R U Crazy? (Or Kanye being... well, Kanye)

Last night The Grammy's were held, and oh boy, what a feast. For the most part, there were ballads everywhere, some good, some bad. As an irony, the most energetic presentations were from two old school fronts: AC/DC, who started the joint, and Madonna, which I'm still trying to process (and I'm not talking about her outfit at the red carpet). And the best, for me, was Annie Lenox (sublime, absolutely sublime) and Sia, assisted by a very wide-eyed Kristen Wiig. Absolutely marvelous.

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As predicted yesterday, I was right about the winners. It was Sam Smith's night, of course. The so-called male Adele took three Grammys to his home and one of the best lines of the night: "I want to thank the man who this record is about, who I fell in love with last year. Thank you so much for breaking my heart because you got me four Grammys". That is called a comeback like any other.

For the complete list of winners, please go here.

And of course, the fashion. The unaltered fashion. I'm going to let the images speak for themselves.

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- Madonna as a sexy maiden, showing that at 56 she still got it. Also, that any women at any age looks ridiculous on that outfit.

- Kim Kardashian, who apparently got out of the bathroom in her expensive bathrobe and didn't have time to change. Convenience, after all.

- Taylor Swift, looking so regal in this, One of my favorite colors. Love it.

- Gwen Stefani: never mind the jumpsuit, she looks like 25. How she does it?

- Katy Perry, bland, yes, but what a great performance, with all of its flaws. Amazing.

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- Beyonce, so toned down, but looking #Flawless, as usual. Minus points for a good presentation, not really suited for her.
- Lady Gaga, surprisingly poised, but she's looking more and more like this lady.
- Rihanna, with a dreamy dress, but she looks more like a quinceañera. You should really see all the memes about that.
- Kim, again.
- Nicki Minaj, showing her assets, as usual. She look gorgeous, by the way.

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God bless Sia. She's the new Bjork. Amazing, unpredictable and avant-garde. Although I hate to say this, but shouldn't this girl be at home sleeping at that time? Just saying.

But none of that can compare with THE MOMENT. Yes, the one they are all talking about. That awkward moment when you are awarded one of the major categories - Album of The Year -, unexpectedly, not even you see it coming. The award is presented and handed by no other than Prince, Prince! You get up the stage, all humbled and thankful, and then... This happens:

Seriously. Someone call the doctor, we have a crazy, narcissistic individual in the house.

And this sums up all about the Grammys: finally they recognize someone talented enough to actually deserve an award, and the stupid gimmicks almost ruined the moment.

And congratulations to my dear Christina, which along with A Great Big World, won the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group performance.  She's not even active and she's winning things. That's a LEGEND.

What do you think of the performances and the awards? Let me know in the comments!

Gaga, Kelly and Richardson: too sexual? Get out of here!

This week, footage of the not-released video of "Do What U Want" song by Lady Gaga was leaked...

Basically, a sexy medical appointment (!) with R. Kelly, a supposed gynechologist (!) and scenes from her seminaked, dancing around some tabloids and covered only with newspapers. Nothing particularly shocking, by Gaga standards.


But then, the Internet exploded, accusing Gaga of promoting rape. New York Post commented: "Gaga had a video by an alleged sexual predator, starring another sexual predator. With the theme 'I'm going to do whatever I want with your body'? It was literally an ad for rape."


And you know what? I wholeheartedly agree with that.


Let's look at the facts, shall we?


1. "Do What U Want" was one of the few songs from "Artpop" album that gained notoriety despite the risquee lyrics. The phrase "Do what you want with my body" is not exactly a subtle invitation. but Gaga was very clear that this was intended for all the "haters" that made comments about her body.


2. Then, in an act of revenge (?), she decided to make this cover for the single:

as a big "Fuck You" to all her detractors. Coincidentally, this photo was taken by Terry Richardson, the director of "Do What U Want" no-video (more on him later).


3. The song is a mixture of synth pop and R&B, with a ver 80's vibe. So accordingly, she decided to recruit R. Kelly, who has made that particular sound a trademark of his own. Many outlets were not happy with the duet partner, given the background of Kelly, which includes 'allegedly' having sex with underage girls and peeing on women, not mentioning the fact that he was accused of marrying Aaliyah (RIP) when she was 15. The nerve.


4. The song was not meant to be released, although being a fan-favorite, and with the cold reception towards the already-announced second single, "Venus", Gaga and her team decided to give it a shot. By this time, "Artpop" had failed to reach the heights of their predecessor album, "Born This Way", so a plan to save the album through this song was put on motion.


5. Gaga heavily promoted DWUW through all over the media. Here, the two most controversial presentations, both with R. Kelly. To me, these two are, at best, overrated, since Gaga has been doing real performances with all so much gimmick and better results.







