Grammy Nominations Announced

Grammy nominees were announced last night, with Kanye West scoring the most nominations (7); however, surprisingly not netting an Album of the Year nod for last year's critical darling, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

In a decidedly pop-heavy slate, Album of the Year nominations went to Adele, Foo Fighters, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Rihanna (for last year's Loud).

Record of the Year nominations were snagged by Adele ("Rolling in the Deep"), Mars ("Grenade"), Katy Perry ("Firework"), Mumford and Son "(The Cave") and, also surprisingly, Bon Iver ("Holocene"). All but Perry were also honored in Song of the Year, where Kanye West's "All of the Lights" was also nominated.

As expected, Nicki Minaj tops the list of Best New Artist nominees, where she'll compete against The Band Perry, Bon Iver, J. Cole and surprise nominee Skrillex.

More to come later!

Singles Serving

Summer Rain - Matthew Morrison. Lots of original music coming out of Glee this week, although this is official not Glee-related but rather the solo debut of Glee star Matthew Morrison. He's gone the male troubadour route, a la Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson, delivering a breezy slice of pop backed by acoustic guitar, live drums and later some (possibly synthesized) strings. Morrison co-wrote the track with Norwegian production due Espionage, who have written or co-written a number of major hits (Beyonce's "Irreplaceable, Train's "Hey, Soul Sister"). Although it's not what I would have expected him to do, it's not bad. A bit of a grower, but good. Who wouldn't want to make love with Matthew Morrison on a rooftop in the rain?

Loser Like Me - Glee Cast. This is from next week's episode, "Original Song," and as that title suggests, this is the first music out of Glee that isn't a remake. Of course it's expertly produced and co-written by Swedish pop mastermind Max Martin. The club's stars take the lead on this one, and Lea Michele in particular sounds great as usual over the bubbly pop track with an appealing guitar grind under its chorus. Would love to see them score a genuine hit with this. Also out is an original ballad, "Get It Right," which also features Michele, and is quite lovely.

You'll Be Mine - The Pierces. The Pierces are a sisters duo from New York. They've been around for awhile, but with Coldplay bassist (hottie) Guy Berryman producing their new album, they're getting a lot more exposure. "You'll Be Mine" is a great song with a downbeat '70s pop vibe over a richly produced acoustic instrumentation. Definitely whets my appetite for an album.

Till the World Ends - Britney Spears. Longtime Spears songwriter, Swede Alexander Kronlund and pop singer Ke$ha co-wrote this new single for Britney, produced by Max Martin, Dr. Luke and Billboard (not the magazine). What ensues is another pieces of electro-dance pop not unlike "Hold It Against Me" really. Although it isn't breaking any new ground clearly, it's another fun single from the Blonde singer.

Heart on My Sleeve - Olly Murs. For his third single, Murs turns away from the reggae fusion sound of his last two singles toward more traditional pop territory. The song is produced and co-written by John Shanks, who produced the last two Take That albums before Progress. So it sounds a lot like that stuff, especially "Rule the World." I wasn't really into "Thinking of Me," but I like this better, even if it sounds like Take That from 3 years ago (that was, after all, a sound I liked).

Moment 4 Life - Nicki Minaj feat. Drake. Nicki Minaj was a big breakout star last year with a lot of great buzz, but lacked a major hit under her belt. "Moment 4 Life," the fourth single from her album Pink Friday may finally be just that hit. The song contrasts a dark, downbeat melody with an uplifting lyric. Minaj sounds a bit like Rihanna on this one.

That's the Truth - McFly. For a brief moment, it looked like McFly might get interesting. Then they give us this utterly derivative piece of fluff. It's not bad, it's not really good either. It just sort of "is" if that makes sense. It probably sounds familiar, because elements of it sound like about 40 other songs that have been hits in the last 5 years.

Young Blood - The Naked and Famous. This New Zealand group broke out big in their homeland last year and this is the catchiest song I've heard from them so far, with a pretty irresistable synth-based tune. So what if it sounds just like another recent band from down under (Empire of the Sun) who, like this band, was also riding the MGMT bandwagon. You'll be bumping along to it anyway until the next hot new thing comes along.

Album Review: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (4.5/5)

Kanye West has proven he has a big ego, but on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, he also continues to prove that he's an exceptional musician. This fifth album is his best yet, approaching a broad range of styles, making it big and messy, in contrast to his surprising last album, 808s and Heartbreak, which was confined and sleek. Whereas other pop artists are taking a "throw in everything and the kitchen sink" approach and see what works, West throws in everything and makes it work--all of it. Along the way, he's invited guest turns from enough of today's hottest pop stars to throw a decent-sized party.

A gradually menacing voice over introduces "Dark Fantasy," like it's setting up a twisted fairy tale, before the strings, choir and beats are layered in. It's a great start and typical of the "all or all" production style of many of the album's songs. The lyrics detail his troubled last year and starting fresh. Along the way, he cleverly name-checks or rather name-blends other pop stars ("Sex is on fire; I'm the King of Leona Lewis"). Pop culture references abound of course. In the relatively restrained gangsta-ish track "Gorgeous (feat. Kid Cudi & Raekwon)," for example, he turns a drug bust into a TV reference ("got caught with 30 rocks, the cop look like Alec Baldwin"; "What's a 'black' Beatle anyway, a f**kin' roach?"). "Power" throttles forth with a forceful production to match its unapologetic lyrics.

