Justin Timberlake’s sequel to “The 20/20 Experience” does have strong tracks but did not live up to most of the hype. (Album cover property of RCA Records)
By: Jacob Elyachar
New Music Releases is back!
In this week’s edition, I look at some of the highly anticipated albums and some intriguing singles.
The 20/20 Experience: Part II by Justin Timberlake
One of the best albums of 2013 was Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience. That album alone featured so many incredible songs that made music lovers scream for joy. When JT announced that he would release a follow-up later on this year, I thought there was no way…he could follow-up to the first album. After listening to the second part of The 20/20 Experience, I had mix feelings about the album. While there are some gems on the album like “Take Back the Night” and “Drink Your Way,” I thought the rest was B-track worthy at best. If I was Justin, I should have released this next year…because I strongly believe that fans would have appreciated it more. B
Tracks to Download: “Murder,” “Drink You Away,” “Take Back the Night” & “Amnesia”
Lucky Numbers by Dave Stewart
Celebrated rocker and producer Dave Stewart is back for his eighth studio album. Music lovers will love the blues/rock vibe of the album. Lucky Numbers also showcases Stewart’s impeccable ability as a producer and arranger that includes the mean guitar lyrics in both “How to Ruin a Romance” and “Satellite” plus his rough pounding of the piano that is showcased in “What Is Wrong With Me?” Keep an ear out for Martina McBride, Vanessa Amorosi, and the Ringmaster’s Choir, who make cameos throughout the album. A-
Tracks to Download: “Drugs Taught Me A Lesson,” “What is Wrong with Me,” “Satellite,” “Why Can’t We Be Friends” & “Every Single Night”
New Zealander Lorde delivers a fantastic debut album that showcases a bright star in the making. (Album cover property of Universal Music New Zealand)
Pure Heroine by Lorde
The New Zealand songbird’s debut album is a strong CD. I think Lorde is a mix of Grammy winners Norah Jones and Amy Winehouse, because she has a calm presence like Jones and has robust vocals like the late Winehouse. I also praise her for writing all 10 tracks. Overall, I think Pure Heroine is a delight to listen to and I hope that Lorde has more songs in her catalog because she is going to be around for a while. A
Tracks to Download: “Tennis Court,” “Royals,” “Team,” “Glory & Gore” & “Still Same”
M.O. by Nelly
One of the first things that I noticed about Nelly’s M.O. was his army of collaborators! From Nicki Minaj and Pharrell to Florida Georgia Line and Nelly Furtado, it seemed that the St. Louis rapper was determined to showcase his ability to work with multiple artists in this album. Nelly continued to drop the smooth beats throughout M.O. This is one of the only Hip-Hop/Rap albums that kept my attention through its entirety! A-
Tracks to Download: “Get Like Me,” “Heaven,” “All Around the World,” “Walk Away” & “Headphones”
Katy Perry’s “Walking On Air” is a great club anthem that could do really well on the radio. (Photo courtesy of Capitol Records)
“Walking On Air” by Katy Perry
Katy Perry’s “Walking On Air” is the perfect up-tempo club anthem for her upcoming album: Prism. This song will definitely put you in a good mood! I have a strong feeling that “Waking On Air” will be dominating the radio in a few weeks! A-
“Kids” by Mikky Ekko
One singer-songwriter that has taken the music industry by storm is Mikky Ekko. The Nashville-based singer teamed up with artists like Rihanna and Justin Timberlake and continues to release superb songs including “Kids.” Mr. Ekko brilliantly produced and wrote this incredible track that will be the perfect amount of ear candy for your ears to hear. I hope that Mr. Ekko is working on an album because I believe music lovers will love to hear more from him. A
As always, I do not own the audio clips that are sprinkled throughout the article. They belong to the artists and their respective record labels.
