ALBUM REVIEW: JESSIE J - WHO YOU ARE

Although the first taste she gave us with Do It Like a Dude wasn’t a good indicator what she’s all about, UK import Jessie J (née Jessica Cornish) definitely has a word or two of advice for us on her debut, Who You Are. In fact, the 23 year-old Singer/Songwriter Londoner’s feel-good vibe has already infiltrated airwaves Stateside. If you loved Miley Cyrus’ Party in the U.S.A. – and I know many of you do – chances are, you’re already a Fan of her work without even realizing it.

Expectations admittedly are high and although this debut Disc is a mixed bag of Songs, the raw talent Jessie J possesses is v. present. If not this Album, she is on the verge of something spectacular. Her vocal tone, range and styling are clear proof of the legacy which the likes of Beyoncé, Fergie and Alicia Keys have left on this generation of young Divas, but furthermore she really pulls out every single trick and bit of inspiration she has within her on Who You Are. There is nothing understated about Jessie J – she goes all-out because she can.

I have not been shy about expressing my love for Dr. Luke-produced hit Price Tag (ft. B.o.B.) which despite repeating a vibe heard on Hits like No One (Alicia Keys) and Where is the Love (The Black Eyed Peas), I cannot deny its standalone appeal. It is a proper introduction to the uplifting vibe she truly wants to deliver. Sunny tracks like L.O.V.E. and Stand Up promote positivity and teach us Pop Listeners a lesson or two on Reggae - her way.

THE BLACK EYED PEAS - THE BEGINNING REVIEW

Fans of Black Eyed Peas' The E.N.D. Electro-Pop era will revel at the Electronic splendour of the quartet's newest offering The Beginning, which is being spun as a Sequel to that 18 million-selling fifth album.  It amazes me the speed of output at which The Black Eyed Peas are able to release their material and more so, how well it connects with audiences consistently especially considering their rigorous touring schedule. Some of the material featured here was recorded on their Toronto stop-off this past July (click 1 2 for more details).

First single The Time (Dirty Bit) which samples Jennifer Warnes & Bill Medley's 1987 Pop Classic I've Had the Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing despite initially teetering on annoying, actually has grown on me after a few weeks of my having denied it. In contrast to much of the group's more energetic hits, The Beginning is actually a much more subdued, moodier listening experience.

The Collection draws from Euro influences, dictated undoutedly by the massive success of their last album's more Electro and effects-heavy singles I Gotta Feeling and Boom Boom Pow. Play it Loud with its insistent U2-esque Guitar Hook, surely will connect with the Urban and Rock audiences alike and it should be no surprise that they have teamed together with French DJ David Guetta, who has brought them much success.  Multi-layered Just Can't Get Enough would also appear to be single-worthy based on its catchiness, each member getting a chance to shine on the track.

FERGIE AWARDED BILLBOARD MAGAZINE'S "WOMAN OF THE YEAR"

Fergie in Toronto, August 2010

Billboard Magazine announced today that Fergie is its 2010 Woman of the Year.  With Fergie's contributions, The Black Eyed Peas have been able to hold the record for longest consecutive streak of weeks at Number One.  First single from The E.N.D., Boom Boom Pow, held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart for twelve weeks.  Second single I Gotta Feeling reigned for a whopping 14 weeks.  The latter is the Best Selling Digital Song of the Nielsen Soundscan era.

The group's new album The Beginning will be released on Tuesday, November 30, 2010.  But the real question is when Fergie will be releasing her follow-up to her fantastic solo debut The Duchess!

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)

FERGIE LAUNCHES OUTSPOKEN FRAGRANCE

One of my favourites Fergie, just launched her debut fragrance Outspoken this past Saturday at The Scottsdale Center in St. Louis, Missouri.  The  affordable fragrance was made available on Avon UK this past June, where it is available exclusively through the direct-to-home retailer.  It will be available stateside this September here.  For those who are curious, Outspoken contains the following notes:

Top Notes: Iced Berry, Star Fruit, Wild Saffron

Heart Notes: Tuberose Absolute, Midnight Jasmine, Passion Flower

Background Notes: Racy Black Leather, Raw Ebony Wood, Smokey Vetiver

Perhaps we'll see a Fergie pour Homme soon?

