Lady Gaga: The Fame – FULL Review
Category: art and culture, review, yourchicselfBy: Chris Newsom, Chic Mom Music Guru
Gwen Stefani decided to be a cheerleader and landed at #1 with “Hollaback Girl”. Katy Perry “Kissed A Girl” and landed at #1. Britney Spears’ comeback single “Womanizer” placed her at the penthouse. Pop-tarts seem to come and go, but always score a couple of hit singles, with at least one of those landing at the penthouse. For Lady Gaga, she’s had two #1 singles and third single that has landed in the top 5 that should probably have ended up at #1. Who is this “lady” who one of my friends called an “alien”, particularly after that bright pink, bubbly, nude Rolling Stone cover. Who is the real Stefani Germanotta that goes by this Lady Gaga persona and why do people care so much? Well, people care because Gaga seeks to change the face of pop music, as all pop starlets hope to do and it’s a feat that she has easily conquered.
Music Review: Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster
Category: art and culture, featured, review, yourchicselfBy: Chris Newsom, Chic Mom Music Guru. (Everybody needs a friend like Chris.)
Originally conceived of as a bonus disc for the re-release of The Fame, the eight-song The Fame Monster is now being released as a standalone EP as well. Gaga probably should have tacked on a few more tracks (and if YouTube is any indication, she’s got the material), titled the thing Monster, and released it sometime next year as her official sophomore effort. As it is, it’s not a huge leap forward for Gaga (several songs ape the sound of her first two chart-toppers, “Just Dance” and “Poker Face”), but songs like “Bad Romance” and “Dance in the Dark” are stacked with towering new-wave synths and seemingly endless hooks; if melodies could be time-stamped, these would have “’80s” branded on them..
Chic Mom Music Review: Jordan Sparks, BATTLEFIELD
Category: art and culture, featured, review, yourchicself
By: Chris Newsom, Chic Mom Guru of Groove
Let me begin with the positives about Jordin Sparks. She has an overall remarkable voice, great range, and stunning, “star” quality looks to accompany her unrequited vocal talent. However, her sophomore album Battlefield does not contain the same remarkableness that its vocalist retains. On BATTLEFIELD, Sparks sounds exceptional, however, her exceptional vocal timbre and aerobics used liberally throughout the album don’t counteract the blandness that pervades the album. Here, you will not find another hit the caliber of “Tattoo” or the Grammy-nominated duet between her and Chris Brown on “No Air”. “Battlefield” is the highlight and it is a great single bridging pop and R&B. The problem with the album isn’t just one singular problem nor is it completely the artist. The problems that cause this album to be somewhat lackluster are the material and the fact that producers seem to confuse the listener by not clearly marketing her as a pop artist or an R&B artist. Sure, Sparks convincingly pulls off both, despite the bland material at times, but she’s not squarely centered within one genre and she doesn’t quite pull off the “crossover” effect that producers obviously are trying to achieve. I actually like Jordin as a vocalist, but I’m not crazy about BATTLEFIELD.
