriter Nalick is […]
Toby Keith traditionally spends so much time being rowdy and showing off his testosterone that it is easy to forget how effective he can be on more pensive tunes like this one. “A Little Too Late” shows the softer side of Keith (perhaps because there was a woman’s touch in the production). The song boasts […]
What happens when Jody Watley gets her hands on Madonna’s signature hit “Borderline?” She makes it her own. Instead of taking the easy route by updating the dance-pop classic for today’s dance floors, Watley takes the timeless lyric and surrounds it with beautifully chilled-out rhythms. Will Watley’s version rattle a few nerves? Most likely. But […]
Without a significant contemporary girl group on the charts, Geffen hopes to fill the gap with trio Missez. Comprising Keysha, Tomi and Rock, Missez (featuring Pimp C) describes a young lady’s attraction to a cool guy in a club and his reaction to her. The girls whisper over lullaby-like pixie bells with a moderately chunky […]
This fiery track uses a tragic story as an analogy to urge listeners to flee from whatever imprisons them. Geoff Rickly shouts the warning that “the train is catching up/Keep on running” as the protagonist struggles to free a foot caught between the rails of a track as a train bears down. Thursday stokes the […]
The sound of Dutch band the Gathering has been evolving for 15 years, its Gothic metal mutating into a variety of forms. New album “Home” shows the group still treading gloomy rock waters while splashing its moody sonics with pop. But emphasis track “Forgotten” reverberates from the Gathering’s dark side. A few haunting notes on […]
Six years after his last album, “You’re the One,” and 20 years after his masterpiece “Graceland,” Paul Simon returns with the bouncy lead from his upcoming new studio release, “Surprise.” Kicking off full force with a spunky funk groove and breathless vocals, “Outrageous” is a funny tale about a vain, middle-aged man who “does 990 […]
Nicol Sponberg’s crisply executed debut solo album, “Resurrection,” was released in 2004, but as it continues to build slowly and steadily at Christian radio two years later, label Curb made the savvy decision to work the disc’s fourth single, “Crazy in Love,” to AC radio (even as “Hallelujah” continues to build on Christian stations). This […]
New York-based R. Star is the kind of singer/songwriter whose rock ballads make a rainy day all the more drearily picturesque. But his impassioned, super-charged, percussion-driven “Back of Your Car” signifies a breakthrough opportunity. The frenetic track implores a potential partner to recognize that now is “the perfect time of night to be losing your […]
