In case you were living under a rock yesterday, here’s the video of Carrie Underwood taking on the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Crazy Elvis jumpsuit aside, have to give Ms. Underwood props for going at one of the toughest vocal songs without pre-recording. Yes, it was a bit pitchy at times and the last note was atrocious, but honestly, I can’t hold a candle to this. Go, Carrie. Happy Monday.
John Mayer’s latest album, Battle Studies, took the the number one spot on the album charts this past week giving the Grammy-award winning singer his second stint atop the Billboard Top 200 chart. Mayer moved 286,000 copies to earn the coveted spot.
Italian vocalist, Andrea Bocelli, took the number two spot with his latest album, My Christmas, which pushed 185,000 copies. Rounding out the top 5 were Norah Jones’ The Fall, Casting Crowns‘ Until the Whole World Hears, and 50 Cent’s Before I Self Destruct respectively.
Other chart-toppers for the week include Justin Bieber’s EP, My World at number six, Michael Jackson’s This Is It, the “New Moon” soundtrack at number 8, Carrie Underwood’s Play On at number 9 and of course, Taylor Swift’s Fearless at number 10.
Guess we’ll see if Adam Lambert takes the number one spot this week after his AMA fiasco. All signs point to yes.
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The much publicized 2009 American Music Awards came and went in a flash. A night that promised unbelievable performances with an A-List lineup faltered with over dramatic acts and numerous missed notes, that is when folks were actually singing live. As the AMA’s crowned a new crop of stars, it was the veterans who stole the show with professionalism and grace.
The night started with an 8-minute medley from Janet Jackson who mixed some of her greatest hits in “If,” “Miss You Much,” “Control” and “Together Again,” with her latest single “Make Me.” Though evident Miss Jackson has lost a step or two as of late, she set the standard for female “pop” stars who desperately tried to mimic her all night long with dance troupes. The epitome of a performer, Janet genuinely seemed to relish her moment in the spotlight.
Best vocal performance of the evening? A tie between Kelly Clarkson and Mary J Blige. Say what you want about Kelly’s weight or odd outfit, or lack of nominations, that girl can flat out sing and she proves it every time she hits the stage. She was so good that we were able to forgive her for singing “Already Gone” for the millionth time. Seriously, that song needs to go. Meanwhile, Mary J Blige hit all the right notes as she belted her new single “I Am.” Take notes young R&B stars — MJB is the truth.
Had enough Carrie Underwood? Didn’t think so. The singer is continuing to push the boundaries to promote her latest release Play On by teaming up with The Grand Ole Opry and MySpace for a live stream performance this Saturday (Nov 14th).
Opry performances of Carrie Underwood, along with some of country music’s biggest stars including Martina McBride, Rodney Atkins, Jake Owen and more will be broadcast between 9pm and 10 pm (eastern).
The Opry, on the air since 1925, bills itself as the world’s longest-running radio show. It can be heard on 650 WSM-AM, SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio and opry.com.
Portions also are broadcast on cable TV. Who’s excited for Saturday?
credit justjared.com
Carrie Underwood is country music’s sweetheart who quickly rose to stardom by playing the American Idol game very well. There’s no denying Underwood’s vocal talent, but over the years I’ve found it difficult to know as an artist where she stands and The same is true for her third studio album Play On.
Underwood is all over the place on this album with a mixed bag of songs. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, and artist should diversify their sound, but at the end of the day as an artist is she the temptress, the inspirational Bible-toter, the sweet naïve school girl, or what? Perhaps she’s all these things – a walking contradiction. Or perhaps she’s a good actress being able to embody the persona of whatever the song demands.
“Cowboy Casanova” kicks off the album. It’s an up-tempo guitar driven song and next phase in her country-pop-rock arsenal. Catchy as heck, but not nearly as infectious as her crossover hit “Before He Cheats.” The song lost some steam as it was scrutinized for potential plagiarism, but that story was quickly squashed by Camp Carrie. But what makes this song stand out is the video, you can’t deny the hotness that is Carrie Underwood as she vamps it up in old-school attire.
According to EW.com, rapper Eminem has just been added to the list of performers for the American Music Awards. It was beginning to look like an American Idol takeover at the show with previously announced performers in Adam Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, and Kelly Clarkson, before the Eminem announcement.
In addition to Eminem, news leaked last week that Lady Gaga (ugh, gag me) will also take the stage as will still rumored Rihanna. Despite my distaste for the likes of Lady Gaga, you have to admit the AMA’s are compiling a pretty star-studded lineup of performers. Alicia Keys, The Black Eyed Peas, Jay-Z and Jenifer Lopez are also slated to perform.
Tune into ABC on November 22nd to see all the action.
