Janet Jackson has shown no signs of slowing down in the wake of losing her big brother “Mike” (as she refers to him). The veteran pop star not only graces the cover of Gotham Magazine’s current issue, but also sits down with the editorial staff to discuss what’s in store for 2010 including a new movie, new book, and new album.
Jackson found solace in her work calling it “therapeutic.” She tells Gotham that she actually went from Michael’s service - right back to work on Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married Too?” And that although at times she feels a bit “selfish” in continuing to work, she realized that she “can’t stop living” as a result of Michael’s death.
Jackson touches upon her upcoming album and what fans can expect. She says, “It’s going to be a little different. The writing is about life experiences. There’s a part of me that’s craving escapism, which is a sense of wanting to keep on moving with my work but also of coming to terms with reality. So I think it will be upbeat and light.”
As a longtime Janet Jackson fan, I’m hopeful that her recent life experiences, including the break-up of beau Jermaine Dupri, has fueled the creative juices for this next album. It’s been quite a while, since All For You (2001), that Janet has actively written on an album. For more on Janet, including her current favorite song (hint: it’s NOT Lady Gaga), pick up Gotham Magazine.
Our favorite Material Girl, Madonna, will unleash her recent “Sticky & Sweet” tour on DVD to the masses on March 30th. Yup, that means Madge will rake in even more cash for the already highly successful tour, which reportedly was on of the biggest outings ever mounted by a solo act.
It will be available on DVD, Blu-Ray and CD and will include many of the singer’s hits spanning the course of her 20+ year career including “4 Minutes,” “Like a Prayer,” “Hung Up” and “Ray of Light”. The DVD footage was filmed in Buenos Aires, over four days to a crowd exceeding 256,000 fans, the concert also includes a show stopping moment when Madonna performs a historic “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” to a thunderous audience response from her Argentine fans. The DVD also includes 30 minutes of exclusive footage filmed behind the scenes during the course of the tour. Yippee.
Still want more? Reportedly, VH1 plans to premiere the concert in early February. You’ll want to stay tuned for more details.
Our other favorite mysterious Swede must be slowly coming out of her shell, OR her popularity and acclaim from 2009 is proving difficult to keep under the radar in 2010. Either way, it’s good for us! jj has signed to Secretly Canadian and they’ve announced that they’ll release her second full-length on March 9, 2010.
Let’s hope this thing leaks early, because I can’t wait. No album artwork or early single available just yet, but the track list is after the cut. Interesting to note it opens with “My Life”, which may or may not be a redo of “My Life, My Swag” from jj’s debut EP, jj n° 1.
The Hype Machine recently pulled together a list of the top 50 artists of 2009 (culled from how many times blogs on their site posted songs by them) and invited 50 different artists to create a piece of art based on each one. The result is a mix of digital, pencil, paint, collage and just about everything else. It’s definitely worth taking a look through.
Michael Bublemakes grocery shopping sexy for hopeless romantics in his latest video “Haven’t Met You Yet.” He lends his throwback rat-pack vocals to the sugary-sweet tune that is a welcomed change to our (read: my) typically jaded view on love.
Buble frolics about a supermarket in search of the woman of his dreams. Naturally, he locks eyes with a beautiful blond while perusing the frozen food section. From there, craziness ensues — full of walking on top of freezer cases, couples dancing in the aisle, a floating bed (um…what?), a marching band, and a complete choreographed dance routine of shoppers that spills into a parking lot dance party. Seriously. There’ a bit of a twist at the end, which we won’t share, so you’ll have to check out the video below.
Inquiring minds want to know — where is this grocery store located? I want to go there.
The Veronicas, Lisa and Jess, spread some Christmas cheer. Decked out in Santa hats, the twin sisters recorded two videos – the first is a special message to fans thanking them for all the support this year and talk about their new song “Could’ve Been,” which is slated to appear on their new record.
Meanwhile, the second video captures the sisters performing “Could’ve Been” acoustic, sans Santa hats. The acoustic number is a bit of a change of pace for the sisters who have become known for their more uptempo, electro-pop stylings present on their’09 hit “Untouched.”
If you’re a Veronicas fan – you’ll probably dig the girls stripped down (musically). Check out their new song “Could’ve Been” after the cut.
Alicia Keys didn’t even hit the road yet to support her fourth studio album Elements of Freedom and she has already added more major market dates to the U.S. leg. The Freedom tour kicks off on February 28th in Montreal, then Ms. Keys will work her way down the east coast before heading west.
According to reports, 13 additional shows have been tacked onto the Freedom tour schedule before it wraps in April. There will also be a European leg to the tour beginning in late April.
While there are those who wonder whether MySpace’s higher purpose has ended, someone still believes. On Wednesday the Vatican (yes, that Vatican) updated the church’s official music playlist on the site. Among the, I would say, expected classical/world/easy-listening fare are a few surprises. CNN called out Tupac’s inclusion, with the song “Changes,” but I would say that the much bigger surprise is Muse’s “Uprising.”
If I had to throw a wild guess out there, I would say that Matthew Bellamy did not have the Vatican in mind when he wrote the song. Or maybe he did, but … I’m no mind reader though, and I appreciate Muse’s hooks over their lyrics anyway. You can find MTV’s take on the playlist here.
Below are a few cuts from the papal party mix. Also noteworthy is the inclusion of Fleet Foxes. I’m trying to imagine Jesus as a hipster and it kind of works – he did have a beard. The bike is a bit of a stretch though …
Experiencing concerts as a limited engagement movie is becoming a growing new trend. Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper & Relentless7 and Gogol Bordello will perform in a 3D feature movie, “Larger than Life…In 3D.” The limited engagement will run for one week, December 11-17th, 2009.
“Larger than Life…In 3D” was produced by Action 3D and AEG Network Live and will be distributed by Cinedigm. The footage was shot at critically acclaimed festivals this summer including, Austin City Limits, Mile High Music Festival, and All Points West.
Interested in checking out “Larger than Life…In 3D” for yourself? Not a problem, just visit the official website to locate a theater in your area. Stay tuned – we may have goodies to offer up to our faithful readers.
Here come the Grammy Awards and they have a live concert special up their sleeve. LL Cool J, two-time Grammy winner, will host “The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music’s Biggest Night,” on Dec 2nd.
French DJ/producer David Guetta will spin throughout the one-hour special, which also features previously announced performances the Black Eyed Peas, Maxwell, and Sugarland. Also, GRAMMY-nominated Nick Jonas and his side project Nick Jonas & The Administration have been added to that roster – sans Joe Bros.
The show will be broadcast ion the CBS Television Network from 9–10 p.m. ET/PT. The special also marks the second time nominations for the annual GRAMMY Awards will be announced live on primetime television. For updates and breaking news, visit The Recording Academy’s social networks on Twitter and Facebook. A complete list of nominations for the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards will be available on www.grammy.com beginning Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. PT.
Who’s excited? Eh – mildly exciting maybe? So far that lineup (minus Sugarland) doesn’t thrill me.
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!
Janet Jackson has shown no signs of slowing down in the wake of losing her big brother “Mike” (as she refers to him). The veteran pop star not only graces the cover of Gotham Magazine’s current issue, but also sits down with the editorial staff to discuss what’s in store for 2010 including a new movie, new book, and new album.
