The MDNA World Tour showcases Madonna at her finest. (Album cover property of Interscope Records & Live Nation)
By: Jacob Elyachar
Welcome back to New Music Releases!
This week, I reviewed new material from an all-star group of rising superstars and music legends!
The MDNA Tour by Madonna
One of the biggest tours of 2012, The MDNA Tour, is finally available as both a CD and a digital download. The MDNA Tour showcases Madonna at her finest as she rearranged some of her greatest hits such as adding an A cappella trio to “Open Your Heart” and transforming “Like a Virgin” into a Waltz. This is an unforgettable live album that all Madonna and pop music fans need to add to their collection. A-
Tracks to Download: “Girl Gone Wild,” “Gang Bang,” “Open Your Heart,” “Like A Virgin Waltz” & “Like A Prayer”
Feels Like Home by Sheryl Crow
The Missouri native embraces her country roots on her eighth studio album. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter co-wrote all of the tracks with an all-star group of songwriters including John Shanks, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally and Brad Paisley. While there is some strong material on this album and superb vocal cameos from Ashley Monroe, Zac Brown and Vince Gill, listeners might get lost in Ms. Crow’s slower ballads. Overall, I think this is a quality record. B
Tracks to Download: “Shotgun,” “Easy,” “Callin’ Me When I’m Lonely” & “Best of Times”
The impeccable Gloria Estefan brilliantly covered the Great American Songbook. (Album cover property of Crescent Moon & Sony Masterworks)
The Standards by Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan took on the Great American Songbook for her latest studio album. The Standards showcase the “Coming Out of the Dark” singer at her finest. Ms. Estefan and her husband and producer, Emilio Estefan, Jr., brilliantly reinterpret these classics that both a new generation and Ms. Estefan’s longtime fans will love. Some of the highlights of the album include her take on Ira Gershwin’s “Embraceable You” and “Natural Woman,” her duet with Carole King. A
Tracks to Download: “Embraceable You,” “What A Wonderful World,” “How Long Has This Been Going On,” “Young at Heart” & “Natural Woman”
“Atlas” by Coldplay
I am not on board the Hunger Games bandwagon but I will buy at least a song from the Catching Fire soundtrack. Coldplay’s “Atlas” is a brilliant three-minute and 56-seconds track that showcase the English Alternative rock band at its finest: strong vocals from Mr. Martin and impressive instrumental arrangements from Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion respectively. I think that “Atlas” could be a strong contender for both the Golden Globes and Academy Awards’ Best Original Song Award this winter. A+
“Ready” by B.o.B featuring Future
In all honesty…this was probably the worst Hip-Hop track of the third quarter! I did not like the beats at all. Bottom line: Don’t waste your time on this track! F
The combination of Zedd & Hayley Williams makes “Stay the Night” a irresistible piece of ear candy. (Album cover property of Interscope Records)
“Stay the Night” by Zedd featuring Paramore’s Hayley Williams
For years, the only Zedd that a lot of pop culture enthusiasts have heard was Lord Zedd, one of the Power Rangers’ main antagonists. However, that all changed when Anton Zaslavski made his international debut. His fourth single, “Stay the Night,” featuring Paramore’s Hayley Williams is a strong single and could ignite in the clubs and the Top 40 charts. I am looking forward to hearing his full-length debut album later on this month. A-
I do not own any of the clips that are sprinkled throughout the article; they belong to the artists and their respective record labels.
