New Albums This Week

November is the biggest month for new album releases. And this week is the biggest week of the month--making it one hell of a week for new music. Here's the biggest releases out in stores this week:

Rihanna - Rated R
The Barbadian pop singer breaks her silence with this dark fourth album. It follows Good Girl Gone Bad, the album that transformed Rihanna from merely a successful pop artist to a pop megastar, giving her #1 hits around the world in songs like "Umbrella," "Don't Stop the Music," "Take a Bow" and "Disturbia." Although it had a good variety of songs, it was most notable for its R&B-flavored dance pop. Rated R is instantly notable for its lack of such good times, focusing on edgier R&B and rock sounds. Although it doesn't directly address the end of her abusive relationship with Chris Brown, it does so indirectly through songs like "Russian Roulette" and "Stupid in Love." It's a move reminiscent of Kelly Clarkson's My December--a darker, more personal album following a mega-successful pop album. Will it pay off for Rihanna in ways that it didn't? We shall see; however, "Russian Roulette" is already performing on the charts exactly like Clarkson's "Never Again" did--"Never Again" debuted at #8 on the Hot 100 due to strong sales, but fell off after that and stalled at #22 at top 40 radio after a fairly rapid rise. Similarly, "Russian Roulette" reached #9 on the Hot 100, but has slipped to #16 this week, while the track climbed quickly at top 40 radio only to peak at #21. Could this be a sign? Immediate standouts: Stupid in Love, Rockstar 101, Russian Roulette, Fire Bomb

Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment
Expectations are high for Adam Lambert's debut album. This year's American Idol runner-up developed quite a following for his flamboyant style. His debut certainly lives up to his image. These are big, over-the-top pop songs in the vein of Queen and Mika. Immediate standouts: Broken Open, Music Again, Fever

Lady GaGa - The Fame Monster
This is officially an EP, but can't we consider it an album? Sure it's only got 8 tracks, but in the '80s that was pretty common (Madonna's Madonna, Wham's Make It Big and Lionel Richie's Can't Slow Down each had only 8 tracks). While most albums now have an average of about 13 tracks, sometimes this isn't a good thing, as a shorter album of all good songs is often preferable to something bloated that's a mix of good songs and filler. That was kind of how I felt about The Fame, which opened strong with her four big hits but was a mixed bag after that. This leaner follow-up all sounds pretty good so far and no less diverse. Immediate standouts: Bad Romance, Alejandro, Dance in the Dark, Speechless

Those were the albums I bought this morning. Two more releases worth noting:

Susan Boyle - I Dreamed a Dream
Who's got a better rise to fame story than Susan Boyle? The plain, middle-age nobody who became a star in Britain on Britain's Got Talent and the rest of the world via YouTube. I Dreamed a Dream is her debut, a collection of remakes she chose herself to express what she's gone through. Of course it includes the title track, a Christmas song ("Silent Night"--I think a whole album of Christmas music from her would be worth getting), a Madonna remake ("You'll See") and a rather grand Streisand-like first single, "Wild Horses," which is quite beautiful. This broke the record for most pre-ordered album at Amazon.com. Check out: Wild Horses.

Shakira - She Wolf
I'm not a Shakira fan, but I know she has a rather rabid following. This is her third English-language album following in the wake of hits like "Whenever, Wherever," "Underneath Your Clothes," and "Hips Don't Life." I've read reviews that just salivate over this and others that declare it a hot mess. Check out: Give It Up to Me

So how are they stacking up at iTunes so far? Here's the current placings:

1. Lady GaGa - The Fame Monster (EP version)
2. Susan Boyle - I Dreamed a Dream
3. Lady GaGa - The Fame Monster (Deluxe EP + The Fame)
4. Rihanna - Rated R (Explicit)
6. Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment (Deluxe)
8. Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment
14. Shakira - She Wolf (Deluxe)
29. Shakira - She Wolf
58. Rihanna - Rated R (Censored)

UK Singles Chart, November 28, 2009

1. You Are Not Alone - The X Factor Finalists

To no one's surprise, the X Factor Finalists top the UK singles chart this week with "You Are Not Alone," their remake of the 1995 Michael Jackson #1 hit. The power of the X Factor has been a recurring theme on the singles chart this fall, which has been dominated by tracks performed by established artists (Alexandra Burke, Cheryl Cole, JLS, Black Eyed Peas in particular, who saw their singles hit #1) and re-entries from the original artist's versions of songs the contestants sang on the show. Finally the contestants themselves get a crack at the chart, selling over 193,000 copies, more than twice what Black Eyed Peas' "Meet Me Halfway" sold to be this week's #2.

As great as that sounds though, this is actually not as wonderful as it could have been. For one, it's a far cry from the 312,000 that the 2008 X Factor Finalists sold last year of "Hero" in its first week. When "Hero" hit #1, it did so with a week's worth of sales that was about 5 times bigger than any other single had done that year. In contrast, this year's finalists did about as well as Alexandra Burke did a few weeks ago with "Bad Boys," and about 100k less than Cheryl Cole did recently when she bowed with "Fight for This Love." Could the show's popularity be slipping a bit? After all, this even had the Michael Jackson nostalgia factor going for it (this is the first remake of a Michael Jackson song to hit #1). Of course the real test will be how the winner does Christmas week--less than 1 month away now.

3. Whatcha Say - Jason DeRulo

A recent US #1 becomes a UK #3 as Jason DeRulo's "Whatcha Say" debuts at #3. This is DeRulo's first hit single.

8. Bad Romance - Lady GaGa

Lady GaGa climbs back into the top 10 at #8, achieving a new peak position. Her new EP The Fame Monster hits stores next week. Will it push the single up even further? In the US, "Bad Romance" is currently #1 at iTunes.

15. To Love Again - Alesha Dixon

Alesha Dixon debuts at #15 with "To Love Again," the new single to promote the re-release of her album The Alesha Show. I'm surprised to not see this in the top 10, as it's a pretty decent song. At #15, it charts lower than the three singles from the original version of the album. "To Love Again" is co-written by Take That member Gary Barlow.

16. You've Got the Love - Florence and the Machine

Florence and the Machine scores her second top 40 hit with "You've Got the Love," a remake of the Candi Staton dance classic, "You Got the Love." The single first emerged in 1986, but wasn't a hit until 1991, when a remix of the song--credited then and afterward to The Source featuring Candi Staton--hit #4. Six years later, a new version, the "Now Voyagers Remix" hit #3. Seven years after that in 2004, the Now Voyagers Remix was featured in the final moments of the last episode of Sex and the City. Then in 2006, another remix, the "New Voyagers Remix" came out, sending the single once again into the top 10 at #7. Florence misses the top 10, but does gives us the fourth top 40 version of this song--the first by a different artist.

23. Baby By Me - 50 Cent (feat. Ne-Yo)

50 Cent lands his 19th top 40 hit. Ne-Yo nabs his 10th.

40. I Need You Now - Agnes

Somebody has messed up big time. No other way to explain how Swedish pop singer Agnes, who had a major summer hit with "Release Me," now gets a flop follow-up. Here are the mistakes as I see them: 1) Failing to capitalize on "Release Me." "Release Me" was a great single--good enough to launch the album Dance Love Pop (it's not like it wasn't ready to go, it came in Sweden over a year ago--I have it, it's great). At a minimum, there should have been a follow-up single sooner. 2) Remixing a slow song. Even dance pop artists need to show some diversity, and it's a common practice to release a ballad as a third or fourth single after a few uptempo hits. "I Need You Now" is one of Dance Love Pop's great slow songs, but by turning it into a dance tune--of which there were already several other great choices--they lost the opportunity to use the song in that manner. 3) Lack of promotion. "I Need You Now" is only #45 on the UK airplay chart and it's not on either the BBC Radio 1 or Radio 2 playlists. Isn't anyone doing PR for her? I hope this doesn't spell an end to Agnes' chances of getting her album out in the UK.

Album Review: Leona Lewis - Echo (4/5)

One can forgive Leona Lewis for basically remaking Spirit in Echo. After all, her 2007 debut has become the 27th best-selling album of all time in Britain (not a small feat considering the current state of album sales). Led by "Bleeding Love," which was the #1 single of 2007 in Britain, the biggest pop single of 2008 in the U.S., and a #1 hit in just about every country that tracks such things, the album was a success on a level unexpected for a new artist, even one launched with the help of Simon Cowell. After Kelly Clarkson, she became the second major international superstar launched from his Idol/X-Factor machine.

