La Place de Musique // Your R&B + Pop Heaven!

2009-07-11T14:41:00.000-07:00

VIDEO PREMIERE: Mario featuring Gucci Mane & Sean Garrett

By the end of the summer we should see the release of Mario's fourth album ''And Then There Was Me''. His first single off the album is a song called "Break Up" featuring the rappers Gucci Mane and Sean Garrett, and here is the song's video. The track is a good, uptempo hip-hop / r&b song with a really memorable chorus. The video is a pretty generic, r&b love story, but I enjoyed it a lot. We also finally see a different side of Mario, which features swagga! I think with correct promotion, the urban charts will eat this song up during the summer. Enjoy the video!

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-07-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

NEW MUSIC: Shakira ~ "She Wolf"

D/L #1 | D/L #2

2009-07-11T00:55:00.000-07:00

NEW MUSIC: The Black Eyed Peas ~ "Complicated (Be That Way)"

Last month, The Black Eyed Peas released their album ''The E.N.D.'' led off by their hit singles "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling". Here is new unreleased song from the album which didn't make the cut called "Complicated (Be That Way)". The song is an upbeat, reggae fusion / hip-hop song with a fun club feel. The song lacks a bit of vocals from all the members except Fergie, but I liked it a lot. They should of released this, but it is their loss. Enjoy this exclusive song!

The Black Eyed Peas ~ "Complicated (Be That Way)": D/L #1 | D/L #2

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-07-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

VIDEO PREMIERE: Beyoncé ~ "Sweet Dreams"

Pop / r&b singer Beyoncé has been touring the world these past couple months on her I Am ... Tour, which will be finishing it's American Leg off in Las Vegas early next month. Here is the video for her sixth single off the album ''I Am ... Sasha Fierce'', a song called "Sweet Dreams". The track is a cool, upbeat electro-pop / r&b song, and one of my favorites from B. The video is the first Sasha Fierce video to be in color, and is pretty nice. It's not how I would of pictured it, but it still fits the song. I know this should do better than some of her other singles which have flopped recently. Enjoy!

EDIT: Excuse The Backstreet Boys video which starts after the Beyoncé video. I don't know why it is there.

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-07-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

NEW MUSIC: Brooke Hogan featuring Flo Rida ~ "Ruff Me Up"

Another artist releasing her sophomore album at the end of July is Brooke Hogan with ''The Redemption''. Her first single "Falling" featuring Stack$ can now be considered a flop, and she has moved on to her second single "Hey Yo" featuring Colby O'Donis. Here is a new track off the album called "Ruff Me Up" featuring Flo Rida, which is being highly claimed as the third single. The song is a hot, upbeat urban-pop / dance song, similar to Britney Spears' "Womanizer". I love this song a lot, and can seriously make Brooke a household name. Enjoy!

Brooke Hogan featuring Flo Rida ~ "Ruff Me Up": D/L #1 | D/L #2

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-07-06T15:11:00.000-07:00

NEW MUSIC: Jordin Sparks ~ "Emergency (911)"

Near the end of this month, 2007's American Idol winner Jordin Sparks will release her second album ''Battlefield''. The first single off the album "Battlefield" is slowly climbing the charts, but is not the hit we thought it would be. Here is a song of the album called "Emergency (911)", which is a great uptempo electro-pop song with a bit of a rock-influence. This is way better than her other material, and should definitely be her second single! Enjoy this!

Jordin Sparks ~ "Emergency (911)": D/L #1 | D/L #2

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-07-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

VIDEO PREMIERE: Eminem ~ "Beautiful"

Ever since the release of his album ''Relapse'' back in May, Eminem has had great sales, and has now officially moved to his fourth single "Beautiful". The song is a great, motivational midtempo hip-hop song with a little bit of a pop / ballad influence on it. The video is shot in his hometown of Detroit, and has a more serious side than some of his other videos. This song and video show a different side of him, which I am loving! Enjoy the video!

