By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
This week’s edition of New Music Releases packs some serious star power!
From the guest artists (Iggy Azalea and Jessie J) to the A-list producers (Max Martin and Darkchild), Ariana Grande’s “My Everything” is one of the summer’s greatest albums! (Album cover property of Republic Records)
My Everything by Ariana Grande
For the past couple of years, sophomore albums have played an important part in how artists survive in today’s music industry. My Everything showcases why Ariana Grande is one of the most talked about artists in this industry. In addition to her powerful pipes, she embraced every genre of music that her all-star production team (Max Martin, Shellback, Benny Blanco, Darkchild and Zedd) threw at her. While some artists oversaturate their album with guests, Ms. Grande welcomed artists such as Jessie J, Nicki Minaj, Iggy Azalea, Big Sean and the Weeknd into her world and each artist helped her grow throughout the album. Congratulations, Ariana…My Everything is my Album of the Week! A+
Tracks to Download: “Problem,” “Why Try,” “Best Mistake,” “Break Free,” “Love Me Harder” & “Bang Bang”
Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute to Motley Crüe by Various Artists
2014 marks the final year that iconic rock band Motley Crüe will tour the world! Some of Nashville’s brightest paid homage to the band by offering their unique covers of some of the band’s heavy hits. LeAnn Rimes brought a combination of Bluegrass and rock to “Smokin’ In the Boys Room,” while Cassadee Pope embraced her Indie rock roots in a haunting cover of “The Animal in Me.” However, some of the covers could bore the listeners and were not necessary to put in the album. Otherwise, this is a decent tribute album. B-
Tracks to Download: “Kickstart My Heart,” “If I Die Tomorrow,” “The Animal in Me” & “Smokin’ in the Boys Room”
Keep an ear out for South African Folk duo…Connecting Stars! The husband-and-wife team has a future in the music industry. (Photo property of Scoop Marketing)
Connecting Stars by Connecting Stars
I am very excited to debut South African Folk-pop duo Connecting Stars! Martin and Cheryl Engel are a refreshing act with songs that should be on the radio instead of today’s EDM-Pop mish mosh. The lyrics and production from the husband and wife duo are crisp and worthy of breaking in both the Top 40 and Alternative radio charts. I have a strong feeling that they are going to have a great career ahead of them. B+
Tracks to Download: “Pieces,” “Breathe,” “Stuck” & “Hourglass”
“Guts Over Fear” by Eminem featuring Sia
Shady Records is celebrating its 15th anniversary this fall! In honor of this special occasion, the label will be releasing a double disc album celebrating the crème-de-la-crème of the Hip-Hop/Rap genre. The first single comes from the label’s co-founder, Eminem, and superstar singer-songwriter Sia Furler. In addition to Rihanna, Royce da 5’9” and 50 Cent, Slim Shady should always collaborate with the “Chandelier” singer. Between Eminem’s quick-and-brash beats and Sia’s strong vocals, “Guts Over Fear” is one of the year’s best rap songs. A
Darius Rucker’s “Homegrown Honey” will make listeners want to travel to a line dancing bar in the South. (Photo property of Capitol Nashville)
“Homegrown Honey” by Darius Rucker
Hearing a new single from Darius Rucker is like opening up a present on your birthday! It comes once a year and you always smile when you listen to it. This track will transport listeners to a bar in the Deep South, where they are line dancing the night away. I hope that the rest of Mr. Rucker’s material for the upcoming album is just as good as “Homegrown Honey.” A-
“CLOUDS” by Prince
My Song of the Week comes from one of the funkiest musicians of all-time! Prince’s “CLOUDS” will take you to the top of music euphoria. The vocal harmonies are superb and his signature guitar solos will delight new and veteran fans alike. I (along with other music fans) cannot wait for Art Official Age to be released on September 30. A+
I do not own any of the clips that featured in this article! They belong to the artists and their respective record labels.
