The fine folks at Oh No They Didn’t stumbled upon this leaked demo of Britney Spears from 2001 entitled “Am I A Sinner” and we just couldn’t resist sharing it with you. Not many details, but the YouTube description claims the song was found on a demo reel found on ebay from producers Riprock ‘n’ Alex G. Aside from this repetitive ditty, the demo reel also contained unreleased songs from NSync, Boyz n Girls, Wild Orchid and some instrumentals from 2001.
So what say you, is Ms. Spears a sinner or a saint?
Robyn‘s rise to popularity is not unlike like most pop stars from the 90s –through television. Although, unlike the mediocre sketch comedy Disney-machine stories of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and even Miley Cyrus, Robyn recorded a show’s theme song at the age of 12 and performed a self-penned song not long after. Just like Britney & Christina, she scored her first U.S. top ten around the age of 17, with Robyn’s in ’97 and theirs a year later. To be fair, Robyn is Swedish, and, it bears mentioning, a few years older than those Mouseketeers (she turned 31 this past Saturday). The former fact makes her cooler, while the latter has made her wiser and more self-aware than any other pop star. Unfortunately, awareness can come with a price, like self-isolation from too much introspection –a recurring theme on Body Talk Pt. 1. (more…)
Much like a fine wine, singer-songwriter Tony Lucca only gets better with age. The singer takes fans on a journey through the next phase of his life on his sixth studio album, Rendezvous With The Angels, as he grows into the role of loving husband and adoring father. Gone are the days of the self-pitying, woe-is-me wanderer in favor of a more mature, inspired raconteur.
Still at the core of the album are Mr. Lucca’s heartfelt, beautifully crafted lyrics and soulful voice, all of which represented on the album’s opener “Like Love.” Then there’s the uptempo, feel good “Make You Mine” that is sure to get your toe-tapping in no time.
Mr. Lucca calls on tour mate Sara Bareilles for the emotional ballad “Back to Me,” where their voices compliment each other so perfectly. Composition wise, it’s the blues-inspired “Anchored” that stands out with its combination of vivid imagery, beautiful guitar solo, and underlying organ and string sections.
Also included are three long-time fan favorites on the album, “Stay With Me Tonight,” “Song to a Martyr,” and “Nobody But You,” which have been mainstay requests at recent shows. “Stay With Me” is of course an Internet sensation on its own as it’s rumored to be loosely based on the break-up of two of the singer’s friends — Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake.
Miley Cyrus does her best Britney Spears 2.0 impression for her latest single “Can’t Be Tamed,” which premiered last night exclusively on E!. Ms. Cyrus transforms into a rare bird, Aves (Avis?) Cyrus, for the video’s treatment, which is clearly the next step in sexy pop star evolution that we saw the teenage artist flirt with for the “Party in the U.S.A.” video.
Complete with smokey eyes, skimpy outfits (though tasteful), and some decent choreography, it’s quite apparent that “Can’t Be Tamed” is aimed at all the entertainment executives who are desperately trying to keep Ms. Cyrus in the Hannah Montana mold. It’s definitely a flashier feel than what we’re used to seeing from the young singer, who just recently tested the waters of the country music with her break-out ballad “The Climb.”
Now, to the song itself, which is pretty standard fare – and yes – it’s autotuned up! “The tempo is a touch slower than Max Martin’s “If U Seek Amy,” and while it clearly borrows all the catchy elements that make “If U Seek Amy” appealing, it lacks the cute word-play as the hook. While I understand Ms. Cyrus is looking to spread her wings and express herself, I just don’t get why she’s reverting to biting off Britney Spears. Not the best role model choice kid — you will sell albums, but don’t think a shaved head suits you…
Watch the video below. What do you think of the song? And just for fun, Britney Spears’ “If U Seek Amy” after the jump – play them both at the same time.
After a brief break in favor of TRT March Music Madness, and other distractions, Flashback Friday has finally returned to The Round Table.
Most of the previous selections have been hip hop or R&B from the 80s and 90s. This week, it’s time to go to the way-back machine for a dose of classic rock.
You’ve already been treated to a version of “We Will Rock You“, performed in the famed Pepsi commercial by Beyonce, Pink and Britney Spears.
Now get ready for a true double dip. While you have been forced to wait so long for another installment of Flashback Friday, it might be appropriate to pay tribute to possibly one of the most underrated bands of the 70s with, The Weight.
The Band had so many great songs, it’s hard to choose just one. That’s why this week, we’ve decided to entertain you with two videos. For the sake of familiarity, The Weight is a fairly easy call, given it is arguably their most famous song, covered by numerous bands and attempted otherwise in karaoke bars.
