New Britney Spears Demo

Preview for Kanye's "Power" Video

When you’ve had the kind of 2009 that Kanye West endured, only to return the following year to promote your new album, how do you organize your charm offensive to tell your audience you’re not the same person you used to be?

If you’re Mr. West, you start by making appearances at the offices of Facebook and Twitter to perform a cappella raps and pose for photographs. Then you open a Twitter account, post messages complaining about the size of your private jet, and amass more than 200,000 followers in a day.

And then you release a music video teeming with debauchery, degradation and the ominous specter of death.

In a coming video for his single “Power” that was created by the artist Marco Brambilla, Mr. West is seen standing imposingly with a heavy chain around his neck. As Mr. West raps, the camera slowly zooms out in one continuous, unedited take to reveal him in a classical structure, surrounded by female attendants who are partly or entirely nude; some kneel before him on all fours, others wear devil horns and still others are suspended upside down from the ceiling. The sword of Damocles hangs precariously over Mr. West’s head, and behind him an unseen executioner is preparing to strike him with a blade. (ArtsBeat was allowed to watch a portion of this video but was not permitted to post it.)

In a telephone interview, Mr. Brambilla explained that he was drawn to the project because, he said, “it’s kind of apocalyptic, in a very personal way.”

Speaking of Mr. West’s track “Power,” which includes refrains like “No one man should have all that power” and “This would be a beautiful death,” Mr. Brambilla said: “It had this very dark, personal conflict within it. Because of his own concept of celebrity and his own notoriety, he’s keenly self-aware of all these things. And it all came out in the music.”

Mr. Brambilla, a video artist and film director (“Demolition Man”), caught Mr. West’s eye with an installation called “Civilization,” which hangs in the elevators of the New York hotel the Standard in the meatpacking district and mixes hundreds of video clips to create a continuously scrolling depiction of heaven and hell.

Mr. Brambilla said that he generally avoids collaborations, but that when Mr. West contacted him through his gallery he could see how they might find common ground. “Because my work’s always been about alienation and seduction and the way contemporary cultures desensitize people,” Mr. Brambilla said.

With a sardonic chuckle, he said of Mr. West, “And he’s experienced it firsthand.”

(A press representative for Mr. West did not reply to a request to comment.)

Mr. Brambilla said the project — which he preferred to describe as a “video work that’s been commissioned by Kanye to accompany the music” rather than a music video — was his and Mr. West’s attempt to answer the question, “How do you visually paint a portrait of power?”

“It’s a moment of transition for him,” Mr. Brambilla said. “It’s like the end of an empire. It’s him becoming mortal again.”

Among the visual influences that Mr. Brambilla said he discussed with Mr. West were Philippe Halsman’s portrait “Dalí Atomicus,” which depicts a suspended midair Dalí, splashing water and leaping cats; and Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel.

(Not that Mr. West is supposed to be either Adam or God, Mr. Brambilla explained. “It’s not exactly the content, but it is the interpretation of the style,” he said. “He’s like a fallen icon.”)

The video is planned to be posted on Mr. West’s Web site sometime next week, Mr. Brambilla said, and will be provided to MTV and other music channels (though its content will probably make it difficult for some of the channels to show it).

Mr. Brambilla said he hoped viewers of his “Power” video would see the humor in it.

“It’s a very exaggerated, hyper-sensational version of what the song is saying,” he said.

“But at the same time,” he added, “it has this fallibility to it. Because built into the story is that there is an ultimate fallibility, in bringing someone back down to earth at the end of the piece. That kind of contradiction, hopefully, will create the tension within it.”

And if it kicks up more controversy, as Mr. West’s artistic efforts often do, Mr. Brambilla was comfortable with that.

“I like controversy,” Mr. Brambilla said. “The more controversial it gets, the more interesting it is.”

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Official Lyrics Video and Stills for "Teenage Dream"

"Teenage Dream" Tracklist

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"You Lost Me" Music Video

New Taylor Swift Album and Single Information

It’s official! Taylor Swift’s 3rd album hits October 25, 2010! Called “Speak Now,” the first single “Mine” will be released at 12:01am on August 16th.

An official countdown clock to the single can be found here at the source.

Christina Aguilera's New Video Sneak Peek

Jimmy Eat World's "Invented" to be released September 28th

Jimmy Eat World announced on their Twitter earlier today that their new album, titled Invented, will be released on September 28th.

After the initial announcement, the band then posted “Yes, we will be touring. Tour information is coming soon.”

Those who have been eagerly awaiting the follow up to 2007’s Chase This Light will be pleased to know that the group has reunited with producer Mark Trombino, who worked with them on their earlier albums, including 2001’s Bleed American, 1999’s Clarity and 1996’s Static Prevails.

Jimmy Eat World filled in for My Chemical Romance at Soundwave this year after being the “number 1 most-requested band by Soundwave fans.” Those fans will have to cross their fingers and hope that the new tour brings Jimmy Eat World back to Australia.

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Draco Malfoy To Release CD

Okay, we're partially kidding with that title.

It’s official — Tom Felton is making new music!

Thanks to a tip from FeltBeats.com, JJJ has learned that the 22-year-old actor has signed on the dotted line with Six String Productions to produce some new tunes.

Six Strings Productions tweeted the news, saying, “Tom Felton has signed and the album is very much on its way..”

When JJJ chatted with Tom late last year, he told us that music wasn’t in the works — looks like that’s changed!

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Michael Jackson's Tomb Vandalized

The world was shocked and devastated when Michael Jackson suddenly died back in June of 2009, but now his tomb is being vandalized by his fans.

The King of Pop’s final resting place has been defaced with messages such as “Miss you sweet angel,” and “Keep the dream alive,” and the folks at Forest Lawn Memorial Park aren’t too pleased.


According to a report, Forest Lawn is trying to keep the tomb accessible as much as possible, but that all may be coming to an end.

A rep from the Park told press, “Activity such as this, is a prime example why we are evaluating the level of access to the various entrances of the Great Mausoleum.

Source

New Leighton Meester Song - "She Said"

Kat DeLuna Covers "California Gurls" (Horribly)

Got an opinion different from ours? Post it in the comments!

New Lady Gaga and Lindsay Lohan songs

Lady Gaga's "You and I"



Lindsay Lohan's "Too Young to Die"

Ke$ha - Your Love is My Drug

Hogg:

A love song from Ke$ha. Excuse me while I laugh.

There's something missing from this song. It's boring and repetitive, yes, but it also lacks a good metaphor. Love as a drug has been used before Ke$ha, but she takes it to ridiculous levels ("I'm walking down every alley, I'm making those desperate calls.") Until my local love dealer gets arrested in the government's War on Love, I can't take this song seriously.

The beat is boring, just two different sound bites (the verses and the chorus) played over and over.

The song is somewhat addicting, but nothing new or fresh, much less anything interesting.

Not a lot to say here. Here's Pease on the music video.

Pease:

After listening to the song about four times, it got pretty boring.

Okay, so in the beginning, Ke$ha and her boyfriend/hobo-thing are in the middle of a desert. Ke$ha says that she might need sleep or rehab, in the case of sleep, she just woke up! She walks off and you see her with a white tiger mask on, posing similar to Lady Gaga in the beginning of the "Poker Face" video. Next, she talks about alleys, making calls, and hitting her head against a wall. I don't see any alleys, phones or cell phone towers, or walls in that desert! Why are they even in a desert?! Ke$ha also says that her boyfriend/hobo thing's love is hard to find, but they're in the middle of the desert with him! Then Ke$ha and her BF/hobo thing are in a boat, yet still in the desert. I think this video would make a lot more sense if I was in drugs! Towards the end of the video, the happy couple are sitting by a campfire...in the middle of the desert! Where did they get it from?! I must have fallen from the sky and kncked Ke$ha on the head, that's probably why she woke up and thought she needed sleep! In the very last scene, she's on an elephant, but how'd she get there? Her BF/hobo thing helped her? I don't know, it could possibly be possible!

Overall, this song would only make sense if your taking the same color drug as Ke$ha: "Yellow, yellow, yellow, is my drug!"

Overall:
2/5 for the music
1/5 for the music video.

Welcome to the Heart of Texas!

What do you think music-wise when you think Texas?

Country music? Ha!

We here review pop and anything we think is cool or utterly stupid. Why? Because we're Texans, and we do whatever the heck we want, y'all hear me?

Yeah, I know you do.

We post every Sunday. Because Sunday is a cool day (albeit not in Texas, it's always hot here...)

The line-up for the next few weeks -

• Your Love is My Drug - Ke$ha
  
• Eenie Meenie - Justin Bieber ft. Sean Kingston
• Alejandro - Lady Gaga
• Round and Round - Selena Gomez

We also post on music news. Joy to the world, nay?