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-07-03T13:31:00.000-07:00

LIVE PERFORMANCE: Michael Jackson

~ "They Don't Care About Us"

It's has been officially a week and a day since the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson's death. He had been in the midst of rehearsing for his upcoming concert tour days before he passed. Here is a live performance of Jackson's last ever time singing on stage. He is a seen singing and dancing to his 1996 hit "They Don't Care About Us", a fun hip-hop / dance track. He seems perfectly healthy, and in a great condition. This was shot on June 23rd, just 2 days before his death. He will be missed, and be sure to look out for more stuff that will leak from his rehearsals soon.

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2009-07-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

NEW MUSIC: Whitney Houston ~ "I Didn't Know My Own Strength"

On the first day of September, r&b legend Whitney Houston will be releasing her comeback album ''I Look To You''. This will be her first album since 2002. Her first single will be a song called "I Didn't Know My Own Strength", an amazing midtempo r&b / soul ballad with great vocals and lyrics from Whitney. This song is truly amazing, but I just feel it won't keep up on the mainstream radio like songs from Lady GaGa and Lil' Wayne. This is really a beautiful song, and I'm glad to see her back. Enjoy!

Whitney Houston ~ "I Didn't Know My Own Strength": D/L #1 | D/L #2

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-07-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

VIDEO PREMIERE: Drake ~ "Best I Ever Had"

Upcoming rapper and r&b singer Drake has been all over the mainstream this past month, best known for his song "Best I Ever Had". "Best I Ever Had" is a hot r&b / hip-hop song with great vocals and a nice rhythm, which is dominating the charts. Finally we have the song's video premiere, and I'm a bit disappointed. The storyline is about Drake coaching for a girl's basketball team. As most the comments have said on YouTube, this is one of the worst music videos in a long time. I mean c'mon, an urban video without dancing ho's? He is pretty lucky this song is hot, because the video would not save his ass. Enjoy this, I guess!

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-07-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

VIDEO PREMIERE: LeToya ~ "She Ain't Got..."

R&B singer LeToya will be finally releasing her second album ''Lady Love'' by the end of next month! Her first single "Not Anymore" proved to be unsuccessful, but she will be proving the world wrong with her second single "She Ain't Got...". The song is a hot, uptempo dance-pop / hip-hop, with outstanding beats and lyrics. The video for the track is a hot club video with a nice storyline. LeToya's dancing skills are hot, and Aubrey O'Day can be seen in the video dancing as well. This song is my summer jam, and I know it will go far! Enjoy the music video!

{What is your opinion? Leave soem thoguths!}

2009-07-01T13:46:00.001-07:00

NEW MUSIC: The Pussycat Dolls ~ "Whatever Happens"

Pop group The Pussycat Dolls have been hard at work promoting their sophomore album ''Doll Domination'' this whole year. Their current single "Hush Hush; Hush Hush" is slowly rising on the charts, and the group is expected to move their next single "Painted Windows" later this month. Here is a new track from them which is a left over from the ''Doll Domination'' era. The song is called "Whatever Happens" and it is a great, synth-pop song with great vocals from lead singer Nicole Scherzinger. Hopefully thier third album will have some fun songs like this! Enjoy!

The Pussycat Dolls ~ "Whatever Happens": D/L #1 | D/L #2

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-07-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

VIDEO PREMIERE: Britney Spears ~ "Radar"

For the fourth single off her album ''Circus'', pop princess Britney Spears will be releasing the bonus track "Radar", which originally appeared on her 2007 album ''Blackout''. The single was sent out to airwaves on June 23rd and here is the music video premiere for the track! The song is a great synth-pop / dance song with a nice upbeat rhythm to it. The video is not quite what we expected, but I still like it. It deals with Britney's two lovers, her husband, and a guy who is on ''her radar''. The music video reminded me a lot of Britney in her older days, which I really missed. After a few times, this video actually gets way better, and is pretty decent! Enjoy this!

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-06-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

DISCOVER & DOWNLOAD: Kesha ~ "P. Diddy"

This year, electro-pop singer Kesha has been making a name for herself with appearances on several tracks for Flo Rida's newest album ''R.O.O.T.S.''. She is finally set to release her first ever single, "P. Diddy" later in the summer! The song is a hot, uptempo, dance-pop / electronic song, with an amazing beat, great vocals and clever lyrics. This track is very impressive, and I love everything about it. This should definitely put Kesha's name on the map next to Lady GaGa this year! Enjoy this exclusive!

