Category — Darkchild

I knew it!

Despite a torrent of rumors hitting the blogosphere as of late, there is NO new Britney music on the horizon right now.

Direct from Adam Leber‘s Twitter:

No new music news right now….Wish people wouldn’t mislead you guys with BS info. Not cool! PS- The guys that ARE working on Brit’s next album ARE NOT talking about it…Brit has a new mag cover & spread coming out in the next month or so which is going to be SICK! Will let Brit reveal the details herself. Stay tuned….

As for that “not talking about it” bit? Can’t help but assume that’s a slight against Darkchild and his “coming soon” promises during a recent Ustream session.

I’m as much of a Britney dreamer as the next stan (just kidding, I’m better), but even I’m keeping it real enough to know that it’s just too soon to be getting giddy. The label is still accepting submissions and calling on writers–it’s not single time yet!

Besides…I have my own sources. I wouldn’t be so sure new music wasn’t coming right now if I didn’t have some idea of what’s going on. La la la…

Give it time, friends. You know she’s going to dominate when the time is right. She ALWAYS does.

According to MTV’s Buzzworthy Blog, Britney is preparing a June release for the debut single off her upcoming record. No word on a producer yet, but all eyes are glued on the ‘D’ boys as probable candidates: David Guetta, Danja and Darkchild. It’s a guaranteed smash on the radio regardless.

And yes, my very own sources doubly confirm the June release to be true.

REJOICE, BITCHES: GODNEY COMETH.

Photo courtesy of Suck.com.

Year-end wrap up lists are nice and all, but it’s the “Most Anticipated” lists that are way more fun for me to read. The rumors! The possibilities! The inability to foresee a terrible album in the making! Who can resist the sweet, succulent taste of possibility?

Of course, there are dozens of albums being released, and I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface as far as what to expect. Nonetheless, I wanted to run down a few of my own personally anticipated releases for the new year.

So, without further ado, let’s roll out some of the biggest releases hitting shelves sometime in the next year. This will be the year of some ‘Sweet 7′s, it appears!

Sade, Soldier of Love (Sixth studio album)

What it is: The band’s first release in about a decade.
Expected shelf date: February 8, 2010.
Produced by: Mike Pela, Sade.
What we know: The album’s title track is a stunning achievement. Could the album possibly be anything less?
MuuMuse hopes to hear: Smooth, icy vocals and warm jazz sounds.

Ellie Goulding, TBA (Debut Album)

What it is: An exciting, possibly incredible (though potentially dead-in-the-water) debut by 2009′s leading indie electro-pop up-and-comer.
Expected shelf date: According to Play.com, March 3, 2010.
Confirmed tracks: “Starry Eyed,” “Under the Sheets,” “Wish I Stayed”
Production by: Starsmith, Frankmusik
What we know: It’s been in the works for a while. She’s quirky, her music is interesting and fresh, and we haven’t heard a dud from her yet. Let’s just hope this is released before the hype catches up with her first.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: “Starry Eyed” and “Under the Sheets” repeated a dozen times over.

Kylie Minogue, TBA (Eleventh studio album)

What it is: Divine intervention. (That should totally be the album title!)
Expected shelf date: Unknown, probably 3Q or 4Q 2010.
Confirmed tracks: “Better Than Today”
Production by: Nerina Pallot
What we know: Hardly anything, aside from the fact that Kylie was looking to Barbarella for inspiration while recording in New York a few weeks ago.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: The slick, coquettish electronica of Body Language (“Slow”) mixed the with sophisticated, edgy dancefloor flow of X (“Speakerphone”). And a little less emphasis on the camp factor, s’il vous plait.

Girls Aloud, TBA (Sixth studio album)

What it is: A much-needed comeback album from the greatest girl group since the Spice Girls.
Production by: I mean…it has to be Xenomania, right?
Expected shelf date: Way, way later in 2010.
What we know: Nothing, aside from the fact that their official website confirmed an album slated for 2010.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: A shying away from the drum-and-bass sound and a prolonged stay in the territory of “Untouchable” and “Memory of You.”

