These two are Nikki + Rich, a newly signed soul pop act from Warner Brothers Records.

While I was intrigued from the beginning, it was this slick, stylishly crafted intro video that sealed the deal for me.

And now, a brief summation:

Nikki & Rich are Nikki Leonti, a California-born pastor’s daughter who grew up singing in church, and Rich Velonskis, a Queens, NY-born former DJ and established hip-hop/R&B producer who got his start spinning in New York City clubs as a teenager. These two seemingly opposite characters first met in 2007. Nikki was based in Nashville working as a background singer for Carrie Underwood and Rich was in Los Angeles producing tracks for Eve, Robin Thicke, Mario, and Ludacris, under his moniker Rich Skillz…Rich was looking for a strong vocalist and lyricist to collaborate with and take his tracks to the next level and he found the perfect match in Nikki.

To put it simply, Nikki + Rich are to doo wop as Bitter:Sweet are to acid nu-jazz: a dynamic duo of two (rather attractive) musicians with a flair for the old-fashioned.

Though there’s been some backlash as of late for ‘revival acts’ that call upon the sounds of yesterday (Adele, Duffy, Winehouse), Nikki + Rich show the promise of staying true to today without looking back to the point of becoming a tribute band.

You can now stream the swinging “Cat and Mouse” and the deliciously sassy “Next Best Thing” right now.

I’m utterly obsessed with these two!

Somebody To Love

Leighton Meester | MySpace Music Videos

This is the official video for Leighton Meester‘s “Somebody to Love,” featuring Robin Thicke. And guess what? It’s not that bad. Not bad at all!

I actually find the song quite relaxing–even sexy at times. I mean, was my first thought “Isn’t this the ho from Gossip Girl who did that GOD awful track with Cobra Starship?” Indeed it was, though I continued to watch nonetheless.

Sure, I don’t actually believe Meester to be anything more than an actress with a fleeting recording contract, and yes, it looks and sounds as though she’s about to curl up and take a nice nap in Mr. Thicke’s lap (sexy!), but who doesn’t crave some good ol’ sleepy-speak pop now and again? I know I do.

Frankly, I was sold as soon as that “Je t’adore” bit came rolling in around the two minute mark. What can I say? I’m a sucker for juicy lips.

Purchase “Somebody to Love” on iTunes | MySpace