Musique Muse Awards 2013

As of the first of December, every day I will be awarding the best in music this year under 12 categories - Best Song, Best Male Artist, Best Female Artist, Best Group, Best Video, Best New Male Act, Best New Female Act, Best Live Performance, Best Collaboration, Most Anticipated of 2014, Best Album, Icon of The Year.

I will list the three finalist and post both the runner up and the winner (so there are five nominees in each category) which are all chosen by me but feel free to comment on who your winners would be.

See you Sunday!

New Video : Will.I.Am and the infamous Miley

Miley is at it again with a new song and video. She features on a brand new Will.I.Am track titled Feelin' Myself and merrily sings (and attempts a rap) about popping molly, twerking and other things she does to look 'cool' and fit in.
On the plus side, her body looks amazing in this video and the features from French Montana and Wiz Khalifa are decent.
The sing and video are a bit...meh but it will get stuck in your head whether you like it or not like most of Will's songs.

Another Day, Another Video

After giving us a little tease last week, Eminem finally dropped the video for Rap God, arguably the best song on his latest album and a worthy single.
The video isn't quite as exciting and epic as I was hoping, knowing that Eminem is capable of making some great visuals but it it still a step in the right direction following his previous release.
He levitates, walks on water and does other God-like things...and we would expect nothing less from the 'King' of rap.

Move Over Britney, There's A New Girl On The Block...

...and she just happens to be Britney Spears' sister, Jamie Lynn.
You may remember Jamie from the hit Nickelodeon show Zoey 101, but after she fell pregnant at 16 and was forced to leave showbiz for a simple life back home with her partner and child, she kept well away from Hollywood.
Now she is back with a vengeance and a country song entitled How Could I Want More with a country album expected to drop next year.

I am not much of a fan of, or an expert on, country music but even I can tell that this is a promising start to a music career for any young hopeful, it helps that she has the Spears name though.
The vocals are beautiful as is the song and the simplicity of the video and the lyrics is such a stark contrast from Britney that you would never think they were related....except the striking resemblance.

Guilty Pleasures - Part 1

We all have them. Songs that we secretly love and have to store in a hidden folder on our iTunes because we think it would be slightly embarrassing if Hilary Duff or Spice Girls came on whilst we were shuffling our iPod at a house party. But the truth is, we probably all can't help but get up and dance when N'Sync starts playing and we relive all our childhood memories when S Club 7 gets brought up and we definitely know all the words to almost every Britney song.
So I proudly present to you some of my guilty pleasures...

Babycakes - 3 of a Kind
One hit wonders are always a good starting point when it comes to guilty pleasures and this old treasure never fails to have me singing along. I still to do this day don't quite understand the meaning behind the song but I that is beside the point. Enjoy!

Rich Girl - Gwen Stefani

Don't get me wrong, being a massive Gwen fan is nothing to be ashamed of - she makes great music, looks flawless all the time and is part of one of the best bands in history. But this particular song was not one of Gwen's brightest moments yet it doesn't stop me from giving it a spin every once in a while.

Switch - Will Smith
When it comes to music, Will Smith is everyone's guilty pleasure. He will never be on a list of iconic rappers or lyrical genius but you can't help but love his songs. His most recent tracks were criticised and performed poorly compared to his older stuff which never made any sense to me. For example, Switch is a perfectly catchy pop/dance track with a great hook and some fun lyrics - it will forever remain on my party playlist.

Fill Me In - Craig David

I debated whether or not to put this on the list because during his hey-day, Craig David was the best thing to come out of the UK garage scene and is still recognised as an important British urban act today. But, to still be playing his songs on the regular basis alongside artists such as Drake and Eminem does seem like a bit of a departure from great music.

Viva Forever - Spice Girls

The epitome of guilty pleasure music is 90's pop and there is plenty of it which I still love and have very fond memories of listening to when I was growing up but one song that still actually brings a tear to my is Viva Forever. The video actually made me cry back when I was 9 and it still stands as one of the best pop ballads of all time in my eyes.

 

New Video : Demi

Demi Lovato recently tweeted out a little sneak peek of her music video for her new single Neon Lights so I already had an idea as to what to expect.

She gives us gorgeous neon make-up, fist-pumping and hot pool glamour shots to accompany her brilliant dance track. This is the kind of music she should stick with because it makes her look young again and with vocals like that there's not much she can't make sound amazing.