It’s been a minute since we’ve posted a Flashback Friday here at TRT, so we figured we should come back with some pop music goodness. Remember the late ’90s into early ’00s when the music industry was turning profit hand over fist? It wasn’t a question of when artists would hit platinum status, but rather how many times over? I sure do.
The golden days of pop music where cookie-cutter “boy-bands” and bleach blond clones ruled the airwaves with their universally happy, catchy tunes with synchronized dance moves and clothes that shed with each appearance. While many of the wannabes have disappeared now, the core performers of that time period still remain, including the three ladies pictured above (Britney, Pink, Beyonce). Now, maybe it’s my warped sense of reality, but didn’t the world seem like a happier place then? Either way, you can’t deny the star power that is this 2003 Pepsi commercial featuring Britney Spears, Beyonce, Pink and Enrique Iglesias.
Excuse us for being a touch late in posting the new Christina Aguilera song “Not Myself Tonight,” but we’ve been busy with March Music Madness (did you vote?!). Never fear our loyal pop readers, here it is. Pretty safe to say that we can officially lay Christina Aguilera as “iamamiwhoami” rumor to rest. Right, I’m aware that mystery was somewhat cracked a few weeks back (Joanna Lee), but I was still holding out for a massive reveal today in conjunction with Xtina dropping her new single. I digress.
The single “Not Myself Tonight” is an absolute club-banger produced by Polow Da Don. High energy, synth-tastic, heavy bass and of course the trademark Aguilera vocals. So, before people start pointing fingers to Lady Gaga, I hear a different influence, more of a Britney SpearsBlack Out vibe. In fact, it’s so on-point that I bet Britney is pissed she didn’t grab this song first as it’s much more suited for a weaker vocal performance. So while this is a nice change for Aguilera from her last project, Back to Basics, so far “Not Myself Tonight” isn’t necessarily ground-breaking, but it’s a hell of a strong lead single from the upcoming Bionic (June 8th). Ms. Aguilera, you have our attention – question is, what will you do with it?
As a perpetual touring artist, Tony Lucca is no stranger to the noisy dive bar scene – regardless of which city he finds himself in. While there are always going to be loud, disrespectful people who (drunkenly) chat their way through his set, that doesn’t mean that he isn’t keenly aware to the fact that his fans paid their hard-earned cash to experience his show. With that in mind, Mr. Lucca faced the disruption head on, suppressed his frustration after addressing the situation briefly and went on to deliver a stellar performance.
He switched it up from his typical acoustic setting and was accompanied by a keyboardist and percussionist. As always Mr. Lucca mixed crowd favorites like “So Long,” “Death of Me,” and “Melancholy Collar” with newer songs in “Undertow,” “Foxy Jane,” and “Stay With Me.” (aka the Britney/JT song). He even shared a poignant moment as he unveiled his newest song written for his now 8-week-old daughter. Thankfully even the loud talkers in the back of the venue managed to listen albeit ever so briefly.
Looking for a way to keep warm on a cold December night? Well, we have the perfect remedy. The incomparable Tony Lucca hits NYC for one night only, Friday, December 11th, at Sullivan Hall.
Mr. Lucca will be joined by fellow singer-songwriters Matt Lowell and Josh Hoge. Doors are at 7:00p and the show starts at 7:30p (sharp). If you like acoustic bluesy-rock mixed with pop and folk influences, you won’t want to miss this show. Over the last seven years I’ve brought many friends (some not even music fans) to Tony Lucca shows around the U.S. and each one has left his show a fan. He’s that good.
There’s never a question about it, Britney Spears has the innate ability to cause massive buzz around anything she does whether it’s walking to Starbucks or releasing a video. This holds true for her latest effort in “3” where the crafty popstar (ok, her camp) devised an online tease campaign using her official site and Twitter in advance of releasing the new video.
For the last few days, Spears has been releasing screen-caps of the video via Twitter, but now we finally get to see the official release all together. She went the minimalist route, dancers vamping it up and even some new choreography to go along with it. Not gonna lie, Brit-Brit still knows how to mug for the camera and the leg split on her male dancer is pretty hot. Watch it for yourself. What do you think — was it worth the wait?
We started as a three friends having conversations about music during lunches together at the office. Since then we have expanded to seven members, including a Chi-town native, and the conversations have gotten bigger and better. The Round Table has grown into a casual setting where music aficionados can gather to discuss all things music. Topics include (but not limited to) artists and bands, new music releases, concerts, recording industry news and concerns, and the occasional nugget of entertainment gossip. We have tastes that cover the entire music spectrum and love to share them (and our opinions) with each other. We are The Round Table! Come join the conversation!
After a brief break in favor of TRT March Music Madness, and other distractions, Flashback Friday has finally returned to The Round Table.