It’s starting to look like an American Idol alum takeover at the upcoming 2009 American Music Awards. Most recent American Idol finalist, Adam Lambert was previously announced as a performer at this year’s show, well, now it turns out that he’ll be joined by other AI stars including Kelly Clarkson (the original AI winner), Carrie Underwood, and Chris Daughtry.
Clarkson, Underwood, and Daughtry add to the already star-studded lineup of performers including Alicia Keys, The Black Eyed Peas, Jay-Z and Jenifer Lopez. Wait, what? Jennifer Lopez is relevant again in music? Did we turn the clocks back to 2001? Is Ja-Rule performing too? I digress.
There’s also a rumor that Rihanna who had the internets all abuzz with her latest single, “Russian Roulette,” will also perform. Guess you’ll have to tune in to ABC on November 22nd to find out. One thing is for sure, Simon Fuller and Simon Cowell are laughing all the way to the bank. Keep an eye on the AMA’s official site for more announcements.
Miranda Lambert, the twenty-five year old singer-songwriter, ignited country music with her breakout single “Gun Powder & Lead,” while the song served as a warning to abusive beaus everywhere, it also made the country music scene take notice. Don’t be fooled by her doe-eyes and blond hair, Miranda Lambert is a force to be reckon with.
Her second album, Revolution, released today, is a natural evolution for the talented songwriter with a Texas twang. The first single off the album, “Dead Flowers,” is all about a slow declining relationship, unstoppable and apparent to her, but totally unrecognizable to her numb partner. Rather than move on, she sits idly by.
American Idol winner and country music superstar, Carrie Underwood, will release her third studio album on November 3rd. According to Underwood’s website, the singer is currently completing the project, which is still untitled, but a new single is expected to be released late this summer.
Underwood has opted to work with producer Mark Bright again, who worked on the singer’s previous albums Some Hearts (2005) and Carnival Ride (2007). The album will also feature songs produced by Jim Jonsin (Lil Wayne’s Lollipop), Johnta Austin (Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige), Kara DioGuardi (Ashlee Simpson), and Darrell Scott (Dixie Chicks).
With an who’s who roster of mainstream producers like that – it’s safe to say Underwood is looking for another cross-genre smash. She has sold more than 10 million albums since winning American Idol in 2005 — not too shabby for a farm girl from Oklahoma.
Yes, you read that title correctly. While The Round Table sets itself apart from other music blogs by bringing together six people with different backgrounds to provide insight on the music of their choosing, we still follow suit like most music blogs and ignore country music.
Now, that’s not to say there aren’t some really great music blogs that focus on country music, because there are: 9531 blog, Misery & Gin, Nashville Gab, and so on. However, it’s about time we show the world of country some love — after all, it’s pretty hard to distinguish today’s “country” stars from other mainstream artists. So here are a few picks that are among my most listened to right now.
Gloriana – “Wild at Heart” (pictured above)
Gloriana started as a trio formed by brothers Mike and Tom Gossin with Rachel Reinert performing the circuit at the iconic 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville, TN. Then one night, Cheynne Kimball approached the band and asked if she could “jam” with them. The four-part harmony was born – and now Gloriana is burning up the charts with their youthful summertime anthem “Wild at Heart.” Listen to it below. Pop culture fans, yes that is THE Cheyenne Kimball who had her own reality tv show on MTV aptly named “Cheyenne.”Bonus points – “Cheyenne” also featured Jason Castro pre-Idol.
Wild At Heart (Album Version) – Gloriana
Jason Aldean – “She’s Country”
Jason Aldean’s current hit is a shout out to all country girls. While it’s not going to win any song-writer awards, it has the ability to get me amped with the driving guitars. It’s as rocked-up as a country song gets these days.
Zac Brown Band - “Whatever It Is”
The Zac Brown Band who burst on the scene with the catchy “Chicken Fried,” is back with the heartwarming second single “Whatever It Is.” Not as good as “Chicken Fried, but what the song lacks it makes up with Emmanuelle Chriqui playing the song’s love interest in the video.
Whatever It Is – Zac Brown Band
Darius Rucker – “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It”
Yup, THE Darius Rucker formerly of Hootie & The Blowfish fame. Well, Hootie left the Blowfish and is tearing up the country charts with his solo career. We’ve always known Darius was an immensely talented dude, but never did we expect him to have such a profound (and long) love for country music. He didn’t get caught up over-stylizing “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” rather he created a perfect hook-friendly ‘what if’ scenario.
Dont Think I Dont Think About It – Darius Rucker
So what do you think? Dig any of these tracks? Like how I made it through an entire “country” post without mentioning the likes of Taylor Swift? Sadly, I couldn’t include some of my other favs: Carrie Underwood, George Strait, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, and of course, Brad Paisely — next time!