Kesha ~ "P. Diddy": D/L #1 | D/L #2

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-06-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

OFFICIAL ARTWORK: LeToya ~ ''Lady Love''

On August 25th, ex-Destiny's Child member and r&b singer LeToya will be releasing her sophomore solo album ''Lady Love''. The album's first single "Not Anymore" failed on the charts, and she has now moved on to her second official single "She Ain't Got...". To coincide with the release of the single's music video [set to premiere later today], she has unveiled the official cover for the album. It's definitely something different, and reminds me a bit of Beyoncé's ''I Am ... Sasha Fierce'' promos. I like this a lot, and it is one of the most clever artworks I've seen in a while. Enjoy!

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-06-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

VIDEO PREMIERE: Jay-Z ~ "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"

Rapper Jay-Z recently decided to got out of retirement, and release his album ''The Blueprint³''. The album is set of release in September, and his first single "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" was just released to radio! The song is a cool, r&b / rap track, which is mediocre at times, and interesting at others. The video is pretty bland like the song, and the only highlight is Jay's new head of hair, and the TV blowing up at the end. Jay-Z should learn a thing or two from his wife Beyoncé, if he wants this comeback to successful. Enjoy the music video!

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-06-28T19:58:00.000-07:00

NEW MUSIC: Shakira ~ "La Loba"

Sometime in the fall, Latin superstar and belly dancing beauty Shakira will be releasing her fourth English-language album. Her first single off the album will be a song called "She Wolf", said to be released next month. To promote the song in Spanish-speaking countries, Shakira recorded a Spanish version of the song, called "La Loba". The song is a fun, electro-pop / dance song, with a great beat. Nelly Furtado also had a Spanish song leak recently, and I would love to see which one of these ladies do better! Enjoy the song, and check back soon for the English version!

Shakira ~ "La Loba": D/L #1 | D/L #2

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-06-27T23:49:00.000-07:00

NEW MUSIC: The Game, Chris Brown, Diddy, Polow da Don,

Mario Winans, Usher, & Boyz II Men ~ "Better on the Other Side"

(Michael Jackson Tribute)

On Thursday afternoon, we all witnessed the craziness in the media as the news of Michael Jackson's death was publicly announced. Yesterday, several rappers and r&b singers [The Game, Chris Brown, Diddy, Polow da Don, Mario Winans, Usher and Boyz II Men] all grouped together to release a tribute song to Micheal, called "Better on the Other Side". The song is a beautiful hip-hop / r&b song, with many meaningful lyrics, and a nice, smooth beat. The song is organized in a great way, and it is a great way to carry on the legacy MJ will have on us in the future. Enjoy this!

The Game, Chris Brown, Diddy, Polow da Don, Mario Winans,

Usher, & Boyz II Men ~ "Better on the Other Side": D/L #1 | D/L #2

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-06-27T23:05:00.000-07:00

NEW MUSIC: Nelly Furtado ~ "Manos al Aire"

On September 29th, Mrs. Nelly Furtado will be releasing her first ever Spanish album, currently titled ''Mi Plan'' [which means ''My Plan'']. Her first single off the album is a song called "Manos al Aire" [meaning "Hand in the Air"], and it finally leaked in HQ today! The track is a good Latin / pop song, with nice vocals and a cool rhythm. I began learning Spanish about a year ago, and I really understood this track. You should give it a listen, even if you aren't a fluent Spanish speaker. Enjoy this!

Nelly Furtado ~ "Manos al Aire": D/L #1 | D/L #2

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-06-26T12:42:00.001-07:00

IN OTHER NEWS: R.I.P. Michael Jackson, 1958 ~ 2009

Yesterday, the King of Pop, Rock and Soul, the one person who could bring the world's biggest enemies together, Michael Jackson, past away at the very young age of 50. Jackson was a big inspiration to me, and to most artists who we listen to today. His dancing, music and philanthropy made who most us are today, and it was too early for him to go.

If you already having been keeping up the local news stations, CNN, or the Internet, sources are saying he died of cardiac arrest. Other rumors are saying this dead came from a drug overdose from his doctor, who may have mixed some prescription medicines together. It is too emotional for me to cover all this drama, and keep checking MSN or Yahoo for all the breaking details.