Jennifer Lopez, Love? (Seventh Studio Album)

What it is: Jennifer ‘Lola J-Lo Jenny Rudebooty’ Lopez takes it to the streets once again to prove she still has ‘flava.’
Expected shelf date: April 2010.
Confirmed tracks: “Louboutins,” “Fresh Out The Oven,” Everybody’s Girl,” “What Is Love,” Starting Over,” “Beautiful,” “This Cannot Be Love,” “One Love,” “Keeper”
Production by: Mike Caren, The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, D’Mile, Danja, Darkchild, The Neptunes
What we know: Rap-Up’s write-up of the album preview includes terms like “electro-pop beat,” “slick uptempo production” and “guitar driven ballad.”
MuuMuse hopes to hear: A return to the dancefloor a la “Waiting for Tonight” with some guilty pleasure stompers like “Louboutins.” Minimal ballads, please.

Sugababes, Sweet 7 (Seventh Studio Album)

What it is: The grand unveiling of a new Sugababes era. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Jade, Amelle, and Heidi.
Expected shelf date: February 28, 2010
Confirmed tracks: “Get Sexy,” “About A Girl,” “Thank You For The Heartbreak,” “Miss Everything,” “Wear My Kiss”
Production by: RedOne, Sean Kingston, Ne-Yo, The Smeezingtons, Fernando Garibay
What we know: How half of the album sounds. The Sweet 7 album sampler featuring Keisha leaked onto the net a few months ago. However, there’s been talk of recording new tracks.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: What we’ve been hearing. Slick, modern production and a fierce new confidence never before honed by the original three line-ups: It’s time to let Sweet 7 go Vanity 6.

Röyksopp, Senior (Fourth studio album)

What it is: The ambient, down-tempo companion piece to one of 2009′s greatest albums, Junior.
Expected shelf date: Early 2010.
Confirmed tracks: “The Alcoholic,” “The Fear,” “Coming Home”
Production by: Royksopp
What we know: From TLOBF: “Senior is more withdrawn and introspective and create an atmosphere and an ambience, to sit down and if you don’t need constant loud information all the time that’s what Senior is all about.”
MuuMuse hopes to hear: A more sophisticated, contemplative extension of Melody AM.

Uffie, Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans (Debut album)

What it is: The incredibly overdue debut of an underground trash-pop queen in the making.
Confirmed tracks: “Pop the Glock,” “Hot Chick,” “MC’s Can Kiss”
Expected shelf date: February 14, 2010, according to The Guardian.
Production by: Mr. Oizo, Mirwais, Pharrell
What we know: “MC’s Can Kiss,” the upcoming single off of the album, is an old-school-hip-hop-meets-modern-beats orgy.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: Sick beatz from some extremely talented producers…and a whole lot of trash talkin’.

Britney Spears, TBA (7th Studio Album)

What it is: Don’t even get me started…don’t even get me started.
Production by: Track submissions are pouring in from the likes of Darkchild, Max Martin, Sean Garrett, Danja, Fernando Garibay, David Guetta, and many more.
Expected shelf date: Though Digital Spy reports that Jive is looking for a May 2010 release, I can’t help but assume that we’ll see this around the same time we’ve always seen Britney releases for the past three albums–the very end of the year.
What we know: Nothing really.
MuuMuse hopes to hear: Icy R&B-infused electronica. Anything by Bloodshy & Avant. Anything in the direction of “And Then We Kiss.” Less Circus, more Blackout, but with soul. By the way, can we finally call this one Original Doll, Team Spears?

Honestly, It doesn’t even matter what it sounds like in the end. Why? Because it’s Britney, bitch. That’s why.

Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins is preparing a new song for Britney, who is apparently due to record in January.

If she keeps recording at this pace, there’s no reason why we couldn’t get her seventh studio album by summer of 2010.

What a wonderful turkey day announcement!