The similarities are apparent right off the back with "Happy," produced and co-written by Ryan Tedder, the OneRepublic frontman who, since producing and co-writing "Bleeding Love," has become one of the hottest commodities in pop music. "Happy" is "Bleeding Love" mark 2, a soaring, high-production ballad with the same thundering beat Tedder employs for these sorts of songs (see also Beyonce's "Halo" and Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone"). Just because its similar doesn't mean it's bad though, as the song is gorgeous, backed as it is by a string section, tinkling piano refrain and background singers (it's a shame "Happy" has failed in the US, charting lower at top 40 radio than even Spirit's third single "I Will Be").

Ryan Tedder shows up for two more songs that are decent, although not quite as grand as the opener."You Don't Care," another typical Tedder-ish ballad with that booming rhythm section and some woodwinds added to the strings, and "Lost Then Found," on which Tedder joins Lewis along with the rest of his band. It sounds like a pretty typical OneRepublic song--grand gestures and hooks that, for some reason, just don't add up like it should.

After "Happy," many of the tracks that follow at the beginning of the album are among its strongest. I absolutely adore "I Got You," a mid-tempo love song that unleashes Leona and the backing musicians during the strong chorus. This would make a perfect second single. It's produced by Arnthor Birgisson, who also helms another highlight, the tender "My Hands." "Can't Breathe" pushes the production flourishes a little more toward contemporary R&B with its synth layering and electronic bleeps and stutters. Elegant "Brave" exudes a Middle Eastern vibe.

"Outta My Head" represents one of Echo's key departures from Sprit--the inclusion of some dance pop. Produced by the Swedish team of Max Martin and Shellback, it's an enjoyable high-velocity, synth-based ditty. Also pushing up the RPMs are "Love Letter," a pop-rock song in the Kelly Clarkson mold produced by Kevin Rudolf ("Let It Rock"), and the rockin' also Clarkson-ish "Naked." All these songs are good, but particularly enjoyable is the '80s-mining "Fly Here Now," which has a really compelling beat.

Among the album's remaining slow songs, the best is "Stop Crying Your Heart Out," a remake of the 2003 Oasis hit, which manages the similar feat of turning a rock ballad into an atmospheric pop song that Lewis achieved last year with Snow Patrol's "Run." I'd be surprised if this wasn't released as a single in Britain, although I don't understand why this was omitted from the US release (similarly, I don't see why "Fly Here Now" wasn't included on the UK version).

The other ballads are fine, but not stand outs. "Broken" is supposed to be a sad lost-love type song, but it production is so overblown it comes across as angry. "Don't Let Me Down" is co-written by Justin Timberlake, and features him on backup vocals, but that doesn't save this from being an unremarkable Timbaland wannabe. "Alive" is not bad, but it comes rather late in the album to make it a standout against earlier, similar songs.

On balance, Echo is a slight improvement over Spirit, but not dramatically so. I like the broader mix of sounds, particularly the more up-tempo stuff, but there's still this nagging sense of a lack of artistry from Lewis herself. She's got a gorgeous voice, no doubt, and she can sing lots of different kinds of songs (she wouldn't have won X Factor if that wasn't the case), but I'm still not getting a sense of her in all this. Who is Leona Lewis? Where does her passion lie? I'm afraid she's getting lost among all this technical proficiency and elevated expectations for global domination. When Lewis was recently assaulted during a public appearance it was rather shocking, not just because it was a crazy, mean thing to do, but because who can get so worked up over a singer so seemingly innocuous?

Best: Happy, I Got You, Stop Crying Your Heart Out, Brave, Outta My Head, My Hands, Can't Breathe, Fly Here Now, Naked

Best of 2000s: Duffy - Rockferry (5/5)

If Amy Winehouse cornered the bad-girl retro '60s market in 2006, Duffy showed there was room enough for a good-girl competitor in 2008. On the back of her heady breakthrough single, "Mercy," Duffy delivered 2008's best album. Rockferry was a gorgeous, soulful debut, with many of the songs focusing on the desire to leave or move on from a toxic relationship. A smash success in Britain, Rockferry also caught on in the US, where "Mercy" was a minor hit and Rockferry went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Pop Album.

Best: Mercy, Warwick Avenue, Stepping Stone, Serious, Hanging on Too Long

NME's Best Albums of the Decade

New Musical Express has published its list of the 100 greatest albums of the decade. How exciting to see these start to come out! Being NME, the list is almost exclusively alternative rock. They've set up the article nicely with music clips and links to all the original reviews. Here's the top 10:

1. The Strokes - Is This It
2. The Libertines - Up the Bracket
3. Primal Scream - XTRMNTR
4. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
6. PJ Harvey - Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
7. Arcade Fire - Funeral
8. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
9. The Streets - Original Pirate Material
10. Radiohead - In Rainbows

Other highlights

14. Radiohead - Kid A
16. The Streets - A Grand Don't Come for Free
18. The White Stripes - Elephant
19. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
27. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
33. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
49. Muse - Absolution
51. The Good, the Bad and the Queen
55. Hard-Fi - Stars of CCTV
65. Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
70. Glasvegas
77. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas
100. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

Personal Chart, 11/21/2009

Billboard Hot 100, November 28, 2009

1. Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z Featuring Alicia Keys

Jay-Z summits the Hot 100 for the first time as the lead performer with "Empire State of Mind," the lovely second single from The Blueprint 3. The single features female R&B singer Alicia Keys, earning her fourth #1 hit. Jay-Z has topped the chart three time previously as a featured rapper--all for very prominent female artists: with Mariah Carey in 1999 on "Heartbreaker," his wife Beyonce in 2003 on "Crazy in Love" and in 2007 with Rihanna on "Umbrella." This is the 7th week in a row that the Hot 100's #1 single has been something different than the previous week, a rate of turnover unseen since the advent of the Soundscan era in late 1991. The last time there was such a stretch was in the latter half of 1990, a 7-week period beginning with Nelson's "Cant Live Without Your (Love and Affection)" and ending with Mariah Carey's "Love Takes Time," which spent 3 consecutive weeks at #1. In 1989 there was an 8-week stretch beginning with Michael Damian's "Rock On" and ending with Martika's "Toy Soldiers."

5. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum

Last week's Country Music Awards (CMA) had quite the impact on the Hot 100 this week--a rare showing for country, the Hot 100's 4th-place genre after R&B, pop and rock. Lady Antebellum was one of the evening's big winners, picking up single of the year (for "I Run to You") and best vocal group. "Need You Now" is the group's newest single and first to be in the top 10.

10. Tik Tok - Ke$ha

Ke$ha lands her first top 10 solo hit. I think I already mentioned she was #1 earlier this year as a guest on Flo Rida's "Right Round."

26. Fifteen - Taylor Swift

Nice jump for Taylor Swift's "Fifteen," up 12 to #26 (but wouldn't a 15-spot jump have been nice? Maybe it will land on #15 at some point).

31. Defying Gravity - Glee Cast featuring Chris Colfer and Lea Michele

Glee scores its 6th top 40 hit with "Defying Gravity," the subject of a diva-off between Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Rachel (Lea Michele). Rachel won the contest when Kurt failed to hit the song's high note. The album version is actually different than what appeared on the show, as the song has been re-arranged to be a duet (and Kurt doesn't miss that note). Fun fact: Broadway star and Glee guest star Kristin Chenoweth sang this song as part of the cast of Wicked. Hopefully something from this week's Glee will appear in the top 40 next week--Rachel's disco-ey version of Jennifer Paige's "Crush?" Finn's goofy rendition of "You're Having My Baby" or, better, his version of The Pretenders' "I'll Stand By You?" Rachel and Mr. Schuester's lovely yet creepy "Endless Love?" or perhaps the full-cast finale of "Lean on Me?"

32. I'm Alive - Kenny Chesney feat. Dave Matthews
35. Do I - Luke Bryan
38. White Liar - Miranda Lambert
39. Consider Me Gone - Reba

Just look at all that country music. Perhaps the music industry just needs a few more awards shows.

Songs of My Lifetime: Janet jackson - "If"

Doing the write-up of Number Ones put me in the mood to reminisce about "If," hands down my favorite Janet Jackson song ever. When Janet. came out in the summer of 1993, I listened to the whole album nonstop, but this was an early and immediate favorite. My friends and I used to try to copy the video's dance moves--particularly the robotic arm motions during the instrumental middle section.