(Photo credit: WireImage)

BLACK EYED PEAS BID ADIEU TO TORONTO AND SAY "ALLO" TO MONTREAL (PICS)

Black Eyed Peas bid adieu to Toronto tonight after two successful back-to-back shows at Air Canada Centre. Having launched their The E.N.D. World Tour last September, the six-time Grammy-winning group are well adept enough at performing without much rehearsal by now. This was the case as tonight's show was scheduled to start at 7:30 PM and most band members did not head to the venue until approximately 6:30, some more towards the 7:30 mark - late by most standards.

Leaving four-star The Cosmopolitan Hotel, tucked-away discreetly in the city's financial district, it seemed as though they had an endless array of Luggage, requiring a separate Discount Rental Truck to transport their belongings.

Members of the group went about their afternoon in a low-key manner. Taboo whom I had met last night at the group's After Party at Muzik Night Club, was seen with his wife and newborn daughter walking to Eaton Centre to do a bit of shopping earlier this afternoon. They came back with a few purchases from H&M. Group members Fergie, apl.de.ap and leader will.i.am remained in the Hotel for the whole day, the latter two undoubtedly recovering from last night's late night partying.

BLACK EYED PEAS TORONTO CONCERT AFTER PARTY

After filling Air Canada Centre this evening, Black Eyed Peas proved they could equally fill Muzik Night Club for their own After Party on Canadian National Exhibition grounds. Corporate sponsor Blackberry and the group's fans who purchased VIP Tickets to tonight's and tomorrow night's shows, were rewarded with a special DJ set from group members will.i.am and apl.de.ap. It was surprising to see will.i.am, the heart and soul of the Quartet, still full of energy, dancing and regularly giving shout-outs to Toronto in his 90 minute set which was a majority Electro, interspersed with '80s throwbacks.  His set had a recurring motif of I've Had The Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing, which he sang with interesting Pitch Control.

The group's main vocalist Fergie however, was absent unfortunately at the Party, leaving Taboo and apl.de.ap took turns greeting party-goers in the back Patio of the Club. Taboo, left the party shortly after 1:00 AM, while will.i.am and apl.de.ap continued to party-it-up.  I did get a chance to meet Taboo earlier in the evening (as seen above) and he was an absolute gentleman, I must say.  

Upon leaving the venue at 3:10 AM, will.i.am and apl.de.ap by-passed fans in waiting, while their v. confrontational Security Guard commented "I don't know what it is about Canadians and why they are so rude" when there was little disorder to be seen.  Meanwhile the two remaining group members headed straight into their Van with a few ladies seen dancing at the party earlier, in tow.  "Absolutely no photos, please", the Guard requested.  Right - gotcha.  Perhaps there may be truth in Team Perez after all?

Here are some photos of will.i.am in action earlier this evening:

DVD REVIEW: NINE

Just shy of five months since its theatrical release, Rob Marshall's NINE finally surfaces on DVD. The musical, nominated for five Golden Globes and four Oscars, unjustly was panned overall by critics and above this was released on a very competitive Christmas Day which saw the monster known as Sherlock Holmes steal just about everyone's thunder. Unfortunately, it performed well under its $80 million budget domestically earning $19 million only. Overseas it has fared much better, bringing its worldwide gross to $52 million. That's still a loss of over $30 million for its backers, The Weinstein Co. And this is hopefully where it will recoup more of its losses. I hope my one DVD sale helps.  Read my original review of the film here.

For fans of the film, the DVD offers a very generous helping of Special Features. In addition to a Commentary by Marshall and his romantic partner/Producer John DeLuca, there are a total eight Featurettes. You can learn about the recording of some of the film's key musical numbers and the filming of the scenes they are associated with, plus all about the Costumes and Choreography too. You also learn about the casting of the film's seven female stars and apparently during the casting stages of the film, Marshall saw just about every leading actress in Hollywood - actresses who normally don't have to audition.  He made his choices based on who he felt he would be able to work best with after getting to know them personally. The chosen actresses all attended eachother's rehearsals during filming, offering moral support to one another and became like a family.   They would work together, eat together and party together.  To this day, Sophia Loren claims they all exchanged numbers and still keep in touch with one another.

THE GRAMMYS: A QUICK RECAP

As predicted, Beyoncé cleaned up at tonight's Grammy Awards at Los Angeles' Staples Centre.  Picking up an astounding six Grammys including the important Best Female Pop Vocal and Song of the Year categories for Halo and Single Ladies respectively.  And deservedly so.  People are often quick to express their displeasure with her, but the fact remains that she is a legend at the top of her game.  I mean Lady Gaga is fantastic, but Beyoncé does it time and again based on sheer talent alone and this needs to be respected.

