CEE LO GREEN PROMOTES "THE LADY KILLER" IN TORONTO

Cee Lo Green & Mr. Will-W.

Atlanta native Cee Lo Green né Thomas DeCarlo Callaway, has seen many incarnations already in his career, but now only is he reaping the rewards of his perseverance. Originally a part of the Hip Hop group Goodie Mob, those who have been paying attention have seen him transform into the Lead Vocalist of Duo Gnarls Barkley, which saw some success back in 2006 on both sides of the Atlantic with hit Crazy. To clarify, the Duo has not yet disbanded according to Green and they plan to release more material together.  A Goodie Mob reunion album is also in the works. Now in the spotlight on his own, all eyes are on the spirited Vocalist with a voice so remarkable that few needed an introduction when he resurfaced again late Summer, when the likes of Perez Hilton already were claiming infectious single Fuck You! one the year's best.

Green, currently promoting his new album The Lady Killer, released last Tuesday. The album is onto its second single It's OK, similarly feel-good Motown, now after having spawned the aforementioned Viral hit, which of course depending where in the world is known also as F**K You!, FU or more commonly, Forget You. Certifiably a Radio Hit, peaking at number 17 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and even better in other parts, the track and album continue to be lauded by Celebrities and Tastemakers alike. As we all know, the album's first single received the Glee Makeover on last week's episode The Substitute featuring Gwyneth Paltrow. But furthermore, even Glee's Lea Michele and Chuck Actor Zachary Levi have taken to Twitter in praising Green; both cannot stop listening.

CEE LO GREEN - THE LADY KILLER REVIEW

It's this year's Back to Black (Amy Winehouse) in the sense that it is rare that a Traditional R&B/Soul album finds crossover success in this day and age.  Soulful Cee Lo Green releases his third solo studio effort The Lady Killer after a brief turn in the duo Gnarls Barkley, which saw the massive Billboard Hot 100 Chart number two hit single Crazy in 2006.  Back again and front-and-center where he belongs, Green is a star in a genre where Male Vocalists have been lacking for quite some time.

We've all heard Fuck You, or depending which part of the world you're located, FU or Forget You. The Smeezingtons-produced (includes Bruno Mars) hit has caught-on internationally with its Curtis Mayfield-like Motown swagger, appealing even to the most wholesome of demographics, with Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow just having covered it on Glee. Ideally, it would have been great if they could have lent their hands to a couple more collaborations here considering the magic they achieved together. But is Green a one-hit-per-album type artist? The Lady Killer certainly would prove that assumption wrong.

Bright Lights Big City is classic R&B, the type Smokey Robinson and and The O'Jays made, punctuated with the presence of a String Section; a fitting follow-up to the thrill of the album's first single. Green helps the amazing Salaam Remi (Amy Winehouse, Jennifer Hudson, Fergie) in co-producing the track Love Gun, taking a backseat to Guest Vocalist Lauren Bennett for a moment. What results is a bit of a James Bond-type moment, which works considering that much of the album is an homage to another era.

Satisfied is delightfully sunny and instantly likable, while Cry Baby owes much credit to some fantastic Horns as without them, it is just another sweet Motown number. Both tracks are produced by Fraser T. Smith, who has had a hand in some greatest tracks in recent memory, namely Broken Strings (James Morrison ft. Nelly Furtado) and Break Your Heart (Taio Cruz). Green digs deeper emotionally on another Remi collaboration Old Fashioned, which really would have already been a fitting tight finish to the album, over No One's Gonna Love You.

BRUNO MARS - DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS REVIEW

Honolulu native Bruno Mars (né Peter Hernandez) has showered the galaxy of Pop Music like a Meteor with debut single Just the Way You Are reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Chart only recently - impressive by any measure for a new artist. His debut album Doo-Wops & Hooligans although bizarre sounding, is v. fitting of the sound he has helmed for himself along with the likes of Claude Kelly (Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears) and Needlz (Drake, Young Jeezy). It is one part Hip-Hop Swagger and one part Melodic Crooner.

It would be redundant to reflect on the strength of that chart-topping debut single, but does Bruno Mars deliver on this concise ten-song collection? The answer is YES.  In this day and age of forgettable Autotune-heavy releases, everything is there on this disc. A cut-above vocals, strong hooks, infectious rhythms and just enough production so that the audience never fails to lose focus of the star. If you think Just the Way You Are is solid, wait til you hear follow-up worthy Talking to the Moon, which should have the likes of Ryan Tedder (OneRepublic) and Adam Levine (Maroon 5) feeling just a bit of that healthy competitive envy.

Doo-Wops & Hooligans is stuck perpetually in Summertime, heavy on the Island influence with tracks like Liquor Store Blues (ft. Damian Marley) and the sensually nostalgic Our First Time. And what is most wonderful is that Mars is proud of his roots and we can hear him pay homage to this on tracks like Count on Me. The excellent Cee-Lo and red-hot B.o.B. drop by even for a visit on the album's closer The Other Side, adding a bit of substance to the big picture.

Bruno Mars' Doo Wops & Hooligans from Warner Music is in stores October 5, 2010 and it's more than just your average R&B/Urban-Pop romp. Freshness. Grade: A-

NEW MUSIC: CEE-LO - FUCK YOU!

The soul of Marvin Gaye and James Brown. The angst of Eminem. This new track Fuck You by Cee-Lo, known most recently for his work in the duo Gnarls Barkley, delivers the goods and chart promise we all saw back in 2006 with their hit Crazy.

Listen to this bit of catchy goodness. We can all relate. I appreciate Cee-Lo's raw honesty. Betrayal in a relationship is never a pretty thing and sometimes it's just healthier to be real than pretend we're all strong and over it.  This track is bold, confessional and provocative. Look for it on his forthcoming album Lady Killer to be released December 7, 2010.

Listen to Fuck You in full below (audio content owned by Elektra Records):