A few years later while in college, my friend Layla, who was an extraordinary dancer (and now a DJ), got a group of us together to perform "If" at DragFest, our college's big spring gay dance--the social event of the season. We rehearsed daily for about a week leading up to the dance, and it was a lot of fun. I've always loved the videos with the big choreographed dance sequences--many of the best of which were Janet Jackson's (When I Think of You, Miss You Much, Rhythm Nation, and Alright, in particular). Thanks to Layla, I actually got to be part of one. Her choreography was pretty faithful to the video moves (see below). When we performed on stage at the dance, it was a big hit.

The song itself is pretty amazing dance pop. Its unrelenting tempo, heavy bass beat, layers of synths, and fuzzy electric guitar form the perfect background for Janet's horny declarations ("I closed my eyes and thought about us a hundred different ways") and thinly veiled allusions to oral sex ("your smooth and shiny feels so good against my lips, sugar"). Indeed. This is one to turn up--way up.

Janet Jackson - Number Ones

Like Madonna did recently, this week Janet Jackson released a 2-disc, career-spanning greatest hits collection. This is Janet's second retrospective, following Design of a Decade (DOAD), the 1995 release that included all the singles from Control and Rhythm Nation 1814, plus two new tracks. A drawback of that set was that since it was released on A&M, her former label, it included only one track from Janet., which had been released under her new label Virgin. So while it had "That's the Way Love Goes," it was missing "If," "Again," and "Any Time, Any Place," which were all major hits.

Number Ones corrects that oversight and more, delivering a satisfying and comprehensive set of Janet's remastered hits, spanning her A&M, Virgin and Island years from "What Have You Done for Me Lately" to new single "Make Me" Nothing from Janet Jackson or Dream Street is included, but that's no surprise, given that neither album generated any major hits. The concept behind Number Ones is that every track here was #1 on some Billboard chart, be it the Hot 100, dance club play or R&B chart (abroad, where Janet's chart prospects didn't fare as well, this is known as The Best).

Number Ones generally contains single versions, which is good, since Janet was notorious for putting out singles that differed--sometimes substantially--from the album version. "Alright," "Come Back to Me," and "Black Cat," Rhythm Nation's 4th, 5th, and 6th singles, in particular, were quite different from their album versions. DOAD generally included single versions, but here there are some nice touches that depart from DOAD, like using the video version of "Alright," which, in addition to having a different arrangement from the album version, also included a rap from Heavy D. Here's an era-by-era rundown of Number Ones:

Control (1986-1987)

Pros: All six Control singles are here, including the single version of "Let's Wait Awhile," which is nice, since that was one of the few single versions DOAD did not include. More significantly, "Diamonds," the 1987 top 10 hit with Herb Alpert, makes its first appearance on a Janet Jackson disc. This is probably the biggest treat of the whole collection, since "Diamonds" did not appear on DOAD (or Control), and has not been available from digital outlets. "Control" includes the spoken-word intro, which DOAD omitted.

Cons: It might have been nice to include the video version of "When I Think of You," which was slightly remixed from the original, but this is a small gripe.

Best: Nasty, When I Think of You, What Have You Done for Me Lately

Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989-1992)

Pros: The aforementioned rap version of "Alright," A different mix of "Rhythm Nation," that, unlike DOAD includes the spoken-word "Pledge" introduction, which DOAD omitted. It includes the same single version of "Come Back to Me" as DOAD and a similar single version of "Black Cat" (it has a shorter middle section guitar solo).

Cons: The album misses an opportunity to finally put out the radio version of "State of the World," the "United Nations Remix Edit." I would so love to have this, but alas, it wasn't ever #1. Also, I prefer the bubblier remix of "The Best Things in Life Are Free" to the album version which appears here.

Best: Rhythm Nation, Miss You Much, Love Will Never Do, Come Back to Me, Alright

Janet./Design of a Decade (1993-1995)

Pros: Finally, the Janet. singles appear. In my market, the pop radio station (Z100, Portland) played remixes of "That's The Way Love Goes" and "If." While I liked the former, the original version of "If" is superior, so I'm glad that appears here. "Any Time, Any Place" appears in its single version, the R. Kelly remix.

Cons: "You Want This" didn't make the cut, which is a shame, since the single version contains a rap by MC Lyte and would be nice to have. "Twenty Foreplay" was also significantly remade (and improved) for its single release, but that was such a minor release, I didn't expect it would be here.

Best: If, That's the Way Love Goes, Runaway

The Velvet Rope (1997-1999)

Pros: Interesting version of "Got 'til It's Gone," which includes a little intro from Q-tip, but is otherwise pretty close to the album version. Single edit of "Together Again" (not a remix, and there were some fun remixes of this song). "What's It Gonna Be" with Busta Rhymes makes an appearance, while the BLACKstreet collaboration "Girlfriend/Boyfriend" does not.

Con: One of the few times they didn't use a single version that I would have championed is the TNT Remix Edit of "I Get Lonely," which has a funkier beat and more prominently features BLACKstreet. I wouldn't have minded having her Shaggy collaboration, "Luv Me, Luv Me." And why oh why wasn't The Velvet Rope's title track a single? "Velvet Rope" is such a cool song.

Best: Got 'til It's Gone, Together Again

All for You (2000-2002)

Pro: The video version of "All for You" appears, which I've always championed to the single version since it has that fun middle-section interlude that interpolates little snips of "The Pleasure Principle" and "Go Deep." Also included is the original single version of "Doesn't Really Matter," which was always better than the ridiculous remix they put on the album.

Cons: No complaints here, but there were so few singles from All for You there's little to discuss.

Best: Someone to Call My Lover, All for You, Doesn't Really Matter

Nipplegate and beyond (2004-2009)

Pro: This is when Janet's career nosedived, along with the quality of her music, so despite what might have been an inclination to load this with the more recent but less popular singles, they resisted, and so we just get "All Nite," "Call on Me," and "Feedback." "Make Me" is a fun song, an ode to her brother Michael's #1 hit "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough."

Con: A shame "Just a Little While" couldn't be here, as that's probably my favorite Janet song of this era (although I do love the groove of "All Nite").

Best: All Nite (Don't Stop)

So, overall a pretty decent set with no major missteps and quite a lot of nice inclusions, particularly if you're a fan with her albums but not her singles.

You Are Not Alone

The X Factor Finalists' single "You Are Not Alone" is out and selling like gangbusters. Today's midweek report shows its already moved 82,000 copies. That's about 3,000 copies less than Leona Lewis's "Happy" sold all last week. So obviously, it will be this week's #1 hit, and likely the biggest selling single to date this year (that is until one of these finalists releases his, her or their debut single Christmas week).

"You Are Not Alone" is, of course, a remake of Michael Jackson's 1995 #1 hit. Now that he's gone, I imagine we'll be seeing a lot more covers of Michael Jackson songs. There are relatively few major ones--the only other one that comes to mind is Alien Ant Farm's 2001 version of "Smooth Criminal," a #3 hit in the UK. Mariah Carey had a US #1 in 1992 with "I'll Be There," but technically that's a Jackson 5 remake.

Several of Jackson's or Jackson 5's songs have been sampled prominently: "Human Nature" on SWV's "Right Here (Human Nature)," "Can You Feel It" on The Tamperer feat. Maya's "Feel It," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" on Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music."

Black Eyed Peas #1 Hits

I failed to mention yesterday that "Meet Me Halfway's" appearance at #1 on the British singles chart signifies another important chart record: It makes The E.N.D. the first album this decade to generate three #1 hits.

Now, some of you may do some Google and Wikipedia searches and come up with some other examples, but....they all need asterisks, while The E.N.D. did it outright.

The other potential albums all included #1 hits that were #1s way before the albums were released (and thus conceptually weren't really part of the album), or were re-released with new tracks and one of the new tracks was #1 (and thus not part of the original album as released). Westlife's Coast to Coast and World of Our Own for example, depending on which version you have, may include "Uptown Girl," thus making three #1 hits on each. But "Uptown Girl" was a one-off and not really part of either album.

S Club 7's Sunshine had three #1 hits because it contained "Never Had a Dream Come True," a #1 hit from a year prior that first appeared on the re-release of their previous album, 7. Same goes for Dizzee Rascal's Tongue N' Cheek, which includes "Dance Wiv Me," a #1 hit a year before the album's release.