Here we go, according to Universal Japan:

Disc 1
01. Bad Romance (Produced by RedOne)
02. Alejandro (Produced by RedOne)
03. Monster (Produced by RedOne)
04. So Happy I Could Die (Produced by RedOne)
05. Speechless (Produced by Ron Fair)
06. Dancing In The Dark (Produced by Fernando Garibay)
07. Telephone (Produced by Rodney Jerkins)
08. Teeth (Produced by Teddy Riley)

Disc 2
01. Just Dance
02. LoveGame
03. Paparazzi
05. Poker Face
05. I Like It Rough
06. Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)
07. Starstruck (Featuring Space Cowboy & Flo Rida)
08. Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
09. The Fame
10. Money Honey
11. Boys Boys Boys
12. Paper Gansta
13. Brown Eyes
14. Summerboy
15. Disco Heaven (International bonus track)
16. Again Again (UK Edition bonus track)
17. Retro, Dance, Freak (Japanese Edition bonus track)

Poor Gaga fans…looks like the original CD is staying in its original form. Even the layout of the bonus tracks remains the same! So much for those rumored acoustic tracks…and my dashed dreams of hearing mastered versions of “Rock Show” and “Shake Ur Kitty.”

As for the new, there’s a whole lot more RedOne than I was anticipating, so start warming up your lips for some more “Muh muh muh muh” moments. “So Happy I Could Die” is enough of a LOLZ-worthy track title as it is (watch out for lyrics about crying at the sight of beautiful things).

Meanwhile, “Telephone” is almost certainly the same rumored Rodney Jerkins track from Britney‘s Circus sessions that never made the light of day. I’m happy to finally be hearing the song, though I wish it were in the Spears form. Perhaps we’ll get a leak sometime soon?

Thanks to Lady-Gaga.net for catching the scoop!

Let’s play a love/hate game, baby, love/hate…

Everyone loves an underdog. Everyone loves a superstar. But almost no one’s got love for an underdog superstar.

That’s about how I’d describe Ciara, the 23-year-old R&B sensation responsible for eight top ten singles and roughly ten million albums sold in just five years. Still, despite an impressive chart record and a lasting presence in the industry, the songstress continues to face the crippling blow of the shadow–that dreaded, overbearing presence brought upon by enough comparisons to her contemporaries to recall the bubble-gum blonde diva duels of the ’90′s (Willa Ford, you will be missed). And while her latest outing, Fantasy Ride, will likely provide no help in separating CiCi from RiRi (and I dare say, from Beysus), it’s worthy enough to merit attention in its own right.

On paper alone, the album already reads like a smash: From Missy Elliot to Darkchild, Dr. Luke to Danja, Ludacris to T-Pain, The Clutch and Chris Brown (gasp, boo, hiss, etc.), the girl’s simply got it written in the stars (well, by the stars, for that matter). But as you might have expected from such an expansive guest list, the music gets a bit messy sometimes. In fact, the only thing keeping this Ride from complete lift-off is the noisy overproduction on almost every track.

Still, much of the album’s got the grit to inspire more than just a little sweat: The Missy Misdemeanor-fueled “Work” and the super swagged “Pucker Up” are the purest definitions of club bangers, while “G Is For Girl (A-Z)” promises to be C’s best attempt at ‘tude yet: “N is for nothing, boy I do this in my sleep / O is for original, cause I’mma O.G.” She’s not nearly “gangsta” enough for me to buy the act, but with that crunchy clang-a-lang beat, I don’t really care if she’s as hood as Asher Roth.

As we’ve gathered from the excellence that was “The Promise” off her last album, C knows how to command a ballad. Well. With an Aaliyah-like disjointedness, she tip-toes along “Like A Surgeon,” floats all over the lush mid-tempo chill of “Keep Dancin’ On Me,” and swoons atop the fluttery “Lover’s Thing”–all while making sure to obey the restrictions of her vocal capacity.

