The Future of Our Favorite "Featured" Ladies

As spring blooms so do the careers of three lovely ladies - that's right, our girls Kimbra, Janelle, and Neon Hitch are doing FANTASTICALLY! Here at Unapologetically POP, we are positively thrilled with what these three unique songstresses are bringing to POP music; but it is not only the ladies' singular sounds that have propelled them to front & center - it is also the power of a little something called "the feature" - Janelle on Fun.'s We Are Young (which just spent 6 weeks at #1 in the US) & Kimbra on Gotye's Somebody That I Used To Know (which peaked at #1 this week) & Neon on Gym Class Heroes' Ass Back Home.

We wrote about Kimbra's pending international breakthrough a few months ago, & now, it looks like our leading lady is finding millions more fans. Daily. Like, for real for real.  Since we last wrote about her, Kimbra has toured with Gotye, played SXSW, & released an electro POP converse add.  Now she's preparing for an upcoming tour with fellow unlikely POP sensation Foster the People, in addition to writing with Mark Foster & John Legend! She's also added a handful of songs to the American release of her album, Vows, including songs with (STOP THE PRESS) - GREG KURSTIN, our favorite producer who basically gives us musical wet dreams.  Speaking of wet dreams, watch the three-way collaboration between Kimbra, A-Trak, & Mark Foster below.  Unfortunately, it is a non-sexual collaboration. 

Janelle herself is gearing up for an exhaustive tour. Some have questioned the purpose of Janelle's feature on Fun.'s #1 hit; however, having heard We Are Young live, we can attest that Janelle's vocals, albeit brief, truly carry the bridge.  Singing "na na na" along with the melody just does not satisfy the way Janelle does. She brings a softness to a song that is loud and brash, providing the perfect counterbalance to Nate Ruess' Freddy Mercury shriek. Rumor has it that her second album will soon be released, and as much as we love Janelle for her alternative sound, we hope she's able to maximize her emotional honesty by surrounding it with some sugary POP melodies. We want this talented lady to capitalize on all of this well-deserved attention!

Finally, our girl Neon Hitch has entered POP consciousness through her feature on Gym Class Heroes' A$$ Back Home. In fact, we think her hook is the best part of the song - it's sweet with a sad sizzle, just how we like it! The release of the song is perfectly timed, as Neon will soon be releasing her debut album, Beg, Borrow, & Steal, produced with a wide array of people from Benny Blanco (her partner in crime and Dr. Luke's former protege) to Imogen Heap. We can't wait to hear what she brings to the table. She's such a unique woman! We hope she taps into that individuality when it comes time for her to differentiate herself from Ke$ha, Katy, and RiRi. Those of you looking for your fix of Hitch should check out her first single, F.U. Betta. As much as we enjoy the song, we know she can do betta, and we can't wait to hear it.

Exactly how much power has the feature slot provided? Measuring this is probably too mathematically complex for us POP bloggers, but we do know that the feature slot has certainly propelled these shimmering chanteuses into the POP public's eye (remember how many features Nicki Minaj performed before her solo album?).  Moreover, with the changing landscape of music (genre mixing and a return to alternative sounds - see the success of Fun., Gotye, etc.) Kimbra and Janelle have as much of a chance of breaking into the mainstream as the uber-commercial (but super-awesome) Neon.  For our favorite "featured" ladies, it is only up from here!

Unapologetically,

Gregory & Minna

All Eyes on 2012 - Part 2

2012 POP albums that have us quivering with
Antici-p-p-Pation

16. Janelle Monáe -Untitled
According to Janelle, her 2012 work (which may be 2 whole albums) will be marked by songs that "empower, encourage & make you dance" - so cheers to that! Janelle is a creative. We never really knew what to make of her first record, The Archandroid. On some days, it suits us perfectly, while on others, it comes off as a tad holier-than-thou. Regardless, girl's got some chutzpah trying something different. One thing is for sure, though - if Janelle hopes to be the icon she dreams of becoming, she needs a hit, so here's hoping she can streamline her imagination for at least a few the tracks. If her music is more palatable, her talent will be more appreciated! We're not asking you to water anything down, Miss Monáe; just give us some POP beats! Social empowerment/encouragement is most potent when dowsed in sugar. Just as Ms. Jackson If You're Nasty! ("SING IT! We are a part of a Rhythm Nation." BOOM BOOM!)

15. Rye Rye - Go! Pop! Bang!

From Bangladesh and Pharrell to Akon and Robyn, it seems like Rye Rye has been working with everyone these past few years. Hopefully her first full album will give us some up-tempo tracks for the gym & the club.

14. Rufus Wainright - Out of the Game
For his seventh studio album Rufus is apparently working with Mark Ronson (*swoon*). According to this Rolling Stone article, Out of the Game is going to be Rufus's "poppiest" album yet, with songs for "driving around in your car... or losing your mind to on a dance floor." Ooo boy, this should be a good one.

13. Scissor Sisters - Untitled
After releasing their high-quality comeback single Shady Love (featuring vocals from Azealia Banks), tenured POP performers Scissor Sisters have us pretty darn interested in their fourth album. We're also excited to see how it fares in the USA and on the UK charts. Will Scissor Sisters ever score some time on the American airwaves? Only time will tell...
Shady Love (Clean) by Scissor Sisters

12. La Roux - Untitled
Little information has been released concerning synthPOP act La Roux's second album; we do know that listeners can expect to hear the influences of Italo-disco, Donna Summer, & Grace Jones. Elly Jackson told Out Magazine that she wants a "classy, sexy" sound for the new album, "the way sexy was before it got made dirty." Oh, La Roux, we've missed you!

11. Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded

Barbies rejoice: Nicki & the ferocious Roman Zolanski are baaaaack! According to Nicki we can expect the release of Roman Reloaded's album artwork and track-listing this month. It's safe to say that the album's release day will be a semi-official holiday in ATL (Minna will report).

10. Fun. - Some Nights
Minna cannot get enough of this band! There's a lot to be excited about here; Some Nights, fun.'s second studio album, is produced by Jeff Bhasker, who has worked with Beyonce, Kanye West, Alicia Keys & Natalia Kills. By teaming up with Bhasker the guys from fun. will surely deliver an amazing indie POP album, reminding us all that you don't have to be an electronic, female solo act to make massive POP tunes.

fun.: We Are Young ft. Janelle Monáe by Fueled By Ramen

9. Adam Lambert - Trespassing
We've said it before & we'll say it again: Adam deserves far more time on the radio than he receives. Happily, Better Than I Know Myself received high praise as a super-emotional, yet danceable lead single. On top of working with big names like Claude Kelly, Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco, Adam has also collaborated with under-appreciated POP artists like Sam Sparro and Nikka Costa. Glam rock will never die, & Trespassing is shaping up to be a spectacular POP album.

8. Diana Vickers - Untitled
We didn't listen to Diana's first album, but that's not important. All that matters is the following 6 words: Music To Make The Boys Cry. We want the rest of the album NOW! (But take your time Diana, we support you!)

7. Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
You've probably never heard of her, but we put Lana on our list because, hey, wouldn't we be impeached by the Music Bloggers' Association if we didn't? (In all seriousness, Born To Die will make a major splash in 2012 - we're hoping it produces some more beautiful baroque POP anthems. We've always defended Lana)

6. Ladyhawke - Anxiety

Minna is a huuuuge fan of Ladyhawke & is more or less counting down the days until the release of her second album, Anxiety, in March. Pip Brown recorded the album with the amazing Pascal Gabriel last year & is apparently very excited to "get back in the game." We can't wait to hear Black, White, and Blue on the radio. Get it, girl!

5. Little Boots - Untitled
This chick is so underrated. She's taken her time with her second album and experienced a great deal of anxiety, as evidenced by her blog, but we're happy she took a well-deserved break in between records. It gave her the energy to come up with one of her most positively received singles, Shake. We have no doubt that this classically trained diva will keep us dancing all night with the rest of her album!

4. Regina Spektor - What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
This album title is so cute. It's kind of reminiscent of Lily's second album title, It's Not Me, It's You, but without the F.U. factor. Regina's said that she worked with Mike Elizondo, who also produced some tracks on her last record, Far, as well as having worked with Maroon 5, Snoop Dogg, and Fiona Apple. Ayayayayay! We can always count on Regina for some solid piano POP.

3. Ellie Goulding - Untitled
Interestingly, while her POP-contemporary Marina is going for "sonic=electronic" on Electra Heart, Ellie plans to strip down the production process for her next record. In the past, she stated that she wanted to find an unknown Swedish producer to work with - & we guess she has if the album is due out this year! Clearly, Ellie wants a creative partner who is eager and ego-less. Seeing as her debut, Lights, was POP and electronic, yet completely unlike any electro-POP out there, we're excited to see where her creativity will take her this time!

2. Madonna - M.D.N.A.
M.D.N.A. could equal - 1) Madonna 2) Madonna D.N.A. - Is Madonna's D.N.A. the best? She certainly thinks so. Clearly, she's a Darwinist. or 3) M.D.M.A. (the purest form of ecstasy), but replace the third "M" with "N" - how clever...Honestly? The album title sounds like Madonna is trying to be edgy and youthful, and we wish she would stop, because being younger isn't necessarily cooler. Just be yourself, Madonna! With that said, we're super excited for M.D.N.A. She's worked with William Orbit from her Ray of Light and Music days (those albums were fantastic!) and Martin Solveig, who produced Hello featuring Dragonette. We love that Madonna is still working with producers like Solveig who are on the cusp. She always does her best when she's setting the trends, rather than making them (although we did love the Hard Candy album.)

and our #1 most anticipated album is:

1. Marina & the Diamonds - Electra Heart

By now hopefully y'all know that Marina Diamandis is our muse. And yes, we feel a disconnect between Marina & her Diamonds, but both of us here at Unapologetically POP support Marina & her artwork wholeheartedly. Sonically electronic, lyrically innovative, & inspired by Greek mythology & Hollywood fantasy, Electra Heart is easily our most anticipated album of 2012. (Look Marina: WE RATED YOU HIGHER THAN MADONNA! )

Bring it on, 2012!


Unapologetically,


Gregory & Minna


PS - Did we miss anyone? Feel free to leave a comment below.

JFF - Nicki Minaj & "Roman in Moscow"

Nicki Minaj wears fame like anyone can take it.  She has the X-factor.  She's a badass It Girl who slides between genres with the help of carefully created "alter-egos," - my favorite of which is the demonic, wrathful, & utterly maniacal Roman Zolanski.

The golden days of rap, for me, have long been over.  I grew up on NWA, Wu Tang, DMX and a father who loved (& still loves) Ja Rule.  However, Nicki's Roman persona is climbing up the steep heights of my expectations at a rapid pace.  There is a reason that the cut-throat track Roman's Revenge was my favorite on Pink Friday, next to Moment 4 Life (despite the homophobic slurs, which we will discuss soon).  Finally, in Roman In Moscow, Her Nastiness returns.  Her metaphors are slick.  Her character original.  And her delivery ... flawless.

One minute into Roman in Moscow and Nicki boasts, "every trend, I introduce it."  In some respects, she's probably right.

Unapologetically,

Minna