Will Young and Gareth Gates both scored three #1 hits from their debut albums, but in both cases the first two singles were recorded significantly ahead of the albums' releases.

McFly's third album, Motion in the Ocean, can count as having three #1 hits if you consider the re-released "tour edition" also included #1 hit "Baby's Coming Back." Nelly's Sweatsuit, a re-release of tracks from his albums Sweat and Suit, contains three #1 hits, including new track "Nasty Girl."

Two albums achieve the feat by having both #1 hits that were hits way before the albums were released and #1 hits that were new tracks added to a re-release. Daniel Bedingfield's Gotta Get Thru This included the late 2001 #1 hit "Gotta Get Thru This," the late 2002 #1 hit "If You're Not the One," released just after the album, and the summer 2003 #1 included on the re-release, "Never Gonna Leave Your Side." Leona Lewis's Spirit likewise includes her X Factor victory hit "A Moment Like This," proper album single "Bleeding Love," and re-release #1, "Run."

The '90s, particularly the late '90s, saw quite a few albums give us 3 or more #1 hits. This, despite the fact that back then there was none of this re-release nonsense to puff up albums. There were even a few that had 4 #1s! Here's a list of those in the latter half of the decade:

Westlife (1999): Swear It Again, If I Let You Go, Flying Without Wings, Fool Again

Geri Halliwell's Schizophrenic (1999): Mi Chico Latino, Lift Me Up, and Bag It Up

B*Witched (1998): C'est La Vie, Rollercoaster, To You I Belong, Blame It on the Weatherman

All Saints (1997): Never Ever, Under the Bridge/Lady Marmalade, Booty Call

Spice Girls Spiceworld (1997): Spice Up Your Life, Too Much, Viva Forever

Aqua Aquarium (1997): Barbie Girl, Doctor Jones, Turn Back Time

Spice Girls Spice (1996): Wannabe, Say You'll Be There, 2 Become 1, Mama/Who Do You Think You Are

UK Singles Chart, November 21, 2009

1. Meet Me Halfway - Black Eyed Peas
2. Happy - Leona Lewis

Christmas is still a month away, but it's bah humbug anyway on the British charts this week. Both the single and the album I was hoping would be #1 got beat and both pretty late in the week. At mid-week, it looked like Leona Lewis would be earning her fourth #1 hit and Robbie Williams his 9th #1 album. But late in the week, there were upsets in both cases.

Thus Black Eyed Peas earn their fourth #1 hit and the third consecutive #1 hit this year, following "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling." In a year where no less than nine artists have scored two #1 hits, Black Eyed Peas become the first to land three chart-toppers. The last artist to score at least three #1 hits within a calendar year was Elvis Presley in 2005, who topped the chart with "Jailhouse Rock," "One Night," and "It's Now or Never."

Leona Lewis has to settle for runner-up then, debuting at #2 with "Happy," the first single from her second album Echo, out tomorrow. "Happy" is Lewis's 6th consecutive top 5 single. In the end it wasn't even really that close, with Lewis selling about 86k to BEP's 100k.

5. I Need You - N-Dubz

N-Dubz land their first solo top 10 hit. Earlier this year they were featured on Tinchy Stryder's #1, "Number One." Their previous best was "Papa Can You Hear Me," which hit #19 last year.

7. 3 - Britney Spears

Leona Lewis isn't the only female pop star to miss out an a #1 this week. "3" is the new single from Britney Spears' greatest hits collection released this week. It was a recent #1 in American, but in Britain it debuts at only #7. The lack of a physical release may have contributed to its misfortune, or perhaps it just isn't as interesting a single as her more recent bigger hits like "Gimme More" or "Womanizer." This is Britney's 20th top 10 hit.

8. About a Girl - Sugababes

Sugababes debut at #8 with "About a Girl," the follow-up to recent #2 hit "Get Sexy." "About a Girl" made a brief appearance on the radio in September with former member Keisha Buchanan, but was quickly yanked while it and the rest of the album could be re-recorded with new member Jade Ewen, following Bachanan's departure. "About a Girl" is the second single from the group's upcoming 7th album, Sweet 7, which was supposed to come out this month, but has been moved to March. "About a Girl" reverses the recent trend of Sugababes albums scoring only one top 10 hit. It's produced by RedOne, the man responsible for recent hits by Lady GaGa and Little Boots.

17. You Know Me - Robbie Williams

So Robbie Williams' Reality Killed the Video Star not hitting #1 on the albums chart was the week's other major chart disappointment. Instead JLS's debut album is #1, although only selling about 1,000 more copies than Robbie. Reality is the first Robbie album not to debut at #1 since his first album (not counting his concert album, which isn't really an "album" in the strictest sense). The album's release is good news for his new single, "You Know Me," which debuts on downloads about a month ahead of its scheduled Christmas week release.

25. Cry Me Out - Pixie Lott

Also debuting in the top 40 on downloads ahead of its release is the third single from Pixie Lott, the very retro sounding ballad "Cry Me Out." Great third single. Could be a #1 contender if everyone's done buying The X Factor Finalists' remake of "You Are Not Alone," which is out tomorrow and surely surely surely to be #1 next weekend.

Album Review: Maxwell - BLACKsummers'night (4/5)

Admittedly, this isn't the kind of thing I usually listen to, but I actually quite like Maxwell's album, BLACKsummers'night. Not sure what's going on with the album's oddly punctuated title, but the music itself hits all the right notes for a sultry, soulful evening. "Bad Habits" sets the mood--smooth, soulful and adult R&B, "Cold" adds a prominent brass section, and "Pretty Wings" is simply a lovely lovelorn ballad.

"Help Somebody" is a more forceful, backed strongly by the brass section, while "Stop the World" is mellower. Placed right next to each other, the songs create a question as to Maxwell's social motives. "Help Somebody" could be read as a humanitarian plea, but it could also just refer to himself, while "Stop the World" definitely aims to place all other concerns on hold in favor of a personal romantic pursuit. "Love You" charges ahead on its prominent beat and piano chords.

"Fistful of Tears" tells the story of a troubled relationship. Several reviews I've read really praised this song, but it doesn't really excite me, for its melody is awfully repetitive. I'm more partial to the next track, the quiet, acoustic guitar-backed "Playing Possum," with the cool horn solo. "Phoenix Rise" closes the album on a strong note, building a layered melody with synths, guitars and drums.

Most R&B I listen to is that which crosses over to top 40. It's nice to hear something different for a change--something that isn't punctuated by a third act rap or coated with aut0-tune. I read this is the first in a trilogy of albums Maxwell is planning, with the second album to focus on gospel and the third on slow jams. Gospel doesn't really interest me, but the slow jams album might be interesting. I started listening to this because I think it might be nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy Award, but over the last couple months I've been coming back to it again and again.

Best: Pretty Wings, Bad Habits, Stop the World, Cold

Grammy Album of the Year - Predicting the Nominees, an Analysis

Grammy Awards nominations will be announced December 2 and, like usual, I'll be making my predictions in the days ahead. First though, I wanted to do some analysis of the Album of the Year (AOTY) category--Grammy's biggest prize--to see if I can improve my chances of getting all 5 nominees right.

One of the most critical factors I've read about (and seen myself) is what I'll call the "genre theory." The genre theory states that AOTY generally favors spreading its nominees across multiple genres, rather than having multiple nominees of the same type of music. Accepting this, it would follow logically that the album that wins a genre category would be the most likely choice to also receive an AOTY nod.

I did an analysis of the last 5 years of nominees to examine this theory, and it holds pretty well, although there are some exceptions. My top observations:

1) Of the 25 albums nominated in AOTY, 21 of them won a best album award in a genre. The exceptions: Year of the Gentleman (2008), FutureSex/LoveSound (2006), Chaos and Creation in the Backyard (2005), Love.Angel.Music.Baby (2005).

2) In three of the five years, the AOTY nominees all came from different genres. The exceptions were 2005 and 2006, which both had two pop AOTY nominees--Chaos and Creation in the Backyard and Love.Angel.Music.Baby in 2005 and FutureSex/LoveSounds and Continuum in 2006.

Let's look at those exceptions then more closely:

1) Year of the Gentleman. Ne-Yo's album was a contemporary R&B nominee, but it lost the award to Mary J. Blige's Growing Pains. I would chock this up to another important Grammy principle--one that's useful for predicting winners, but may generally be useful for nominees too--which is that the veteran has the advantage over the newbie. So Blige, who hadn't won in this category before, probably won based on her body of work. Ne-Yo actually won this award in the previous year for Because of You.