In a respect to Mr. Jackson, I will be posting my all time favorite music video by him. No, it's not "Thriller" [which is still amazing], but it is his 9 minute-long video for his song "Remember the Time". It brings back so many memories, and now watching it back, I really see how he and this video have affected the artists of today. It's sad to see how he died so quickly, and his music will live on for generations and generations to come. Enjoy the video, and stop my his YouTube channel to watch some of his other classics.

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-06-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

OFFICIAL ARTWORK: Mariah Carey

~ ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel''

In late August, pop diva and occasional actress Mariah Carey will be releasing her newest album, ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel''. Her first single "Obsessed" has received great reaction from the critics and fans and will be released as a single on July 7th! Here is the new cover artwork for the album, which she unveiled through her Twitter. It is very similar to a lot of her covers from her 90's albums, but I like it a lot. Many people have been wondering why she put 3 pictures of herself on the album, and it is because of her 3 personalities featured throughout the songs on the album. I cannot wait for this get released, because I know it will be hot! Enjoy the official artwork!

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-06-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

NEW MUSIC: Dirty Money featuring The Notorious B.I.G.

~ "Angels"

Sometime in the fall, Diddy will be releasing his album ''Last Train to Paris''. For the album, he created a special group called Dirty Money, consisting of himself, Dawn Richard [from Danity Kane], and another artist named Kaleena. Here is a new song which he is considering for the album called "Angels". It is a nice r&b / auto-tune song which makes a special appearance by the late The Notorious B.I.G. This is really great song, and love Diddy's 'singing' voice. Enjoy this exclusive!

Dirty Money featuring The Notorious B.I.G. ~ "Angels":

D/L #1 | D/L #2

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-06-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

HOT STORY: Chris Brown Does Not Get Any Jail Time!

+ NEW MUSIC: Chris Brown ~ "Not My Fault"

A couple months back, r&b singer Chris Brown reportedly attacked his then girlfriend, pop superstar Rihanna. Monday was his court date, and a verdict was finally set for his future. Brown copped a plea in his assault case making him spend 6 months doing community service, with no jail time. He was also ordered to stay 50 yards away from Rihanna at all times. He will be doing his 1,440 hours in his home state of Virginia, but doing jobs like road and graffiti cleanup.

Chris recieved 5 years probation for a felony assault, and he must also enroll into a domestic violence counseling program. The judge said if Rihanna and Chris are at the same event, the stay away rule will become a 10 yards distance. If he breaks this law he will go to prison for 4 years. Chris is now a convicted felon and doesn't have the right to vote or carry a gun.

At the time of the attack, I did say we would no longer talk about Brown on this blog anymore, but I realized, life is short, and why should we boycott him for a little thing, when we should be appreciating his music. He has talent, and we need to put his personal life behind. Here is a new song by Chris which recently leaked called "Not My Fault". The track is a cool electro / r&b song with a fun, retro-club vibe to it. It doesn't apply to the Rihanna drama, and is an old demo, which I really liked. Enjoy this!

Chris Brown ~ "Not My Fault": D/L #1 | D/L #2

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-06-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

VIDEO PREMIERE: Sean Paul ~ "So Fine"

On August 18, Jamaican reggae star Sean Paul will finally release his long-anticipated album ''Imperial Blaze''. His lead single off the album is a track called"So Fine", a catchy, hot reggae / hip-hop song, which is slowly rising on the charts! The video is very futuristic, and is a whole new step for him and his previously boring videos. I'm also really digging the Lady GaGa-esque glasses he is wearing! Sean hasn't let us down in the past, and I hope this album turns out great! Enjoy this!

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}

2009-06-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

VIDEO PREMIERE: 50 Cent ~ "I'll Do Anything"

Last week, G-Unit rapper 50 Cent released his seventh mixtape entitled ''War Angel LP''! The album will not have any real single, due to his work on his real album ''Before I Self Destruct'', which will be released in September. Here is the video for a song off the mixtape, "I'll Do Anything". The song is a nice hip-hop song with more a changing r&b feel to it, and something different from 50. The video is pretty simple, and like most rap videos, features some dancing hoes. I don't know why he released this video; maybe it will be a single for the real album? Enjoy this nonetheless!

{What is your opinion? Leave some thoughts!}