6. Gaga recruited famed Richardson to shoot the video for DWUW. Richardson had recently made his way through the video media with positive outcome. Among others, he directed Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" (no strange to controversy itself) and Beyoncé's "XO" (which seems odd since 'Yonce is very much aware who she associates with). Richardson had a very high profile in Hollywood, with his risquee and at times rauchy portfolio, which for me is also way overrated.

...again, no subtlety here (can you start to see the pattern?) Besides, Richardson has been deemed a "creepy guy" and recently some models alleged that he has conducted inappropiate sexual behavior towards them. He maintains his innocence, because you see, he only photographs sexual imagery, he doesn't perform it. Alrighty, then.


7. So, after all this, Gaga deemed appropiate to shoot a video featuring R. Kelly and directed by Richardson, because why not? The joke tells itself. But then, on an unexpected move, she decided to drop completely the project, at that time blaming "others" that wanted to damage her integrity and artistry and so on. Gaga, queen of controversy, decided to pull off something that reads "controversial" since this inception.


But now, it seems very clear that even for Gaga this was more than what she bargain form, and we can't blame her. According to the images, Gaga is somewhat sedated and then they decided to have a party with her while unconscious. R. Kelly as a bad doctor is somewhat discomforting, and we cannot really fathom what was Gaga thinking at the time she made this video.


Then again, we will wait impatiently for it to come out, so we can judge accordingly.

In the end, DWUW is really a great song, and thus I decided to stick (pardon the expression) with the Gaga/Christina version, another controversial decision, more on the line of  "I never in life thought these two would sing together, I thought they hate each other" category than in the "OMG! This is so raunchy even for my standards" category. And for me, this works better. Cannot embed the video, so please follow the link if you haven't been blessed by that performance. Heaven, indeed.


So sound off: is it truly "shocking" this no-video for Gaga? Have you seen it coming? (Again, sorry for the pun).

I'm hot & cold towards "Dark Horse" video...

So finally, after months of waiting, the "Dark Horse" video went online and boy, this was an experience...



I mean, we know Katy has a thing for goofiness (e.g. "California Gurls" video) but this is taking it to a whole new level.

First off: do I like the video? Well, duh! This is one of my favorite songs from her, so yes, I do like it. It's so deliciously camp, kitsch, ridiculous, and therefore, amazing.

But then, "Dark Horse" has been an odd thing for Katy since its premiere back in September last year. The unexpected rise on the charts, without proper promotion, propelled the song to single status once "Unconditionally" failed to meet the expectations - and high chart numbers. Then, DH became number 1 on the US charts, assuring Katy hern 9th number one overall, and we were delighted for that.

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But there was no video, uncommon for a number one song on Billboard at that status. Katy was teasing us with a great and much talked about performance at the Grammy's, and many of us thought this was indeed the theme of the video. Boy, we were so wrong.

 

 



So Katy took almost another month (!) to complete the video, and finally, we met her latest incarnation: "Katy-Patra", queen of Memphis, Egypt, which happens to share name with the city in which Juicy J was born. And also, very reminiscent to Michael Jackson's "Remember The Time", which seems fitting since they're the only ones with 5 number one singles from one album.

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Sorry to say, but this has nothing to do with the song or the lyrics. And I'm not talking about that stupidity of "There's no horses on this video!" (seriously, people are so literal and one minded at times). Also all the controversy surrounding the pendant with the name of "Allah" in Arabic (on this note: people should consider to get a job or a life, or both. Seriously). Or the Illuminati shit, who is tedious, redundant and in serious need of a boycott on the Internet.

 

 

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The thing is, this is a great song, a very different side of Katy, which shows her versatility and it was the perfect opportunity to make a statement regarding her musci and status on pop. Instead, she went safe, giving exactly what we expected from her. Well done and executed, but safe, nonetheless. This song, being a risky departure from her previous number ones (Excluding "E.T.", a song that can very well be the genesis of DH), deserved that treatment.

 

But this video is definitely a blast, likable and it sure will be a hit among kids and KatyCats (myself included). There are some GIFs to prove it:

 

 

When the bass drops.... The beat goes hard! Even in ancient Egypt.

 

 

 

 

Katy Patra and her grillz... (Seriously, this is overly camp. Also, amazeballs.)

 

 

 

This was the source of so much pain and hatred towards Katy, but to be honest, it holds nothing and it only proves some people need to develop a thicker skin (I'm not entering into religion here, thank you very much.)

 

 

 

I think I got the craves for some Hot Flamin' Cheetos.... Katy-Patra would approve.

 

 

 

Katy-Patra likes the finest thing in life (this causes another stir within the Illuminati crowd...So much fuss.)

 

 

 

Using her powers to destroy her enemies (and their careers)

 

 

 

Most of the budget sure went to make-up... She looks gorgeous.

 

 

 

Pimp my Ride Egyptian Style...

 

 

 

This little fella sure is getting away from all this madness...

 

 

 

 

Who would have known that there was a stripper soul underneath Katy? And I mean this in the most honest way possible... That split is maddening...

 

 

 

My favorite scene of the video. It should have lasted longer... This is really something.

 

 

So this is another positive note on Katy's career, but I need her to be more risquee and willing to take chances... She already won our hearts, she can do it.

 

 

And lastly, the most WTF moment of a video full of them....

 

 



 

 

The power of Katy-Patra, y'all!

 

How do you feel about this video? Let me know in the comments!





Who is Paulina Rubio and why is she a new judge on The X-Factor USA?

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Recently the line-up of new judges on that disaster called The X-Factor US has been known, and among past judges Simon Cowell and Demi Lovato, two new stars has been announced as a regular on the series: Kelly Rowland, former Destiny's Child member and judge on the UK version of Factor, and Paulina Rubio.

 

Many american people -and possibly around the world - were like: who the heck is Paulina Rubio? Me, being Mexican, I'm very familiar with her and I think is my duty to explain why an otherwise obscure artist to most English-speaking world has been granted such a role on this program, supposedly replacing the likes of Britney Spears, nonetheless.

 

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At least in Mexico, Paulina has been a star since she was a child. Member of the 80's group Timbiriche, she has always been a household name but not always on a good way. Being regarded as obnoxious and diva-ish, Paulina is either loved or hated; no middle ground about her.

 

After Timbiriche she became a soloist and release several mediocre albums, with two or three good songs and starred on several telenovelas, all forgettable (maybe you should check Baila Conmigo on You Tube, to see a mexican take of the 50's and 60's era. Be warned). After that, she decided to expand her horizons and contracted several composers and producers to record a great album called Paulina, circa 2000.

  

Of course it was a hit. The best album she has come up with. For 2000's standards, this was such a breath of fresh air, on Mexico and all Latin America. Always syrupy ballads, midtempo numbers and then some girl defy the chances and made an album into dance-meets-latin pop and we all go nuts. even a ranchera-hip hop hybrid was on point.

Then, the crossover was inevitable. And indeed, with the latin boom on the US, this was a no brainer. Then Border Girl came, and although it wasn't a real success on America, at least established her as a real power on latin music and a force to be reckoned with. And if you check the video of "Don't Say Goodbye", you will realize it served as an inspiration of various pop divas on their own videos (looking at you, Shania Twain and Britney Spears, of all people).





After nothing happened on the US, she continued to amaze us with incredible music and videos. Pau-latina, her next effort, was a consistent album well ahead of the Latin Pop market at that time, and rightly so. Excellenet music and videos, like the ones above, made her a well-established name in Mexico and Spain, where she had made a good career pretending to have an Spanish accent and marrying washed up wannabes from that country.





An aside: Do you find something oddly familiar in the Algo Tienes video?

Yep, Lady Gaga took inspiration from her for the "Telephone" video. Now, people would say: "Lady Gaga doesnt even know who Paulina is" and I will say for Gaga, that is a great advantage. Taking fashion and inspiration for obscure artists is something Gaga knows what to do very well, right? Besides, who look better on that outfit? End of aside.

So, it's safe to say that even if Paulina is certainly not that talented and great singer as many other latin artists, she has a certain je ne sais quois to her advantage. It doesn't hurt that she always chooses songs very infectious and fun, and made them her own.







Besides, she has an experience being a coach on musical talent shows. Before the X-Factor gig, she was a coach during the second season of The Voice Mexico version, and on "The Voice Kids" on the US. So she had a minimal experience in these kind of shows, something that can work on her advantage (not that she was the best coach, either, but definitley one of her alumni is right now the most happy person in the world. Just saying).

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So, I'm gonna say: Simon Cowell could be as egotistical and maniac as he is, but sure he knows what he's doing. Bringing something as big as Britney, but equally lifeless and boring didn't work on the long term, so maybe it's better to bring some sort of D-listers (as much as he was back on the day on American Idol), and turn the show into something tolerable and fun. Hopefully, he will get it.

 

 

So, for the record: Yay for Paulina for getting this big opportunity on the US. As a mexican, I'm proud of that. But she better does a great job, or else I'm going to deny everything I said in this post!

 

 

And finally, a photo so you can get to know all of Paulina Rubio (including her camel toe):

 

 

You're welcome.

 



You know what's missing in the world? A Nicki Minaj / Pitbull collabo....

...I mean, seriously.

Think about it: Both Nicki Minaj and Pitbull had worked with almost everyone involved in pop music nowadays, one way or the other. On collaborations, features, as lyricists or producers, or even doing cameos on the videos and the like.