2) FutureSex/LoveSounds and Continuum. Justin Timberlake and John Mayer were both nominated in pop and AOTY categories. Mayer won the pop award. What strikes me is that although both "pop" albums, they are really quite different. This could be an argument for splitting the pop album award into two like R&B is--traditional (Mayer) vs. contemporary (Timberlake). So in a way, this still supports the genre theory.

3) Chaos and Creation in the Backyard and Love.Angel.Music.Baby. This one is the most interesting exception. Both of these albums were nominated in pop and AOTY and won neither. Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway was a pop nominee, but didn't get AOTY. It's pretty amazing then two albums nominated in pop that didn't win made it through to AOTY. Like the 2006 nominees, the McCartney and Stefani albums support my within-genre theory (McCartney being traditional and Stefani contemporary). Clarkson sort of falls somewhere in between these two, being a new face, but singing pretty traditional pop/rock songs. Also Clarkson is the newbie of the bunch, with Stefani having been around since 1996 with No Doubt and McCartney being the music legend that he is.

Finally, I examined which specific genres performed the best. Here's the breakdown:

1) Pop - 6 nominees (1 winner)
2) Rock - 5 nominees--one each year--and 1 winner
3) Rap - 4 nominees (3 of which were Kanye West) and no winners
4) Contemporary R&B - 3 nominees (no winners)
5) Country - 2 nominees (1 winner).
6) Alternative - 2 nominees (no winners)
7) Contemporary folk - 1 nominee and winner
8) Contemporary jazz - 1 nominees and winner
9) R&B - 1 nominee

Here then are my five AOTY prediction principles derived from this exercise:

1) Make all 5 picks come from different genres.
2) If you are going to predict two albums from the same genre, they should be pretty different.
3) Include a rock nominee, and probably a pop one.
4) For split genres, favor a "contemporary" contender over a "traditional" one.
5) If it comes down to two similar albums from the same genre that both look like they have a fair shot, favor the veteran, which is the one most likely to win the genre and thus have the best shot of also being picked for AOTY.

Finally, if you want to start thinking about this and apply these principles yourself, here's a longlist of potential AOTY nominees with the genre (I believe) they were submitted under:

Beyonce - I Am...Sasha Fierce (contemporary R&B)
Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D. (pop vocal)
Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King (rock)
Bob Dylan - Together through Life (contemporary folk/Americana)
Eminem - Relapse (rap)
Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown (rock)
Whitney Houston - I Look to You (R&B)
Diana Krall - Quiet Nights (jazz vocal)
Lady GaGa - The Fame (electronic)
Maxwell - BLACKsummers'night (R&B)
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (alternative)
Regina Spektor - Far (pop vocal)
Bruce Springsteen - Working on a Dream (rock)
George Strait - Twang (country)
Taylor Swift - Fearless (country)
U2 - No Line on the Horizon (rock)
Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak (pop vocal)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz (alternative)

Best of 2000s: Radiohead - In Rainbows (5/5)

With In Rainbows, Radiohead blended the best of Kid A experimentalism with The Bends songcraft. The results are a quite satisfying mix of sonically ambitious yet accessible songs, ranging from the frenzied beats of opener "15 Steps," and rockin' "Bodysnatchers" to somber slow tracks like "Nude" and "All I Need." Best is the trio of songs in the second half--"Reckoner," "House of Cards," and "Jigsaw Falling Into Place"--that all typify the best of what the band can be, exhibiting warmth, depth and despair.

Best: House of Cards, Reckoner, 15 Steps, Jigsaw Falling Into Place, All I Need, Nude, Bodysnatchers

Album Review: Robbie Williams - Reality Killed the Video Star (4.5/5)

"Here I stand, victorious" were the first words Robbie Williams uttered on his 2005 album Intensive Care. At the time, he was Britain's biggest-selling pop artist, having scored six #1 hits during the previous 7 years and sold many millions of his albums (2000's Sing When You're Winning and 2002's Escapology were the #1 albums of the year when released). Around that time though, he started to lose some luster. "Tripping" was Intensive Care's only top 5 hit, and it wasn't a #1. Then came Rudebox, Robbie's great musical experiment that failed to connect with the public--it ended 2006 as only the 36th biggest album of the year.

Not so victorious anymore it seemed, a fact acknowledged in "Morning Sun," the opening track of Reality Killed the Video Star, during which Robbie reflects "A message to the troubadour: the world don't love you anymore." Hardly a wallow in self pity though, Reality is a triumph, Robbie's best album since I've Been Expecting You. "Don't call it a comeback" he says on "Last days of Disco," as if not wanting to acknowledge he's been away. But the 3 years have done him some good it seems, moving him past the vain experimentation of Rudebox or bloated exaltation of Intensive Care.

The album has a good mix of grandiose pop and mellow lounge-ish songs. Nothing is really rocking, which gives it a nice laid back vibe. "Morning Sun" and "Bodies" are more on the epic side, rolled up in waves of guitar, drums and stringed orchestration. Robbie has always excelled at these kinds of songs, and it's nice to hear a focused emphasis on making good pop hooks. As usual though, Robbie isn't always seriousness, lightening the mood with a nod to the Beatles' "I Am the Walrus" during "Morning Sun's final third and provocative religious lyrics in "Bodies." "You Know Me's" lush instrumentation is tempered by its '60s doo-wop melody. It's a good choice for the album's winter single.

Guy Chambers, the longtime Williams collaborator who has been absent since Escapology, co-wrote "Blasphemy," a lovely piano and strings ballad that has clever, if meaningless, lyrical phrases ("What so great about the Great Depression?"). "Do You Mind," the album's rockiest tune, recalls the sunny, carefree pop rock of songs like "Jesus in a Camper Van" or "South of the Border."

"Last Days of Disco" transitions the album to its groovy late-night middle. It's heavy '80s-styled synths recall Pet Shop Boys, whom Williams worked with on Rudebox, but like every other song here, it's produced by Trevor Horn. I'm sure you've all read he was in the Buggles, and that's why the album's title nods to his band's breakthrough hit "Video Killed the Radio Star" as well as offering a commentary on the current state of British pop music (although the man himself wasn't above appearing on The X Factor to perform "Bodies").

"Somewhere" is a brief interlude of orchestrated drama before "Deceptacon," another lovely piano ballad, which has nothing to do with the Transformers, but rather lost love it seems. It's followed by the rather fabulous and very '70s sounding "Starstruck." It recalls the kind of stuff George Michael was doing in the '90s. That this lightly disco-ish track is followed by the album's most clubby entry, "Difficult for Weirdos." It's also PSB-ish and nicely sequenced the follow the disco track.

"Superblind" is a pretty gentle ballad with soft guitar and keyboards, as well as strings later in the song. "Won't Do That," a pretty upbeat and stagey number is the last song on the album, which closes the album with a pretty good whiz-bang moment before ending with a brief reprise of the darker opening track, "Morning Sun."

I'm really quite happy with this album. It's got a lot of gorgeous big pop moments, as well as quite a bit of nuance. Male pop stars are an endangered species these days, so it's nice to see one that's always shown such promise and talent not throwing in the towel but doing something really great.

Best: Bodies, Morning Sun, You Know Me, Starstruck, Blasphemy, Deceptacon

UK Chart Battles

The British singles and albums charts are showing major battles this week. On the singles chart, Leona Lewis' "Happy" faces off with Black Eyed Peas' "Meet Me Halfway." Early in the week Lewis was leading, but today BEP pushed ahead. On the albums chart, Robbie Williams' eighth album, Reality Killed the Video Star, faces JLS's debut. Similarly, Robbie was leading early in the week, but now JLS is selling stronger. It will be interesting to see how it turns out. I'm rooting for Leona and Robbie, but given the trend through the week, I'm likely to be disappointed.