Introducing : Natalia Kills

Natalia may have been on the scene for a while but she is still very much underrated for the sheer amount of talent she has. This British singer began her career as a rapper called Verbalicious when she was just a teen but the now 27 year old artist is an underground pop icon whose creative genius often draws comparisons to Lady Gaga and Rihanna.
Her music videos are usually dark, endearing and extremely entertaining and her music is best described as unadulterated modern day pop with a rock edge. She is stunning too.
Check out her video for Problem below which is filled with explicit scenes that would even make Miley Cyrus blush.

New Music : Timbaland, Jay-z, Drake and James Fauntleroy

Timbaland dropped a little surprise on everyone yesterday by releasing a brand new track called Know Bout Me and it features pretty much everyone that matters in music right now.
I am still unsure on the track as I have only listened twice so it might grow on me but make up your own mind on it by listening below :

What Now ? Well, a new video from Rihanna

Rihanna's videos are so highly anticipated that they merit a countdown and What Now was no different. All week the Navy have been waiting to see what all those sneaky pics and teasers would lead up to today and now we finally know.
The video is a break from the controversy and promiscuity that usually surrounds Riri as she approaches the song with a much more simple yet very artistic visual.
Watch it below :)

Artist of the Week : Jhene Aiko

I adore Jhene and her music and I'm so excited about her debut album because I think it will really boost her career around the world.
This week has been a rather busy one for the singer/songwriter who dropped her EP Sail Out which features Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul and Big Sean. As expected, all seven tracks are stunning and it really sets the tone for what to expect from the full studio album next year. I really love opening track Vapour and WTH so if you haven't had a listen yet I advice you to do so.
Jhene also released a video for one of the tracks, The Worst, which is ironic because it might be one of the best tracks and best videos that we've seen from Jhene. It tells a dark story of a murder committed by Jhene and whilst the police wait outside to arrest her she has a glass of wine and gets herself all dolled up.
A very dark and compelling video, take a look below :

Drake Is On His Worst Behaviour

Drake really doesn't get enough credit for his music videos which have always been well directed and entertaining. So it is no surprise that his latest video for Worst Behaviour is another long and story filled visual.
The song itself has really grown on me since I first heard it on the album and I am quite happy that it is his new single because it shows a different side to the emotional and vulnerable Drake we often see.
Although, in my mind the video would have been a little more extravagant and the three minute segment in the middle featuring Juicy J seemed irrelevant and felt slightly awkward, it is a pleasant video with a dash of humour at the start.
The video posted below is the shorter version because that is all I can find but trust me these are the only bits you really need to see.
And, is it just me or does Drake look really hot these days ?

New Music, Video and Artist All In One

There is a new British bombshell hoping to follow in the footsteps of all the great female's before her and her name is Tanika.
Her new song and video Bad 4 U will definitely put her on the map as she showcases her powerful vocals which may see her being compared to Jessie J. It's a catchy and fun pop track with a little edge and a little dubstep thrown in for good measure.
Although the video is really dull, Tanika looks great in it and the song alone should be enough to kick-start her music career.
Enjoy below!

Tinie Tempah - Demonstration

I have become completely obsessed with Tinie's new album since it's release on Monday and I will tell you why (if you are yet to here it for yourself).
It strays away from Tinie's debut release in that it is not filled with club bangers and catchy hooks although there are a few thrown in for good measure. Tinie shows a lot of growth as an artist by exploring some more personal themes like cheating on his girlfriend on It's Ok and goes even more autobiographical on Looking Down The Barrel - one of my favourites because of the superb production.
The slower and more emotional songs on the album such as Tears Run Dry are really beautifully executed and are moments that Tinie's last album was missing.
There are also some great hip-hop and dance songs like Shape, Don't Sell Out and the single Trampoline which will no doubt have you up dancing in the club.
In fact, there are only two songs on the album which I find myself skipping and that's Witch Doctor and Children Of The Sun as I just find them to be filler tracks.
Throw in the amazing vocals from Ella Eyre, Emelie Sande, Labrynth and Laure Mvula and some big features from 2Chainz, Dizzee Rascal and Big Sean and you have an album that caters to everyone.
The versatility is impressive and showcases every aspect of Tinie as an artist which makes me excited about what will hear next.

4 stars.

Artist of the Week: August Alsina

After dropping his debut single almost 8 months ago, R'n'B crooner August Alsina finally hit No.1 in the US this week and rightly so. His song I Luv This is a really catchy track and his vocals, although very similar to Trey Songz, are brilliant. It helps that he is also a very attractive and young guy, so the future is looking bright for him especially now that he has signed to Def Jam Records.
He has dropped an EP this week too which showcases his talents as a singer, songwriter and all round artist and now that Chris is out of the music scene for a while this is the perfect time for August to step in.