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Pop Rock Nation

Author: GG

  • Dear iTunes, Where’s My Blueprint 3?

    Yesterday, Money Mike let everyone know what they should’ve known, even if they didn’t know. Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 was moved up a few days to a normal Tuesday release date, away from the 9/11/09 release date, which would’ve been the 8th anniversary of his first Blueprint album.

    While I understood the meaning immediately of the release date, it still left a slightly bad taste in my mouth for him to specifically release his album on a day where thoughts should be elsewhere. I don’t know how everyone else felt originally about that, but now, it’s neither here nor there, because the album was moved up.

    Jay-Z's Blueprint 3
    Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3
    But the reason it was moved up had more to do with Def Jam putting out the first and second Blueprint albums in the store on the same day in one special package to either confuse buyers, or entice buyers to buy their special edition release, alongside Jay’s newest joint.

    However, if you go to iTunes, where I buy all of my music, the album still has the 9/11/09 release date. I pre-ordered the album beforehand and expected it to be all queued up on Tuesday morning before I went to work. I had a yearning to hear some Empire State Of Mind. But alas, that track, as well as the other tracks from the new album, are nowhere to be found.

    So iTunes, where is my Blueprint 3 and why didn’t y’all get the memo that the release date was bumped up?

    I will send Apple an e-mail and see if I get a response. If I do, I’ll let everyone know right here.

    Update: 4:25 PM Pacific

    I didn’t actually e-mail Apple, but they had a chat feature that I was able to use. In short, for whatever reason (and the nice lady didn’t know), they’re not releasing the album until Friday.

    What was funny is that when I told her that the album actually came out everywhere on Tuesday, she asked me if iTunes let me know, rather than being on the up and up in the music news. She probably didn’t have to necessarily be on the up and up when it came to music, but being that she’s doing customer service for iTunes, it’s probably a good idea to know what’s going on.

    Even though I was bothered that they simply didn’t have a clue what was going on, she did refund my pre-order money and apologized. I may still buy the album from iTunes on Friday, but I wanted the freedom to get it from the store, in case I had the chance.

    All in all, iTunes has failed me for one of the only times in my life.

  • Review – Whitney Houston Looks To You To Reinvigorate Her Music Career

    It took her seven years, but Whitney Houston is back, and if you believe the themes of her new album, I Look To You, she’s put her problems in her rear view mirror.

    The first thing that should be talked about is her legendary voice. It’s not the same Whitney voice that you remember, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s consistent and while it doesn’t seem that she can hit those crazy notes of yesteryear, it’s still good and in this case, less can be more.

    Whitty Hutton Wuld Tour
    Back in the mid 90s on Martin Lawrence’s hit TV show, there was a story line in which he was jobless and decided to sell bootleg Whitney Houston t-shirts outside of her concert. His partner Brother Man couldn’t spell very well, so instead of saying, “Whitney Houston World Tour”, the shirt said, “Whitty Hutton Wuld Tour”. When Whitney Houston became the “crack is wack” Whitney, I just started calling her Whitty Hutton. It fit. The once singer of golden songs became a joke.

    Whitney Houston's I Look To You
    Whitney Houston’s I Look To You
    But if you believe the songs on her new album, that past is behind her. With songs like Nothin’ But Love, she forgives the haters, and even the people who tried to break her. The theme behind the song is that she’s so beyond her problems and thus, she has nothin’ but love for everyone. It’s not a very strong song and is plodding, but it provides a key point, and it’s that Whitney is trying to move forward. If only she tapped Heavy D for a fun sixteen bars.

    On Salute, which is written and produced by R. Kelly, she even borrows from Todd Smith’s classic line. Over a piano bed, she calls herself a soldier girl for standing strong.

    Don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for years.

    Who is she saluting? She’s trying to be the bigger person in saluting who you have to believe is Bobby Brown, as a way to get over her past issues and struggles in life.

    Is She Still Our Baby Tonight?
    Back in the mid to late 80s, Whitney Houston was so charming. I remember seeing her on the Arsenio Hall show and she had swagger before I knew what swagger was. She could’ve been Miss America, a great actress, and the world’s biggest pop star all in one, and I wouldn’t have been surprised. She played nicely, and while you could tell she had a little bit of a chip on her shoulder, but she gave you that wink and nod and simply owned the stage. Bill Cosby even wanted her to play his oldest daughter Sondra on The Cosby Show. But during the 90s, she wasn’t that Whitney anymore.

    Fast forward some 20 years and she’ll never be able to be America’s Sweetheart again. But can she get back some of what she lost?

    Lead single Million Dollar Bill has the team of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz behind it, yet it’s slightly underwhelming. It does put Whitney immediately in a positive light as there are only so many songs she can do with the comeback theme before people start rolling their eyes. It’s not as strong as the Akon flavored Like I Never Left, which except for the fact that it starts off annoyingly with Akon making sure we understand that it’s a Konvict record, is sweet and light. Call You Tonight is signature Starlight, the Spotlight (Jennifer Hudson), of the album.

    Whitney performs Million Dollar Bill on Good Morning American


    What’s The Big “Whitney” Song That We’ll All Remember This Album By?
    Sadly, there isn’t one. My favorite song on the album is the aforementioned Akon duet. But I think she and Clive Davis meant for it to be the title track. I Look To You is the second single on the album and is written by R. Kelly. It’s a slowly laced piano ballad in which she continues with the comeback theme. However, the stronger ballad in my opinion is the Diane Warren/David Foster helmed I Didn’t Know My Own Strength. It showcases Whitney’s voice in a very vulnerable place. The song builds up dramatically and is fulfilling by the end.

    Save for the terrible Euro-dance version of A Song For You, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Whitney’s comeback album. But there’s nothing on here that’s going to shock the world either. It should appease her current fanbase, which I guess is the goal. It’s a nice album, but one in which most music fans will be able to do without.

  • First Listen: Carrie Underwood’s Cowboy Casanova

    This one came in a bit under the radar, but American Idol’s most successful act, (yes, in my opinion, bigger than Kelly Clarkson) Carrie Underwood has a new single to lead off her newest album Play On. The album doesn’t come out until November, but you can take a listen to the single from her YouTube page.

    Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.