Personal Chart, 11/14/2009

TW LW Title - Artist
1 .... 5 .... Paparazzi - Lady GaGa (1 week @ #1)
2 .... 3 .... Happy - Leona Lewis
3 .... 1 .... Fight for This Love - Cheryl Cole (1 wk @ #1)
4 .... 4 .... Want - Natalie Imbruglia
5 .... 2 .... Bad Boys - Alexandra Burke feat. Flo Rida (2 wks @ #1)
6 .... 6 .... Sweet Dreams - Beyonce
7 .... 8 .... Fireflies - Owl City
8 .... 9 .... Already Gone - Kelly Clarkson
9 ... 10 ... 3 - Britney Spears
10 .. 13 ... Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys

Billboard Hot 100, 11/21/09

1. Fireflies - Owl City
2. Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys
3. Whatcha Say - Jason DeRulo

Owl City returns to #1 this week, while last week's #1, Jason DeRulo's "Whatcha Say" falls to #3. Frankly, I was a little surprised. "Whatcha Say" is on the cusp of knocking Lady GaGa's "Paparazzi" from atop the pop airplay chart, but in the end Owl City's sales must have clenched this victory ("Fireflies" is #1 at iTunes, although only #7 at top 40 radio).

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys climbs to #2, matching the #2 peak of Jay-Z's last single, "Run This Town." Although he's been to #1 as a featured performer three times (with Mariah Carey, Beyonce and Rihanna), Jay-Z has yet to headline a #1 hit. "Empire State of Mind" is also this week's Airplay Gainer.

4. Replay - I.Y.A.Z.

I.Y.A.Z. climbs 8 spots to #4 scoring their first top 10 hit. "Replay" is produced by J.R. Rotem, the producer behind last week's #1 hit, "Whatcha Say" and this week's British #1 hit "Everybody in Love" by JLS. "Replay" is this week's Digital Gainer. Unfortunately I can't tell you anything about the group, as they don't seem to have a Wikipedia page or a Web site. Surely that will change soon.

9. Russian Roulette - Rihanna

Rihanna is the biggest mover up the week, up 66 places to #9. "Russian Roulette" is the provocatively dark first single from Rihanna's upcoming fourth album Rated R. The metaphorical song tells the story of a young woman who kills herself while playing Russian Roulette, urged on by a man. I'm actually surprised this isn't #1, but I guess it's sales weren't as strong as I suspected. It's cooling off fast at top 40 radio too--about a week about it was gaining 1000 spins and running neck-and-neck with Lady GaGa's "Bad Romance," but while "Bad Romance" has remained hot, "Russian Roulette" is down to only about 300 spins gained. Truthfully the song, while interesting, isn't the greatest pop song and is certainly too dark to sustain itself for long. Don't get me wrong--it's a great introduction to the new album, but I suspect a grander pop hit is just around the corner. This Rihanna's 12th top 10, putting her one top 10 hit behind Beyonce's 13 as the female artist with the most top 1os this decade.

26. Favorite Girl - Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber scores his fourth top 40 hit with "Favorite Girl." These releases are leading up to launch of his debut album next week, My World.

27. Do You Remember - Jay Sean feat. Sean Paul and Lil Jon

Jay Sean has his second top 40 hit as "Do You Remember" debuts at #27. It's the follow-up to his recent #1, "Down."

38. Fifteen - Taylor Swift

So all those Taylor Swift songs that debuted in the top 40 have fallen away this week. In their place is yet another top 40 debut, this time from an "official" single, "Fifteen," the fourth single from Swift's mega-successful album Fearless. It's the 13th top 40 hit from the album.

Shakira's New Singles

Shakira's She Wolf, which was released in Europe in October, gets its North American release soon (Nov. 17 for Canada, Nov. 23 for the US). For the album's second single, most countries get "Did It Again," produced by The Neptunes. Like "She Wolf," this song is okay, but I'm really not into it (the video is somewhat cute, however).



In the US, however, the second single is "Give It Up to Me," featuring Lil Wayne and produced by Timbaland. The track is only available on the North American version of the album, presumably because it was recorded more recently and wasn't done for the European release. I like this better than "Did It Again," better than "She Wolf" even (which I didn't care for particularly).

Britney Spears - The Singles Collection

Britney's The Singles Collection arrived in stores and on-line today in the US. I knew the physical release was a 17-track set spanning her entire career, but I didn't realize that the digital version would be so different--it's a 58-track comprehensive set that includes all 29 of Britney's singles with a remix or B-side for each one. Each of these two-track singles is also available separately on iTunes, and in 2 weeks, the set will be released as a box set with individual packaging for each single. Here's what that looks like:

Listening to her 29 singles in chronological order brings to sharp focus the rollercoaster of a career she's had. I see 5 distinct periods here:

1. The Early Swedish Pop Years (1999-2001)

Like her Jive label mates Backstreet Boys and 'NSync, Britney's early work was the result of collaboration with Swedish pop music producers, namely Max Martin, who wrote and co-produced her iconic first single, "...Baby One More Time." Britney won over the world with her kittenish growl and bad schoolgirl video. "Oops...I Did It Again" basically repeated the same trick, while "(You Drive Me) Crazy" and "Stronger" upped the tempo. "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" wasn't the biggest hit for her, but it's nice to have the single version, which is slightly different and shorter than the original album one. There's also the single edit of "Born to Make You Happy," the superior track that was the fourth single in Europe instead of "...Broken Heart." The only single from this period I don't care for is the Mutt Lange-produced "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know." Best: ...Baby One More Time, (You Drive Me) Crazy, Born to Make You Happy, Oops...I Did It Again. Worst: Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know

2. Awkward Transition (2001-2003)

For her third album, Britney, Britney went for a more grown-up sound, ditching the Swedish dance pop for a more American pop/R&B sound. Enter superproducers The Neptunes, who helmed the album's first single, "I'm a Slave 4U," most famous for its snake-around-her-neck MTV Music Video Awards performance. Interestingly, my favorite song from this period is a ballad, the Max Martin-produced and Dido co-written track "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman." It's title alone easily summarizes this period of Brit's career, but beyond that, it's also a lovely pop ballad. So much better than the regrettable remake of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll." Best: I'm Not a Girl Not Yet a Woman, Boys (Co-Ed Remix). Worst: I Love Rock 'n' Roll

3. Electro-Pop Success (2003-2004)

While Britney was a bit awkward, In The Zone was a confident success, giving Britney the major hit her previous album lacked in "Toxic," the refreshing, sexy hit produced by Bloodshy and Avant (with a cool flight attendant video too). If that wasn't enough, she also put out her fun collaboration with Madonna, "Me Against the Music," and the emotional ballad "Everytime." Looking bad, everything looked so right before it went so wrong. Best: Toxic, Me Against the Music. Worst: ?

4. Tabloid Fodder (2005-2007)

Then came the downward spiral. Following In the Zone, Britney made a series of public missteps that turned her into the decade's trashy tabloid queen. Her two-day Vegas marriage, barefoot convenience store trips, paparazzi fights, troubled marriage to Kevin Federline (and the related reality show) and shaved head overshadowed her music, which really wasn't that regrettable, since the music suffered too. First their was the greatest hits collection, with tepid new singles "Do Something" and remake of "My Prerogative" (further proving that Britney should stay away from remakes). Then came Blackout, which was supposed to be a big comeback, but didn't quite do the trick, as Britney was still quite troubled (remember that embarassing MTV performance of "Gimme More?). Best: Break the Ice. Worst: My Prerogative, Do Something

5. Return to the Top (2008-2009)

Then, miraculously, Britney really did pull it together with Circus, which gave Britney her first US #1 hit in nearly 10 years with "Womanizer," plus two other winning hits in "Circus" and "If U Seek Amy." It was a remarkable turnaround after all her troubles and established a winning streak that continues with this hits collection's single, "3," which recently gave Britney another #1 hit. Best: Womanizer, Circus, If U Seek Amy. Worst: Radar

UK Singles Chart, November 14, 2009

1. Everybody in Love - JLS

JLS tops the chart with their second single, "Everybody in Love." It the year's 26th #1 hit and it makes JLS the 8th act to have scored a second #1 this year. The single was produced by J.R. Rotem, who also produced Sean Kingston's #1 hit "Beautiful Girls," as well as "Better in Time" for Leona Lewis. Speaking of Leona, she's the favorite to unlodge JLS next week with her new single, "Happy."

3. Meet Me Halfway - Black Eyed Peas

Fully released Black Eyed Peas' "Meet Me Halfway" climbs 3 notches, closing the gap, um...halfway...between #1 and where the single was last week. It becomes their 8th single to reach the top 3. Of course it's a far cry from their last two singles--both #1s--but they were among the decade's biggest hits, so that's hardly a fair yardstick.