The tracks with the most guest stars follow. "All of the Lights" is rousing track with a Rocky-like horns sections, layers of beats and a prominent--albeit not technically featured--vocal from Rihanna. It also features Elton John on piano plus additional vocals by Kid Cudi, Tony Williams, The-Dream, Charlie Wilson, John Legend, La Roux's Elly Jackson, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Fergie, Ryan Leslie, and Drake (Kanye West is apparently so famous that stars and big as Alicia Keys and Fergie show up as background vocalists throughout the album without actual featured vocalist credit). Boisterous "Monster" features guest raps from Jay-Z, Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj, plus a brief vocal from Bon Iver. Minaj in particular is in fine form, displaying the kind of vocal acrobatics and personality she displayed with such acumen on her album, Pink Friday. Brooding "So Appalled" has Swizz Beatz, Jay-Z, Pusha T, Prince Cy Hi and The RZA as guests. Although generally not a highlight for me, it does have some of my favorite lines on the album: "the day that you play me will be the same day MTV plays videos." Touché! Also good: "I move a bird like I'm in bed with Mother Goose."

"Runaway" was a great single, but on the album, it's transformed into an amazing 9-minute epic of a song. It's about Kanye's failings with women--his tendency to always find fault and end up with women who aren't good for him and that he's not good for. There's no desire to improve though; instead he warns off any potential mates, throws himself in with other similar slops and toasts them all on the song's memorable chorus. The track ends with an extended outro that at first sounds like some distorted synth, but then, as it clears up at the end, turns out to actually be Kanye West's singing, distorted beyond recognition.

The only songs that don't really work for me are "Devil in a New Dress," a lounge-y, laid-back groove with a Smokey Robinson sample, and the pornographic fantasy "Hell of a Time," which is just a bit too dirty. However, I do enjoy Chris Rock's hilarious, potty-mouthed monologue at the end of "Blame Game," which I wouldn't date try to describe in this forum.

The last song on the album is my favorite. "Lost in the World" is built around a prominent sample of folk group Bon Iver's "Woods," a lovely, layered work of digitally distorted vocals, an affect similar to Imogen Heap's haunting "Hide and Seek" (which, just to make this more complicated was prominently sampled on last year's hit song by Jason Derulo, "Whatcha Say"). West adds a driving beat after the opening verse, pushing the quiet folk into dancefloor-appropriate power pop territory. La Roux's Jackson also does background vocal duty here. Gil Scott-Heron's 1970 poem "Comment No. 1" is tacked onto the end as the album's epilogue, "Who Will Survive in America," a provocative tirade against American hypocrisy.

Kanye West has been my favorite hip-hop artist for years now and, despite his personal failings (or perhaps because of them), continues to be an engaging and important presence in popular music. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is an odd title for an album, but it fits this work perfectly. I've generally enjoyed each of his successive albums more than the previous one, which is an exciting prospect for what's yet to come.

Best: Lost in the World, Runaway, Power, All of the Lights, Dark Fantasy, Monster, Blame Game

Album Review: Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday (4/5)

I've said before that I'm not a big hip-hop fan, but I'm loving this debut from Nicki Minaj. She's been the toast of the music industry for the past year, awash in vital internet buzz. Over the course of the year she put out a few singles, although none of them were major hits, and also made quite a few guest appearances on others' songs. The anticipation for her debut was palpable, but would it be good?

My answer is definitely "yes," as Pink Friday is one of the most enjoyable rap albums I've heard in years. Minaj exudes personality on the album and seems comfortable in all of its various musical styles. Generally, the album begins with the more hardcore rap, transitions to a slower R&B middle section (including tracks in which Minaj sings rather than raps), and then segues into an upbeat, sample-heavy pop conclusion. Along the way, some of the biggest names in the business make guest appearances, a testament to how much interest and good will she's already generated.

Among the opening numbers, first track "I'm the Best" kicks the album off with an old fashioned rap boast on which Minaj celebrates her emerging financial success. As a rap artist with a rather theatrical bent, Minaj is like feminine Eminem, matching his potty mouth with aplomb as well as a similar use of alter-ego personalities. She displays these traits best on "Roman's Revenge," my favorite track on the album, despite its frequently profane, yet always clever lyrics ("bitch if you ain't shittin' then get off the pot!"). Minaj employs her foul-mouthed alter ego, Roman, as well as Roman's mother, who's apparently British, or at least pretends to be. Eminem shows up in Slim Shady mode to add an assist. It's a great in-your-face track.

Yet Minaj can dial it down too. The smooth R&B middle of the album shows her more vulnerable side on songs like "Right Thru Me" and "Save Me," which employ mellower arrangements and slower tempos. On "Moment 4 Life," which features Drake, Minaj sounds a bit like Rihanna, who guests herself on the appropriately soaring "Fly," which could be the big pop hit that has so far eluded Minaj (apart from her guest appearance on Trey Songz's "Bottoms Up," she's yet to reach the Billboard Hot 100 top 10). All of these songs are keepers.

Black Eyed Peas frontman and uber-producer Will.I.Am gives "Check It Out" an infectious electronic beat while sampling The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star." Cheryl Cole's vocal was added to the British single of this, although I can't say why, as you can barely make her out in the mix. "Blazin'" features the familiar Simple Minds' sample, "Don't You Forget About Me," as well as a guest rap from Kanye West. "Here I Am" has a more downbeat sound, using a sample of John B's "Red Sky." The best sampling has to be the use of Annie Lennox's "No More 'I Love You's'" on "Your Love," the album's sweetest moment.

It will be fun to see how big Minaj can break out next year. This album is certainly a great start, and has the potential to give her some big hits in the months to come. It's refreshing to hear a female voice in rap, a field so dominated by the men, but a voice that's not just female but also quite unique.

Best: Roman's Revenge, Check It Out, Fly, Right Thru Me, Your Love, Here I Am