Except to each other, that is.




(On a side note: I guess Pitbull would never have made it with his real name. No offense but Armando Pérez? Such a common and sterile name on Latin America. End of side note)

Nicki should be the only female artist that has worked with the Holy Trinity of pop (Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, and sue me for saying this). Not even Missy Elliott had done that (she only collaborated on that infamous "Like a Virgin/Hollywood" medley a years ago, but has never produced anything for Spears,but that could change on the short term). Back to Nicki: as I mentioned on a previous post, she worked with the likes of Mariah Carey, who now have become more like her nemesis. But still, she has a strong presence in the charts, and I gotta confess I love her diatribes rhymes on the mic, so crazy and so her...







Meanwhile, Pitbull had made the transition of a latin-white rapper singing odes to women's derriere to... Well, asking politely for such woman posterior 'assets'. Seriously, it's not like he's the well versed man on business, but then who is it? And although he has been accused of practically ripping off classic pop songs into his tunes, you can't deny the man has certain charm and this is confirmed by his current success in the music field.





So the afinity of both artists for collaborations, rapping over pop songs, name-droppings, endorsements with several brands, feuds with colleagues and even lawsuits... All of this has got me thinking (as you may advert, I seem to think of nonsense very much everyday): why these two haven't made a song that will surely blow up the charts? I mean, Nicki is the only female that have had seven songs at the same time on Billboard (as you may assume, six of them were collaborations). And Pit has been in the game for quite a while, so it seems only a matter of time before this occurs.

Look how good they look together!

I think if this happens some day, the result will be very much like this:



So let's start a campaign for this to happen. And then, everything in the world will be settled and who knows? Maybe music will improve for just a moment. (Just kidding. That won't be happening anytime soon. The improvement thing).

And in case you were wondering (I know you do), this is the list of all songs Nicki Minaj has been featured on. And of course, Pitbull. So if you like them, go get them!

I wanna Scream & Shout... for this song to go away!!

According to an article on the always reliable BBC, some music is meant to get stuck in your head no matter how you cope with it. That's fine: there are thousands of songs out there meant to be that way (like The Harlem Shake and some other stuff) and I suppose many people can find that very amusing. Unless, of course, that song is so hideous you just want to get it out of your brain by any means possible.

That would explain my animosity towards this effing song I just can't get out of my head...



Don't get me wrong: I love both Britney and Will.I.Am. As a pop craver, I should do. But basically, all their conjoined efforts seem to produce such distasteful music that I think they ought to stop these collaborations and make better music. On their own, of course.

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I don't know what it is about this song. Maybe it's the repetitiveness of it, the lyrics oh so basic, Britney sounding nothing like her, awful video... I could go on and on. And yet, I find myself humming and chanting the chorus on my way to work, or when I get a bath, or when I'm listening to much better music.

Then, we got the remix of the frigging thing, because why not? Of course, it's ten thousand times worse than the original, if that's possible.

Via TBO Hip Hop

But hey, that video and song had reached number 3 on Billboard, have million of views on You Tube and made headlines on such themes as lip-synching (seriously?), so what do I know??

I just wanted to scream and shout, and let it all out... see? I did it again.

Damn song.

Let's do the "Harlem Shake"... Or not, whatever!

It was inevitable... Let's talk about the No. 1 song on the US, according to Billboard.



"Harlem Shake" is the new sensation on the Internet. It is literally everywhere. This song and its story is so unbelievable and viral, that even the Simpsons have created their own version. But what is exactly the appeal of this song?



I don't know, exactly. As a fan of electronica, hip hop and pop, and of course all things popular, I should be an easy target for this song. As I definitely was with "Gangnam Style" (remember? The sensation of last year? Never mind), which I definitely think is a great song, despite its origin and viral success, and of course, the silly dance. But this?



Don't get me wrong. I think the memes are great fun. The concept is a novelty too: A group of people hanging out, unaware that there's a dancer in the room dancing crazily and nonsensically, and after the musical bridge, everything erupts, and we watch them all go nuts. Basically, anyone can do their own version of Harlem Shake. Even the guys at the Company I work did it. And it's hilarious. But this song  No. 1?? I mean, not even "Gangnam Style" did that, and I thought it was well deserved. At least, that song was meant to be an irony of the lifestyle of the rich and famous of South Korea. But I don't think the message is too profound in this one.



But what do I know? I mean, song is a success, viral videos of the dance are spreading like cockroaches infesting You Tube, and all is fine and great. And I guess I should make amends with it, and not take seriously this crazy trend, and have fun and maybe create my own Harlem Shake. Will you care to join me? Or not, whatever...

And finally, the animal edition of the Harlem Shake! I'm at peace now.