5. Bad Boys - Alexandra Burke feat. Flo Rida
6. T!k T0k - Kə$#@

Kesha debuts at #6 with her first solo single. Kesha was the featured vocalist on Flo Rida's #1 hit from earlier this year, "Bad Boys." Now she's just one spot below her former host's own guest turn as the rapper on Alexandra Burke's "Bad Boys," down 1 spot this week to #6.

9. End Credits - Chase & Status feat. Plan B

Electronic duo Chase & Status score their first top 40 hit this week with "End Credits." Its from the upcoming thriller Harry Brown and will presumably be playing over the credits. The tune sounds really familiar, and I've been trying to figure out if it samples something else, but so far, I haven't had any luck.

10. Bad Romance - Lady GaGa

"Bad Romance" climbs four notches to #10, becoming Lady GaGa's 4th top 10 hit. The CD single's release is still 2 weeks away. Due to the upcoming X Factor Finalist's single (a remake of "You Are Not Alone"), it's unlikely GaGa has a shot at #1. But hopefully #2. Although...

11. Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys

...Sometimes singles reach their peak on downloads before their physical singles, especially if there is a long delay between the two. Case in hand: 5 weeks ago "Empire State of Mind" was #2. This week, with its CD single out, it limps up just two spots to #11. Hardly a boost.

15. Just Say Yes - Snow Patrol

"Just Say Yes" is a new track from Snow Patrol's upcoming greatest hits collection. It debuts at a respectable #15, becoming the band's 11th top 40 hit. The band released its first album in 1998, but flew under the radar until the single "Run" from their third album became a major hit in 2004, hitting #5 (it subsequently became a #1 hit last year when covered by Leona Lewis). Several other top 10 hits followed, including most notably "Chasing Cars" in 2006, which was the 14th best-selling single of the year, despite having peaked at #6 (thus out-selling quite a few of the year's #1 hits).

18. Flashback - Calvin Harris

Calvin Harris' third Ready for the Weekend single charts significantly lower than his #1 hit "I'm Not Alone" or its #3 follow-up, "Ready for the Weekend." Frankly, I'm not that surprised, as I didn't hear many hit singles when I reviewed the album, apart from those already out.

19. Don't Stop Believin' - Journey

I don't need to watch ITV or read Wikipedia to know that this is here because of X Factor. And here I was hoping it was because Glee had started airing in the UK (apparently that doesn't happen until next year).

25. We Weren't Born to Follow - Bon Jovi

This was on X Factor too.

29. I Can Transform Ya - Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne

Interesting to see how Chris Brown's new single is doing. This is his first tentative attempt to return to the charts following the rather public assault on his ex-girlfriend Rihanna (who has also reappeared with an interview and a provocative new single, "Russian Roulette"). So far the reception for Brown appears to be rather tentative (in the US, the single is currently #24 for a second week). This gets a physical release in 3 weeks--we'll see whether the public is ready to embrace him over the next few weeks.

32. You Should Have Known - Laura White

Speaking of tentative embraces, Laura White, an X Factor finalist from last year, fails to find chart gold with her first single.

Next week: Look for Leona Lewis's "Happy" to challenge JLS for #1, N-Dubz looks for a top 5 hit with their single, and the Sugababes release their first single with new member Jade Ewen.

Album Review: Natalie Imbruglia - Come to Life (4/5)

It's been 4 years since Australian pop singer Natalie Imbruglia released her last album, Counting Down the Days. That album boasted one major hit--"Shiver"--but unfortunately faltered after that, and "Glorious," the single from her 2007 greatest hits set, also was not a major hit. Then she divorced in 2008. Things were definitely looking down for the singer, who 12 years ago conquered the world with her first single, "Torn."

Thankfully, things are looking up on Come to Life, her engaging fourth album, which takes a new direction from her previous work. Where Counting Down the Days was mostly warm and sounded calculated to appeal to the masses (and radio), Come to Life is more experimental and darker.

If it's the case that CDs and digital media have destroyed the ability to divide albums into 2 parts (since you no longer have to turn them over), Come to Life is argument for preserving that ability, for the album divides rather neatly into two programs--the first half being more acoustic and traditional Imbruglia territory, and the second being more electronic and experimental.

The first half also features two tracks written by Coldplay, both of which are apparently leftovers from earlier albums. "Lukas" is even produced by Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends producer Brian Eno, and its clear musically that's where this song originated. "Fun" is their other track, produced by Ken Nelson, who worked with Coldplay on their first three albums. Of the two, "Lukas" is superior, bright and broadly scored like so much of Viva La Vida, it pulses with a warm piano and guitar melody. "Fun" is good too though, quieter and emotional, as the singer reflects on a failed relationship ("I know it hurts like hell when you can't be with someone").

"My God," although it's not one of the Coldplay tracks, reminds me of their "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face," as it has a similar insistent guitar and drum rhythm. Its' a real rocker of an opening track. "Twenty" has a lot of power behind it too, while "Scars" is old-school Natalie guitar-based pop.

"Want" kicks off the rougher and more experimental second half. It's a remarkable song, dark and driven, with lush strings and an insistent, robotic beat. The song is based on Imbruglia's "Be With You," a track from her greatest hits collection, going as far as recycling that song's beat and using its first verse in the middle section. It's meaning is quite different though--whereas earnest "Be With You" finds the singer pining that she can't be without some guy ("I don't want to live if I don't want to be with you"), "Want" is a sarcastic kiss-off, and given the recent divorce, probably quite personal ("I hope you get all that you want, 'cause I didn't").

"WYUT," which stands for "what you up to," is another charging song, this time driven by the unusual coupling of a prominent bass beat and acoustic guitar, with the later addition of synths. "Cameo," a '80s throwback, also has a surprising edge, dominanted by synths and processed guitar. "All the Roses" is a lovely ballad, with piano and milky synth chords. "Wild About It" closes the album on another strong note, its plucky rhythm underpinning a rousing sing-along melody.

This is a really great album. So why isn't it a bigger deal? What's with the soft release in the UK? The album arrived "digital only" with barely a whimper--no major British music outlets have reviewed it yet--with a physical release supposedly on the way early next year. I hope it gets a fair chance.

Best: Want, Lukas, Fun, Wild About It, My God

Best of 2000s: Robyn - Robyn (4.5/5)

While finding an audience can't be a snap for any hit album, it's difficult to imagine any album having as hard a time as Robyn. Released in 2005, the set was a success in Scandinavia, but the English-speaking world, which had made a hit of her "Show Me Love" in 1998, largely ignored it. Then new recording "With Every Heartbeat" came along and topped the UK singles chart in the summer of 2007, renewing interest in the album. Suddenly Robyn was a hit, scoring three other UK top 40 hits. The Swedish singer manages to imbue more than an average amount of attitude into her unique brand of electro-pop, such as on "Handle Me" and "Be Mine," in which she declares herself untouchable to her would-be male suitors. Sadly, this wasn't a hit stateside.

Best: With Every Heartbeat, Be Mine, Handle Me, Who's that Girl, Crash and Burn Girl

Personal Chart, 11/7/2009

TW LW Title - Artist
1 .... 2 .... Fight for This Love - Cheryl Cole (1 week @ #1)
2 .... 1 .... Bad Boys - Alexandra Burke feat. Flo Rida (2 wks @ #1)
3 .... 4 .... Happy - Leona Lewis
4 .... 5 .... Want - Natalie Imbruglia
5 ... 15 ... Paparazzi - Lady GaGa
6 .... 7 .... Sweet Dreams - Beyonce
7 .... 6 .... Oopsy Daisy - Chipmunk
8 ... 17 ... Fireflies - Owl City
9 ... 10 ... Already Gone - Kelly Clarkson
10 .. 11 ... 3 - Britney Spears

Click on the pic below to see the full top 40.

Album Review: Glee - The Music, Volume 1 (3.5/5)

The Glee soundtrack is a nice guilty pleasure for fans, but I doubt it would appeal broadly to others, since, after all, this is mostly remakes of recently popular tracks performed by mostly unknowns (at the moment anyway).

Divorced from the show, the music shows which actors are the strongest musical talents. In particular, Lea Michele (Rachel Berry) really shines, and if she isn't shopping her own music contract yet, she should be. She aptly covers Kara DioGuardi's "Taking Chances," rivaling Celine Dion's 2007 cover. Also good is Mark Salling (Puck-whom we're all in love with), who shines on Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," and Amber Riley (Mercedes Jones), who delivers the goods on "Bust Your Windows."

