Jake’s Take’s New Music Reviews (Week of November 11, 2016)

By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com

Welcome to Jake’s Take’s New Music Reviews!

Let’s get this party started!

 

57^th & 9^th by Sting

Sting kicks off this week’s edition! 57^th & 9^th is the 2014 Kennedy Center Honoree’s first rock album in 13 years. From the first song, “I Can’t Stop Thinking About You” to “The Empty Chair” (the album’s conclusion), the music icon showcases that he is still at the top of his game. Sting recruited his longtime collaborators: Vinnie Colaiuta, Dominic Miller, Lyle Workman, and Josh Freese, to assist him with songwriting duties, while Martin Kierszenbaum produced this album.  This is truly his opus for this decade and is one of the best albums of this year that a music legend has released this year.  Congratulations, Sting! 57^th & 9^th is my Album of the Week! A+

Tracks to Download: “I Can’t Stop Thinking About You,” “50,000,” “One Fine Day,” “Pretty Young Soldier” & “Petrol Head.”

“Love Me Now” by John Legend

John Legend is one of my favorite singer-songwriters of this decade. Everything he touches turns into gold. His first single off of his upcoming studio album, Darkness & Light, is a spectacular triumph of the human spirit. This track not only sets the bar for his album, but I believe that this track is on par with his 2013 anthem: “All of Me.”  I cannot wait for Darkness & Light to drop on December 2. A

 

“Life Goes On” by Fergie

Fergie is back with her second single of the year! “Life Goes On” is the song that we need right now thanks to the horrendous election results. The lyrics will resonate with anyone going through a hard time right now, and I guarantee that this will put a smile on your face. I hope that Fergie gives kudos to her fellow songwriters: Toby Gad, Tristan Prettyman, Keith Harris, and George Pajon, Jr. because they set her up to dominate the Top 40 charts in 2017! B

“Satisfied” by Sia featuring Miguel & Queen Latifah

The Hamilton Mixtape continues to churn out home run covers. After Kelly Clarkson and the Roots released their spectacular interpretations, Sia, Miguel, and Queen Latifah teamed up to cover “Satisfied,” the tune that showcases the love triangle between Alexander Hamilton, Angelica Schuyler, and Eliza Schuyler. All three artists’ diverse musical genres: Pop (Sia), R&B (Miguel), and Hip-Hop/Rap (Queen Latifah) blend brilliantly on this track.  This is another spectacular cover from The Hamilton Mixtape. A-

“I Be U Be” by High Valley

Next week, High Valley will drop their first album with Warner Music Nashville! Brothers Brad & Curtis Rempel continue to make their case that they will be one of the last country music acts to break out in 2016. “I Be U Be” is a strong song that gives strength to any couple facing a challenging situation. The Rempel Brothers’ musical arrangements and lyrics are a breath of fresh air that country music needs right now. Bravo, gentlemen! B+

 

“With A Devil” by Ricky Jarman

If there is one artist that needs to be heard on Top 40 right now, it is Ricky Jarman! Every time, he releases a new single, I always state: “I can hear this on the radio!” Ricky’s new single, “With A Devil,” is an intense Pop-R&B hybrid with lyrics that will quickly make any listener visualize that the Los Angeles transplant was dating a she-devil (I pictured him dating Lana Parrilla’s Evil Queen or Rebecca Mader’s Zelena). I hope that any radio or record label personnel that listen to this song and give him a chance to shine! A-

 

“Boyfriend” by Drew Six

I love when friends of the blog continue to raise the game in their genre! Drew Six recently released his latest single: “Boyfriend.” This honky-tonk country rock track talks about a know-it-all country boy whose antics annoys the singer who has his eyes on the smart aleck’s girlfriend. This song has a killer chorus, and the instrument arrangement transforms the song into a contender to dominate the country music radio charts. Congrats, Drew! “Boyfriend” is my Song of the Week! A+

I do not own any of the clips that are featured in this article. They belong to the artists and their respective record labels.