While I'm not a big music person(my tastes are pretty pop centric),November does happen to be a big month for albums to drop and hit singles to be played on repeat just in time for holiday sales.
So,with that in mind,I thought it would be fun to lend an ear to some of the songs currently hitting the marketplace from a few of the major songstresses on the scene hoping to enchant you into adding their set of tunes to your collection.
First up is Rihanna's "Only Girl(In The World)",a September hit single from her soon to be released new album Loud. What I love about this song is that Rihanna actually seems happy for once.
Don't get me wrong,I appreciate the fact that she needed to work out some of that inner angst in the last couple of songs she had there but it's about time Rihanna got her groove back and not just for a dance song or two. This song has a strong sweetness that makes it truly refreshing to hear from her:
Next,we have "Your Love" by rising superstar Nicki Minaj. She's contributed guest vocals for established artists such as Mariah Carey,Sean Kingston,Christina Aguilera and Kayne West but is soon to set forth with her own debut album Pink Friday this month.
I've been hearing a lot about Nicki Minaj lately,mainly due to my sister being one of her biggest fans. From what I have listened to,that devotion is justified as Minaj's verbal nimbleness is on a level with the sword play that Beatrix Kiddo displayed in Kill Bill,Part One.
Nicki delivers her lyrics with the precision of a Hanzo blade and the visual flair showcased in her wardrobe and videos reveal her to be a most formidable opponent as a solo singer in the musical arena indeed:
For a bit of crossover change of pace,we have a track from Coal Miner's Daughter:A Tribute to Loretta Lynn from the lead singer of Paramore,Hayley Williams.
Hayley has been doing several gigs without the band lately,including the summer hit "Airplanes" with B.O.B.,and her take on Lynn's " You Ain't Woman Enough(To Take My Man)" is certainly in the spirit of the original.
A true test of timelessness in any art form is in it's ability to be passed on to another generation and genre. Lynn's music fits that bill nicely and is shown the proper respect by Paramore's charming rendition:
Another contributor to the Loretta Lynn tribute is Reba McEntire but the song that really captures my attention is on her new recording All the Women I Am.
Her cover of Beyonce's "If I Were a Boy" has a emotional resonance that is delivered more subtly than Sasha Fierce ever could. No disrespect intended to Beyonce here but while she uses her voice to issue a powerhouse statement,Reba cuts to the heart of the message embedded in the lyrics of the song.
Maybe it's just a personal preference-the song is beautifully rendered in the hands of both artists but I can't help being a little more moved by Reba's version:
Last and definitely least is "Firework" by Katy Perry-look,I'm sure she means well with this ditty about finding your inner spark and sharing it with the world but the video for this song is a bit hard to take.
Yes,she's trying to encourage the disenfranchised to rise up and take control of their circumstances,however the constant barrage of explosive pyrotechnics from Katy's chest(and from a few other folks showcased here as well)brings to mind an audition outtake for a X Men movie that wouldn't even be included as a DVD bonus feature.
There were rumors that Dazzler was going to make a cameo in one of the sequels,so maybe this is Katy's way of putting in a bid for that role(it's the best explanation I can come up with,anyway):
No matter what your musical tastes are,chances are that you'll find something to sing about this season. However,if you are actually called upon to provide musical entertainment for family and friends at a gathering,holiday related or otherwise,sticking to the classics is your best bet for getting through that particular pop culture ordeal without too much embarrassment:
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