For a real show stopper though, check out Heart's "Alone," covered by major Broadway talent Kristen Chenoweth--who stole the show when she guest-starred--and Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester), who is so much more engaging when he's singing than he is when rapping ("Bust a Move," "Gold Digger"). Among the full-group numbers, nothing tops the pilot's "Don't Stop Believin'."

Despite coming in at 18 tracks, there are still some notable omissions. Most surprising is the absence of the mash-ups "Halo/Waking on Sunshine" and "It's My Life/Confessions," which were so integral to the plot of one episode and were both top 40 hits. Download them separately to round out this set. And if you still haven't gotten enough of a Glee fix, don't worry, Vol. 2 is coming out next month.

Best: Don't Stop Believin', Alone, Taking Chances, Sweet Caroline, Bust Your Windows, Somebody to Love

Billboard Hot 100, November 14, 2009

1. Whatcha Say - Jason DeRulo

Jason DeRulo climbs to the Hot 100's summit this week with "Whatcha Say," his first single. He's the fourth artist this year to top the chart with their first single, following Lady GaGa, and more recently Jay Sean and Owl City. "Whatcha Say" is the year's 11th #1 hit.

3. Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z Featuring Alicia Keys

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys climb to a new peak this week for "Empire State of Mind," which climbs 10 notches to #3 and is the week's airplay and digital gainer.

9. Bad Romance - Lady GaGa

Lady GaGa debuts at #9 with the new single from the upcoming re-release of The Fame, titled The Fame Monster. It's GaGa's first single to debut in the top 10 and her fifth top 10 single. The Fame joins Usher's Confessions, Fergie's The Dutchess, and Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad, as albums released this decade with 5 top 10 hits. Actually this week, another album joins this list as well (see below)

10. Jump Then Fall - Taylor Swift
19. Untouchable - Taylor Swift
22. The Other Side of the Door - Taylor Swift
27. Superstar - Taylor Swift
30. Come In from the Rain - Taylor Swift
34. Forever & Always - Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift's Fearless was re-released with new tracks last week, resulting in 6 entries in the top 40 this week--5 new entries and a re-entry for "Forever & Always." Along with official singles "Love Story," "White Horse," and "You Belong with Me," and other promotional tracks "Change," "Fearless," and "You're Not Sorry," Swift's Fearless has now charted 12 tracks in the top 40, making it the album with the most top 40 hits ever. And #13 is on the way, as "Fifteen" will surely soon enter the top 40. Leading the pack is "Jump the Fall," which becomes the album's fifth top 10 hit.

33. Baby By Me - 50 Cent feat. Ne-Yo

50 Cent debuts at #33 with the first official single from his upcoming album, Before I Self Destruct. Other singles have appeared from the album, such as "Get Up" and "I Get it In" from last year, neither of which cracked the top 40 and both of which have been excluded from the album, which has been pushed back and reworked multiple times.

37. Love Me - Justin Bieber

Canadian teen singer scores his third top 40 hit.

Preview Robbie's New Album

Robbie's Web site is offering full previews of 3 tracks per day from his new album, Reality Killed the Video Star. Today it's the first three tracks:

1) Morning Sun. This is a lovely opening track, a classy piano pop ballad.

2) Bodies. We all know this one already. Fantastic.

3) You Know Me. The next single. Got a bit of '60s feel to it. And like "Morning Sun" and "Bodies," no lack of grandeur.

This is a great start. I like all three of these songs.

The Script "Breakeven"

Irish band The Script, who scored a major hit in the UK and Ireland last year with "The Man Who Can't Be Moved," appear to be on the verge of scoring their first US hit. Not with that brilliant single, but with "Breakeven," which hit #21 in Britain. Surprised? Apparently they performed it on Ellen's show. Currently the track is #47 at top 40 radio, up from #56 a week ago.

UK Singles Chart, 11/7/2009

1. Fight for This Love - Cheryl Cole

Another week at #1 and another 139,000 copies sold of "Fight for This Love." That puts her well over the 400k mark, making this currently the 11th best-selling single of the year. Pretty impressive for just two weeks. Cheryl actually scores a triple this week, also topping the airplay chart for a third week and the albums chart, where 3 Words debuts at #1. For those of you keeping score, Cole's album sold about 125k copies, short of the 132k that Alexandra Burke's Overcome sold last week.

2. What About Now - Westlife

A second week at #1 for Cheryl Cole means Westlife are denied a chance at earning their 15th #1 hit. Thus for now they remain tied with Cliff Richard as the act with the third-most #1 hits ever. This is the second album in a row for Westlife that failed to launch on the back of a #1 hit, the track being the first release from their upcoming 10th album, Where We Are. It's now been 3 years since they've had a #1 hit--their longest stretch yet. Still, let's put this in perspective: A 10-year-old boyband is still popular enough to land a #2 hit. Considering that, they are still pretty darn impressive. Imagine, for example, Blue scoring at #2 hit right now. This is their 24th consecutive top 10 hit--no official single of theirs has ever fallen outside the top 10.

3. Down - Jay Sean feat. Lil Wayne

Jay Sean finally lands his recent US #1 hit in his home turf, debuting at #3. Although this falls a little short of the single's massive chart performance in America, it still becomes his third and biggest top 10 hit, besting the #4 peak of "Stolen" in 2004. Lil Wayne also reaches a new high-water mark, besting his #4 peak when he appeared on Destiny's Child's 2005 hit, "Soldier."

5. Haven't Met You Yet - Michael Buble

The appeal of Michael Buble's "Haven't Met You Yet" continues to grow, pushing the single up 4 spots into the top 5 this week.

6. Meet Me Halfway - Black Eyed Peas

Black Eyed Peas jump 5 spots to #6, landing their 10th top 10 hit. The single is out tomorrow, so a top 5 placing is likely, although I fear #1 will be unlikely, as JLS has their new single out tomorrow too (and I imagine Cheryl will probably continue to do well and be #2).

11. Party in the USA - Miley Cyrus

Party in the USA yes, but not a party in the UK, as Miley Cyrus once again falls shy of the top 10. This is her third single to peak at #11 after "See You Again" and "The Climb." Almost cruel isn't it?

14. Bad Romance - Lady GaGa

Lady GaGa debuts at #14 with "Bad Romance," the new track from the forthcoming re-release of The Fame. Billed as The Fame Monster, the set will include 8 new tracks. "Bad Romance" will hit stores on November 23. Unfortunately for GaGa, that's only 1 week after the X Factor finalists put out their remake of Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone," so her chances of scoring a third #1 are slim. it's sure to be top 10 though, making up for the surprisingly low charting of "Lovegame," which only managed to hit #19.

15. You're Not Alone - Tinchy Stryder

I'm surprised not to see this in the top 10. Stryder's last two singles, "Number 1" and "Never Leave You" were both #1 hits. But the physical release of "You're Not Alone" doesn't even manage to push the track above the #14 peak it reached a couple of weeks ago.

22. Anyway - Armand Van Helden & A-Track Present Duck Sauce

Although the name would imply that Duck Sauce is a new group being introduced to us by these more famous DJs, it is really just a collaboration between the two of them. Helden in particular is a major name in dance and pop music, having hit #1 earlier this year with Dizzee Rascal on "Bonkers" and 10 years ago with "U Don't Know Me." A-Trak hasn't had any hits of his own, but he has worked with major acts, Kanye West in particular.

26. 3 Words - Cheryl Cole feat. Will.I.Am

The release of Cheryl Cole's album, 3 Words, pushes its title track into the top 40. I'm actually quite pleased to see it here, for it's a really great song (read my gush over it in my review of 3 Words). It is slated to be the next single sometime in early 2010. It will be interesting to see whether it sticks around (with the holidays looming, I imagine not).

Next JLS follow up their massive #1 hit "Beat Again" with "Everybody in Love," which they hope will unseat Cheryl Cole's "Fight for This Love" at #1. Also in stores tomorrow are the new singles from Black Eyed Peas, Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, Calvin Harris, Chase & Status, Snow Patrol, Beyonce, and Paolo Nutini. Plus download only releases come out for Bon Jovi, Pink, Bad Lashes, Daniel Merriweather and Royksopp. Oh, don't you just love fall?

Agnes "I Need You Now"

For her second British single, Agnes offers up a new version of "I Need You Now." What was one of the better ballads on Dance Love Pop gets a dance overhaul. What it necessary? I have to say I'm rather partial to the slower original version, if only because it stood out for being a decent slow song on an album of mostly dance pop. Compare the UK single and original versions below: