By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Welcome to the final 2014 edition of New Music Releases!
This week, several of the biggest names in music have released new material.
Hopefully, these tunes might be the soundtrack of not only this year’s holiday parties, but also the 2015 Billboard and radio charts.
Madonna will conquer 2015 if the rest of “Rebel Heart” continues to have impeccable tunes (Album cover property of Interscope Records, Boy Toy Records & Live Nation)
Rebel Heart (The first six tracks) by Madonna
Kudos to the Queen of Pop for conquering adversity! Several unfinished tracks from Madonna’s upcoming studio album were leaked to the public. Instead of ignoring the problem, the “4 Minutes” singer-songwriter released six finished tracks of Rebel Hart as an early holiday present for her fans! All six of these songs are superb and showcase Madonna’s constant re-invention by combining EDM and Hip-hop with pop for a dance party that no one is going to forget! Congrats, Madonna! The first six tracks of Rebel Heart is my Album of the Week! A
Tracks to Download: “Living for Love,” “Bitch I’m Madonna,” “Devil Pray,” “Ghost Town,” “Unapologetic Bitch” & “Illuminati”
The Pink Print by Nicki Minaj
Love her or hate her, you have to admit that Nicki Minaj is one of the top female MCs in the Hip-Hop & Rap world! Her third studio album is filled with an A-list group of collaborators ranging from vocal cameos from Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Chris Brown, Drake & Lil Wayne to superstar producers Dr. Luke, Cirkut, Mike Will Made It & will.i.am. However, The Pink Print only has a few quality tracks and a ton of average filler! I hope that Nicki goes back to her “Super Bass” and “Starships” days for a fourth studio album. C+
Tracks to Download: “Feeling Myself,” “Anaconda” & “Bed of Lies”
Charli XCX’s “Sucker” is full of killer lyrics and superb licks that will hypnotize listeners. (Album cover property of Asylum & Atlantic Records)
SUCKER by Charli XCX
Watch out Miley, Nicki & Kesha! There is a new bad girl in the music industry! Her name is Charli XCX! The English singer-songwriter has embraced the hybrid of punk, pop and rock. The tracks’ hooks are killer and with the help of her fellow collaborators: Benny Blanco, Rivers Cuomo and Stargate, Charli XCX has dropped a successful third (and second commercial) studio album. B+
Tracks to Download: “Doing It,” “Boom Clap,” “Breaking Up” & “Break the Rules”
“Daffodils” by Mark Ronson feat. Kevin Parker
From the successes of “Uptown Funk” and “Feel Right,” it looks like that Mark Ronson’s Uptown Special is going to be one special album! Another single that will put this single over-the-top and transform this album into a contender is “Daffodils.” This track is completely hypnotic and will leave listeners in a trance. Congratulations, Mark Ronson & Kevin Parker…”Daffodils” is my final Song of the Week for 2014! A+
“O Holy Night” by Michael V. Doane & Andrew Suvalsky
Normally, “O Holy Night” is not my favorite Christmas carol! However, Michael V. Doane and Andrew Suvalsky redeemed the track! This lovely duet brilliantly blends the Great White Way and acoustic styles of performing that will give listeners chills! It is a perfect track for your Christmas gatherings! A
[…] What an awesome group of artists to be included with! Thanks so much to Jacob Elyachar for all the support. Read his final #NewMusic review for 2014 HERE […]