Taylor Swift should be extremely proud of herself right now, winning the evening's most coveted award, Album of the Year in addition to three other awards.  A humble Swift also was victorious in the category of Best Country Album, although the public really should understand why it is she isn't  quite ready for a Best Female Pop Vocal award after hearing her extremely flat performances of new single Today Was a Fairytale and You Belong With Me (featuring Stevie Nicks). Alas, I won't be too harsh on her because when I was her age, I didn't even have a fraction of the talent she has.

Lady Gaga fans are all ecstatic having set  Twitter afire, in making her a hot trending topic this evening.  Gaga, despite not being eligible for the Best New Artist award, still won Best Electronic Album and Best Dance Recording. This should come as no surprise really, seeing how she has done wonders again for dance pop music's presence on the mainstream charts.  She arrived on the red carpet tonight with bright yellow highlights in her hair, looking like an assignment from the Space unit of a grade school Science class, once again making her the center of attention.  More importantly her theatrical performance featured a very strong vocal tonight in a medley of Poker Face and Speechless (featuring Elton John), the latter which I swear she keeps performing just to prove that she can really play the piano.  Superb.

Enjoy these red carpet pictures from the Associated Press, Wired Images and Getty Images. Glee's Lea Michele, I must say, knows glamour.  She's looked fantastic at every award show she's been invited to this season. And doesn't Jason Mraz look just effortlessly handsome?

REVIEW: NINE - THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK

While we await its theatrical release with baited breath, Universal Music Canada sent me the best early Christmas gift - an advanced copy of the soundtrack for Nine. The film, based on the play of the same name, is inspired by the story of legendary Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini and takes place around the time Fellini underwent a creative drought making his acclaimed masterpiece, 8½. Replace Fellini with the character Guido Contini plus a very sexy female cast of award-winning entertainers as his lovers, and there you have the most eagerly anticipated movie musical in quite some time.

Just looking through the album’s track listing, I could not help but be filled with curiosity how Pénelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Dame Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, Kate Hudson and the film’s main star Daniel Day-Lewis, would fare as singers. Nicole Kidman, many of us already know is an adequate vocalist as seen in one of her career best roles in Moulin Rouge. And well, Grammy winner Fergie needs no introduction. 

Rob Marshall and John DeLuca arranged for the cast to record the film’s tracks in London late September 2008, about a month before shooting began. The results though are mixed, but there are some incredible surprises to be found. For one, Music Director Paul Bogaev does an excellent job setting the musical landscape of Italy in the ‘60s, when the story takes place. Day-Lewis is first introduced to us on Guido’s Song and although he is not blessed with an amazing voice, he still does a very credible job tapping into the psyche of a man in a midlife crisis. With the abundance of cast members the material is dispersed, meaning at most, the cast members are responsible only for one or two numbers each. 
Producers

NEW MUSIC: FERGIE - BE ITALIAN

Long before she found success as a recording artist, Fergie appeared on one of my favourite Saturday morning programs Kids Incorporated. The show featured essentially, a cast of kids singing age-inappropriate pop songs with tied-in story lines. Thus, acting has always been in Fergie's skill set. Nonetheless, I was very surprised to learn that Fergie was cast by one of my favourite directors Rob Marshall (CHICAGO, Memoirs of a Geisha) in his latest project NINE, out on December 18, 2009.

Fergie plays the role of Saraghina, prostitute lover of Guido Contini (Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis). In the film, she is given the plum assignment of singing signature number Be Italian and I must stay I am thoroughly impressed by her versatility. She sounds incredible here and I am sucker for a woman who is willing to undergo a transformation in the name of her art. Allegedly, she put on at least 30 lbs. for this role. I have said it many times before, but I am thrilled to see this film.

NINE - The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack will be in stores December 22, 2009. For now, you can enjoy Fergie's stunning performance below (courtesy of Geffen Records/Universal Music):

Fergie (seen to the left in this photo I got in a 2007 Toronto visit) is known to many of us for her string of Top 40 hits with Grammy-winning group The Black Eyed Peas. She is also a successful solo artist in her own right having sold six million copies of her 2006 album The Dutchess worldwide. Many of us however do not know Fergie (née Stacy Ann Ferguson) as an actress.