The momentum doesn’t entirely hold: Though the general public may disagree, the insipidity of current smash “Love, Sex, & Magic” fails to inspire any joy on my end, while the sleepy “Never Ever” (which samples 1972 Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes hit “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”) quickly stalls after the chorus fades for the first time.

Fantasy Ride isn’t quite the stuff of fantasies, nor is smooth sailing throughout. But with a hot string of floor burners and some truly killer baby makin’ grinders, it’s probably one of the better trips I’ve taken this year.

PS: Make sure you’re getting the deluxe editions when you order–”Echo” and “I’m On” are highlights, and leaving them off of the original tracklisting was a criminal decision!

Ciara’s Fantasy Ride was released on Jive Records on May 5. Click below to preview and purchase NOW!

According to Darkchild, we may be getting a new Britney track in the semi-near future.

Two days ago, the producer had this to say on Twitter:

Me and Lady Gaga wrote a smash for Britney called “Telephone” the label didnt out it on the lp. It should be out right now!!! Its too hot!!!

And now, from today:

@Darkchild4Real when will we be able to listen to “telephone”? plz if u have a second answer me ^^

@justdancewivme I may put it on Darkchild Presents The Writers Vol. 1

The producer later responded to my question of when the album would drop with “I’m pushing hard for a late summer release.”

The bastard child of “Phonography” and “Don’t Hang Up”? God, I hope so. The bonus tracks from any Britney album always seem to outweigh over half of the album tracks.

Sputter..gah–sputter, gasp! I’m alive, my sweet blogger and blogettes, I’m ALIVE! A week’s time is almost a lifetime in blog world, and as we all full well know…a blogger’s work is never done. Seriously, I hate being away from the Internet for any longer than a day. The world moves on at a rapid pace; music debuts at the blink of an eye, internet memes are born and forgotten, and celebrities consummate and birth at any given time. Who has time to look away in this day and age?

Luckily, I’m back for a bit. Where am I, you ask? Florida. What am I doing there? None of your damn business. Why do you ask? Oh, you say you don’t give a toss? What’s a toss? Oh. Right. English speak, I get confused sometimes. Well good, I don’t want to bore you, either. Onto the music, then.

It’s been two, maybe three years, since PopJustice declared simply that Annie’s Richard X-produced “Songs Remind Me Of You” was to be one of the finest pop gems in recent history. After reading the post so long ago, I decided that the track must, at least, be semi-perfect, as far as the title is concerned. The album then began to go through the usual bag of release date setbacks, track reworking, and general hootenanny causing great delays in final production. But alas, the track is almost upon us—-to the point where PopJustice was finally able to upload a thirty second sample of the work! I screamed, I cried, I learned, and I hope you do the same. It’s a little sad disco, a lot of pumping synth, and a whole lot of reverberating “on the radio,” which is a well established pop phrase of perfection. The full track will be available when the album is released later this year.

Actually, I just visited her MySpace…it seems she’s uploaded “My Love Is Better,” the track that was meant to be a collaboration with Girls Aloud. The group’s vocals were later axed, but the track remains solid. Actually–Wait a minute! Yes! There’s a full minute clip of “Songs Remind Me Of You”! It’s the beginning of the track. Hackers, get to work quickly and splice the two samples together….we’ve got nearly a third of the track!

I went to Virgin today and bought a fine assortment of CD’s: Bitter:Sweet‘s Drama, Hercules & Love Affair‘s self titled album, and Manumission’s 3 CD-Set of Ibiza Classic Collection chock full of the fruitiest house hits from the past years. It was $10. Consider it my silent ode to Pride. I’m in the process of reviewing these.

That being said, I’m currently listening to Sonny J‘s debut, Disastro.

Britney‘s been busy drumming up the best of the lot for her upcoming sixth album, supposedly due out around Christmas. Newly added to the list? Darkchild, mastermind of the superior “Overprotected” remix and dominator of early ’00 pop. The producer joins a long list including Bloodshy & Avant, Guy Sigsworth, and Dallas Austin, a musical orgy of possibility. Mmm…

On and on, on the beat goes…